July 12 News

Vanderbilt wants me in on Thursday, but they wanted my blood checked before then. I went in this morning, and I'm told that my "HCT," which I think I'm told is Hematic Chromatic something or other is too low. Dr. Linder said he orders transfusions when it's under 25%, and mine is 22.9%.

So he's calling Vanderbilt to find out whether they want him to give me blood today (3 pints!!!) or if they want to wait till Thursday (2 days) and do it there. He thinks they'll want it done today so I can be in better shape to withstand chemo.

He came in and just chatted with me for a while. He's a really great guy.

As I left the offices, I heard him talking to his nurses about whether they'd seen the lesions on my back. They have grown, and one has ripped since he saw them, so he doesn't really have an idea how gruesome they look now.

Sorry. That's news you may not have wanted to hear.

I really want the blood today. I'd love to feel better. I walk slow, my forearms tingle and burn, and in the doctor's office I saw stars. The only other times I've seen stars is when I've done handstands for too long and the blood rushed to my head.

Does that make me a vampire?

I read yesterday that survival time for an acute leukemia diagnosis in 1966 was 40 days!

None of that stuff bothers me nor applies to me. I have great doctors at Vanderbilt, but above all, God's saying this is what's supposed to be happening to me. My personal survival chances have nothing to do with statistics. They have to do with the will of God, and so far everything he's saying is I have a lot left to do.

So, anyway, please don't be frightened. I'm certainly not. I'm still enjoying all this!

Ok, I'm at a meeting, so I have to go.