First, the frustrating news.  My gvhd is going beserk, so to try and calm things down I've switched the topical cream I use, started a new oral drug, and will be getting an IV drug once a week for the next four weeks.  I'm still weak and am having trouble walking and getting up and down stairs, and I get pretty winded after minor excursions.  This makes it difficult for me to go out and do things and see people.  Blah blah blah, what else is new?

It's weird not having anything I really want to write about on my blog.  I've had it for what, almost four years now (I can't believe it's been so long!) and most of that time I've had tons of stuff to write about.  I guess online classes and trips to the hospital are not so interesting.  I'm tired of my own problems.  I need new ones. Anyone want to trade?

Online classes are about to get tougher to manage because my last class, a basic statistics class, will start in a couple of weeks.  It's only an eight week class, thank goodness, but I'm having trouble getting all my work done with just three classes!  I have assignments due every week and I know it's because the class is online and we aren't going in to see the professor in a classroom.  I wonder if professors love giving online classes because they don't have to see students at all, just grade their papers?  Who knows.  I also have to register for my masters class that will start at the end of June, file my residency paperwork...  In any case, good luck to me with all the work I have to do!

I think I'm the only person who isn't sick of the snow!  We got another couple of inches this week and a powdering every day this weekend, but the temperature has been above freezing so it's all melting during the day.  I guess that's good for commuters and such, but I think snow makes everything look so clean and pure and beautiful that I miss it when it melts.  We still have what, three weeks of winter left?  Hopefully we'll be able to fit in another snow storm!

Admitted!

I found out this week that I got admitted to the masters in education program I applied for!  I was really surprised to hear back so soon.  I wasn't expecting to hear anything until March, especially since I only turned my application in about a month ago.  I guess whatever I gave them was good enough!  Now I just have to prove that I'm a Michigan resident and fill out FAFSA forms...

I have to say though, I'm not that excited about being back in school.  All the work I have to do for my prereqs that I'm taking right now is really.... It's just a lot, a lot of work.  I assume my work load will be different in the masters program because they won't be online and because the focus will be on learning how to teach, not learning a subject.  If it isn't different though, it's going to be a really long year.

I'm still excited :)

Snow, GVHD, Classes

There's still not a lot going on here.  I have TONS of work to do for my online classes.  I think they give you more work than a normal university-level class would because there's no other way to evaluate if you understand the class or not.  I have something due every week!  And not just a little something, like long essays and forum discussions.  I haven't done the school thing in almost four years, so it's quite a shock! 

Then there's all the health stuff.  My GVHD is probably the worst it's ever been.  I'm covered in weird skin spots, and I'm worried that I'm getting it in my lungs, which would restrict my breathing.  I'm still not enough recovered from the weakness I developed when I was getting radiation and on very high dose steroids.  The weakness is in my legs.  Chairs have to be a certain height if I just stand up out of them, otherwise I have to use my arms to push myself out off the chair.  Stairs are ridiculous.  And there's the edema!  GVHD can make you retain fluid and I am retaining a ton in my legs, which also limits my mobility, or at least makes it harder to get around.  I'm so tired of being sick and having problems.  I really thought I would be done with this by now.  I'm 14 months out of my second transplant!

But I do love the snow!  I don't drive in it, so I have no reason to not like it.  I just look out the window and see how pretty it is in my subdivision.  It's all going to melt away over the next few days though because it's going to be warm!  You know, like 35 degrees instead of 2 like it's been the past couple of weeks.  I guess we'll take what we can get during the winter! 

So that's what's going on here these days.  Classes, GVHD and doctor's appointments, and snow.  Nothing exciting, but that's probably good :)