Literary Favors

This is Emily, posting for Ryan today. He's doing pretty good, but if he sits at this laptop to type, he's sure he'll lose it. "It" being dinner. But hooray for eating dinner. If he keeps his calorie intake at around 1600, they won't make him go on TPN. Ryan has done so well during these first four days of radiation. I'm proud of how tough he's been, how positive he has remained, and how hard he's tried to keep eating and moving around. The nurses that work in radiation therapy are very kind. For Ryan, they play music from his iPod in the radiation room, which echoes out to the whole office and waiting room. Radiohead, Beatles, White Stripes- they seem willing to play anything. I find that very sweet. Tomorrow we could see how Rage Against the Machine goes over. (For me, they leave a puzzle to work on in the waiting room. Today I finished it. So satisfying.) Ryan says each day has been a good day. Looks like we've found the right anti-nausea cocktail to help him get through radiation. We're hopeful it will keep working. The ice packs to the neck after treatment also seem to help him a lot.

Tim arrived last night, visiting all the way from Boston. We really appreciate him taking the time to come, and we appreciate Buffy for holding down the fort while he's gone. Ryan says to mention that Tim is ridiculously buff. It's true.

This blog posting stuff is not as easy as Ryan makes it look. I feel like I'm talking to myself on an answering machine. Anyway, the plan for tonight is to keep dinner down, try to get some decent sleep (trying a new sleep med tonight), and maybe do a couple laps around East 8 if I can talk Ryan into it. That's gonna be a tough sell.

The view out the window is not too shabby. Actually, when they admitted him on Monday, it was to a room that had a view of the other side of the hospital and a sliver of sky. I actually asked the charge nurse if they could move Ryan to a room with a view. That's how much I love him. So they did, and though the room is small, you can see mountains, the avenues, what we believe is Rice Eccles Stadium, and the U on the mountain. Lots of sunshine. Since Ryan will be here for so long, we're thinking about sprucing the place up a bit. Maybe some wall art. A mini fridge. Better wall sconces. I don't know, but we'll think of something.

So, two more days of radiation, then two days of chemo, then a day of rest, then the transplant. Jenny will probably be starting neupagen shots to help produce more marrow for Ryan. She is not in for fun times, but she knows this and still seems really happy to do it. We love her.

Hopefully Ryan will feel good enough to post tomorrow because I think this has been a little painful for all of us. Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday night. Below, the radiation room and the "cage" that Ryan stands in for most of the radiation treatment. The bed near the front is where he lays for the extra cranial radiation. This picture was when they were adjusting it for him. During the treatment, no one is in the room with him but they watch him on video and pause if he needs them to.