Today is the big day. I see my hematologist. I've completed the regiment of 10 iv infusions of iron in 5 weeks. Now, we get to see if it has helped. If it hasn't, I have absolutely no idea what he will say.

Let's hope it has. I'm claiming it! I'll let you all know all about it tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers!



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So, I haven't written about the dreaded A word in a while. I guess it's time for an update. Iron deficiency ANEMIA is alive and well in my life. Hasn't gone away--in fact, it seems to be flexing it's muscles.

My wonderful hematologist, who I actually love and hate at the same time, has decided that my rigorous regiment of iron pills is not working. My hemoglobin is still extremely low. He put me on a new regiment. Twice weekly visits to his office to receive IV iron.

I started last week. It's really not that bad, just time consuming. And quite humbling as well. It's a bit hard to whine about going twice weekly for iron when everyone else there is coming for chemo. Yes, I'm truly blessed, as it could be a lot worse. And also, his staff is amazing. They are the most competent and loving group of medical professionals that I've ever encountered.

So anyhow, yesterday I arrived for my iron. I'd already had 2 bags last week, with no complications. I expected to continue the streak yesterday. NOT! Halfway through the bag, I suddenly became very lightheaded and my skin felt tingly all over. I called for the nurse, and discovered that the volume control on my voice had been lowered considerably. The nurses sprang into action. They immediately disconnected the IV and pushed my chair back so that I was reclining. They checked my vitals. The doctor came in and listened to my heart. They started a new IV with Benadryl and I fell off to sleep. I woke up an hour later and they were still monitoring my blood pressure. At this point is was 179/103. Good grief! Soon, though, it became normal and I hung around for yet another hour, just as a precaution. I drove home, ate a bit, and slept through until this morning.

It was quite scary, though I was very calm during the entire episode. They'll probably change me to another brand of IV iron for my next infusion. Aint life grand!

Your comments--priceless!!

My regular readers know that I suffer from severe anemia. These last few months have been full of medical procedures and weekly visits to my hematologist. I take a large amount of iron in pill form everyday. While the iron pills haven't done very much for my hemoglobin numbers, they have curbed my constant craving for ice. That's a blessing because, at my worst, I would have rather eaten ice than food.

Well anyhow, last night, while talking to one of my favorite folks in the world, I explained that I hardly ever have that overwhelming desire for ice anymore. This lead to a discussion about the "best" ice, and where to get it. You see, ice cravers like me have preferences. Of course, I have the fancy schmancy fridge that makes ice, but I don't like the shape of that ice. The cubes aren't cubes at all. They are long and curved and much too dense.

I believe McDonald's has the best ice. They have flat, circular "cubes" that fit nicely in your mouth and hold their shape in non-carbonated beverages. I would give McDonald's ice a score of 9. The next best ice comes from Pollo Tropical. They have the true square cubes, but again, the size and density are amazing! I would give them a 7.5. In fairness, I probably should mention that Pollo Tropical using an inferior cup, that starts to leak in less than an hour. (You can't expect me to eat a huge cup of ice in less than an hour, can you?) The worst ice is from Antonio's pizza. The ice there is crushed--YUCK! It's like eating a snowcone without the syrup. I give them a score of 1. The next worse is KFC--the ice is too watery and melts too quickly, though they do use a plastic cup--no chance of leaking.

As you can see, I've become quite an expert on the ice served in my immediate neighborhood. Have you ever given it any thought? Or are you one of those folks who chooses places to eat, based strictly on the food???

Your comments--priceless!!

So, the question is--What would you be excited to find on the ground today? What would absolutely make your day if you could, just randomly, come across it? What would make you scream out "WOO HOO" and mean it?

This is probably my easiest post ever. I know exactly what I would want to find today. As I prepare to have a medical procedure tomorrow, I would want to find a body full of iron enriched blood. That sounds kind of morbid, huh? But it's true--I want to find 10 pints of blood.

Hmmm..but IF i DID find 10 pints of blood(the average in an adult human), just sitting on the side of the road, would I really pick it up and demand someone insert it into my body? Uhhh, definitely not. So perhaps I don't really want to find blood. Perhaps what I really want to find is--a TEACUP YORKIE!!!

Your comments--priceless!