First at home post.

 Dale here...Formally known as 'Dale with the Big Angry Spleen Dale'. GONE!!

My first at home post!

Words cannot describe how happy I am to be home with two of my beautiful loves...Nurse Kathy ❤ and my beautiful pup (canine love of my life) Tikka (my other three loves Erik, in Texas and  Elyse and Anava, 6000 miles away,❤❤❤

Erik has gone home and I miss him already. He was a fantastic help to both Kathy and I. Kathy misses our banter (as do I) but I also miss all the red meat he brought home to help me heal.

I'm getting better daily, long conversations still wear me out, but I am increasing my walking daily.

Surgery pain is subsidizing nicely (nine inch incision), now the Evil Healing Itch is driving me crazy (any guy that has had chest/abdominal surgery understands).

Had our first visit with my Beaumont hematologist/oncologist Thursday. He appears optimistic. My platelets are up to normal range, White blood count is also. Big relief.

I am coming to terms with being immunocompromised.

Several other blood values are trending upward but still have a ways to go. At least I'm not 'critical' at the moment. There are still a lot of unknowns and are well aware things may 'bounce around a lot' for a few months yet.

Dr. J sounds hopeful that the lymphoma was contained to the spleen. With cancer you never know for sure. There may even be more than one thing going on.

We asked why he was hopeful and his response was "We've been searching for months...2 whole body PET/CTs, lymph node biopsy, bone marrow biopsy etc, multiple blood-work, ultrasounds.....

But like I said 'you never know'.

Pathology report may take up to one month to be completed (size of spleen and shortage of pathologists).

Thank you all for all the love, support and encouragement.

To be honest I didn't think my chances were good with this one but am convinced I'm here on the other side because of all of you. ❤❤

Dale