Good labs, minor mishaps

I've done a few odd things since Sunday, but I'll start by saying that I had a good report at Dana-Farber Monday.

My counts were about the same as last week: Normal white count and nearly-normal red count that had dropped just a little. Platelets were still not impressive – 61 – but they hadn't dropped, and Melissa did not seem concerned. The good news is that my liver function was a little better, so I can decrease the prednisone from 15 mg. to 10 a day.

I gained 10 pounds in the last month. It's unlikely that it can be attributed to the prednisone, because I had my big puff-up with the higher dose and then deflated after lowering the dose, although it is possible. The only change in medication is that I restarted Exjade for getting rid of the excess ferritin that my body is storing from getting excess iron through so many transfusions. Melissa said to stop taking that and in the meantime to get a stomach ultrasound to check for possible fluid retention related to Graft vs. Host.

I have been eating more than my share of chocolate chip cookies and muffins this winter, but I have also been exercising more, so 10 pounds does seem unusual.

I got the stomach ultrasound today and my mind wandered to what PJ calls "the dark side."

"Tumor the size of a grapefruit," the doctor's voice said in my head while the technician did the ultrasound.

"Everything is normal," the real doctor said when she came in.

OK then. I'll have to see how I do minus the Exjade and, maybe, minus a cookie or too.

I had stayed at Diane's Sunday after dropping Katie off at Brandeis earlier in the afternoon.

As I've written, I'm back to my "normal" self in getting antsy when I don't exercise every day. So I got Katie to take me into the Brandeis gym so I could get in two or maybe three miles on the treadmill. The inside of my knees hurt a little when I started, but the pain subsided once I got going, and I did two miles without stopping. Then, same as earlier in the week at the Y, I walked for about half a mile, increasing the incline, then jogged the last half mile.

I should have stopped after two. My knees and my right heel started hurting, but I pushed on. Why? Because I still think I'm 30 and was never sick and I can do whatever I want?

When I got off the treadmill, I could barely walk. I hobbled out of the gym, hobbled to Starbucks and drove to Diane's as darkness fell. I had made dinner plans with my friend Rook and had less than an hour to shower and get ready.

When I pulled into her driveway, a lightbulb went off in my head. I forgot my clothes! Diane and Sam greeted me at the door, and I shrieked like a crazy person, "I can't walk and I forgot my clothes and I need to get ready!" She ushered me to the couch with ice packs and reached for my coffee. I held it up high. "Don't take my Starbucks!" I yelled.

Diane is a little larger than I am, but we have similar tastes in clothes, so she lent me a dress and jacket just like an outfit I have at home. I made it to dinner, where Rook had to listen to the whole rant.

I still could barely walk today, but I made it to yoga with Diane, resolving not to do poses that hurt my knees. Interestingly, the yoga was pain-free. It only hurts when I walk. Tomorrow I see the foot doctor again.

After yoga, I went to the dermatologist, who biopsied a spot on my forehead that had not responded to photo therapy. Then I went for the ultrasound and finally headed home, stopping, of course, at Starbucks to get a coffee for the road. My phone rang when I was getting in the car, so I put the coffee on the roof for a second. The hot coffee spilled, just missing me but pouring down the open door and onto the seat.

I went back in, and they gave me another one.

Then I headed for the Mass Pike, and sighed in relief when I got on the highway. With gas prices so high, I was determined to keep to the speed limit, so I paid close attention to my speed. So close, in fact, that I didn't realize I had gone east instead of west until it occurred to me that the Boston skyline was coming up instead of receding.

So...I had to turn around, pay double the tolls and figure out how to get back in the right direction...which took me straight into traffic. For good measure, I spilled about a quarter of my coffee onto my lap.

I picked Maddie up from Jim and Jane's around 7 and came home to discover that "the creature" had left droppings all over the kitchen counter and had knocked over the tin of dog biscuits and helped itself to some.

Maddie was delighted to find one left over in the living room. I was not too happy.

Sorry this is so long. I think I am finished now. I have been advised that I can buy a squirrel trap and catch the intruder on my own. I was not brought up for this. Tomorrow I call someone.