Well everyone…it has been about a week since my last update so I figured it is about time I get one out to all of you. 

 

I have now been out of the hospital for one week.  I guess that sort of means I have another 259 weeks until I am “cured.”  (5 years = 260 weeks)  The first couple of days that I was out, I was absolutely dead tired.  I felt even worse than when I was in the hospital.  I was eating maybe about an orange per day and probably drinking 12 ounces in a 24 hour period of time.  It wasn’t good.  I tried really hard to keep stuff down, but my taste buds were absolutely terrible and everything tasted horrible.  Since then, I have regained very little strength.  I am still only able to climb one flight of stairs before becoming completely thrashed.  

 

I am now able to eat and drink a little more than I was, so that is definitely a good thing.  But I still have multiple side effects from the treatment that I went through that won’t be gone for another month or more.  I am constantly either shivering or sweating…mostly shivering though.  I can’t regulate my body temperature at all.  I imagine the hair thing might have something to do with it, but I’m always wearing a winter hat so I don’t know.

 

Over the weekend I was able to make it down to Whitewater for the triathlon that my older brother, Mike, raced in.  It was a very tiresome day, but well worth the trip.  He ran very well – winning his division.  I also got to meet some other very nice world class triathletes.  Afterwards, we went out for some lunch, which I kind of just picked at, and then said our good byes.  Congratulations on the win, Mike, and the best of luck to you in training for the Ironman this coming fall.  

 

Throughout the week, my dad has stayed close in Milwaukee to help me out.  He’s been taking me to appointments, making me food, and getting my pills and all that kind of stuff ready for me.  With my condition, I can barely do even the simplest of things on my own.   The doctors tell me that it isn’t typical for people that have been through my treatment to get back to work and stuff for up to a year.  I plan on getting back to work by the end of May.  I am going to do everything in my power at getting better during the next few weeks and getting my strength back up again.  No worries, I am definitely not going to overdo it….but I can only sit around for so long at 23 years of age.  My docs joke around with me about how big of a pain in the ass I am.  I just love giving them hell sometimes.  Guess thats just my personality with things every now and then.  

 

I’ve also got a lot of stuff coming up in the near future.  My younger brother, Steve, is getting married.  My parents wedding anniversary is coming up.  And then there are just a plethora of family birthdays in the summer that I’d like to be up and moving for….including my own in July.  

 

Thank you for all of your support and I will write again soon.

 

Eric