ER Time With The Chernows

This quarter at school is kicking my ass, thus the serious lack of posts.  Finally getting one done.

Now that the adventure known at Chicago Stem Cell Transplant is behind us, I figure it was time for some serious R&R for my folks. Both are wiped from Chicago, not to mention the trip back to California- which involved a ton of packing. Mom's birthday was just a few days shy of their trip home. Hmmm pack for your birthday, sounds like such fun. I figured she needed a real birthday celebration. I plan a special day with her at our favorite hot springs- Glen Ivy. I didn't tell her that I invited her sisters and booked her for several spa appointments.
9:30am I got a call from her that my childhood cat, Tristan, wasn't doing well. She was lathargic, deydrated, and had a kitty fever. Mom was going to take her in to the emergency vet and hopefully, if things settled down, come to Glen Ivy later. I was pingpoing in my head- worried about my cat (who is 14 yr old btw) and worried that my overworked mother wouldn't make it to her massage (that she didn't know about) in the next hour.
10am The spa let me reschedule mom's massage for later in the day.

11am Mom's sisters show up. We all wait around for word on Tristan, and to find out if my mom would finally get a break.
12:45pm - Mom makes it! Yay! Tristan was given antibiotics and hydrated. Mom's sisters laid down on lawn chairs with their hair in towels and wearing sunglasses. Totally surprised Mom! Lovely day followed.

Wednesday became part II of the Chernow ER festivities:

5:04pm Got a text from Mom that Dad was running a low grade fever, and likely there would be a trip to the ER. I got on the phone with my dad (who doesn't love a text like that?) to get detail. Yes, he had a low fever (100.4) and yes, they were going to the ER- mainly as a precaution, since he was a recent stem cell transplant patient. Every time he got a low fever before it turned out to be something more serious, so all of his doctors just wanted to play it safe.

I spent the evening drinking a large glass of wine, eating take-out, and hoping for the best.

10:48pm Got another text from Mom that they were going home.

The next day they had to go back to the hospital. Dad still had a fever and still on the brink of having to be admitted. Fortunately, his fever broke. 

It's been like that the last few weeks.  Dad has been in and out of the hospital, often from lack of fluids or food, since he has a hard time keeping things down.  It's kinda a roller coaster of being very concerned, but also kinda numb at the same time.  Every time I hear 'ER' I wonder if it's something serious or just caution because he's a recent transplant patient.  Hopefully things will get better once his immune system is back to par.

Good news- Tristan is doing much better.  Whatever she had seems to have resolved, and she is her usual feline self.

They're Back!

Quick update on the parents.  Thanks for everyone's support during this 'wild' ride.

After almost six months- my parents are finally back in California!  YAY!  Thanks to everyone for their concern and support.  It's been a long roller-coaster of a ride, and it's not over yet, but we are happy to have Chicago behind us.

Craig and I went to see them Friday night.  It was wonderful to see them, but they're pretty exhausted.  Dad weighs less than I do, and that was pretty disturbing.  I hoping being home, he'll start feeling better and fattening up.  And hopefully, mom will be able to get some rest too.

#3

So, it would be bad enough for my dad to have rare autoimmune disease and...

• have it go on for 10 years
• have a stem cell transplant
• catch the flu post-transplant
• happen to have swine flu
• is having such a hard time holding down food my mom bought a blender (mmmm... the milkshake diet?)

But did it have to be the rare version of swine flu that is immune to the regular swine flu meds?  There have been 9 documented cases in the world- 2 prior cases in the USA, and my dad makes number 3.  He is now officially an international health hazard.  Impressive.

Maybe it isn't a good idea to ask what happen to cases 1 and 2.... Because the answer was, "One survived."  Of course, my dad had and important medical call to take, so I had to wait another 10 minutes before finding out that the 'non-survivor' was already terminally ill.  (Yeah, not post-transplant, no-immune system ill - I asked.)

Dad Sent Us All This Photo, Sums Things Up...

It does make finding balance a bit of a struggle.  Finding joy in the everyday wonderfulness of life.  Going to work, and school, and hanging out with friends, and how does one enjoy that knowing all this is going on?  Shouldn't I feel like crap about it?  

