Hi there! Dealing with an enlarged spleen is no fun at all! After finding out it was my spleen and how dangerous it is, I walked around for months holding my stomach like a pregnant person, so no one or thing could cause any injury.
It is wild how familiar a lot of your story is to my own. The going for over a year to get diagnosed. The attitude the medical people had towards us. Crazy stuff!
Yeah, having pneumonia, in the hospital for six days, labs every 4am, and a bone marrow biopsy! I joked, hey I am just laying around here nothing else going on, why not a biopsy? That was the only time I was sedated for one though, which was great. I was feeling good until it wore off. lol The medical staff was great and we cracked jokes the whole time.
I had some nurses that were so funny! I need that. Those boards on the wall in the hospital rooms, with the pain faces, patient, and nurse info? Well, I always write on there- coffee and laughter - my live language 😉
I have been a regular at the Oncology ER and transfusion place and they all tell me I am so positive, even when I am feeling crappy I am pleasant. They are all so sweet. I am truly lucky to have such a great medical team.
If I am going to spend one day every week, at this point, getting labs, seeing the doc, and getting transfusions, which I usually need, I don’t want to be miserable about it.
As far as keeping busy, I teach remote, which involves grading and emailing outside of class. That takes up a bit of time.
I am a graphic designer, so at any given time I am designing something, usually a handful of posters on social issue topics. I love to paint and draw. I am currently doing a painting of my aunt’s two puppy dogs for her. I love painting portraits.
I have never been into video games, but I do teach basic animation courses, which is good fun.
I have a cat, Faye. After my diagnosis I moved in with my cousin so she can take care for me. She has a husband, son, three cats, and a large dog, so that keeps things interesting. No-one has killed anyone yet! It is fun trying to keep my immune system right with it all, but luckily my numbers are going up.