Two months have passed since my last post, and that's a very good thing.
Two months ago my new hematologist/oncologist called me a tortoise. And that's also a very good thing.
Today at my appointment with him we decided I was actually more of a slug.(Still a good thing, though not as poetic.) What that really means is that my test results are trending upwards (another good thing) but the overall graphs look more like the body of a slug rather than the upward slope of a tortoise shell. So, slow and steady I go. Overall it looks like the treatment is working, but I'll just probably be on it for a very long time. The good thing is that us slow-improvers are also more likely to stay improved for longer, too.
Life is beginning to look like what will be a new normal for me, for now at least. I have less stamina, lower muscle mass, and am pretty shot physically by 8 or 9:00 at night, but that's just fine. My days of closing the bars down has LONG been over! The drug side effects have lessened, I have fewer meds to take, and I've even started back at the pool doing aqua aerobics and aqua zumba classes! (Yay, summer!) Once it cools down a bit, I plan to get back to walking, easy hiking, and being more active again.
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| Pat at Winona pool for aqua aerobics class |
The last good thing for this post is that I've been cleared to move forward with my shoulder replacement surgery which has been delayed for over a year. My orthopedic surgeon is booked for the entire last quarter of 2024 so we're hoping to sneak it in this coming September. (Still waiting for that call back!) Pre- and post-surgery will involve platelet, and likely blood transfusions, and healing will be a bit slower than it would normally be, but it will be worth it to be pain free eventually and maybe even get back to swimming and kayaking again. That's the goal.
Stay cool, friends. And watch out for those banana slugs.
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| Click here to listen to the Austin Lounge Lizards' song, "Banana Slugs" |
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