Lucky tractor socks

Tuesday, December 8th, yesterday, was Booster Day. I had a clinic appointment at 10:00 and then off to the hospital. I showered and dressed carefully in all my lucky items: tractor (John Deere) socks, "Life is Good" hat, and my Cabbage Key t-shirt. Walt and Dad went to the apherisis unit very early and Walt was hooked up to donate the booster cells.

Robbie and Charlene and I loaded up and rolled in to the clinic. I persuaded the nurse at the clinic to put in an IV so I only had to be stuck once, then I visited with Dr. Abhankar. I reported a rash on my chest and blotches on various other parts of me. Dr. A looked the spots over and asked me a lot of questions about the bright red flush in my cheeks that seem to just happen to me occasionally. Finally he sent me to the hospital to the dermatology suite to have them look at the spots.

The resident I claim as my dermatologist looked at the rash spots. Then she called in her supervisor who looked them over. Everyone seemed to agree they looked a lot like Graft vs. Host Disease, but nobody was certain a biopsy would be conclusive. So the dermatologist called Dr. Abhyankar and reported. Then Dr. Abhyankar called back and told me that they (Drs. A and M) hoped the rash is GVH and so they decided to not give me the booster. "But go ahead to unit 42." The purpose of the booster was to boost Walt's cells into waging war again with mine and inciting GVH so the graft will get stronger and more permanent.

So we three trooped up to the 4th floor and finally found our way to my room on unit 41. Robbie and Charlene went off to find some lunch and the doctors continued thinking out loud. Finally my nurse came in and said "you are the easiest patient I've ever had." She removed the IV line and gave me a printout of my labs and shooed us out of the hospital.

Seemed like a very big day on which virtually nothing happened. And another surprise was an email in the afternoon scheduling my next clinic appointment for a week later! A longer leash is always enjoyed. Walt's cells have been stored in the freezer for possible future needs.

Today the rash is plenty itchy. It's still inconsistent, moving from my neck to my back to my abdomen and it doesn't look very red. I expect it will be more itchy tomorrow.

Robbie left for Vermont today but Charlene is still here. She cooked a fabulous gumbo for supper tonight and there is plenty left over for another meal. We had bar-b-q last night. Visited the Boulevard brewery Monday, had a fine dinner Monday night with other friends. I have enjoyed myself and maintained my energy through it all. Feeling energetic is WONDERFUL.

I am washing the lucky tractor socks so I can wear them again tomorrow. And every day after that they are clean in my drawer. They don't itch, but they seem to cause it.....

~Cathi