The Weekend Update

We had the privilege of hanging out with some very cool people...family!  Craig's brother Chris and wife Rita came in for the weekend.  It was great to see two familiar faces in this vast city.  Since we live on opposite coasts we rarely get a chance to hang out, so this weekend was long overdue.  Chicago has so much to offer and we enjoyed walking around the city, an architectural boat tour, good food and a Polish constitution parade...who knew? It seems weird to celebrate that my preliminary testing went well so I can undergo chemotherapy!  How exciting!  They arrived on Friday and we were able to finish a busy week in a positive light.  Rita even re-arranged the apartment furniture and got me some really cool socks (among other things), but I'll save those for another post.  Suffice to say, Craig is not the only Raymond who seems to need to be on the move...CONSTANTLY!  Thank you, East Coast Raymonds!

Tomorrow, I start my first phase of this stem cell process, mobilization (killing mature T cells and mobilizing new stem cells).  This will be followed by harvesting and transplantation.  I'm to report to Women's Prentice Hospital at 7:30 tomorrow morning.  I will be staying overnight and receiving my first round of chemo.  I'm just ready...ready to implement this plan that has been over a year in the making. Sunday was laundry day, exercise and opening another package from the great folks at Providence Newberg ER.

So today I'm thankful for family, some who are related by blood and others who become so when they rally around you and show you their love and support from across the miles.

~Veronica