Taking a small step back from the edge
on Jan 4, 2009I can’t say I’m my usual, chipper, go-get-em self, but I think I have taken a step back from the edge. This is probably because a plan is emerging and I feel a little better. Although I still have some fevers, they are decreasing.Also I seem to l...

Testing, testing
on Jan 2, 2009 in Benadryl codeine MRI brain Demerol New Year I was sitting here falling asleep last night while the second of two bags of blood finished. I thought I’d write an update, but I couldn’t concentrate. Today I’m trying again, slogging through a mess of typos of my own doing. My fingers and my...

'This will only hurt a little bit'
on Dec 29, 2008 in collapsed lung blood pneumonia Tami, one of my high school friends, was in the area today, and she spent part of the day with me. She came with me when I got my lung biopsy, and kept me supplied with tissues while I coughed up blood for about an hour afterwards.This was a biopsy g...

A week in the hospital
on Dec 28, 2008 in blood pneunomia Macbook fungal ball I started the blog to tell some stories, reach out to others and hopefully entertain while providing some useful information on healing and coping. I went into the hospital shortly after, and I dropped the blog. I didn’t feel like writing it. And I...

Downhill all the way
on Dec 26, 2008 in fever relapse mourning Fred Claus emergency room I am sorry to have neglected the blog. It’s been a terrible week. I felt really sick all weekend, and when I called Dr. Alyea Sunday, he said to go to the Brigham and Women’ emergency room in Boston, from where I would get admitted. He also said...

Biopsied, transfused, and still wondering
on Dec 19, 2008 in Yiddish Ativan Petechiae kvetch Joe drove me to Boston today. I was glad to have his company, and it helped undercut my anxiety. Still, with the way things have been going, I took a pre-visit half an Ativan (.5 mg) in the car.Thanks to everyone who called, e-mailed or commented on...

Spending some uneasy time in limbo
on Dec 16, 2008 in healing thoughts virus anxious breathe stretch My counts were still low yesterday: WBC was 1, hematocrit was 24, and platelets were down at the “don’t ask, don’t tell level.” I know I could ask, but for some reason I get especially rattled by low platelet levels.I got platelet and blood t...