Winding Down
Almost 3 weeks since my last posting. I still have to report-in to NIH for lab draws, the transplant team's rounds every Monday, and clinic each Thursday. But in between we keep busy. Karen & Chuck were in town from Sandpoint, and we visited Alexandria and Mount Vernon with them. We attended the huge anti-war march on the White House last weekend - people of all ages from every part of the country. Such passion and sincerity, it almost renewed my faith in America. Had a very nice visit from Brie Stoianoff, the daughter of our former Lewiston neighbors, and had the pleasure of meeting her new fiance, Kevin. Attended a book signing at Barnes & Noble for Harvey Pekar ("American Splendor" comics)- very interesting guy. Got in another nice flight with the Comanche pilot in Baltimore. The weather has finally, just in the last week become cooler and drier, making bicycling any time of the day more pleasant. But my exercise seems to have hit a plateau - my hematocrit's "stuck" at around 31% due to suppression of erythropoietin (the hormone that tells your bone marrow to make more red blood cells) by the cyclosporine I'm on. I also seem to build up lactic acid more easily, and can't seem to clear it; so I get pretty sore and stiff after just moderate exercise,and it never seems to go away, which is frustrating. However, my hair's growing back - have over a fourth of an inch now on my head, arms, legs,and have to shave everyday. This makes me feel more "normal".
So, believe it or not, we're on the home stretch! We start driving West early Monday the 10th of October. Our original plan for a leisurely return trip with visits to friends and family en route,has been significantly constrained by the deadline of my having to fly back to Bethesda on the 19th for my 100 day restaging and first anti-myeloma vaccine. We hope to be back in Sandpoint by the 15th or 16th.
This weekend we're attending the ICS (International Comanche Society) annual convention, which, this year, just happens to be only 30 miles away in Manassas, VA. Great opportunity for me to see a lot of beautiful Comanches, meet Comanche pilots, and attend safety and maintenance seminars.
The last nine days we are here, my med school classmate, Steve Lazaro, and his wife Claudia are visiting from Chico, California. We plan to take in lots of the historical sites and museums with them, and generally celebrate how well things are going for me!
posted by Mary Catherine @ 1:54 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Phil and Mary Catherine,
I'm so happy to hear how well it is going. I'm sure you can't wait to get home, and we're all looking forward to seeing you around town again. Your blogs, Phil, are interesting reading. I feel I've grown to know you though them. Should I ever face a disease like yours, I hope to have your attitude and will to push through it. Good job! Of course, the support from a very committed spouse doesn't hurt either;-)
Blessings,
Heather
Dear Phil and Mary Catherine,
I don't know if you got the last few postings. For some reason, I think I send them, and nothing shows up. Anyway...
I am so jealous you got to be there for the march. What do you think the real count was? When we went, the park police counted 30,000 (at 12:00, so that was the "offical count"), but by the time the march started, the estimates were closer to 600,000. You couldn't see the end or the beginning, it was huge. I know what you mean about feeling better about America after one of those things. It's the crap that happens in between that I don't understand.
So does your itinerary include us? October 10 is the day Mark's latest play is being read at the History Theatre in St. Paul. It's about Paul Wellstone, sure to be a hit, controversial as hell because all the Republicans (like that moron Norm Coleman investigating Koffi Anan instead of Halliburton) don't come off in the best light. All of their speeches are a matter of public domain, so there's nothing they should complain about. It will either assure the theatre of continuing artistic struggle in a bad economy for a few more years, at least, or it will shut it down for being too controversial. The subject matter has created quite the buzz in the theatre community, that's for sure.
So if you can make it here by 7:00 p.m. on the 10th of October, you may be able to see a little history in the making, courtesy of your brother-in-law! Hope you can make it!
Love to you both, and don't let a little lactic acid slow you down. Keep smelling those flowers!
Love, Elizabeth
Dear Phil: " Power to the people". On PBS in Boston, channel 2, the legend of Bob Dylan , in the 1960's, Viet Nam,protests etc, we have come full circle. We should join the Grey Panthers, and order chanx every day.
Hello Phil and MC!!
Well Phil as per usual it is all about you isn't it!! :) And why the hell not!! I am sorry I haven't been checking the blog that often but have been busy. We went to the fair for four days..... and Madison was able to sell her pig for 2.95/lb. It is nice to see all the buisnesses support the kids so well!! She will come out with about 425.00 when all is said and done. I saw Dr's. Davis and Pfliger(Fore) there and told them to bid her pig up!!! :) I don't think they did but I thought that it would be funny!! Now I am busy putting the finally little squeeze of whatever into the concert that we have been organizing. It is on the 8th. We have it on the radio, tv and newspaper, plus we have flyers everywhere... hope somebody comes!!!
