Day one of maintenace cycle 10

Traffic was very slow this morning, but I didn't dare let the valet parkers have another crack at my pickup truck's emergency brake so I parked in the garage and was 10 minutes late getting to the BMT clinic. This did not seem to bother anybody and I was soon ushered into the room to have blood drawn and then into the infusion room where a new nurse, Kim by name, told me they had my Velcade shot and as soon as the bloodwork was reported she would administer it and I could leave. But I always have a visit with a PA on day one and Abby (the kind and gentler PA) walked by and said she would see me after the bloodwork was reported. Kim then told me that my platelet count was low and they needed to talk to the doctor about a blood transfusion before proceeding. When Abby came back she said that it took quite awhile to get the blood from pharmacy and asked if I could return tomorrow morning for the transfusion, which will take 4 hours or so. I had no problem agreeing to do so and will be back at the clinic tomorrow morning at 9:00 for the transfusion. Abby first told me that I looked quite pale when she first saw me and was not surprised to see the low platelet count. She also said that the transfusion would help restore me to the good health that I enjoyed prior to the allergy set-on.



I requested a printout of the bloodwork from last Thursday and learned from it that my Kappa Free Light Chains were determined to be 9.4 mg/dL, which is quite close to the value last month. It will be interesting to learn what Dr. Tricot makes of that when I meet with him on the 17th. When I saw him on June 21 he said that he was very pleased with my progress. In the past I have met with him on the Monday following the tests such as those I went through last Thursday. But he is reported to be very busy with a research study that he is just starting and for which I volunteered to participate in, but haven't had a chance to so inform him.



Emma went to the arthritis aqua program this morning where the instructor suggested that she just do it for a half hour instead of the full hour. I don't know how long she stayed but she has complained about stiffness and soreness in her leg this evening. She had an appointment with Dr. Hull last Thursday and forgot all about and will have to make a new one and probably will be reminded when she is billed for the missed appointment.



Our street has finally been completely repaired and the barricades have been removed and traffic can now go both ways on Kings Hill Drive. The large track excavator remains on the street, but no doubt will hauled away tomorrow. I missed all today's activity thanks to the fairly long visit at the clinic. But I was at home in time to load the trash wood in the corner of our driveway into the pickup with much help from Tana Monaco, next door neighbor, and haul it to a dumpster delivered today and due to be removed tomorrow. A very nice young lady from across the street to the north came out and did most of the work of transferring the wood from the pickup to the dumpster. A real relief to get rid of it and not completely waste what energy I sitll had.