LIVING WITH MCL

I knew there was a good reason, Morris wasn't bringing home any trophy's lately. After Morris lost his last collar (presumably in a fight), Edie went and bought him a replacement collar that had a bell on it. When she bought it, we [I] never considered how it might effect his ability to hunt, but after about 3 months without any late night surprises, I was starting to get suspicious. Plus, 3 months is about the longest Morris has ever gone without losing his collar. So this evening I decided it was time to take the bell off, and no sooner did I do that, Morris proudly strutted home grasping a freshly caught rat in his mouth, which he quickly devoured while we watched the evening news. Sylvia was mortified, Edie wasn't particularly happy either (she hates it when Morris kills anything), but I was so proud. Just like me, Morris still has a few good years (he's 12 now) left in him.

You'd think with Edie finally at home, my cold just about done with, and riding my bike for the first time in a week yesterday, I'd be feeling a lot better now, but I'm not. Maybe the last week, without much to occupy my mind, I had way too much time on my hands to dwell on the future. Part of the problems is, despite continued stable blood counts, and feeling mostly fine now, getting sick last week made me start to wonder, even more so, how much longer I can maintain this facade. Then there's the economy. Even though my savings hasn't been effected nearly as much as many others in the US, and the rest of the world, I still can't help but worry. Remember we all live on the same planet, and what effects one of us, has at least an indirect (if not direct) effect on everyone else. And of course there are the elections. What direction will the electorate take us this time? Are we to continue a policy of dividing the country between red states and blue states, and t

Edie has officially been released from the hospital. Her platelets are still a little low, but her white counts are back to normal, which I'm hoping means she won't have to go on a restricted diet. She will have to be careful she doesn't cut herself though, due to her low platelets. All that's left now, before I can go pick her up, is to remove the Hickman Line, which I've just been informed has become a little complicated. It seems the doctor won't remove the line, until she receives a pint of blood (another complication of the low platelets). Oh well, at least there appears to be an end to this tunnel, and things should be back to normal soon. 3 PM Update: As of 3 PM today, Edie is at home, and looking and acting as if she never left. She has to take some precautions (like stay away from me, since I am still recovering from my cold), but other than that everything is good .

Well, while I'm still congested, I am feeling a lot better this morning. My cough, sneezing and runny nose have almost reached tolerable levels. And even better, Edie's transplant doctor says she may be able to come home this weekend. Of course, if I'm not totally recovered that isn't going to happen, but things are looking up, and I'm optimistic there will be an eventual end to this entire ordeal, sooner than later.

It's been 9 days since Edie had her transplant (12 days since she went to the hospital), and while Edie appears to be progressing well, I am only getting worse. It seems it may not have been all the stress that has gotten to me, but the flu (or at least a very bad cold) instead. While my sore throat is gone from Sunday, it has been replaced by head congestion, a runny nose that doesn't seem to want to quit, sneezing, and a cough that is causing me to develop another sore throat. So here it is, 4 days since I've been able to visit Edie, (or even get on my bike), and there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight. I've even resorted to taking some over the counter medication (which is against my better judgment) to help alleviate some of the symptoms. Unfortunately they're not doing much good. And to top it all off, the bluetooth mouse for my computer has stopped working for some reason, making navigating the internet very cumbersome, and it looks like the stock

I think the stress of the last week has finally gotten to me. [At least I hope it's the stress, and not something more sinister.] I felt lousy all day yesterday (never even got out of my pajamas), and don't feel any better today. My throat is sore, I'm sneezing, my nose is runny, my spleen and liver feel larger than normal, and I'm just run down. Didn't even go for a bike ride, or visit Edie yesterday, which is making me feel even worse. She was a little bummed about that, but she did receive an email from her brother and sister-in-law (who she has never met) in Ohio yesterday, so I think that cheered her up some.  We haven't kept in touch with much of the family still living in Ohio, since we left in 1982, so it was good hearing from them, and learning how well all the family is doing. It was also good to learn Edie's brother Earl, a real plumber in Ohio (most of Edie's family in Ohio were plumbers), is an Obama supporter, and is even helping on the ca

It's been a week now since Edie went into the hospital, and it sure isn't getting any easier. And even worse, I've got at least two more weeks of the same to look forward to. Having to go to work, grocery shopping, the laundry, making sure Sylvia eats, keeping up with my exercise routine, and visiting Edie in the hospital is starting to take its toll. I've never had to do so much for such a long time with no help, and I'm just not sure I'm up for this. One thing for sure, I've certainly developed a new found appreciation for single parents (especially those with small children), and what they have to endure. Fortunately Edie's doing pretty good so far, and she is keenly aware of my limitations, so that removes some of the stress of the situation. It's just not enough. So if you'd like to help, and have some time, stop in and visit Edie. Despite the fact I had previously indicated visiting wasn't a good idea, I think Edie would appreciate seei

