Open for Business Again

Hi all.  Sorry I've been away, but I was enjoying not having any medical news to share.  I couldn't really pretend that the CLL was gone, but at least I didn't have to focus on it.  Without medical news, I felt a little pretentious blogging.  Obviously, since I'm posting again, the situation has changed, and so the blog is back open.

During my December 22nd checkup with Dr. Cheson, he confirmed what I thought I had been sensing:  my lymph nodes are swelling again.  Now remember, I was never officially in remission, so this isn't unexpected.  My blood numbers still look good, though the white counts are up over where they were back in June.  They're still in the acceptable range, but they are up.  So...we're going to go for another ride on the  Chemo Carousel.  I don't know yet the nature of the next round of treatment, but I'm pretty sure it won't be either of the drug sets I've been on before.

On February 2nd, I go back for my next appointment, and if history is an indicator, I'll probably start treatments again almost immediately.

I have a goal of running in a half-marathon this May with some friends, so I'm hoping that whatever we use this time will not be too debilitating.

Other 2011 goals are to keep my yoga practice active, to keep my sense of humor, and to keep my hair.  It would be nice to keep my hair, if only to spare me the crap that I'll get from the ladies in my office should I have to go all "Kojack" on them (for my younger readers, sorry for the old reference--use the Google machine and you'll understand).

SO, it looks like I'm back in the blog business.  Hopefully, we'll have a repeat of 2010, with little medical excitement (except for that whole 'getting a big hunk cut out of my left ear to get rid of the basal carcinoma' thing:  the graft was superb with absolutely minimal aesthetic impact.  Still hurts a little where the cartilage is missing.).  In any case, here we go again.

On a more upbeat note, I was extremely proud of Robbie today.  Liz took him (at his request) to the nearby town of Waldorf to go ice skating.  He had seen the skating rink on the National Mall in DC yesterday and wanted to try.  Well, they found the place, rented the skates, got on the ice and he HATED it.  He made it around the rink once holding onto the rail with both hands and pulling himself along.  He made two more laps holding on to Liz's hand.  After three laps, he left the ice in tears and in a rage.  He swore he was never going to do this again!  Liz, hoping to preserve the situation for another day, came over and said, "It's OK; let's take off your skates." (This is where I get proud.)  He stopped her, saying "No.  No Mommy, I want to go around three more times."   And he did.  And now he likes ice skating.  It's the first time I've really seen him show this kind of resolve.  I'm a little less worried about him making his way in the world.