On the mend

I am on the mend (again), with Melissa pronouncing my counts "great" at Monday's clinic visit. WBC was 8.7, hematocrit 31.4 and platelets, well, they were 85, down a bit but way up from the bad old days of single digits.

My liver and kidney functions were better but not back to where they were, meaning that I have to stay on the 40 mg. of prednisone until further notice. I am back on a two-week visit schedule, but I am going to get my blood checked locally this Monday, and if the liver and kidney have improved, I might go down to 30.

All good stuff.

I got home and had a little cry.

It is so frustrating to feel a lot better and then take a few steps back. I'm still very wobbly, my balance is off, and I'm especially weak in the thighs. I am going to start physical therapy again. Katie was there for the "pity party" and then talked me out. She reminded me where I was last year this time: fresh out of the hospital, barely able to walk. I know it's not a straight upwards line to "normal," but these setbacks still hit hard.

The rest really is all good stuff.

Ben came home from New York, and with Joe and Katie already here, we had a full house. Last night we had a nice family dinner with the kids, me, Katie's boyfriend, and Jim, my ex-husband. Don't ask. It's not the kind of thing we usually do, but it worked out, and everyone seemed pleased.

Ben is on a little vacation. I knew he was coming here Tuesday, but I didn't remember exactly what else he was doing.

On Sunday, Joe (middle son) went to a game at Fenway Park. He got a text picture from Ben (older son): a shot of the field at Fenway. This is Ben's way of showing people where he is. So Joe sees the text, not having known that Ben was at the game, and texts Ben with a photo of his angle of the field. Ben doesn't answer right away, so Joe calls him. They meet up for a few minutes to watch the game together. Neither had known that the other was there.

The next day, I go to Dana-Farber. I'm not supposed to drive yet, so Jim drove me in. I took a photo of Fenway, which is down the street from Dana-Farber, and sent it to Ben. He didn't know I was there either. He was pretty close and was going to meet us, but because of the timing it didn't work out.

Which makes you wonder: Is Fenway Park really the center of the world?

Sorry, Mom. (Mom was a Yankee fan through and through, and I probably should be too.)

Tonight: book group.

I have been re-reading Abraham Verghese's "Cutting for Stone." I already read it and loved it; this time I was supposed to skim, but that's hard to do when you get drawn back by the writing and the story.

Gotta go try to finish.