Day + 10

I have officially completed my HSCT treatment!!! Yay!!! The last couple of days have been rough. I started getting sick with all the signs of a UTI on Tuesday night,,, fever, chills, nausea, couldn't pee. We called the clinic staff to see what meds to start on to get through the night.  Wednesday morning, I was admitted to Hospital Angeles to receive IV antibiotics. It's a beautiful hospital with outstanding care. Having a catheter for the duration of my stay at the hospital gave me a rest from frequent bathroom trips, but insertion was a nightmare. It seems that a bladder sling that I received at the same time I had a hysterectomy altered my anatomy making insertion very difficult. After several attempts, lots of tears and various doctors called in to try, a urologist finally succeeded. I didn't get much sleep that night. because I was pretty sick. A translator provided by the clinic was with us off and on, but for the most part, we communicated through "google translate". Most of the hospital staff spoke little to no English. But everyone was so compassionate. I was released last night about 7 PM. This morning, I slept in till 7:30, because I didn't need to be at the  clinic till 10:00 for my retuximab infusion. I sat in the comfy recliner for 3 hours with only Dave and nurse Paco to keep me company. My daughter, Lindsay, messaged me through the Marco Polo app, showing me our dogs returning home from boarding. When the infusion was completed, and paperwork done, Dave put a pin in the world map showing where all the patients live. It's a fun little ceremony to mark the end of this journey. We are back at the apartment now doing a little bit of packing. We will meet the van at 3 AM to drive to Mexico City. Our flight to Atlanta leaves at 7:55 AM. From there, we arrive in St. Louis at 4:08 PM. I can't wait to be home. This was a phenomenal experience, and I'm so Blessed to have the opportunity to come here for treatment. Thank you to everyone who helped me get here and all who prayed for me and encouraged me through the difficult moments. Love to you all! Adios for now...

Taking a snooze during my infusion.