Day 61 and Doing Well

Hello everyone!  I know it has been a couple of weeks since my last post, but being home has kept me quite busy.  This is a MUCH bigger place (than our little apartment) to keep under control and germ free.  Nick is doing well.  We were a bit worried about the drop in his counts last week, but today's labs reveal that they are back up!  Hgb is at 10.8 (wonderful!) and both the WBC and platelets are on the upward trend.  Doctor Perez gave Nick another A+ today and did encourage him to start walking even more as he feels up to it.  Although he does still need a caregiver 24/7, they are allowing us to "loosen the reins" a bit.  Although we really do love each other, we also really feel relieved at the thought of not being in the same room together every moment.  Lord knows Nick is ready for a little space and I'm looking forward to a solo trip to any store (other than Costco).  He honestly tries to be patient when I've needed to shop, but it's almost impossible for him to resist the urge to make a beeline for the register just minutes after we enter.  Part of me secretly hoped that with the female donor's stem cells, he would instantly become someone who understood the joy of shopping, but I can report (based on a recent excursion) that I may as well throw that idea to the wind!  It's funny, his Mother once reported his behavior on their shopping trip.  She said, "Rene', it's like his hair was on fire!"  I remember giggling and just thinking, yes, well that certainly sums it up.  At this point, we can't be away from each other for long periods of time, but a little less face time certainly won't hurt either of us.
The main issue right now is to remain diligent in our cleaning (house and hands) to keep Nick from getting any type of cold/virus.  Once his counts return to normal this won't be as scary, but counts are still low which would make it difficult for him to fight off a virus.  He is eating fairly well and still on the immunosuppressed diet. He says he's starting to get his energy back, but some days still feels very lethargic.  Our hope is that the extra exercise will help him re-build his strength and give him a boost in energy.
I will write just once a week unless Nick has any issues that come up.  I must share with you that he remains moved by the outpouring of love from all of you throughout his journey.  Please feel free to continue reaching out to him by phone, email, snail mail, or text if you'd like.  These are his life-lines right now.  He hopes to get back into his office closer to Day 90/100, but for now he is content with having made it through the transplant, starting to feel more like himself,  and communicating with family, friends, and co-workers from home.  I'm not convinced that a "thank you" will ever be enough for the enormous support you've all given.  We have felt your spirit cheering us on and it has carried us through many difficult days, so...thank you...from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.