Hi Army, each day Matt and I are learning more and more about consolidation chemotherapy. There have been some expected issues and some surprising ordeals. But each day, as Matt wrote in his “Hey Gabriela” proposal song, we learn to dance in the rain. One day Matt will have the energy to go all day. The next he is exhausted and his teeth hurt. Yes, his teeth. And for some reason, all of this makes me exhausted too. This weekend I wasn’t feeling well and had the horrifying thought that I, as a human being, could get sick! What would we do then! Through all of this, the reassuring words of our friends and family - “let me know how we can help” - has been a constant reminder to let others help. So, the past few days I have been trying to think of easy ways people can help Matt and I through all of this. The first one is to register as a bone marrow donor. It’s a LOT to ask. But the idea that someone, somewhere in the US right now is being set up to be Matt’s bone marrow donor/life saver/BFF for life creates an overwhelming sense of gratitude for me. If I could ever make someone feel that way, I would do it in a heartbeat. And, I have to tell you, it’s super easy to sign up. Just go to bethematch.org, fill out a quick form with some health questions and your kit will arrive shortly in the mail. A few quick cheek swabs (photo) and back in the mail it goes. You may never be contacted or you may be contacted right away. The more diverse your background the better. I figured my half Western European, half Hispanic heritage might be helpful. We are still waiting to hear back about Matt’s match but will of course update the Army as soon as we know anything. Second, of course is to keep donating blood. Matt continues to receive red blood cells and platelets pretty consistently. When he is in the hospital for the transplant, I am sure he will receive more. The third idea was generated by the help of some awesome people. Ashley Siebers sent an amazing gift of NatureBox that comes once a month full of healthy and super yummy treats that Matt can pick out himself. Mandy McCallum shared a grocery list app that live updates what we need from the grocery store. The idea: a sweet app and people who want to help give us healthy foods. Since most days Matt has a very healthy appetite we are going to the store 2-3 times a week which can be daunting on days when we are both exhausted. We arent quite ready for meals yet, so we have decided to share our grocery list on Our Groceries App for iPhone and Android. If you decide to participate, just download the app. Use my email address (duarteg56@gmail) to connect to our grocery list (in the “share” setting) and you will have access to our live updating list. The next time you are at the store, pick up an item or two, cross if off the list by tapping the item and drop it by the house. Hopefully that seems simple enough and I can’t tell you how helpful it would be. I have designated some items with M&G to denote items that are really specific that Matt and I can get for ourselves when we are out (usually for his care). If you have any questions about the three ideas or need our address, feel free to ask below or send me a message. Again, we couldnt face this battle without an army behind us. Thank you all so very much.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:04:05 +0000
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