The Countdown Begins

You're looking at the inner courtyard that weaves behind the hospital campuses including Karmanos Cancer Center where Gil is a patient. Long walks along the paths today help remind me that fall is in the air and that the seasons will go on -- regardless of whether we are at home or in downtown Detroit looking out from hospital windows on the tenth floor. We have magnificent views from up here.

The countdown to Transplant Day began yesterday when Gil was admitted. The team here designated Gil's first day on the unit as Day -7 (day minus seven) -- seven days until the day of transplant.

The day of transplant is Day 0. (Next Wednesday, October 7th)

Then it's Day +1, Day +2 and on from there.

He got his first chemo doses today and he feels fine. He's been encouraged to walk laps around the unit to maintain his conditioning and although it's a bit boring going around in circles, we've met the most wonderful patients and their family members while out walking the floor!

It's only been 24 hours since we've been here and I'm wondering how he's going to be satisfied in this small but perfectly outfitted room for another three weeks? He seems to be happy with reading and computing and napping and thinking.

We've met a lot of other transplant patients (there are 19 of them on this unit) in various stages of pre-transplant chemo or post-transplant recovery and they're all sharing their incredible stories with us.

I hope we'll have an incredible story to tell as well.