Happy Anniversary to me again!

Last year on this day, I met my Valentine, the PICC line, and went into the hospital for 4 bags of ATGam, 12 days of treatment, 100's of thousands of medical bill dollars, and an unmeasurable amount of steroids and other hi-powered prescription buddies.

So now 365 days later, I still would like to thank the Academy -- for my mother and for all the unbelievable nurses and doctors who took care of me during that time, and all the people who've come here and wished me well, donated blood, or just stood by me while I went through it all.

It seems like a lifetime ago. In a way, I guess it was. Really, I was supposed to be dead now. That's one thing I have realized, finally. Today, right now, if it weren't for all those people and all those doctors and all that treatment and all the research and development within the past 15 years, short of a miracle, I'm supposed to be dead right now. Sure, we've all gotta go sometime. But my time was moving up rapidly without my consent, and my bones couldn't save me anymore.

I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about more than just a lot of things that I couldn't think about at the time when all this was going on. And that makes me cry at times, but mostly, I'm full of hope and relief, and I shake my head and smile up to the sky a lot.

Also, my new Valentine this year: Ambien. Oh how I love you so, even if you are the generic known as Zolpidem.

And here I am, back in Jackson for my 6 weeks checkup and blood work.

long-term goal: 315k

Today, my long-term goal of 315k platelets was bypassed as I came in at 320k. My red blood cells are macrocyctic still (which just means that they are larger than normal to compensate for what's been going on), but the rest of the numbers were low-normal good. It leaves me speechless again and also leaves me to ask myself, "Now what?" So again, I shake my head and smile up to the sky a lot. I say, "Thank you, God." and "Daddy, I still say you could've been more subtle at getting my attention." But probably not. I can be very headstrong at times. I say "headstrong", but I bet it's more "self-inflicted denseness." Just doesn't sound as good.

I know one thing. I'll never be able to thank everyone enough, and I'll never see things the same way I did before this. So thank you again, God. That's one thing I have always been looking for. and always will.

As far as treatment goes, now I'll begin to taper off the cyclosporin over the next several months. Which is really good news for my brain. It's been speechless lately itself.

I'll be back in 6 weeks, expecting to report in with nothing but progress, senseless and miraculous, - but wait, now that I'm thinking, maybe I'll make more sense of it with a new direction or two.

Have a very, very Happy New Year. I promise it will be a good one.


ps: Sissy, I hope you are feeling better. Let us know and hang in there, baby. Think "mashed potatoes"...love you and get some rest.