The next afternoon, Caylin loaded up the baby and went to sign the twins out of school early on Friday. Part of her was dreading what she would find out, but part of her thought she would be relieved once she knew what was wrong. She was terrified if it was something really bad of how the girls would react, and how she could hide her emotions from them. The girls got in the car and were quiet on the ride to the office. Neither of them had a good day at school because they were worried about their mother.
When they arrived, Caylin checked in and sat down between her daughters. Aidan had started to cry so Andi picked him up and was giving him a bottle. Caylin smiled to herself, proud that Andi tried so hard to take care of everything. When they were called back, Andi carried the baby and Alli toted the carrier into the exam room. The kids sat quietly in the corner trying to watch over their brother and keep him quiet when the doctor came in. They didn't have to wait long before the doctor came in.
"Mrs. Farrelly, good afternoon. How are you feeling?"
"I feel okay. Just anxious to know what's going on. These are my daughters Allison and Andrea, and Aidan, my son."
"Nice to meet you ladies. Well, Mrs. Farrelly the reason I asked you to come in was that we have gotten your lab results back. Now, the good news it isn't leukemia."
Caylin drew a sigh of relief. "However, after looking at your blood work, I do believe you have what is called aplastic anemia. "
"What's that?" she asked.
"It is a disease of the bone marrow. It affects the blood stem cells and leads to a decrease in all of the blood components: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. In your case, I believe it is because of your immune system attacking your bone marrow because of the transplant. I believe we have found it early because your levels aren't critically low. We need to do a bone marrow biopsy for a definitive diagnosis, but I am confident that is what is wrong."
"So my body is rejecting the transplant?" Caylin asked confused.
"In a sense, yes."
"How do we treat it then?"
"You will have to go back on your anti-rejection drugs. I don't know what you were taking before as immunosupressives, but what I will do is a short course of ATG for the acute phase. Then we will transition you over to cyclosporine or Rapamune."
"Cyclosporine is what I took before."
"We try not to use it as much anymore because of the risk to your kidneys, but it is still effective. You will have to stop breastfeeding if we use Rapamune because it is excreted in breast milk and we don't want any ill-effects on the baby. However, cyclosporine is generally safe. We will just have to see how your body responds to the ATG."
"What is ATG?"
"It stands for anti-thymocyte globulin. It is an infusion of horse-derived antibodies against human T cells, preventing them from attacking and rejecting the transplant."
"They told me that I could have a lot of problems since my donor wasn't a family member. I guess I just got complacent that after so many years, I was okay. Will I have to have another transplant? I mean, we had to leave Ireland just to find a donor when I had it before."
"I don't believe you will, if your body responds to the treatment. We will just have to see how things go. I do want to set you up for a biopsy, so we can run some tests on it before we get started. Do you have any other questions for me?"
"What is the success rate, I mean, once treated does it go away?"
"Survival rates are quite high in cases like yours that aren't severe. Of course everyone is different, but you are young and healthy so I don't foresee you having a lot of problems with it. I am going to start you on some steroids to start suppressing your immune system and alleviate some of the tiredness you are having."
"I thought it was just from having the baby."
"Some of it maybe, but a lot of it is just the disease process. You are very lucky that the lab tech at your doctor's office caught it. I think we have found it early enough to reverse it." He took out his prescription pad and wrote her a script. "Okay one is for prednisone. I want you taking it every day. Sometimes you can develop serum sickness from the ATG, which is almost like an allergic reaction, so I want you to stay on it. The other is for Zofran, an anti-emetic, just in case you get nauseous. My nurse will schedule you an appointment for the biopsy. You need to make sure you have someone that can drive you home."
"I will. Thank you Dr. Randle."
He handed her the prescriptions and walked out, sending his nurse in. She had Caylin sign consents for the procedure and gave her instructions. Caylin said she wanted to have it done when Stephen could be there, but the nurse told her she needed to have it done as soon as possible, so they arranged it for Monday. She told them she would just have to have her parents come down to stay with the kids and drive her home. She knew it wouldn't go over well with her husband, but he had to be there for Monday Night Raw.
