Any Given Tuesday

BMT part of the Infusion Center
My Picc line getting blood drawn

Maria trying to draw my blood but it is being

stubborn today.

Lifting my left arm trying to get the blood to flow

Changing my Picc dressing

PURELL- A Leukemia patients best friend

Lunch at the Olive Garden with my mom

YUM YUM!!

So how do most of you spend your Tuesday's? I spend my Tuesday's probably quite different than most. But really do enjoy them in some weird way. Any given Tuesday you can find me in the Moores Cancer Center giving them my wonderful blood and seeing my great team of doctors and nurses in the BMT (bone marrow transplant) clinic. It has become second nature now after having this routine for more than a year. I usually see the same people every week and have developed some really good relationships with them. I love encouraging those patients that are just starting and going through the worst of things. I try to let them know that it will get better and tell them of my experiences. It has been such a blessing to be able to meet so many great people and have a common factor. We all know what each other is going through and that is comforting knowing that you are not alone and the only one going through this.

I usually go and get anywhere from 4 to 10 tubes of blood drawn and then get the dressing on my picc line cleaned and changed. It is a great time to chat with the nurses and see what they have been up to. They become like a second family and you get to know all about their lives. It is a lot of fun and I am deeply grateful for those relationships I have. I then wait for lab results to come back and get any prescriptions I need refilled. I will then head up to the second floor to meet with my primary BMT doctor, who is such an amazing man. I love how well he listens and genuinely cares about me. We sit and talk and most the time joke around about all sorts of things.

Somewhere in the midst of this busy day my mom and I find some time to eat. We usually eat at a nearby restaurant and enjoy a little break in the middle of a long and crazy day. Today we went to Olive Garden (my favorite). It was a very lovely lunch and it is always a joy to share time with my wonderful mom. I love you mom!!! Thanks for taking care of me through all this.