Up and down, and stories that make you smile

Each day seems to bring something to be relieved about and something to be concerned about. So, yesterday and today saw improvement in blood counts, kidney function, a rise in liver enzymes( not good), then a decrease in liver enzymes(good), fluid in his lungs and a concern about his bowel. More tests and waiting. Better pain management. Difficulty eating due to whatever is wrong in his bowel. Maybe we will have some results of the tests tomorrow. Busulfan, a chemotherapy drug used earlier in his treatment, has a burning side effect. They initially explained it as darkening of the skin, like you spent three weeks in Mexico. The only problem with that explanation is they didn't tell you it is like three weeks, next to the water, with day and night sun exposure and no sun screen. Michael has a number of places on his body, his armpits, neck, scattered spots on his arms, and his groin(which has improved markedly in the last few week) which look like and feel like they have been scalded, probably second degree. It was hard for me today to help him take off his shirt and using some special wipes for such as this to sponge bathe his upper body, slather it with cream and then get his shirt back on. He is resting a lot and not eating much. We look at every day with the promise of tomorrow. We think that overall his progress is good. His counts are moving in a positive direction. He isn't running a fever. We are worried about his lungs
I talked to my family back home earlier. Shae seemed sad. I told her about some of the people that I had met. A man who just got told there was nothing left the doctors could do for his wife. A girl I met on the elevator who was crying. I asked her if she was all right and put my arms around her a gave her a hug. She melted into me like I was her mom, then got off the elevator at her floor and I continued up to mine. We talked about our favourite book: Once Upon a Marigold, and how much we loved the main characte, Christiain, because despite all the terrible things that happen he is driven by love, optimism and the need to live authentically from his heart. And of course it ends happily ever after. IT is the kind of book that more people should write and more people should read. I think I need to find another book like that one. It is the best remedy for a bad day.
I think that Shae was feeling better when we finished talking. I was.
Well, I guess we will see what tomorrow holds