LIVING WITH MCL

The reality of all this is finally starting to set in. I'm in the hospital, I'm sick, and I'm about to undergo major surgery. It pretty much hit me about 1 AM this morning. I got a roommate, and for almost an hour I had to deal with him calling for the nurse, mostly wanting something to eat, and then having to listen to him suck a can of Ensure dry with his straw, while eating grahm crackers. I knew this would likely happen, I just wasn't prepared for it to happen at 1 AM, nor for it to be so disrupting. Then, no sooner do I get back to sleep, I'm awakened at 20 minutes to 3 to draw blood. She told me I was first on her list. Gimme a break! They couldn't wait till mid morning to start drawing blood? And as if all that wasn't enough, at 5:30 AM, someone comes in, and starts asking questions of my roommate. Is this the way it is in every hospital, or just the VA? Anyways, here it is, 6:30 AM, I'm wide awake, waiting for my breakfast, and just wishing this ...

Now that I've mostly recovered from our "vacation" to Kauai, I think I can honestly say, other than the fact the room I reserved wasn't available the first night, I lost my phone charger when we changed rooms (fortunately I had a back up), Edie came down with the same "viral" infection on Wednesday, I had the previous two weeks, and my phone drowned when it went swimming with me in the ocean, it wasn't that bad. The hotel was nicer than expected, the weather was perfect, and the food was good (maybe a little too good, as I gained 8 pounds). The only question is why I felt the need to travel 3000 miles to experience all that, when I can get all that [and more], i.e. good food, nice beaches, great scenery and fantastic weather, right here in southern California, or at most only a few short hours away by car. Plus there is nothing more mortifying and profoundly exhausting, then traveling anywhere by airplane. Getting to and from the airport, going through s...

My upper respiratory infection is gone, and I'm finally feeling normal again. A recent check of my immunoglobulins were nearly identical to the results of last February . 68 today vs 68 in February for IgA, 1422 today vs 1458 in February for IgG, and 342 today vs 332 in February for IgM. I was still able to have my heart CT scan as scheduled Friday, despite being 45 minutes late for the appointment. (I thought it was for 10:30 AM, and when I arrived I was told it was for 9:30 AM) But mostly I was feeling good about things having come out unscathed, after being side swiped on my bike Thursday, by an old man in a van. Apparently he was in a tremendous hurry to get to the stop sign ahead, and decided I didn't have a right to the road. So he swung wide into the other lane, clipping my fore arm with his right side mirror, while nearly taking out another rider, as he swerved around him as well. Not sure how I was able to stay upright, but I did. (Must be my tremendous bike handling s...

There used to be a time when I enjoyed going on vacation, but now not so much. I don't know if it's simply because of all the little things I hate about traveling, i.e. packing and unpacking, checking into and out of hotels, airport hassles etc. or simply the fact I don't need to travel anywhere. I already live in an area which has everything most people dream of in a vacation. I sure don't need to drive very far, or fly to all corners of the world, to get away (my justification for our latest trip to Solvang/Santa Inez). I can go to Disneyland for that, and still sleep in my own bed at the end of the day. Sure it's enlightening to experience new places, but I've seen most of the US, and I've been to France, Italy and England. I lived in Okinawa for 18 months, and vacationed in the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Fiji (twice), Tahiti, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. I've even been to New Zealand. I don't need any more enlightening. Plus, I'm not into ...

Our trip to the annual Aureole Wine Weekend in Vegas has ended, and we're back home recovering. It's hard to believe a weekend of [over] eating and [over] indulging in wine, could be so tiring, but by the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, I was pretty much exhausted. I even cancelled reservations we had at LeCirque for Sunday evening, opting instead for hamburgers at Hubert Keller's Burger Bar. They are very good burgers! I have to admit, I didn't think it was possible for Kevin (Aureole GM) and William (Master Sommelier) to top last years event , but they did. This was even despite my initial reservations because of the theme, white burgundy's and Spanish wines, but I have now come away with a new appreciation for both, especially the Spanish wines. Of course these were not your usual Spanish wines, primarily focusing on the wines from the Priorat region of spain, i.e. Carinena (Carignan), Garnacha (Grenache), Syrah, Cabernet Savignon, and Merlot, with of course...

Well I got my dose of NE Ohio and Pittsburgh this past week, and the experience can pretty much be summed up by those 4 words. I didn't expect much from Newton Falls, but neither did I expect what I saw. The area is unbelievably depressed. Abandoned factories, store fronts and houses are everywhere, and what houses aren't abandoned are unbelievably dilapidated. It was truly depressing, to see a place I lived for 4 years, and where Edie grew up, deteriorate so much. But I was even disappointed in Pittsburgh as well. I had heard so much about how Pittsburgh had changed, and while there where a lot of improvements, especially in the downtown area, most of the city was either unchanged or depressed as well. The streets are narrower than I remember, the houses smaller, the streets in worse condition than in LA, and riding a bike in this city can definitely be hazardous to your health. Plus all my favorite breakfast and deli haunts were replaced by Starbucks and Brueggers. Even the f...

