I’m Coming Home

I’m wearing jeans, socks and shoes – street clothes – yay!! Pick up time is 3:00, if things work out a rad earlier with the hospital and Scot’s arrival here (still no one can come in) I might bust out a little earlier.

I’ll be self-administering Grannix injections and flushing my 3 lines daily. Plus some Smilow visits for transfusions.

Fortunately, they are letting me go home and not to a hotel here in Boston. I will need caregivers on days that Scot is at work. Thankfully, Lisa and Erica are able to be with me (with a few back ups just in case). Then, Lisa and I will return to Boston for my first follow up tests on the 25th. (And maybe line removal??)

Crazy cat photo credit: Hope Conway

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Heather

I never thought I’d be writing a blog, and certainly not one that is all about me, and yet, here I am. For me life has always been interesting, not mundane, not always exciting per se, but hardly ever the norm. When I say “It’s always something…” I don’t hear it as my life is a mess, it;s always something. It’s more of life is challenging and evolving and messy and inspiring and wondrous, it’s always something. I grew up in suburbia, buy my grandfather was the head of the Communist Party in the U.S. I was raised keeping that a secret, so that was something. I am tall, always have been, really tall (6’1″), I was taller than every human being in my elementary school when I was in 6th grade, that is still something. My parents divorced in my teens. I got a full basketball scholarship to Duke University. I married my high school basketball coach, 18 years my senior. I raised a stepson. I had two amazing kids of my own. We had a multicultural household, secular christian (I guess that’s what I would call it, you know Santa and the Easter Bunny) and Judaism, I used to say if it was a holiday – we celebrated it! We were uber involved in our community, mostly through youth athletics, coaching, managing and spectating. Our kids grew up, I started a photography business on the side (I hope to share some photos here) and we planned to travel a bit together, went to Portugal for our 25th anniversary and then my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, initially they gave him 5 years, but he only survived for a little over two. I was going to say lived, but really, it was more like surviving. That, indeed, was something. I became a widow at 49. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. But, then it was something in another way. I relearned who I was. You don’t realize how much of you becomes a combination of you and another person in a relationship. And not in a bad way, it is essential, and you don’t lose yourself, you just evolve. And I found myself suddenly alone, and learning about myself and who I had become over the years, what was just me, and what was part of who we were together. Which in retrospect, was probably hardest on those around me who had gotten used to the old me, or never even knew the original me. A year later I found love again. Sold my home of 31 years and moved closer to work. I became more fit, ate more healthfully and was amazed that I could be happy, truly happy, in the wake, no not wake, but the shadow of such profound grief. And that is truly something, something amazing and unexpected. And then, through some routine blood work in April 2014, and a visit to a hematologist and bone marrow biopsy in May, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. And so, yes, for me right now it’s multiple myeloma, but that is not all, there are still highs and joys, and the mundane and the rest, but something like cancer does cast a pretty long shadow.

13 thoughts on “I’m Coming Home”

  1. So glad you are coming home today. I’m sure you will feel much better in your own home and bed. Keep fighting the good fight. You got this❤️❤️❤️

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  3. I hope Scott is wearing a cape for a super rescue. And better yet, your appointment on the 25th removes your line and your birthday is one of freedom and joy! Love you.

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  9. Wonderful news!! 🤗 Home!! You sure have excelled in how to kick ass.
    It’s like you write a medical journal each time, Heather, in words we can understand…which means it’s only more extraordinary how you face each day.
    Safe travels home… I know you’ll be getting lots of excellent nurturing. Sending love. XO
    Randy and Terry

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  11. Welcome Home, neighbor!
    Welcome Home, friend!!
    I am so glad you are coming home.
    Get some good rest.
    Love fron me to all in your home.
    XO♥️

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  13. Heather…,I’m so happy for you and that you got to go home!! What an ordeal …. praying for your good health ❤️

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