The squeaking wheel gets the grease

Yesterday's visit to the BMT clinic was routine with the same delays I always encounter by going at 10:00 AM instead of 8:00 or 12:00, but the traffic conditions persuade me to stick with the 10:00 appointment. While I was ready to check out yesterday Elliott Rudisill who schedules scans, other tests and appointments with the doctors walked by and I told him that I had not yet received my copy of the letter that Dr. Tricot always writes after an appointment with him. My last appointment was on June 17 and I began expecting to get a copy of his letter about a week later. When I told Elliott that I still had not received a copy he said that he would look into it and let me know what he learned. I stayed around for quite awhile because I needed to talk to Elaine about getting the Thalidomide prescription filled, but did not see Elliott again.

This afternoon Dr. Tricot's letter came in the mail. It had been dictated while we were there and had been transcribed that afternoon and was dated June 17, 2011. I am always anxious to get the letter because I don't understand or sometimes don't hear what he says. This letter concluded by saying that "Overall, we are very pleased with the results of the treatments." He told me that if the progress continues that when he sees me in December he will take me off the chemo drugs for a month and monitor me with blood tests and then decide how best to continue treatment. I am looking forward to December because when I was off chemo for 2 weeks a while back I felt quite good at the end of the 2 weeks and had more energy than I usually have.

Emma's ankle contnues to bother her even when she takes the Mobic pills, but it hasn't kept her from yard work. She trims bushy shrubs and sweeps up leaves from the edge of the sidewalk and even took both trash barrels out this afternoon. I could have managed some tasks, but today I had very little energy. Yesterday was the 15th day in the current cycle so in addition to the Velcade shot at the clinic I took 300 mg of cyclophosphamide last night. A fairly heavy dose of chemo for one day.