Will I remember this?

From Mom with slight edits from Conor...

I'm writing this afternoon because nurse Mary told me today that I would probably not remember things right now and for the next week or two. This will be my journal...I may not want to read it, but it will be there. I carefully wrote down everything anyone said today, and so did Walt who went with me.

Nurse Mary is Mary Ferguson Dinges. In the early days of clinic visits, we discovered that her father worked at Black & Veatch and in fact carpooled with my father. Her father died a long time ago, of cancer, and she grew up to be an oncology nurse. I would like her without this connection, but the connection, however slim, makes her special.


I saw Dr. McGuirk today. I like him a lot...along with the other guys in this program. Walt took little bottles of Cold River Vodka to the clinic for nurse practitioner Abby and nurse Jenny who did his biopsy way back when. Cold River is made in Maine and is proclaimed by Bon Apetit magazine to be the best vodka for mixing drinks. Abby is THE most painless administrator of a bone marrow biopsy ever.

* Conor Note: The first time Mom saw McGuirk, some time ago (but after she was out of the hospital), he confidently recited everything that's happened to her. He clearly manages this program with a detailed eye - refreshing to have that level of care.*


CT scan of my lungs revealed much healing since the last scan 19 days ago. So no new antibiotics yet. They stressed that this is the valley when all the counts go down and we must call about every little change. Every ache, pain, nausea, fever, etc that is a change. Of course hot flashes do not count. Just gotta deal with those. They come with the territory. I wouldn't mind them so much if they didn't wake me up frequently in the night.


I received 2 units of magnesium today. Magnesium is important to keep the electrical points firing correctly. I also got the "Protein Queen" award because my protein count was so high. I guess sucking all that stuff down pays off. As my appetite wanes, I wish for a protein drip they could just give me.


So, I think that the social worker would think my report is rambling. And I recognize that. But like the hot flashes, it will just have to be. Comes with the territory.