Kel got the results from his bloodwork today and finally called me around 12:45 MS time after a grueling morning of nerves for me (and maybe for him too?) ...
The only number that really matters now is his AFP. At last check 4 weeks and 1 day ago (this is important, because the 1/2 life of the protein AFP, the time it takes for 1/2 of it to be cleared from the body is 5-7 days) is was 12.5 ug/L. This time the number was ...
Drum roll please ...
9.7, still marked with a little 'H' next to it on the results sheet for 'High' on the lab values, which this lab reports as normal being <7.51.
Down is GOOD. We have no way of knowing if it actually was lower and this is on the rise, if his normal is just higher than the average person's, etc. Only time and monthly monitoring will tell, but down is definitely GOOD. For now we breath a little better, sleep a little sounder and are relieved for 4 weeks until we go through this again. Although the next time I will be there.
On that note, this is the first appointment I have missed. And it sucked big time. I am a bad wife. :(
Given that I just started the new job in MS about a week ago it wasn't really feasible for David and I to go back yet, we will do that in October for the next appt, but still ... it sucked.
Speaking of David and MS, for those not on Facebook, this has been a rough transition for him and us in general. He is struggling without Daddy here and just Mommy (both halves - Daddy being in Tucson and Mommy being the only one he deals with. Apparently I am just not a good mom (sarcasm, don't worry)). The biggest trouble was at the school he started when we moved to town. They are a great school for learning, and when kids are used to the routine it goes well, but it was a BAD fit for David. After not quite 2 weeks I took him out and enrolled him in another pre-school. He has been at the new school for 3 school days and has done great, other than his teacher learning the limits of his 'dare-devil'ness today - of which there are no limits. No behavior problems, he is happy, all is good.
The other issue we have had with this transition is the wild-life here in MS. And I don't mean of the large variety - the deer that run through our yard are gorgeous. But what they carry with them is disturbing. I first found ticks on David, then on Saja and then all over the house as they fall off of their hosts. We have been fighting this 'plague' for about a week now, and I have bad dreams and wake up nightly about them and dreaming they are all over the bed. I only pulled one off Saja tonight and vacuumed one off of the couch - that is HUGE progress.
So, we are making progress with ticks, progress with David at (another) new school, progress with Kel's #s and my new job is going well! I even have my office just about setup - now onto stocking my lab (Fisher Science Rep should be there tomorrow to talk about a startup lab package and all of the items I need). Woohoo - go science! Time to get back to working on curing that pesky cancer, right?
Kel will be here this weekend, celebrating our 11 year wedding anniversary. I already have the babysitter set and the reservation made for City Grocery on Oxford Square. It should be a nice night, although I am vaguely worried how David will take to Kel coming into town and then not coming with us to dinner on the same day ... oh well, maybe he will be fine, right?
No 'Sux' section tonight, only what doesn't suck and that is being able to comfortably, even if the lab values are a slight bit high, call this cancer in REMISSION! That is my new favorite word. Aretha needs to write a new song 'R-E-M-I-S-S-I-O-N', screw 'RESPECT'. :)
Off to scratch my veritable plethora of mosquito bites now ... goodnight,
T
No comments:
Post a Comment