Taking the field

The report from the cancer front shows team chemo is making good progress at beating down those nasty leukemic cells!
The heavy doses of cytarabine (ever 12 hours, on the 12 hour of 9:00) are coming fast and hungry, and making mincemeat of my white blood cell count. On wednesday it was about 6.4. Yesterday, 4.1. Today, 2.2! And the blast count is coming down as well, all the way today to about 40%. Dr Wang said, in her clinical yet eagerly nonchalant way, "I am very pleased." So am I!
I am adjusting to life in the hospital very well. Sleeping OK but it's hard when you get interrupted every few hours for a vitals check. The other onerous part, peeing into a urinal, just irks me. Oh, for a big, unlimited toilet bowl!
One hiccup is this pain in my side. No pun intended, but boy is that a bad one. We found out today after some poking and prodding between myself and the resident that the pain is only skin deep. Dr. Wang prescribed a patch containing lidocaine. We hope it's just a pinched nerve, because there's nothing to suggest it's in any way related to the leukemia, especially since pressing hard on the site means no more or less pain than just brushing up against it.
My uncle Ron and his wife Laurie dropped by today. The were visiting Ron's son Kevin and family in Syracuse, so made a quick jaunt up here. It's fun to see the similarities between Ron and my dad. I am not, however going to point out the similarities, for the sake of family harmony. ;-) I really enjoyed chatting with them today.
As I write this, Diane is on her way here. Can't wait to see her. She'll be hanging out here in my room all weekend, and plans to sleep on the fold-out bed they have placed in the room. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad are coming up Saturday for a brief visit. Should be fun!
Oh, and in the final bit of good news, Kevin the PT sensei is coming by anytime now to do a workout. Should be fun!
Talk to you all soon.