UNC Resort

Have you ever traveled to UNC resort? UNC resort is an all-inclusive street front resort nestled within the trees and buildings of a quaint college town. It is conveniently located within walking distance of all the major attractions such as Franklin Street, Kenan Stadium, the Planetarium, and much more. Upon arrival, guests are greeted curbside by the kind staff who escort you to check-in, and take you to your guest room if needed. Accommodations include cozy guest rooms with daily linen change and maid service, spacious bathrooms with walk in showers, outdoor oasis, fine dining, and ample parking. All guest rooms have exquisite views of the street, other buildings, and my favorite, rooftops speckled with HVAC units. All guests receive a gift basket that include a basin, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, body wash, mints, and more. The multiple restaurants located at UNC resort offer cuisine from around the world, sure to excite all tastebuds. The UNC resort is comprised of multiple towers connected by long winding halls and secret passages. One exciting amenity of this resort is the surprise activities their staff schedule for you daily. Guests are personally transported to these activities such as MRI, x-ray, and other tests on their exclusive transportation known only to these facilities as a stretcher or wheelchair. VIP guests staying in the penthouse rooms of the bone marrow transplant have refrigerators, gaming systems, gym, activity room, masseuse, live music, and more especially for them. No need to carry cash or credit card during your stay, because they have one-of-a-kind wrist bracelets that can be scanned to pay for all of your purchases.

Doesn’t this sound like a place you would love to visit? It is amazing how wording can make something not so good sound fantastic. I was privileged to spend lots of time in this fancy resort that is more commonly known as the University of North Carolina Hospital. Me and my momma now refer to it as the UNC spa. On the night before I have an appointment I will ask her, “Are you excited to go to the UNC spa tomorrow?” Hey, it’s almost like a spa, they have massage chairs for caregivers she can use while I am in an appointment or inpatient.

In 2003 through 2006 I spent more time in the hospital than at home. My dad used to get me a calendar from his work that was poster size. The calendar came with a dry erase marker with space to write on each day. I hung it on the back of my bedroom door and documented every day I was in the hospital. At the end of the year, I counted all the days at UNC and it added up to more days in the hospital, way more. I would roll it up at the end of the year, store it, and start on a new calendar the following year. I kept them for years until the dry erase marker had disappeared. During this time my mom stayed every single night, day, and attended every appointment. She still does. My mom is a trooper. She kept me company, did way too much for me, was my nurse, doctor, and advocate, plus so much more. She neglected herself to make sure I was okay and had anything I needed to be safe and comfortable.

Every patient needs an advocate with them every step of the way. A patient needs someone to listen to doctors and watch everything that is happening around them. My mom was my advocate. She is the best momma ever. She has saved my life herself by seeing mistakes someone else was making.

After my initial diagnosis, the plan for me was to have one week of treatments as an inpatient, go home for 3 or 4 weeks, then return for another week of chemotherapy. The doctor told me it would wipe out my immune system. Any virus, bacteria, or sickness that was inside my body could rear its ugly head. Well, that did not take long, and I was right back in the hospital the next week. This cycle continued with each stay lasting a little longer all the way through September 2003. If you read my blog titled The Day I Was Diagnosed, you may remember I was diagnosed on May 16, 2003. Those months added up to months of feeling horrible, having lots of medical tests, bone marrow biopsies, and to much medical jargon to process. I was just taking each day as it came, going to sleep, and praying for another day.

Researchers and doctors in a lab are so knowledgeable. The things they can figure out and use to treat a patient is unbelievable. Leukemia has different types such as Lymphoblastic and Myeloid. Within those two types there is Acute and Chronic Leukemia. There is a lot more to it, but for this purpose all we need to know is I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Acute forms are rapidly progressing and require treatment immediately. Within the AML there can be defects in chromosomes that make each case unique. After a couple of months, several bone marrow biopsies, and lots of lab work, doctors determined the type of Leukemia I had would return if I did not have a bone marrow transplant. I had a translocation of my #6 and #11 chromosomes that chemotherapy alone would not cure. Therefore, the treatment plan was for me to have a bone marrow transplant. It was not a difficult decision for me to go forward with the transplant, because the alternative was not very enticing. So, on September 23rd of 2003 I was admitted to start the process.