The girls had sat there the whole time, quietly listening and taking everything in. They didn't understand completely everything that was said, but they held on to what the doctor said about Caylin being okay. They gathered up the baby and their things and followed their mom out to the car. Caylin was somewhat relieved that it wasn't as bad as she had thought, even though it was serious. She dreaded telling her parents and Stephen, knowing he was already worried. She was glad the twins were with her and was proud of them for how they handled it.
They stopped at the store before heading home, getting groceries and supplies for the weekend. She bought baby formula, but decided she would pump as much as she could while she was able to so it could supplement the formula. She was determined to breast feed because she hadn't with the girls, and knew it was much better so she hated that she would have stop. When they made it home, the twins volunteered to make dinner, so that Caylin could make her calls. She knew her husband was anxious to hear what the doctor said, and so was Megan.
Caylin took the baby and sat with him on the couch, feeding him as she placed a call to her husband. He was nervously awaiting her call. It barely rang before he picked it up "Caylie, thank God yeh finally called. Ah've been about to go out of me mind here. Are yeh alright? What did the doctor tell yeh?"
"Well, he said he thinks I have aplastic anemia."
"What the bloody hell is that?"
"Basically, my body is attacking my bone marrow."
"So how do we fix it eh?"
"I have to have a bone marrow biopsy first to make sure, and then I have to be on medicine to suppress my immune system. He said going back on my anti-rejection drugs would be the main course of treatment, but he was certain that we caught it early enough to cure it."
Stephen breathed a sigh of relief "so when do Ah need to take yeh for the biopsy, lass?"
Caylin cleared her throat "well, Ste, he wanted to do it as soon as possible, so he is scheduling it for Monday."
"MONDAY! Caylie, yeh know Ah won't be home to take yeh!"
"Calm down, baby. I know that but we have to do it then. It's important." Stephen was obviously upset and grumbling under his breath.
"Ah won't miss this. Ah have to be there with yeh. Ah will take Monday and Tuesday off."
"Can you do that?"
"Of course. This is more important, love. Ah won't let yeh do this alone. Ah promised to stand beside yeh, remember."
Caylin was fighting back her tears "yes, I remember."
"Ah will talk to Paul and tell him what is going on. He's my mate, and he has a family. He will understand. Drew is worried about yeh too, and Stu. They send their regards by the way."
"Awww, that's sweet of them. Tell them thank you for me. Ste, I mean, I wish this wasn't happening, but I am relieved because it could be so much worse. I am not out of the woods and it won't be an easy road, but compared to the dire situation I was imagining, this is better."
"Ah know what yeh mean, love. Ah wish it was happening to me instead of yeh. Yeh have been through enough. But like yeh say, weighed against what all could be wrong, this is manageable. Ah have to believe yeh will be okay. Ah don't believe the good Lord would bring us back together and give us this babe just to take yeh away."
Caylin agreed and they talked for a while before she told him she needed to call Megan and let her know as well. And she still had to call her parents. "Okay me love, Ah will let yeh go. The lads are bothering me about going out to dinner anyway. Before yeh go to bed tonight, call me back. Ah miss talking to ya. Tell me daughters Ah love them, and give the lad a kiss from his daddy would yeh?"
"I will, Stephen. I love you very much. Give Drew and Stu a hug and kiss for me."
"Not sure Ah can promise to do that, but Ah will give them yer love" he said with a chuckle.
"Okay, that'll do then. I love you so much."
"Ah love yeh. Talk to yeh later."
With that, they hung up, and Stephen felt like the world was lifted off of his shoulders. He hadn't drawn an easy breath since her obstetrician had told them that she was ill. He called Drew to his room to have a drink and tell him the good news. While Caylin made a call to Megan, Stephen was pouring his heart out to Drew over a beer.
"So mate, what did Caylie tell you?"
Stephen recounted what his wife had told him the doctor said. "So she is going to be okay?"
"Yes, Ah hope so. She said the doctor seemed confident that they could make her better."