Well NO!  Or at least, not when I can help it.  Sure, there are times it sucks that he is so ill (ok, it sucks all the time), but if I've learned one thing through all this, it's that I can't let it control my life.  Of course, far easier said than done.  And I've spend my fair share of mopping time wondering how to balance it all.  Still trying to figure that one out.  But it's not something I'm giving up on.

So for all those wondering how Steve is doing, that sums it up.  

What's Been Going on

I am officially a quarter of a century old. I feel sooo old! But at the day was nice. Following a lovely Glen Ivy trip, we did a small dinner party with some friends. Craig cooked up tasty foods as always. And Christy made a super tasty red velvet cake.

Just make a wish and blow!

Ahh- wish came true. It was a lovely time. It was a little tough that so much money was spent on the move that we couldn't do much, but it was still a nice time.

I wish I could say things were going as well with my parent. Post stem cell transplant, my dad caught the swine flu. There is all sorts of crap in his lungs and he's down to 130lb. They also worry he may have pneumonia. The specialist are still trying to figure out exactly what's wrong, and more importantly, how to make it better. The scariest was a call I got from him at 9pm and he told me his heart wasn't working. Freaked me out. Turns out it was cuz he wasn't eating, so they pumped him full of potassium, and he's doing better. He still sends update emails in the middle of the night after taking too much ambien, and those are pretty hard to understand (there is a lesson here kids about the dangers of emailing, calling, shopping ebay or amazon while on drugs...). We're just praying and taking it one day at a time. I never cease to be amazed at my mom's strength to be on the front lines all the time.

While I have much better health, I have had a constant string of migraines for the last 3 weeks. My neuro doctor is out of town, and his PA said the meds take time to kick in. Doesn't comfort much the fact that I still have to get through school, work, and finals...

We were able to move out of the old place by the deadline. I'm so happy not to feel gross all day from packing and cleaning. I will miss the paint job we did to my old room. It was truly lovely.

I love the new place, but I'm sure I'll love it even more when it's unpack!

But the cats seem to be enjoying it.

And some super exciting news- Stef got into grad school!! Yay!! Super congrats to my little sis. We'll both be graduating summer of 2011 now! I'm so proud of her and happy for her!

Last Friday Craig and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. We were both pretty tired and broke from moving, but had a lovely night out at the Cheesecake Factory. Then we went home to play a board game I got for my lover/nerd.

I heart Craig. :)

Seriously?

It's been a pretty smashing full day.  Full of what, you ask?

Data entry all day for a rush project at work.  So much data slowly turns my brain to mush.

However, leaving work, things must get better.  That's what I thought.  On the drive home from work, I talk to Mom and Craig, both on the phone.  I find out Dad still have a fever, and the flu.  Not sure what kind of flue.  Further tests needed.  But the hospital said be may be able to go back to the hotel soon- which is a good sign.  You have to stay at the hospital if you're really sick.

From Craig I learn my roommates and landlord are freaking out about rent.  I could have sworn we paid first and last month rent when we moved in.  I swear that's what the landlord said.  And damn it- turns out that what I thought was last month's rent was actually a security deposit.  Was not planning on paying rent this month- not with rent and deposit on the new place.  Just hoping to get most of the deposit back.

Then on to an unproductive conference call with my study group.  We attempted to meet on a call to save time.  Instead, the call was so ineffective, we're meeting tomorrow, in person.

I process to spend the next few hours packing and am a wee bit tired.

And yet....

Craig has been wonderful.  In addition to feeling better, he's taken charge of the move.  He will deal with roommates, landlords, the majority of the moving, and utilities.  What a guy!  Now it's true that he has more time without school and work, and I have to foot the bill with some of the larger checks, but he's really reduced my stress.  Always a plus for me!

