Red Cells and White Cells and Platelets, Oh My!

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.6 13-17 v Platelets 99 140-375 ^ ANC 1720 1800-8300 v Our weekend at Rockaway Beach was a smashing success. Tara was pleased and had a very happy birthday celebration. The little cottage we stayed in was perfect for us. It was old and funky, but it had everything we needed and nothing we didn't. Tara and Jill and I travel very well together. We enjoy the same things and the same pace of activities.  Our stay allowed us to check out a couple of museums. The first was the International Police Museum, which is a room in the back of a gift shop. Nevertheless, it had lots of interesting displays, including information about the

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.1 13-17 ^ Platelets 85 140-375 ^ ANC 1860 1800-8300 ^ Sometimes, things just go your way. Know what I mean? Yesterday's labs were kind of a surprise, albeit a welcome surprise. My ANC went up significantly. It had been on the decline and based on previous experience, I was afraid it was going to fall some more...into the quarantine zone. Instead, it rose into the "standard" (read "normal") range. It has been about six weeks since we have had to quarantine. Hallelujah! My hemoglobin and platelets are also on the rise, although not into the "standard" range. That's OK, they are at a level where I

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.7 13-17 v Platelets 37 140-375 v ANC 1890 1800-8300 v Some things are predictable. For example, if you check out the Box Score for today, you will notice that all the numbers have gone down. This is not surprising, since I am a couple of weeks post-chemo. Here's another example. Monday, we took off for a couple of days in the travel trailer to get a feel for whether or not I am physically ready to continue that lifestyle. You may recall (See "Seasons" ) that we had made the decision to sell her, but that was in the middle of my struggling with a frozen shoulder.  When my shoulders recovered, I was feeling so g

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.6 13-17 v Platelets 58 140-375 v ANC 3730 1800-8300 ^ Life is funny. From one moment to the next we seldom know exactly what to expect. When I was a kid, we used to have fun teasing Dad about his snoring, especially on summer vacations at Hood Canal. Our nuclear family and a couple of cousins all slept in "The Shed," one of two rustic cabins that came with the waterfront property owned by Aunt Mary and Uncle Eddie. Now Dad was a pro in the snoring department. There is an old nonsense song, collected by Carl Sandberg and performed by various artists, including the likes of Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia. The ti

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.7 13-17 v Platelets 83 140-375 ^ ANC 3360 1800-8300 ^ Every day another adventure. Friday we had friends over for dinner. It was great to see them in person and we had a wonderful time catching up. Saturday, the neighbor next door rented a tractor so we could mow the field behind our two houses. It is a natural area that, if left to its own devices, grows tall grass. It looks nice waving in the wind, but both Wayne and I worry about fire. If there should be a grass fire it would quickly spread to the fir trees at the back border of our lot. From there it would undoubtedly take out our houses. Accordingly, we rent a tractor and