Walker to crutches to cane

After our visit to the BMT clinic on Nov. 23 when Emma wore herself out walking with the crutches she reverted to the walker around the house for a day or two but then rapidly progressed from the walker back to crutches and then to a cane, which she sometimes drops and walks unaided. Dr. Curtis told her last Wednesday that she could start driving if she felt up to it, but she isn't ready for that yet. He told her she could go back to aquasizing next month. She has a therapist come to the house 2 or 3 days a week butwon't get here today until around 5:30; they are working in getting more flexibilty in her ankle and foot.

My visit to the BMT clinic today was for lab work and a Velcade shot and to pick up 4 prescriptions at the pharmacy. Jennifer, Dr. Tricot's nurse called in the prescriptions again and this time they were ready when I went to pick them up. Danielle delivered a schedule for 3 consecutive maintenance cycles to me this morning and told me that if we wanted to go away during this time we could do so during any of the 10-day periods between BMT visits, except only for 7 days during the last such period because tests probably will need to be scheduled prior to the next visit with Dr. Tricot at the end of the 3 cycles. In my blog of Nov. 24 I said that I would have to wait for Dr. Tricot's letter to learn what tests of Nov. 19 showed, but all I learned was that "markers are further improved" and I guess he switched me to a different drug regimen because the improvement was less than he had expected.

I had scheduled today's visit for 9:00 AM because I get faster service if I go in early, but the recent spell of very cold weather stymied me. A light snow fall Saturday evening and again early Sunday made the roads and freeways very hazardous, even though by noon Sunday the roads were in good shape. I allowed extra time to get to the hospital this morning but ran into a road full of idiots at the mouth of Parleys Canyon and congestion from there to Mario Capecchi Blvd, and took another 30 minutes to get to the hospital. I was only 17 minutes late but they made me wait until 10:00 to take my vitals and then took me into the infusion room for the Velcade shot, which I always have to wait for. So I didn't get away until after 11:00. I go again Thursday and made an appointment for 10:00 hoping that the idiots will all have gone to school by then.