Dr. Tricot's letter report on latest tests

We have a trio of Mourning Doves that visit our yard once or twice a day; sometimes 3 come, sometimes 2 and other times only one, but when they come one or two perch on this hanging feeder and eat the seeds the little birds scoop out into the dish. While this feeder is occupied (sometimes by 2 birds) the other dove or doves eat seeds spilled on the ground near the pole feeder. It is fun to see the doves in the yard and watch their antics.

Dr. Tricot's letter arrived in today's mail. He reported to Dr. Corcoran, the hematologist/oncologist who first diagnosed my multiple myeloma, that "the patient is well oriented and in good physical condition." He went on to say that my hearing is normal, although in earlier letters he had said that it was somewhat impaired. I learned that the 694 mg/dL Kappa free light chains had been determined by Dr. Corcoran's tests last May and that my lab printout showing the value to be 671 is the first from the Huntsman labs. His letter says that the plan is to give me at least 12 cycles of Velcade, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone and that he wants to see me again after 3 more cycles.

I went to the BMT clinic yesterday for a Velcade shot and an infusion of Aredia , which seemed to take an inordinate amount of time. There was some waiting for delivery of both from the pharmacy, but the Aredia infusion normally takes only about 2 hours and yesterday it took more than two and a half hours and than I had another wait at the pharmacy to get 2 prescriptions filled.

Emma's leg looks somewhat better today; no new blisters and less discoloration. The antibiotics that Dr. Curtis prescribed for her may be responsible for the improvement. She called his office today trying to learn the results of the tests on the culture that he took Monday, but he doesn't come in on Fridays and nobody in the office could help.