Back to "Normal"

I got back to LA Sunday night, then crashed before work on Monday.  I've been pretty tired all week, and may still be on Chicago time.  :p  Got a horrible migraine on Wednesday, at it was around 1:30am by the time the meds killed it.  Also, seems like everyone is getting sick.  A ton of people at work, as well as poor Craig, who has had migraines all week.  Actually, he was sick all day, and the toast I made him (with peach preserve from Chicago) is the only he's kept down today. 

Bootsy, first day

And good news of the day- Bootsy has a permanent home!  A lovely coworker of mine had some lovely friends looking for a kitten.  The couple came over tonight to meet Bootsy.  I got really nervous when they stepped out to talk about it, especially since Bootsy was more interested in foil balls than people this evening.  But they decided to take him home!  Bootsy is such a great mix of social adventurer and love bug, that I'm sure they'll love him.  They're also renaming him Peanut, which will suit him well.  I'm thrilled he has a good, loving, permanent home, but I think I'm going through kitten withdrawal.  Curie is snoozing and purring on the couch next to me, so I think it will all be ok. 

We get to see Craig parents this weekend.  Then it's off to meet our friend's semi-new baby!  I love kids that I'm not responsible for.  I can play with them, then hand them off when they get cranky or smelly.

I talked to Dad, and he's ok.  He's out of 'danger' - thank goodness!  I think this means his immune system is not at deadly low levels, though it will still be a while before he's back to 'normal.'  God, I'm not even sure what that would mean after everything.  However, things are still sucky.  He had to get a line put in his arm, and they hit a nerve.  He's been vomiting so much that he hasn't eaten all day.  (What's up with everything throwing up today?!?) Hopefully, that will settle.  Mom's picking him up a Jamba Juice- and they were a necessity during his interferon treatment a few years ago.

Update

Update: It's almost ten, and my dad's fever spiked.  

Mom staying at the hospital to see what the doctor says.  

I offered to stay instead or stay with her, but they said to just go home.  

And now I'm back at the hotel debating whether to wait up or go to sleep.  

Hate feeling so helpless, but can't do much - 

except wash my hands a lot, take care of myself, and wait and see.

My First

I am a 24 year old grad student working on my MBA part-time at UCLA while working full-time at the front office of a TV production company.  I have aspirations of completing my masters and taking over the world.  Or at least starting my own company.  Between work and school, there has not been much down time.  Yet, finals are over and I have a week off of work.  Seems like a good time to start a blog.

This week off finds me visiting Chicago, which would be all fun and awesomeness if it wasn't for the fact that the main reason I'm out here is to see my dad going through the worst part of the chemo related to his stem cell transplant.  See, my dad has been sick for the better part of the last decade.  It's hard to describe exactly what he has, because it is so complicated and so rare.  Basically, he has auto-immune problems.  After years of different treatments, he's finally going through with a stem cell transplant.  People I've told about this say 'how cool' it is to have this cutting-edge procedure.  Cool?  Well, I hope desperately that it works.  Of course, cool is not the first thing that comes to mind as a I sit in a hospital room with a father who is half conscious and pumped up on painkillers.  Cool is not having to wash my hands (twice!) every time I come to the 15th floor of the hospital to my dad's room, because he has about two white blood cells in his whole body.  Cool is not watching my dad dry heave.  When I first got to his room, I felt afraid to even breath.  

Dad and I - pre stem cell transplant

So here I sit at the hospital half freaked out with what is going on and half wondering was tasty restaurant will be a good choice for dinner.  Dad is on enough drugs that he's telling us about the dead people he saw (maybe in a dream?).  His grandfather, his best friend, our old greyhound, and the kitten I had who got sick and died.  They're all hanging out with him on the beach.  Just chilling.  Seems like everyone is having a good time.

Fortunately, every restaurant here in Chicago seems to be tasty, so that takes care of dinner.  Too bad the hospital part isn't so easy to fix.  And that's the crux of living with someone seriously and chronically ill.  How does one live their life, and enjoy it, while someone they love is so sick?  I refuse to not enjoy myself for the days/months/years he is sick, but it's difficult to find the balance.  Whether it's leaving the hospital for dinner or just getting up everyday to go to work knowing he went to the ER last night.  It's something I've wrestled with for years.