Slight change on the course

Visited the clinic yesterday and saw Dr. Aljitawi. We were just talking over one another--it was a scramble. I gained 2#, all by eating. No TPN. I only needed 4 units of potassium (compared to 7 on Tuesday.) Thanks to everyone who sent notes about potassium rich foods. Bananas don't even fall at the top of the list! Baked potatoes do, offering 1031 mg of potassium.

My counts were down. I got blood and platelets and potassium and magnesium. My ANC is .5; my white count was 1.7. ANC is the part of the white cell that actually fights germs. It needs to be over 1 for me to be able to fully participate in food.

I brought up Revlimid and he said "no, we're not ready." But we do think that the 1.4% of your blood that is you is 5q- and that is why your counts are not recovering. We argued a bit and I trumped with "my counts are already in the tank so why not go ahead with the Revlimid before things get any worse." Ok, he says, you've convinced me. Take the Revlimid. Take one less Prednizone--that could be keeping them down too.

He was very happy with the weight gain and kept saying "That is you. you have done that. I am very proud of you." So I just need to follow instructions and continue.

Robbie, your comment a couple of blogs ago about my spirit and my friends is the kind of thing I can wrap up and keep in my pocket for weeks. No matter what the docs say, what my friends say is most important. Barry's simple "proceed" was fun. I am what I am and I love it. Because it brings all these wonderful people into my life. I was thinking a while back about how sometime in the first couple of weeks I asked to have someone spend the nights with me at the hospital and they just did! What an enormous thing to ask for and have people just do it. My kids, my sibs, even my parents took shift or two. How lucky am I?

Other minor things going on include shaving my legs, nurturing the hair growth on my head. Choosing my food carefully. Last night I womited, I think a piece of asparagus triggered the gag reflex right during the meal. I actually came back to the table and ate a biscuit and enjoyed a cobbler for dessert. So it wasn't really nausea, just weakened muscles.

I've been picking at Christmas shopping by pointing at something in the Sunday paper ads and dispatching someone to pick it up. Janice was shopping for new dishes and I insisted she get something she really loves. She's taking my leftover silverware but it's no prize. Sharlyne insisted I get that. She said "I can't believe you have all these plates and bowls and not enough flatware to set a table." If you have ever been scolded by Sharlyne, she has a way of making you feel like a really smart person except for this one stupid thing. So you want to fix the one stupid thing ASAP! which I did.

Today is HB's birthday party and I am web cammed in so I'm going to be on line a bunch I reckon. The kids' house looks ever so festive.
~Cathi