Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Light at the end of the Tunnel

Today is my 20th day in the hospital, and hopefully, the last.  After the stem cells went back in, I was told that it would take 10 to 14 days for them to begin working and my immune system to begin improving. The counts indicating that improvement, began to go up in the last 48 hours, and so the transplant itself has begun to work! Hopefully, I will be able to continue getting better at home in the next few days, and then start slowly getting back out into the least crowded, and therefore least germy, places around town.  

My experience in the hospital has been surreal. I am deeply grateful to have been at such a high quality facility. I have found, not surprisingly, that the essence of the hospital's quality is in its staff. Hundreds of people contribute to my well being every day. From the nurses to the patient care techs, from the people who prepare and deliver my meals, to the ones who stock the supply shelves, to the pharmacist that fills my drug orders. I am very grateful that they made this experience as positive as it could be, but I am really looking forward to being home, able to sleep through a night without being woken up every couple of hours, able to feel some sense of privacy, and hopefully to soon feel my energy restored!


13 comments:

Kyra said...

WOOHOO!!!

Kate @ GreatestEscapist.com said...

WOOOOOOOO! Happy at-home recovery, friend. And expect a little package from last year's RACstars quite soon. We suck at mailing stuff on time, but it's coming your way asap.

Sammie said...

Best news I've had in ages!!! Will be thinking of you as Nancy and I witness the signing of Ledbetter -- something you helped bring to fruition!!

Lina Dreyfus Wallace said...

Hurray! Can't wait to meet you for coffee or lunch in a "least germy" place soon!

Debbie said...

Overjoyed! Overwhelmed! Ecstatic! Delirious! I will continue to think of superlatives of my emotions as I read this news and write more as they come to me... :)

Erica B. said...

Zowie! Elissa, this is fantastic!! Take it slow!

Anonymous said...

As Zac and Vanessa say it: you're breaking free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOnkUjW41NM

Debra said...

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Love and miss you so much and so glad to hear this news!

Molly said...

Glad to hear that things seem to be working!!! Get better, and keep those germies away. And, feel free to be a total jerk about it. You have license to do so.

Suzanne in Maine said...

Great news! finally the get of jail card. At least you can pick up the paper, or log on, or whatever, and every day Obama does something good, even though we are in deep shit. Imagine being sick without having going back to a new prez in DC to look forward to...a prez that will support stem cell research....

Harboring thoughts said...

And I thought Ledbetter was a surprise after the court ruling was so dismal. This one is even better. You certainly embody her determination, conviction, and grace.

Stay away from those germy places, and just permit your body to sink into your own bed. Rest, strengthen up, bundle up, and build up that immune system. I see lots of spinach and chard, beans and chicken soup in your future as your amazing, amazing mother strengthens your inner armor.

Nancy

Mfranks said...

Amazing news, Elissa!!!

Jessica Braunfeld Turnof said...

Sorry that I'm a bit late to this good news: YAAAAY!! I hope you continue to feel well and that you're dancing through the streets of Chicago sooner. Much love, dahlin'