Happy Valentine's Day to Me

Priscilla's still dead - yay!!!!!! Everything went very well, including the blood work and IVs for the CT scan. The IV tech had to stick me twice because the first time didn't take, but I didn't pass out. They were also quick, probably because no one else wanted to come in for a CT scan today. I arrived at 8:30 and went to phlebotomoy where I was greeted warmly by everyone. Ronnie (the head of the deparment) said she'll see my mom later today, but I told her mom is home sick today with a bad cold and high fever. Ronnie told me to stay away from mom today so I wouldn't get sick. I arrived for my CT scan at 9am and by 9:30, they were ready to take me back for my IV. They were so quick, that I hadn't even gotten changed into my hospital pajamas when they called my name for the IV tech. I usually wait an hour before I see her. After they put the IV in, I only waited about five minutes before I was called back for the CT. My clinic appointment was at 11:30 and I was up there by 10:30.

It was a quick day with good news. Doug, my NP, examined me and asked me how I've been feeling. The numbness in my feet and toes has subsided considerably. It's still there, but I don't smack my feet as hard when I walk. Mike was making fun of me there for a while because I walked funny. Dr. Dunleavy came in later with the good news and said my CT scan looked excellent (yay!) and that the leftover scar tissue has shrunk even a little more than last time. My white counts are hovering just above the "good" line, which can happen because the rituximab drug can linger for about 6 months and cause mild neutropenia even now. So, all is good!

Doug asked me if I had a blog because another patient had found this and had asked him about it. I said, "I guess I better stop talking bad about NIH!" I've had nothing but great service there, except for a few nurses who thought I was a pincushion. I'm amazed that he found this, but I think he was researching my type of lymphoma and found me. He said this has been helpful, so I'm glad someone can learn from my experience. My top hint is to eat like crazy when you're on the prednisone because the next week you won't feel like eating anything. When you get to that state, ask NIH for the frozen slushies because they are excellent, cold, and make a good meal when nothing else sounds good.

We went to lunch to celebrate and we both had the salad bar and mini turkey burgers. Both of us started feeling bad after we ate and I got sick when we got home. I don't know if the barium/contrast dye made me worse, but I did not feel well. I took a nap for a couple of hours (plus I've been so tired from working late) and feel better now. Fun.

When I woke up, I called work to check in on the status of our proposal that's due tomorrow. It's CRAZY over there. We have several subcontractors on our team and we hadn't received all of their pricing data. I saw the flurry of emails to track this down and one of our subs is going to meet our delivery person tomorrow morning in the parking lot at the Government facility where this is due. My co-workers are still working to get our pricing volume printed and I sincerely hope they won't be there late tonight. They're not just working on my proposal because we're printing another proposal that's also due tomorrow and I hear that one's even crazier than mine.