My M-spike is now at 1.6. Apparently it’s likely to fall a little bit from there (this far out from the chemotherapy I would have thought it would rise as new clones take up residence but I’m assured that’s not the way things usually go and nobody really understands why). Either way, that’s the lowest it’s ever been measured. The insurance blood work I had in 1991 showed total globulins of 5.6 and they’re now 4.0. I going to take that to mean my disease has been knocked back to what it was in the 1980s. Or earlier. Before I knew I had it, anyway.

Hemoglogin is now 11.4, which rise couldn’t be due to just one dose of EPO so I won’t be getting any more of that, either. The plan was to get as nearly drug-free as we could and that’s certainly what’s happening. Tomorrow I’m going to put myself on the work schedule for June.

Getting out and about quite a bit more.

If you’ve been reading my posts more closely than they deserve you may recall Nancy and I watched the movie “Moneyball” at about the time my condition was bottoming at the hospital. Actually, due to an inept handling of the remote control, I watched the first hour or so twice. Well, a couple of nights ago we watched it again and I can say that I could not find a single scene that was familiar. I remember that I did not much enjoy my hospital stay, but the drugs do seem to have suppressed a good deal of the worst.

It’s a decent movie, by the way. There’s some serious power in the major stars, and the on-field action (what isn’t just taken from archival MLB broadcast footage) is pretty believable. With the benefit of a Netflix DVD rather than hospital streaming I was able to watch the extra features which mention that all the players were cast with guys who’d at least played college ball and even some pros. The one exception plays Scott Hatteberg, who has given his blessing to the portrayal of his awkward performance learning first base after injury ended his catching career. Nancy mentioned that it’s the first baseball movie we’ve seen that didn’t bother to graft on a love story.

Nancy was amused by my last post. There was a popular poster in the 1970s with the slogan “Expose Yourself To Art.”

There are good days and bad days but the slow upward trend is clear. If things continue as they have I’m guessing that in a month or so I’ll feel better than I have in years. The only issue then will be how much I can expose myself to the world.

This may be my last post for a while just because there’s so little report. That’s a good thing..

I’m cleared to visit uncrowded restaurants, drink alcohol, drive, help with the housework, and all sorts of other things (not all at the same time, of course). Nancy’s life should get a lot better. My energy remains low but lab work was all normal other than hemoglobin. Still almost no memory of the worst part and that’s probably good.

Barring infections, I’ve probably seen the last of the transplant team and am turned over to the regular hematologist (who just happens to be big on the transplant team, but he also has a place in the regular clinic rotation) next week. Looking to be cleared for a lot more freedom.

Still need Zofran. Less, though.

Yesterday was the first real shower, today I used the one in the master bath with 100% soft water. Yes, it makes quite a lovely difference though I can’t say I feel it in my hair.

Got the Caldwell up on the chassis stand today so I can begin doing a little prep work for Labor Day. It’s amazing how exhausting just the least bit of exertion can be; no doubt as I grow more erythrocytes that will improve.

I just added “Moneyball” to our Netflix list. According to this blog I watched it a few weeks ago and I’m told I cried profusely over one scene. I can’t remember one bit of the movie.

Nancy’s doing much better, too, and sends her thanks for all the good wishes.

The catheter (affectionately known as my accessory nipples) came out yesterday so this morning was my first real shower in over 5 weeks. Quite a treat.

No Compazine for several days, and only one nightly dose of lorazepam, so I’m going to try and wean the Zofran. My weight has been falling despite pushing down about as many calories as my old normal; no doubt my requirements are up but I suspect not everything is absorbed, either. Fortunately, I intentionally entered this process about fifteen pounds heavy so I remain well within my IBW limits. Still, I’d like to add back a bit against the possibility of infection in the next few months. This is not a weight loss program I would recommend.

I thank everyone again for all the good thoughts and prayers.

Each day brings a small improvement but I still need an occasional Compazine on top of the Zofran and lorazepam. Reading is a bit of a challenge, but I can watch mindless TV and even some good TV.

Mostly just waiting for bowel function to recover. Since my primary antiemetic is lorazepam, I haven’t much else to say..