Red Cells and White Cells and Platelets, Oh My!

BOX SCORE Hemoglobin 13.1 13-17 ^ Platelets 192 140-375 ^ ANC 3850 1800-8300 ^ Ferritin 1231 My goal <1000 v CD4 Cells 192 My goal > 200 v The observant reader will immediately notice that there have been additions to the Box Score. Of course, I didn't need to say that, because all of my readers are intelligent, observant, witty individuals. That's why I hardly need to mention that I introduced a new word to the lexicon in the post titled "Zeugma ." Therefore, today I am having a Pop Quiz. To Wit: Pop Quiz Answer the following multiple choice que...

Unexpected consequences can be rather scary. On the other hand, they can also be rather sweet. In case I haven't mentioned it before, leukemia was not my first cancer. In 1996, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Unlike my journey through leukemia, the road back to robust health from colon cancer was a one and done. Fortunately, I had watched all the Public Service Announcements on TV as a kid, and when the telltale sign of CC (blood in the stool) reared its ugly head, I hied myself to the doctor very early. He ordered a sigmoidoscopy (a kind of junior colonoscopy that focuses on the sigmoid colon near the tail end of the colon).  Being naturally curious and having a background in a health science, I asked to watch the monitor during the procedure. Eww, right? Well I have also watched my own knee surgery among other things, and somehow I am able to disconnect my mind from the fact that it is my body that is being invaded and view the proceedings like a medical student sitting in the...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 13.1 13-17 ^ Platelets 192 140-375 ^ ANC 3850 1800-8300 ^ "The young woman, feeling she had been thoroughly humiliated, left  in a huff and a pink Cadillac." This is an example of zeugma (pronounced zoyg-muh). Whogma? Zeugma! The word comes from a Greek vowel meaning "to join." The idea is " the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually in such a manner that it applies to each word in a different sense. (as "opened" in "opened the door and her heart to the stray kitten") " The Merriam Webster Dictionary goes on to state: " Zeugma, like...

I'm not sure whether I have written before about my infatuation with clocks. I'm sure I have mentioned my home brewing hobby. Since Jill and I moved into our lovely little bungalow in 2019, I am fortunate enough to have a dedicated space that I have turned into a tiny brew pub. This pub is an upgrade from the area I used to use in the RV garage/home workshop of our previous home, and when I set it up, I felt the need to come up with a different name for this facility.  My previous setup was named after the street on which we lived "Hillcrest Brewing." Since we no longer live on Hillcrest Drive, it seemed appropriate to give the new facility a new name. And that brings me back to my infatuation.  My interest in clocks may have begun in my childhood, when I shared a bedroom with my older brother. Somewhere along the way, he was the recipient of a little weight driven wall clock that looked like an owl. When the pendulum swung, the owls eyes looked left and right. When I...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 12.1 13-17 v Platelets 170 140-375 v ANC 3420 1800-8300 ^ Jill and I love to watch old movies, some of them older than we are! Now that's old. One of my favorites, from 1952, is  "The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. In case you are not familiar with the movie, which was based on the 1935 novel by C. S. Forester, it takes place in East Africa, during WWI.  Hepburn plays the part of Rose Sayer, the sister of an English, Methodist missionary, whose mission is located in a remote African village. The only contact with the outside world comes in the form of a mail boat c...

Well , I suppose it had to happen eventually. I have a cold, the first one since before the pandemic. That's well over five years. Not a bad run. We have been out and about more than usual, and at a time of year when there are "bugs" out there. But you know, there is always a silver lining. This is the first real trial of my my new immune system, which is working.  Although I awoke with a sore throat this morning and a bit of coughing, some hot drinks and a few tissues later, I am feeling better; better than I did yesterday, which seemed to be the nadir of this affliction. Jill ran out this morning and picked up some Dayquil for me (and some Nyquil for tonight). Is she the sweetest thing on the planet? The medicines will help, but I can tell by the feel of things that my body is fighting this bug, just as it has done with my original immune system.  One of the things that is of concern for a bone marrow transplant recipient is that challenges to the new immune system can ...