Last night as I was surfing the internet, I was startled when I heard Sylvia holler MOLLY. Molly was my my mothers name, and she died some 10 years ago. Sylvia then came running (ok, that is an exaggeration) into the office, and asked what was that bell? Did I hear a bell ringing? Well there wasn't any bell. Obviously, Sylvia had awoken from a dream, a nightmare, or whatever during one of the numerous naps she takes throughout the day. She soon realized there was nothing wrong, but I'm not so sure she knew she even hollered my mothers name, and I didn't feel it necessary to ask. Still it sent chills up my spine. Oh, and BTW, in case you haven't received an email from Edie, she is doing fine. Edie received her stem cells around 11 AM today, with little, if any fanfare. She was somewhat drowsy afterward, but only because of the Benadryl they gave her to prevent any allergic reactions. It was also good that City of Hope offers room service to all their transplant patients,

Well, here it is one day before "Day 0" (the transplant), and the reality of all this is finally settling in. I know I've been preparing for this day for several months, but that doesn't make it any easier. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with the next two weeks, making dinner for Sylvia and myself every night, the thought of not being able to share a good bottle of wine with Edie, and sleeping in that great big bed alone. Oh well, at least the City of Hope makes it very comfortable for the transplant patients.  The rooms are nice size and private, and even have a DSL connection for accessing the internet. But no one will ever mistake this ordeal for a vacation, as evidenced by the numerous drugs and monitoring devices attached to Edie (not sure what the flashlight is for though), and the ordeal visitors have to go through. Before entering the room, everyone (doctors, nursers, technicians, and the catering staff included) has to wash their hands, and put on

Well there's no turning back now. The City of Hope called, and Edie is scheduled for an 11:30 AM check in tomorrow. So tonight was time for a special dinner. We stayed home, and I cooked the perfect medium rare filet mignon, with rice and broccoli, accompanied by a 2005 Hartford Court , Sevens Bench Pinot Noir, and boy was it good. Not only did I cook the steak to a perfect medium rare, but the wine was one of the better Pinot Noir's we've drank recently. It was a full bodied Pinot, exhibiting a good balance of fruit, tannins and acidity, and with good texture without the high alcohol taste that seems so prevelant in the wines being produced now a days. Of course, not even the perfect meal, and bottle of wine, can change the reality of the next two or possibley three weeks. They're not going to be a lot of fun. Saturday and Sunday, Edie receives high dose melphalan (reduced slightly due to a slightly impaired kidney function), to destroy the old immune system, followed

It must be. Why else would the hand specialist be so ready to operate on my hand to correct my Dupuytren's Contraction ? That sure wasn't the response I was expecting when I went for my appointment with the hand specialist yesterday. I thought I would go in, and the doctor would look at my hand, and say it wasn't that bad, and I should just keep an eye on it making sure it doesn't get any worse, and then come back in a couple of months for a follow up. Needless to say, I was caught completely off guard. I really wasn't ready for this. I had heard horror stories about the pain associated with the operation, and proceeding would obviously put a crimp in my cycling. I was hoping he would propose the use of injectable collagenese . That I would have gone for. But no, the doctor indicated injectable collagenese hasn't been approved for use just yet. BUMMER! So now I have to make a decision. Do I or don't I want to risk the operation? The doctor was very reassuri

Not even a seemingly endless stock market decline, nor the Angel's loss in Boston last night, can take my mind off the fact Edie is going in to the hospital for her scheduled stem cell transplant on Friday. Fortunately my livelihood doesn't depend on the fate of the Angels, and I've been able to keep losses in our financial portfolio to a minimum (only down 1.5% for the year), so those two events don't concern me much. I only wish I could say the same for Edie, and have as much control over the events to follow, as well as I have been able to control our current financial situation, and weather the economic storm I believe is soon to follow (especially should John McCain be elected the next president of the US).

IT'S FREAKIN' HOT OUTSIDE! Right now it's 92°F. Yesterday it was 97°F at the same time. And we can't even blame it on the Santa Ana's . I just can't believe this. Last winter was the coldest winter I can remember since moving to California 26 years ago, and now we're experiencing one of the hottest summers I've ever experienced, and it's autumn. There's definitely something wrong here, and I'm not sure if it's global warming or global cooling. I'm just hpoing we can blame this on the Republicans.