"Oh, thank God. That is wonderful news, Ste."
"It is! She is having a bone marrow biopsy Monday so Ah will have to miss Raw and the SmackDown tapings."
"You think they will go for it?" Drew asked, concerned.
"Ah really don't care if they will or not. Caylin is my future. She will be my wife long after Ah stop being a wrestler. Ah don't think Paul will give me a hard time, but they have to know my loyalty will always lie with my family."
"Good on you, mate. I don't blame you. No one could blame you for wanting to be there for your wife."
"She sends yeh her love by the way, but Ah'm not kissing yeh."
Drew cackled "that's quite alright mate."
Caylin had a quick talk with Megan before getting off the phone to call her parents. She was not looking forward to telling her mother, knowing how much she freaked out about her health. When her dad answered, she asked him to put her on speakerphone so she could tell them both at once. When she related to them what the doctor said, she could hear her mother starting to cry. "Mum, I'm okay, don't cry."
"Ah'm sorry, love. Ah can't help it. Ah know yer a grown woman, but yeh'll always be my baby. Yer my precious little girl. God bless yeh; yeh have had to endure more than anyone should have to in their life. Now this too."
"Oh, Mum…." Caylin's eyes started filling with tears.
"Yeh know Ah would take yer place if Ah could. Ah begged God so many times before when yeh were so sick, to please let me take yer place. Yeh were so strong and brave, stronger than Ah have ever been. Yer telling us everything, aren't ya love? Yeh aren't keeping the truth from us and it is really worse than yeh say is it?" Ana asked her, her voice cracking with emotion.
"No, Mum, I promise. I have told you everything the doctor said. I just didn't tell you before because I didn't want to worry you like before."
"Yer my only daughter, Ah am always going to worry. Yeh promise yeh won't hide anything like this from us again, lass. Ah hate to see yeh unwell, but Ah will be there to take care of yeh. Yeh know that. Yeh just let me know and yer dad and Ah will be down there in a tick, yeh know that."
"I know. I love you both too. Right now everything is fine but if I need you, I will let you know. I promise."
"Good girl. Do yeh want us to come down for yer biopsy Monday then?"
"No, Mum, I will be fine. Ste is going to be here to watch the baby and to drive me home. I think I will be okay."
"Okay, love. Just be careful. Ah know how much pain yeh had the last time. Make sure Ste takes care of yeh."
"Don't worry. He will. So will my girls. Mum, the twins have supper ready so I need to go."
"Alright Caylie. Love you. Call me this weekend."
"I will. Love you too. Bye." Caylin hung up the phone, feeling emotionally drained. She dried her eyes, and looked up at the concerned gaze of her daughters.
"Are you okay, Mama?" Alli asked.
"Of course girls. I am fine. Your Nana is just upset. Bringing back bad memories for us."
Andi and Alli sat down on either side of their mom and curled their arms around hers. They laid their head down on her shoulders. "Mama, you were our age when you got leukemia right?" Andi questioned.
"Yes, I was. I started my first chemo treatment the week of my sixteenth birthday."
"I can't like, even imagine" Andi told her.
"I pray that you never have to know. Now, you girls don't fret over me. What did you make us for supper?"
Alli told her "we made spaghetti and meatballs, salad and garlic bread."
"That sounds delicious. You girls go set the table and I am going to go change your brother and will be right back down, okay?"
"Okay" the girls answered in unison, getting up to go in the dining room. Caylin carried Aidan upstairs to the nursery and changed his diaper. She picked him up and nuzzled him closely to her neck. She sat back in the rocking chair and began to cry. The memories of all she went through were flooding her mind and weighing heavily on her heart, after talking to her mother. She was feeling relieved beforehand, but now the fear was creeping back into her mind. She was trying to keep up a brave front, but inside she felt like the same scared fifteen year old girl who sat in her bedroom floor crying hysterically the day she found out she had cancer. She wanted so much to be strong, but at that moment, she needed Stephen to hold her like he did before and tell her she was going to be fine. This time he wasn't there to comfort her and no one else ever could.