Lucky So Far

Billie with a good days catch of morels

I have to say that I must be one of the lucky ones in spite of this ugly disease. For one I have such a great family and support from friends. I have a 100 percent match for a donor too. My time at UCSF has been more like staying at a hotel than a hospital. I have no fevers or infections that are normal for the condition I am in. There is just one thing. I can't go anywhere. I really miss being outside and spending time with Billie. If only I could just walk outside with my IV pole for a little while. Maybe have a shot of whiskey at the corner bar. Jameson please.

One of the things I am missing now is all the good mushroom hunting. I hear the chanterelles are good this year all over.

My lead dogs Mojo and Otto

This time of year I also miss running my dogs. They are usually very fit and fast by now. They must be wondering where the heck I am.

Billie found a place for us to stay while I recover in San Francisco. We will be near Lake Merced. We looked at a lot of places. We wanted to be closer in town but parking was always a problem. If I wasn't in this condition we could probably get away without a car. I need to be close to the hospital and I am not allowed to use public transportation to prevent being exposed to infection.

The routine at the hospital is repetitive. I get checked by the nurses every four hours and more frequent if I am getting blood products. I ride the spin bike after breakfast and walk the halls after lunch. I read the paper and surf the web the rest of the time.

I am optimistic about my recovery and even possibly a cure. I will have to wait to see if this transplant takes and hope that there is minimum rejection. We should know a lot more about that in the coming weeks.

Take Care