Category: General

I’ll be seeing the dentist in July. They have me scheduled for cleanings three times a year instead of the typical two. My dentist wants to keep the bacteria in my mouth under control, since I have an immune system that’s not up to speed. She’s also going to have me take some kind of antibiotic before the cleaning, so the bacteria won’t infect me if it gets into my blood stream as a result of the cleaning.

I think the coumadin must be doing its job. I noticed tonight that my gums bleed pretty freely when I floss now.

Ugh! I had a long nap yesterday afternoon, so that disrupted my sleeping schedule. Here I am, wide awake at 4:00 am. I decided to try Ambien. Dr. O. told me to start with 1/2 tablet to see how it works for me. I just took the 1/2 tablet and will see how effective it is. I’m hoping it works. Tonight I’ll be taking dex, so I don’t need an extra sleepless night.

I’m up to 10mg of coumadin a day now. The 8mg dose got my INR to 1.20, and Dr. Orlowski wants it to be between 2 and 3 (closer to 2). I’ll be tested again on Wednesday to see how the 10mg dose is doing. I’m taking coumadin as a preventative for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a possibility for anyone taking thalidomide. There’s more information about DVT at www.dvt.net.

I haven’t been sleeping very well lately. After a few days, it takes its toll, so today I took a xanax about noon and then slept from 1:00 until 5:00. It was fantastic! I fell asleep with the TV on and the notebook computer open on my stomach.

I just remembered something kind of funny. When I saw Dr. Orlowski, he asked me if I vacuumed my ears. Huh? He said I had the cleanest ears he ever saw.

My IBM Thinkpad crashed in a big way yesterday. I think it’s the hard drive, because it failed to boot. The problem had been developing over the last several weeks, and I ignored it. I did manage to back up some files to CD, but lost all my mail from the last year and a half. I tried to do a “product recovery,” but that wouldn’t even work. The machine just shut down at every attempt. I’ll get a new hard drive for the machine and either use it at the office or sell it. I had to buy another notebook, but in a town like this, there’s not a lot to choose from on short notice. I ended up getting an HP pavilion ze5375. It’s bigger and clunkier than what I’m used to, but I’ll adjust.

If you haven’t yet donated to the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation), you can go online and make your contribution.

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My well water doesn’t meet state drinking water standards because of low pH. I’m having it corrected soon. Culligan will be here Monday to install a treatment system, including a tank to correct the pH, a conditioner and a reverse osmosis filter. When it’s all done, I’ll be able to drink the water at the kitchen sink and do away with the bottled water I’ve been having delivered for the last several years.

I want my friends and family to know how grateful I am for their support. Thanks to E for calling several times a day, and to M for checking in at least once a week. Thank you G for taking the time to stay in touch even though your mom passed away. Thanks to D for coming to see me and calling when you can. Thanks S for the email and coming to see me in a few weeks.

Thanks to all my family for tolerating my moods and helping with the things I’m not supposed to do myself anymore. Thanks for driving me to appointments and thanks for getting things for me when I’m sick.

It’s only been 5 months since I was diagnosed, but you have all been there for me before and haven’t abandoned me. I appreciate all that you do, and am forever in your debt.

I took my dex last night and fell asleep without the help of any other drugs. I also didn’t have any trouble staying asleep. This morning I have that speedy feeling I usually get with dexamethasone: rapid heart rate, shakiness, etc. I hope I can remain calm today. One day last week I really lost control and had an explosion of rage.

I have an appointment at the Coumadin clinic today. I take mine in the the mornings so it won’t interfere with my cancer drugs, which I take at night.