Sounds like I will miss you on your way back home. We can get together at another time. I am a little disappointed that I missed rubbing your truely bald little head!! Maybe we can start calling you smoothie or now maybe stubby!! What do ya think!!!?
I am so glad that everything is still going well. Keep on bloging you know we all love the updates!!
Give MC a big hug!! I know she needs one even though she would probably tell you she doesn't!!
Love, light and laughter...
Lane
Greetings Phil, and you too Mary Catherine,
Glad to know that I'm not the only one slowing down on the writing. Did you ever figure out it was me behind the gma and gpa rafting interest? Thought you'd get a kick out of that. It seems rather ironic that Momma has the restless legs and Daddy likes to putter so much when you are way back there trying to eliminate lactic acid problems. I recently found a retired tennis instructor who is giving me plenty of aches as well. I pray that your crit goes up every day for your energies sake so you can continue doing your fare share of MY exercise. Cool on the march at the White House. Always appreciate any initiative to promote peace! Celina and I took part in World Peace Day here(Tacoma actually)Sept18th. She performed a domestic violence dance with some Baha'i youth at the mall and I helped at the booth.
I am so glad you are going to be coming west soon! I had considered jumpseating out briefly but fedex has discontinued it again. Does the idea of staying closer to home make you want to finish up those old projects? Well I really hope you have a safe drive back. Always keeping you in my prayers! Love Peggy
Dear Phil and MC,
I don't know if you remember that my Mom had a kidney transplant in 1971 at Mayo Clinic. Reading your Blog, brings back many of the situations my Mom faced with her immunosupression treatments. I had forgotten most of it until now.
You looked great in the surf, yo exhalted superhero. You won't be able to jump into the surf when you arrive in Sandpoint. Well, you certainly could jump into the surf, but it could be pretty chilly. Having said that, I want you to know that we still have 11 hours of daylight,and by the time you arrive here we should still be having daytime temps in the 50s and nighttime temps in the low to mid 30s. But, the "whether" being what it is in Idaho.........
Phil and Sandy are off to the East Coast. Phil has been working on a presentation on the life and work of Albert Einstein. He is very excited about the topic. This, just when PBS is airing a special on ole Albert...."I wonder what it would be like to ride on a beam of light?" Hummmm! Who could be more familiar with that famous equation Energy=MaryCatherineSquared.
Well, toodleoooh for now. I will call you when you get home.
Much love, Marsha
Doggone it, Mark's play on Wellstone is the 20th of October, not the 10th. Oh, well, you'll just have to hang around and visit for a while LONGER....
Love, Elizabeth
Dear Mary Catherine and Phil,
Tom and I are back after 3.5 weeks of time on the Cape Dory. It didn't feel as strange as I thought, walking and sleeping on land again. We left sunshine and warm days (but brrrrrrrrr nights) in the waterway between Vancouver Island and the mainland and returned to full on fall in Sandpoint. Chilly with a bitter north wind!
The biggest treat of our trip was that Per finished up the Pacific Coast Trail in time to join us on board April Moon for nine days. He came skinny and ravenous and full of wonderful stories of his 2650 mile walk. It was the perfect place to be, the three of us on a 30 foot boat with no interruptions except the groans and barks of seals. He ate an incredble amt of food and slept long nights and read four books and was fascinated by the words peculiar to sailing.
We met with the Cravincaids and the Sangers last night and tried to catch up on local news. The three main things I learned is that a smelly guy has been hanging out in the courthouse's law library and it has turned into a huge stink involving Steve Verby et al and that Donna Deshon won a national contest as THE desperate housewife which involved a lawn mower ripping a fancy gown off her body and that Wiggleys is closed down and we hadn't gotten around to eating sushi there yet.
So home to swirling red leaves and tomatoes heavy on the vines and a disheartening stack of messy mail.
It's terrific to read of your continuing adventuring, healing, enjoyment of life, and future Grand plans. Did you have to wear a mask in that huge peaceful crowd?
Love, Karen
Hi Phil & Mary Catherine,
Guess if I'm going to send one last message I better get to it since you'll be hitting the road in a couple days.It's been so good to be able to keep up with how things are going with you all these weeks. Here's hoping for a good and safe trip home, and good travel weather too. See you soon.
Sandy & Gordon
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