3 days into our trip back to Ohio for Edie's 40th high school reunion, everything seemed to be going fine. All the reunion events were behind us, and the only thing left was the open house at Edie's sister's house Sunday to get through. I was even sort of enjoying myself. The weather wasn't great, but we weren't spending a lot of time outside either. But then as I was just standing around talking with family, without warning, and for no apparent reason, my nose starts to bleed. Fortunately I realized what was happening (after Edie gasped), and I was able to get to the bathroom without making a mess, and stop it in a very short time. Unbelievable! This is way too reminiscent of what happened just over a year ago, when I eventually had to have my nose cauterized because of spontaneous nose bleeds. The only difference this time is it's my right nostril instead of my left. Why does this keep happening? Nose bleeds aren't listed as a symptom or manifestation o...

Well, I would have to say there was near perfect weather in Santa Barbara this past weekend for the California Wine Festival. The skies were clear, and the temperatures ranged from the mid 60's to low 70's. It doesn't get much better than that, and it's the main reason we love southern [and central] CA so much. Of course, I can always find something to complain about. It's just this time, it won't be the weather. My biggest complaint was I didn't ride my bike for 3 days, and watching all the other cyclists riding along the beach, heading out for what was likely a brisk morning ride into the foothills, made me envious. Then there was the fact, the hotel we stayed in wasn't what I had expected. It was nice [sorta], and the price was right, but it just didn't have the class nor the ambiance of the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort , or even the Hotel Mar Monte , both of which were on either side of us. Oh, but so what! We didn't go there for the room, ...

At last, a day that went off without a hitch. Arrived at the airport at 6 AM in plenty of time for our 7:35 AM flight, which even managed to leave on time. The best part was Delta had sent our bags ahead last evening, and they were waiting for us at baggage claim at LAX when we arrived. No waiting or fighting everyone to grab our bags. Delta finally got it right this time. It feels so good to be home! Especially since we were out of green tea.

How difficult can it be to get an aircraft off the ground, on time, when the aircraft arrives the night before? Well, leave it to Delta Airlines to accomplish the near impossible. Not only did the aircraft leave late from Roatan, but it left so late, we missed our connecting flight in Atlanta, which had a 2 hour cushion. So here we are in the Atlanta airport Double Tree hotel (courtesy of Delta Airlines) spending yet one more night away from home, awaiting our 7:35 AM flight home tomorrow morning. Hopefully by around 10:00 AM tomorrow, we'll finally be able to put this ordeal behind us.

As it turned out Delta Airlines (the airline we are flying) was the only airline not flying in or out of Roatan today, so we're stuck here [Roatan] for one more day. At least they decided to fly in an additional, and bigger, aircraft tomorrow morning to relieve the situation, and fly everyone out of here.  Unfortunately they didn't give Edie and me, and one other in our group of 8, our business class tickets for the Atlanta to LA leg, despite having paid for them. Everyone else in our group got their business class tickets, but for some reason Delta decided the two sickest people on the airplane didn't need theirs. Go figure. Anyways, I complained, and of course played the sympathy card, and I think I remedied the situation. At least I'm hoping that's the case. I didn't get a 100% written confirmation, but the Delta customer rep (Jenna) assured me it was fixed. I'll know tomorrow for sure when we check in. I'm not sure what I'll do if it isn't fi...

Here it is our last day on Roatan, and tropical storm Alex is bearing down on us.  It's raining, the wind is blowing at a brisk clip, and the seas are a liitle rough, even in the normally tranquil lagoon, and we've just been informed our flight to Atlanta has been canceled. Our only hope for now is the Continental flight doesn't make it in this morning, so we'll at least have a place to stay tonight. Oh well, such is life.  [BIG SIGH]

I used to think there was no greater sensation than scratching an itch, but after spending 5 days in Roatan, Honduras I've discovered something at least equal to that. And that is entering an air conditioned room after spending any length of time outside in 90F heat and 100 percent humidity.  I'm sure it's possible to get used to, afterall there are millions who live in this type of climate, and profess to love it, but do they really? Or do they just have no other choice? Now don't get me wrong, Roatan is beautiful (at least where we are), the diving (the principal reason for coming here) is great, as is the resort (although the food is a little lacking), and it has been a fun trip, so far, but none of that changes the fact it's freakin' hot and humid here. If nothing else, it sure serves to remind me just how fortunate I am to live in southern CA.  I know I often complain about the weather in southern CA, with its continually changing weather patterns, but de...

At least you can negotiate wine prices. I didn't try negotiating menu items. Just returned from a weekend vacation in Las Vegas to celebrate our [Edie and me] 35th wedding anniversary. WOW! 35 years, that's longer than a lot of people I know have been alive. Oh well, but I digress! All in all, this weekend was one of the more pleasant and memorable ones. We stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay in a very comfortable 725 square foot suite. We saw Bette Midler on Saturday night, which surprisingly [at least to me] was very enjoyable. We then ate at Bradley Ogden after the show, Aureole on Sunday night [our anniversary], and RM Seafood Monday night. All the meals were great, as were the wines. The most memorable being the 10 course dinner we had at Aureole on our anniversary, which is the main reason I'm 7 pounds heavier today, than when I left on vacation. But the best part of the weekend was negotiating the price for a bottle of wine at RM Seafood Monday night. As I was peru...

