Okay, so today is April 23rd. (A birthday shared by Edward deVere and Shakespeare -- and I still say deVere wrote the Shakespearean canon, not Wm. Shaksper.) I still don't know exactly when I'll be going in for my bone marrow and it's driving me nuts. Here's the scoop: we have to do a CT scan and a PET scan before they will know if we need to do more chemo or something first. Actually, if the scans don't show improvement, I don't know nor really want to know what the next step will be. The scans will simply have to show improvement. Hmph.

At any rate, I go tomorrow for the scans. Then I go get yet another bone marrow test on Tuesday, May 1. Have I mentioned that I'm really tired of these yet? My poor hip is still sore from the last one. (Well, that's partly because it's really humid here right now. It was feeling fine until the humidity kicked up.) At any rate, if the scans are good, then we'll also schedule a day of miscellaneous tests for somtime after the first. Then, May 7th I will see one of the bone marrow doctors again and hopefully I'll finally be able to schedule the various procedures.

Luckily, my students turn in their finals on the 7th and I should have them graded by the 9th or 10th, so it looks like I'll get everything done here at school before we actually start the bone marrow procedure.

April 30, 2001
Well, I've had the PET and CT scans. I'll find out the results tomorrow when I see my oncologist for a bone marrow test. *sigh* I'm tired of these already and we haven't even started the ruddy transplant yet! I also had a TON of blood drawn last week before my MUGA scan (it's a heart scan and I thought it was pronounced "moo-ga" at first -- the nuclear technician corrected me when I came in for the scan). They're gonna run darn near every test imaginable on the blood. I also have a Pulmonary Function Test (a really fun test for an asthmatic, let me tell you) and an EKG on Friday. The really fun and exciting test, though, is that I have to collect my urine for 24 hours!! AND, I have to store it in the refrigerator for those 24 hours!!! GROSS!

On top of this, I have to go to the dentist in a couple of days and have a gynecological exam, too. Somehow this just does not sound like my idea of fun. In fact, this just shatters my idea of the bone marrow transplant being a nice vacation.  ;) I mean, really! Ah well, so long as the hospital has the Cartoon Network, I'll be okay, I suppose.

Well, I suppose that's all the new news that fits. I'm doing well; I'm just in BMT appointment limbo. I probably won't update again until after the seventh, but that depends on my scans being good. If they're not then I'll probably check back around the first and rail about whatever we have to do next.     :)

And now on to the bone marrow schedule! >