Dean April Update

Hello friends and family-

Happy almost-April… it feels like summer is truly coming. I am sitting in our backyard typing this (thank you, Cindy Low)- what a luxury.

As some of you know, Dean had to go back into the hospital last week. It caught us both very much off-guard… and that was hard.

On Monday, we went to the BMT clinic for a routine clinic visit, and Dean was feeling fine. His counts looked great, he had gained weight, and his oncologist thought it would be fine for him to wait a month before coming back to the clinic. On our way home, Dean commented to me, “for the first time, I believe that I am going to be ok, and make it through this.”

We took a walk, Dean lay down for a nap… and woke up with severe abdominal pain and nausea. To summarize a long hard afternoon, we spent several hours back at the BMT clinic, and then Dean was admitted into the hospital. Later that evening he had a high temperature. He received IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and steroids.

The good news is that it was a short stay- Dean got to come home on Thursday.

The hard part is that none of the doctors are exactly sure what caused these symptoms- an infection? GVHD? It’s unclear.

So psychologically, this is difficult for both of us… but especially hard on Dean.

Here is a very good thing that happened (there are many good things- but here is one I want to mention)—on Dean’s second day in the hospital, he had a new “attending physician” (the physician who comes to check in each day). This particular physician is the head of the BMT dept, but we had never met him. As he was introducing himself to Dean, Dean mentioned, “I play music for a living.” The doctor replied, “I know! I’ve heard you play you several times… I made all of my colleagues check out your website so they could hear your music.”

A few minutes later, the doctor and his assistant left the room. Then the doctor came right back in, to tell Dean, “I mentioned that I’ve heard you play… and I want you to know that we are going to get you through this and back to playing music. We need to – your music is important.”

That particular exchange meant a great deal to both Dean and me.

So now we are home, and Dean is doing much better now- eating, sleeping, playing music, taking walks… basically taking things one step at a time. He gets very tired.

I cannot really imagine what kind of mental, emotional and physical stamina is required for him to continue, every single day, with this tremendous task of healing from the deepest core of his being.

So I am thanking you for all the healing energy you have sent his way, and our way, thus far… and I am asking you to please keep sending it. In prayers, in music, in writing, in movement- whatever form feels honest and right. Dean is moving through this, but (as we keep on saying) he is still very much in the thick of it, and every extra pulse of love helps.

Thank you,

Love,

Megan Flood