Day-6 and Day-5

I was just informed by Wade that my days of posting are off by a day so this is my attempt to catch up. Day -6 went fairly well. Dale completed the total body radiation today. His radiation therapist called it graduation day and presented Dale with a beautiful diploma in radiation therapy from the University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA). It looks very official. He was very pleased with his accomplishment and immediately put it in his "happy book" when we got back to the room. His ANC was 1000 so visitors were still allowed and Tam, Lester and Marv came to visit. He seemed a lot brighter during their visit, smiling and talking like his usual self and even laughing. Laughing is a rare these days. We were also told his hemoblobin is now 7.9 and Hct - 24.9 and will probably need a transfusion soon. Wade came up in the afternoon and I went home for the night to spend some time with the other two but they were off doing their own thing so I went to Friday night hula class. According to Wade, his afternoon with Dale was spent playing Nerf baskeball and catch for "a few hours". Thank you to all who folded the thousand cranes for Dale. The vase filled with the cranes sits on his bedside table and is just absolutely beautiful. It adds color to his room.
Day - 5 - 1st of 4 days of chemotherapy. Dale woke up tired and sad today. His hemoglobin is down to 5.9 and Hct - less than 20. ( I forgot what Wade told me) After the morning chemo(ARA -C) , Dale will receive blood. Today is first day Dale cried and actually expressed to me sadness about his illness since the initial news about his relapse. He shed some tears when nurse Terri talked with him at Miller's Long Beach Memorial on the first day of induction chemotherapy back in December but that has been it until today. I think the low hemoglobin scared him and he feels "yucky". He said being in the hospital makes him sad. Hopefully, after the transfusion , he will feel better. I have tried really hard not to cry in front of Dale but I could not hold the tears back today. Derek and Danny ( maybe not Danny since he was complaining of a sore throat last night) will visit later today bringing Grandma June's famous chicken long rice. Thank you for the food and groceries and gifts. We really appreciate all of the support and kindness . Thank you Percy Penguin for the flowers. Most of all, thank you for your continued prayers and please know that Dale prays for all of you too.