LLYH: Neighbors, Noshes, Nikes, Nummies, Night Night

BOX SCORE
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	10.6	13-17	v
Platelets	105	140-375	v
ANC	2130	1800-8300	^

Our dear neighbors across the street are off on an adventure...again. They left yesterday for Arizona for a few months of winter sunshine. We already miss them terribly. They tried this lifestyle last winter for the first time, and they liked it so much they are planning a longer stay than before. Good for them...not so much fun for us! 

Now, Tom, why are you writing about your neighbors on a blog about your health? Good question. Here's why. If you look at the Box Score above, you will see that, although hemoglobin and platelets are off very slightly from Monday, my ANC is up another 300 points! If you are a regular here, you will know that ANC is an indicator for my state of immunity. When it is in the Standard Range, my diet is unrestricted, and the risk of picking up an infection is reduced. Which brings us to our neighbors. 

We last had dinner guests at our home on July 10th, the day before I started having chemotherapy again. My ANC has been all over the board, but it has been since very early September that it has been into the Standard Range. Thursday, after we got the lab results, we remembered that our new mantra is "live like you're healed (LLYH)." So, we decided to do just that. We invited our wandering neighbors over for a farewell dinner. We told them it was so they wouldn't have to cook and do dishes on their last evening, but really it was because we enjoy their company and wanted to kick up our heels in celebration of our good news. 

Yesterday, I started the day with a buttload of antibodies. It was another round of EvuSheld injections, which provide ready made antibodies to prevent Covid. We had to wait an hour after the injections to make sure I didn't have an untoward reaction. The North Lancaster clinic is built like a doughnut, with a hallway that goes full circle and treatment areas on either side of the hallway. So, while we were waiting, I got the bright idea to do some laps, since it was going to be too wet to walk outside later in the day. We made numerous laps around the clinic and got to know some folks as we passed by them for the third or fourth time. We then went outside and walked around the perimeter of the parking lot.  It was a constructive way to spend an hour that we would otherwise have frittered away just sitting. When we were done walking, we stopped at the coffee kiosk and got a cuppa and a breakfast burrito to share. We noshed as we headed home.

We had already decided to take another leap of faith, so we packed a few things, and we headed for the beach. In a constant but variable rainfall (from mist to downpour) we drove to Lincoln City. The weather was not conducive to beach walking, but it was nice to see the ocean (what we could see, given the heavy rain and fog) on this our fifth try to do so since January. The previous four attempts were cancelled due to weather (3) and chemotherapy (1). 

In our experience, there isn't much to do in Lincoln City when it's rainy, except to shop and to eat. So, we did both. We spent a couple of hours at the outlet mall, primarily looking for new walking shoes for me. As usual, I found that searching for shoes that are comfortable enough to walk in is an agonizing task, for which my tolerance lasts a good five minutes or so. Nevertheless, we went to three shoe stores, and I tried six or eight pairs of walking shoes. In the end, I decided none of them were any better than the Walmart Avias I currently use for walking. 

Jill said I was a good sport, since I hate shopping for clothing or shoes. I earned the right to take her to lunch. We stopped at Kyllos, which is right on the waterfront. I had never been there and it had been a long time for Jill. In the meantime, the restaurant got flooded a few years back, and Jill said it is now completely different. What was once a cafe, is now quite a snazzy restaurant. We each ordered an entree and brought half home, ostensibly to have for dinner. But we were so full, we opted for simpler fare instead and saved the good stuff for when we are hungrier. 

It felt so good to do "normal" people stuff. We both agreed the day was a complete success, and we went to bed tired but happy. Tomorrow, we plan to continue the LLYH theme and attend church in person. We never know for sure when my blood counts will tank again, so it's carpe diem for us!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! ¹⁷ Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (Ephesians 5:16-17, The Message. Emphasis added.)