Dr. Aljitawi, sigh....

Today I saw Dr. Aljitawi for the first time since I left the hospital. COWABUNGA! I still love him!

My counts were good. My platelets were sky high! 89. That's approaching normal (115) but it is high enough to see the eye doctor and get my eye fixed. I had cataract surgery a few years ago and the scar tissue has built up. They laser a hole through it which takes about 3 seconds (and costs $3000.) It would be really nice to get that sorted out. It affects reading and computer work, but it really skews my color recognition. I had the left eye done a couple of years ago. But of course the right eye is dominant and it's the cloudy one now.

No driving privileges because I'm not strong enough. Maybe in two weeks. I guess he noticed I had a little trouble standing up out of the chair to hug him.

Public transportation and events after the end of November. (I didn't mention the theatre on Saturday. yikes.)

Flying to Chicago for Christmas and playing with grand baby Harrison APPROVED! woot woot.

Family gathering this week for Dad's 78th birthday? "If you promise to wear a mask and go easy on the hugging." yippee. I assured him we are all experienced "air huggers."

Now about this itinerant pain in my chest. It moves around, it's inconsistent, no fever, no cough, no nasal drainage. So I had a CT scan of my chest. I received an email this afternoon from my nurse that Dr. Aljitawi will give me the results of the scan next week so I guess there was nothing too bad on the scan. I figure it's something like a rash on the inside. And, if the scan is okay, I can go two weeks between clinic appointments.

Tomorrow I see a dermatologist for a biopsy of the rash to make sure it is GVHD. doh! I still itch everywhere. My skin is dry and flaky, no matter much lotion I slather on. But this is good. Itching augurs well for full recovery. I don't mind.

Meanwhile I am back at M&D's house. The plan was to spend 4 days at my house and just see how it felt. It felt very good, but I did not eat very healthy when I was alone. Next time I will take some frozen dinners with me. I guess I need an audience to cook because I sure enjoy it here at M&D's house.

I'm planning to go back to my house this coming weekend, after meeting Lori up there Thursday. Lori offered to come up and help me find things. I have clothes I don't remember buying and clothes I know I had that are not in the closet. I can't seem to locate any of the art from my walls. One picture that is leaning in the dining room I wasn't able to lift and hang on the wall again. It's one discovery after another at my house.

And that's the news. I still have lots of energy. I still feel good. I still eat a lot, though I have a few more pounds to gain. The bruises over my body from the long months of treatment are finally fading noticeably. My hair is growing: I can see the cowlick in front and three gray hairs.

Gotta go. Gotta buy those tickets to Chicago in December!
~Cathi