I learned I don't like going on vacations. Of course that's really nothing new. I've always known that, but I can't help myself. I just love the anticipation of going on vacation. It's just that once I'm on vacation, all I can think about is getting back home. [Is that what happens when you get old, and set in your ways, or is it just me?] I also learned October is probably not a good month to go on vacation. While this is supposed to be the warmest month of the year in San Francisco, it was anything but that on Saturday and Sunday. When we arrived on Friday, the weather was actually pretty nice. It was sunny, warm, and there was very little wind. Of course that all changed when the sun started to set. Not only did it get colder, but the wind picked up, making walking to dinner a little trying. And it didn't get any better the next two days, including the drive down the coast to Monterey on Sunday, where it was even colder and windier. We spent one night in ...

As if the company I work for being bought out, and the onset of fall, with the weather changes and the much shorter days it brings isn't enough, I just received my latest blood work today, and it was not to my liking. Not only did my lymphocyte count drop from 94 thou/mcL to 62 thou/mcL (which may or may not be a good thing), my hemoglobin dropped back down to 11.4 g/dL, and my platelets continued on their downward slide, dropping to 158 thou/mcL from 172 thou/mcL last month, and 200 thou/mcL in July. What's really disappointing, I went on a pretty hard bike ride this morning, and climbed the 2 miles up to the top of Turnbull Canyon within 2 seconds of my best time this year. I was really feeling good, that is up until just now. It's always possible the hard bike ride, and the slight dehydration, may have skewed the results, but I'd have thought the results would be higher (like my creatinine, which was up to 1.2 today), not lower. Whatever, something is going on. Eithe...

I don't need a fancy car. My 1993 Lexus SC coupe still looks like new, and works just fine. I don't need a big luxurious house on a golf course or on the beach somewhere. My 1800 square foot home, 3/4 of a mile from Eldorado Park golf course, and 4 miles from the beach is quite comfortable, and I don't have the need to be traveling the world, spending weeks away from home, visiting exotic destinations. But sometimes, despite not needing some things, you want them anyways.  A new Mercedes Benz E Class Coupe is one such thing I would like to have, but mostly I want to go to South America and visit the wine country's of Argentina and Chile, and experience the eco tourism of Patagonia. The only problem is, a trip to South America would entail a minimum of 15 hours of travel time (each way), and 3 weeks away from home [and off the bike], two [three] things I don't relish. Plus I'm not sure Edie has her heart set on this trip as much as I do, as the trip to Patagonia ...

One of the most difficult things about having a terminal illness, even when it may be in remission or slow progressing, is never knowing when it may take an unexpected and/or unwanted turn for the worse.  At the very least it makes planning for vacations difficult. Of course, as I realized this past week, planning for vacations can be a problem even if you don't have a terminal illness, because anyone [even healthy people get sick you know] can pick up a virus any time, and even if you do have a terminal illness you can get sick from things totally unrelated to your particular disease. Plus there reasons, other than illness, that can arise, resulting in the cancellation of a planned trip as well. As it turns out, in January of this year, Edie and I were planning a trip to France this month. We were going to leave on the 10th of July, and return on the 28th, spending the last 3 days in Paris, and watch the end of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysees. I even booked hotel reservat...

How much are two nights at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, one 6 course and one 7 course dinner at Charlie Palmers Aureole restaurant, and three midday food preparation demonstrations, all accompanied by no less than 69 French, California and Washington wines worth? I have to admit when I first received the email describing this event, I was skeptical. There was no way to know how big this event was going to be, nor were there specific description of the dinners, or wines that would be served, to really make an informed decision about the event. Still, after considering the package included 2 nights at the Mandalay Bay, and 2 dinners at Aureole restaurant I didn't think we could go too wrong by attending. Plus it just sounded like a good excuse to get out of town for the weekend. So we decided to go, and headed out early Friday morning, as the first event, a pate preparation demonstration, was scheduled for 2:30 PM. Well the only thing I can say is the event was definitely wor...

Well, it's been a week now since Edie and I returned home from Grand Turk, and despite being happy to be home, the reality of how difficult it is readjusting from a very relaxing week, with limited access to information from the [real] world, is finally setting in. Two notably good things were the HINI [swine] flu is not dominating the news anymore, and Morris is finally warming up to Chloe. I guess Morris has finally come to the realization that we still love him, and Chloe is here to stay. Oh, if that were the only two things I had to deal with, life would be good, but that just isn't the case. First off, gasoline prices have jumped 10% [maybe closer to 15%], and that's just after deciding I didn't need to replace my Toyota Camry (34 mpg), after cracking the transmission , and deciding I would start driving the Lexus (23 mpg) from now on. Secondly is the difficulty getting back in decent cycling form, and hurting my knee trying to do a little too much a little too soo...