DLI
DLI - Donor Lymphocyte Infusion. That's what they gave me today to boost my immune response to the Myeloma. The good news is that those two courses of Velcade since April have worked better than we had hoped. Its purpose was to get the Myeloma down to a minimum prior to the DLI. However, the Bone Marrow from Monday showed NO DETECTABLE DISEASE. Complete Remission, before the DLI. Theoretically there could still be residual disease. That's why we proceded with the DLI, despite the risk of Graft vs. Host disease (GVHD). So far I feel fine. The GVHD could show up anytime from a week to four weeks from now, but in most cases is "transient". I went straight from NIH to Starbucks for an espresso brownie, and told my new lymphocytes "behave yourselves and there will be more where this came from."
The month since our return from France has whizzed by: the second course of Velcade, and working some at the Hospital doing treadmills, pre-op evaluations, and intubations. Had a fun packed weekend the 9-11th: flew the Comanche to Joseph, Oregon for a Comanche Fly-in, stayed with Chuck & Karen Benbrook in their beautiful new place on the Grand Ronde River, then flew to Port Townsend, WA for a mini Streiff Reunion, centered around the visit of our sweet, beautiful Danish nieces (Danielle and Sasha). Then home on Sunday evening. Never could have done all that in one weekend without the Comanche!
Gradually getting back into Anesthesia after a 13 month hiatus is interesting. Most of it comes right back "like riding a bicycle" as they say, but every so often I stumble upon a missing piece, and have to look up something basic. Hoping to get some fill in work locally in July, in preparation for an eleven day job in Richland WA beginning of August.
The Sandpoint Airport Open House and Breakfast Fly-in I've been organizng and planning for months comes up next weekend, July 1st. With any luck on the weather, it looks like it coould be a big success. Nancy's friend Chinky, who has been my super gracious host for nearly all my visits to Bethesda, is coming out to Sandpoint on the 1st. MC and I look forward to showing her around.
I get into Spokane tomorrow around 6:30pm. Mary Catherine will pick me up and we have reservations at a nice restaurant for our 33rd Anniversary. We have lots to celebrate!
Phil
posted by Mary Catherine @ 7:14 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Phil: Make reservations at that nice resteraunt. Chanx?
Hey, you two are you coming over for the STP ? You know you have a place to crash....still haven't sold our house.
Love, T & D
So it is July 19th. Whats new and what are you up to now? !! Just checking in. I attended the last day of a 4 day Lakota Sundance... Wow what a wonderful thing to take part in... pretty powerful !!
Love ya, lane
Dear Mary Catherine and Phil,
Boy, you missed a fun wedding in Atlanta! 5 Streiffs(+ spouses, etc.) and a dance floor! Tom Adams was a wild man!
So, when they asked "Who gives consent for this bride to be married?" the bride's father stood up and said, "Her mother and I do." When they asked, "Who gives consent for this groom to be married?" the groom's father, Jeffrey, my handsome brother in a tux, stood up and said, "Her mother and I do." All of the 450 guests started giggling. Except Jeffrey, of course, who had no idea what he had just said. Hilarious! Wish you could have been there!
So, anybody else getting married? We need another reunion, so you guys can come.
Mary Catherine, did you have a nice birthday? We tried calling from the wedding, but couldn't reach you. Oh, well, that will be an easy anniversary to remember!
Fly through again, we'll go biking! I'm getting into it. Not fast enough for Phil, but I'm sure Mary Catherine and I could spend a pleasant afternoon on the Twin Cities' incredible biking paths. Mark just biked to one of the suburbs today. From our house, it's about 9 miles to downtown Minneapolis, all on a beautiful, scenic bikepath mostly along the Mississippi River. You'd like it. Unless you're a Type A personality that concentrates on every single muscle, timing, breathing, distance, hydration, heartbeat, and what have you. Who would do that when you're riding right next to the greatest river in the country? Hmmm...
See you soon (Hopefully)...
Elizabeth
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