Van, Rain, Toe

After 56 days in the repair shop, driving a rental, and $5,000 worth of damage, I finally got my van back!  I missed my mom mobile!  

Back story:

Soon after we got home from Chicago, I went to drop off a letter at the drive through mailbox (to get some fresh air and some freedom), while I was out, a woman struck my van...it wasn't driveable.  I had to be taken home in the police car (gross), with my kids car seats (that we replaced).

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Today, of course, there was a down pour and flash flood warning when I got to the body shop.

So, here I am, stuck in my rental car, contemplating how I'm going to get through the river that is now flowing down the street, without getting my toe wet.  At this point, I have taken everything extra out of the rental car so I don't have to move over car seats and strollers and all other baby/kid items.  I then realize, I have medical gloves in my purse for emergencies!  I grab one out of its ziplock bag, rip of the thumb, and stretch it out over my very bandaged toe. It barely fit.

I prepare for escape, glasses in purse, keys in purse, water bottle, jacket...open door, GO!  I have never, walked through so much water on a road.  It was so high I almost lost my flip flops.  Thankfully, my toe stayed dry, and I made it to the door. I got my van pulled up for me, gave back the rental, and I was on my merry way.

Next stop, wound care center.  This toe has been a pain in the butt (really pain in my toe) for 7 months!  We are ready to be rid of this wound.  The team there is great.  Very positive, happy bunch...reminds me a lot of Northwestern staff.  

I saw the Dr. and he wanted a biopsy from my toe to rule out any cancer.  It's not likely, so I'm not too worried.  He's just being ultra conservative due to my history and wants to be thorough.  I was like a celebrity there!  Everyone, and I mean everyone, wanted to ask me questions about HSCT.  It was great to see a group so excited about healing others, they are in that business too.  

So, after an hour and a half of filling out health histories, medications, questionnaires, examinations and procedures, I now have an open wound again.  It hurts.  I have to keep it covered always until it heals.  

One of the medicines they have prescribed me is a piece of mesh like matter, made from a sheeps stomach!  

Note:

Products from animals that I've had in or on my body in the past 3 months:

-Rabbit (rATG during transplant)

-Sheep (Wound healing medicine for toe)

-????? (What animal is next?)

Thankful for science and my Dr.'s.  A shout out to my podiatrist.  If you live in the Maryland area and need a podiatrist, let me know!  He's answered texts from me after hours, on weekends, made time for me in his already full day to help me and my poor toe.  He's truly been great and I'm thankful to have him on my medical team. :)

So, we are on the road to recovery (again) I hope that this wound will soon be a distant memory.  I'm itching to start walking and biking and hiking and doing just about anything outdoors!  Heal toe!

Toe Update

After 2 weeks of craziness with this toe, I've had:

-Lots of pain

-5 office visits with my podiatrist 

-1 X-ray

-1 MRI

-3 different antibiotics 

-3 different pain meds (learned that I'm super sensitive post transplant and vomited with each one).

I've spoken with the Chicago team all throughout this and they wanted the MRI to rule out a bone infection.  Thankfully, that was this morning and the Radiologist on call confirmed that there was no infection!

Now we are treating the wound with a special calcium silver dressing.  I'll see the podiatrist on Tuesday then a wound care Dr. on Thursday.

I'm very thankful for my Dr.'s and how attentive they have been.  I look forward to getting this toe healed so I can do things with my family!

Damn toe! ;)

100 DAYS!!!

Not 100 days since my transplant, 100 days since my last IVIG!!!

While I've been healing from the transplant (and dealing with this stupid toe that just won't heal), I've had the added relief and time of not having the treatment that made me so sick, took weeks from my life, and took me from my family.

My boys had a weekend sleepover at my parents this past weekend so I could rest and begin the healing process again with my toe.  They had a great time and did wonderfully.  The one thing I am grateful for from the IVIG weeks, was the time my oldest got to spend away.  He's learned at an early age, that, as Daniel Tiger sings, "grown ups come back".  

I also was remembering my nurse Bello who came and administered my medicine for 8 hours for 3 days at a time.  It's kind of like saying goodbye to a friend you didn't expect to make along the way.

Thankful that at least for now, IVIG is becoming a more and more distant memory.