Sort of celebration

SS's birthday was Sunday and we went over there with a few other people to"celebrate." It was a bit weird -- everyone sitting around wearing surgical masks -- but I think he enjoyed it and we are really savoring all our time with him.

I guess I have been out of the loop -- it's one of those things where I never feel comfy hounding them for information, and I think they forget who they have told or not told things -- but I learned that he is definitely going forward with a bone marrow transplant in a few weeks. He had told me before that a transplant would be the last resort when all the other options are gone, but I know he's still responding (or at least was as of last week) to the experimental drug, so I am not sure what exactly this means. Anyway, my understanding is that he will check back into the hospital on April 13 or 14, for one more big blast of chemo (they have to suppress the leukemia before the transplant), and meanwhile they will "harvest" his sister's marrow for the transplant. Then on April 19 they will do the transplant. After that-- they'll wait and see how his body takes it (or doesn't). It will either be a slow recovery, or he may not make it through the transplant. I can't really get a sense of what the odds are, and it didn't feel appropriate to ask.

Meanwhile, we ate and toasted and celebrated his life so far -- all we can do, for now. I continue to hope for the best, whatever that is. If "the best" ends up being an end to his suffering... we will come to terms with that, too, somehow.