TRANSFUSION DAY

TRANSFUSION DAY HAS COME & IS ALMOST GONE. I DID EXTREMELY WELL, BUT IT WAS A LONG LONG DAY. IT STARTED EARLY WITH A TRIP TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TO GET MY REGULAR LAB WORK DONE FOR MY TRANSPLANT DOCTORS. THEY WILL USE THIS TO DETERMINE IF THEY NEED TO INCREASE MY MEDICINE OR NOT. SINCE I WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE TRANSFUSION LATER THAT DAY, I JOKINGLY TOLD THE LAB TECH SHE COULD TAKE AS MUCH BLOOD AS SHE WANTED SINCE I WAS GOING FOR A REFILL LATER. I'M A FREQUENT FLYER AT THE LAB, & THEY ALWAYS TREAT ME REALLY WELL. I EVEN PROMISED I WOULD HOLD STILL & NOT KICK & SCREAM & FIGHT & CRY. EXCEPT FOR THE EMPLOYEES, MOST OF THEIR PATIENTS ARE KIDS, SO THAT IS A FREQUENT OCCURENCE THERE. AFTER THE LAB WORK, I GOT TO STOP BY THE UNIT WHERE I NORMALLY WORK & SEE MY FRIENDS (AKA COWORKERS) & LET THEM SEE FOR THEMSELVES THAT I'M OK. BECAUSE I'M ON A MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM WORK, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT I DON'T MISS THE WORK, PER SE, BUT I DO MISS THE PEOPLE. I SAW ALMOST EVERYONE EXCEPT BRUCE & SANDRA. MAYBE I CAN CATCH THEM NEXT TIME AROUND. WE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STOP FOR A BITE OF LUNCH, CAREFULLY AVOIDING THE HOSPITAL CAFETERIA FOR TASTIER PASTURES ELSEWHERE. WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO SAINT AGNES HOSPITAL A FEW MINUTES EARLY TO CHECK IN & WERE KINDLY ESCORTED BY A VOLUNTEER TO THE OUTPATIENT INFUSION ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR. I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE SO WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUND IT ON MY OWN. IT WAS A VERY BUSY PLACE WITH A LOT GOING ON FOR THE NURSES ON A NONSTOP BASIS. ARTIE KEPT ME COMPANY & EVERYONE DID A GREAT JOB. IT JUST TOOK A LONG LONG TIME. WE DECIDED IT MUST BE BLOOD TRANSFUSION DAY AS EVERYONE THERE WAS GETTING BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER. WE WERE INFORMED THAT EVERY DAY THERE IS "TRANSFUSION DAY". WE ENDED UP BEING THERE FROM 1 PM TO ABOUT 5:45 PM.  IT'S A GOOD THING I ALWAYS BRING WORD PUZZLE BOOKS & READING MATERIAL. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW GOT ME HOOKED ON FILL IN PUZZLES. IT REALLY HELPS PASS THE TIME. ONE OF THE OTHER PATIENTS NEXT TO ME NAMED STEVE WAS SO SO SICK. HE'S GONE THROUGH CHEMOTHERAPY & RADIATION & BEAT THE CANCER COMPLETELY, BUT DUE TO COMPLICATIONS HAS A SEVERE AUTOIMMUNE ISSUE CAUSING HIM TO HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY BREATHING, SEVERE WEIGHT LOSS & WEAKESS TO THE POINT WHERE HE COULDN'T SIT IN A RECLINER LIKE THE REST OF US & HAD TO BE CAREFULLY PUT INTO THE ONLY BED ON THE UNIT. HIS WIFE HAD TO SUCTION HIM FREQUENTLY TO MAKE HIM LESS "JUICY" & MORE COMFORTABLE.  HIS SISTER & FATHER-IN-LAW WERE THERE TOO GIVING HELP, SUPPORT, & BEING OH SO POSITIVE. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THEM ALL. ONE OF THE NURSES IN THE UNIT WAS ABLE TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO HIS FAMILY THAT SHOULD HELP WITH HIS CARE & COMFORT. I FEEL LIKE MY PROBLEMS ARE SO SMALL COMPARED TO HIS. I COULD WALK IN & OUT ON MY OWN TWO FEET & HAVEN'T LOST ENOUGH WEIGHT TO COUNT.  I DO GET TIRED A LOT, BUT NOTHING LIKE HE IS FACING. I KNOW YOU WILL ALL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ME AS MY ADVENTURE CONTINUES, BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR STEVE, TOO. REMEMBER HIM TO THE GOD WHO IS BIGGER THAN CANCER & BIGGER THAN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS. I KNOW I WILL BE. WHEN I TOLD HIS FAMILY I WOULD ADD HIM TO MY PRAYER LIST, THEIR UNSELFISH RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE PRAYING FOR ME TOO. WHAT A FAMILY! NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE & NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WORSE OFF THAN YOU. SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP, SOMEONE WHO NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT, SOMEONE THAT NEEDS A KIND WORD, SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A PRAYER, SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A LITTLE DIVINE INTERVENTION. YOU JUST HAVE TO OPEN YOUR EYES & LOOK AROUND. IT PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE.