6 months

It take long time were the words of his surgeon. It was the understatement of the year at our house. It has been 6 months since Jake’s cornea ruptured from graft vs host disease. I have never seen a more patient soul. As if not being able to see hasn’t been enough. The steroids have been worse, perhaps. Jake is back on them. Over Christmas break, he was off, and he felt good for a few days. He stayed at his apartment. By the time he came home, he was worn down. He had developed a cough, shortness of breath- the exact same thing had happened last April which landed him in the hospital for a week. His doctor trusted his judgement and put him back on 8 mg of methylprednisolone. After 2 weeks, he finally feels better. The other night, he felt like he could almost see letters through the membrane still covering his right eye. He has headphones and can talk to friends and do things with them on the computer. I am so thankful to have him here, to hear his voice, and to sneak a hug or a kiss on the top of his head. It has been tough. The high dose steroids had side effects that were scary and caused Jake a lot of frustration, pain and discomfort. The 8 mg dosage should bring relief with no side effects. His attitude is good and hopeful. One person had warned me how hard the recovery was after a bone marrow transplant, but at that time I dismissed it. I was irritated she even mentioned it. I needed hope. At that time, we had no other options. I have been nothing but [blindly] optimistic because that is all I had. Had I known then what I know now, I would have been a nervous wreck. Jake is definitely an exception to everything he has endured, and for that, I am incredibly thankful…