Intro
Hello to all that pass through this site; whether you are curious, praying or perplexed you are all welcome. Hodgkin's Lymphoma (twice) is extra special. Please don't take my sarcasm as brutalism, while it may be a crude form of humor, it has lifted me many times throughout my life and I intend to take it to new heights throughout this process.
I'm now in final preparations for a stem cell transplant / high dose chemofest at Froedert Memorial Hospital in MKE, WI. Stem cell collection will happen next week and the big event will happen if all goes according to plan starting on Feb. 17th, 2009. I will most likely be at Froedert for 4-5 weeks before I can be "released" from the hospital. Whether they will remove the leg chains at this time I'm not sure yet?
Rules of Engagement
1. For those of you who choose to correspond via blogs, email or phone calls please don't ask me "How I'm feeling?" or Beth "How is Robb feeling?".
I'll describe it all right now and that will cover it. I know all mean well, but here's how this goes...I feel like unmentionables inserted here, then really crappy, then crappy, then sort of crappy, then ok, then better than ok, then better than that, until I feel good.
2. You can ask "How is it going?", because then I'll be able to communicate through morse code eye blinks to Beth, "It's going!" If it's not going, I won't be able to say or do anything so then you'll know all the details regarding how it's going either way.
3. This won't be a site for medical definitions and so forth, see WebMD or other sites. Here's the big picture. Got Hodgkins, found Hodgkins, tried to kill Hodgkins, thought we did, just kidding, let's try to kill Hodgkins for real this time.
4. Let this site be a way to keep those interested informed about my general progress (through postings by my wonderful wife Beth), and vice versa please forward your support to my loving family. At least I get to receive sweet sounding chemicals, some derivitives of "mustard gas" that offer interesting random and usually unexpected unique side effects, everyone else just has to sit around and wait.
On the Lighter Side
When this is all said and done...I plan on fishing more, never taking another day for granted and making sure those around me know they are loved. Oh yeah, and I'm going to apply to the Federal Government to see if my body will qualify for an EPA grant as a Toxic Clean-Up site. You never know now with Obama in office I may have a shot.
Special thanks to all who care and those in distant places who are praying for me and my family during these challenging times. I am at peace with my life and my future, they are both one in the same to me. For those wondering, I do plan on sticking around for a long time, so get ready, set, go!
Love, Robb
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Robb & Beth,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I'll be glad to have a way to follow your progress without bothering your collegiate duo. A friend of mine passed along a blog to me that may be worth checking out: http://watchfuliving.wordpress.com/
You're in my prayers.
Hey Beth and Robb,
ReplyDeleteNice job setting up this blog, Beth.
We appreciate the "Chemofest" report, Robb. We have lots of fish to catch in the years ahead, so I hope you are manufacturing copious amounts of those little stem cells this weekend. See you in MKE next week if you are up to it.
Robb and Beth, thanks for setting up the Blog, you can tell you are slightly younger than me,because you can set up a blog, ha. We will watch your progress from AZ and Vince plans to fish with you at the Lake this summer. Love, Debi
ReplyDeleteThank you for setting this up and for making me part of it. Please let us know when you are up for visitors because I would like to come down and visit. Our Thoughts and Prayers have been and continue to be with you.
ReplyDeleteCurt Blaszczyk
Well I am with you Robb on not taken things for granted anymore.. When i was in the hospital 23 days with Sarquoidois... If you like I can buy you that fishing pole and about the clean up.. Well! lets hope you get the grant.. See you on the flip side of this mess..
ReplyDeleteHey Robb this is great site. There have been a number of times where you and Beth were in my thoughts and I felt that calling wasn't appropriate at that time, I know, I did call a few of those times, but I tried to keep it to a minimum. This will allow me to keep up, and get updates on you and your families status, without bothering at inconvenient times. You are continually in our prayers. We have actually been using you and your situation as learning about prayer with our boys at dinner. While they don't know the details, they do know that a REALLY good friend, who has always meant a lot to daddy, is sick and we always pray for him at dinner. Hey - Granted they're only 3 and 5, but it usually breaks out into a fight as to who prays. So, you've got people FIGHTING to pray for you. How many times does one get that kind of prayer action huh?? Anyway, I look forward to the day that I hear you say, " I conquered Hodgkins Desease...again.
ReplyDeleteScott (and Family)
Hope all is going as planned. Checking the blog daily for your updates and your terrific spin on this. Good luck and we are constantly think of you.
ReplyDeleteYour Cuz, Tom