Week of the girlfriends

I have had so much fun this week with my different companions that I haven't posted much. It's been exciting to have a social life outside of the clinic personnel. I am crazy about the folks at the clinic yet aware that they are not my 'real' life. I'm posting a picture of me with Robbie and Carla so you can see my "new do." (That's Carla on the left and Robbie in the center.) I can't say I'm crazy about it, but I'm comfortable with it. My hair seems to be coming in exactly the same as it was before it went out.

In fact, if you really want to get to know your hair, shave your head. You can see every single individual gray hair as they come back in. The cowlicks and growth patterns become apparent. Right now it looks like I have a permanent sleep disorder on the right side of my head. The hair seems to grow straight up toward the top of my head resulting in an off center peak something like what Conor used to spend hours creating along the part in his hair, using mustache wax. I don't know whether to treat it with mousse or creme rinse so as they say, no decision is still a decision.

Bridget took me to the clinic yesterday and was treated to the one and only Dr. Ganguly. He dismissed the remaining rash as dry skin, informed me that "we will tell you" referring to when the PICC line can come out, confirmed the "no dogs for 100 days" and inquired why I was still eating 100 g of protein per day. He went off to find Melinda, the nutritionist, and returned to tell me I could stop eating protein bars. (This when I finally decided on the tastiest bars for the least cost. If you find yourself wondering, shoot me an e-mail.) The blood counts are holding steady but the liver enzymes were up again.

So cut out the extra protein and come back Tuesday for a CT Scan of the liver. Even at that, no one seems particularly worried about the liver. Dr. Ganguly suggested I lay off the alcohol, which warning Dr. McGuirk repeated in the hall when he stopped me on the way out. Dang! I met with the pharmacist to get instructions for tapering off the anti-rejection drug which I thought I would be taking for much longer. So the immune suppressant and the anti-rejection drugs are both on the way out, to be finished by Christmas. Getting these out of my system should permit the white cell count to rise the rest of the way to a healthy immune system, able to fight off germs floating around in the real world. Meanwhile the hemoglobin and platelets continue a slow rise.

Other company this week including my sister Lori who shopped and washed and cleaned, getting everything ready for Sally to come on Thursday and Lisa to spend the night Thursday night. Lisa got engaged a few weeks ago and we stayed up way too late talking wedding, which I didn't mind a bit. Sally made a really tasty stew and some excellent brownies.

Sally made luscious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last weekend and when she delivered them she offered to bring more in a couple of days. I reminded her that Dad was gone so they probably would not go so fast. "oh yeah" she said. However, I had not considered my sister Mari's sweet tooth. I ate 1 1/2 cookie, and Mari ate the rest! In record time I think.

So I have another girlfriend here today while M&D go to the K-State football game and then we start preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.