Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

The Bee Gees have nothing to do with my post but I got the lyrics in my brain after my doctor visit today and I know you'll be singing right along with me.

Well I'm not a brother, but I'm a mother....oh that SOOO doesn't sound right but some people might actually think that! HA!

Today I had my follow up visit with Dr. Kazi. He really is a unique doctor! He came to say hi to me while I was checking in to say that he was happy to see me.

After I got into the exam room he came in and sat down on the rolling stool. He looked at me and said, "I'm so glad to see you. To be quite blunt I'm surprised you're alive!" He told me that I had been really really sick and that I looked great now. I have to say that I was a little taken aback by his comment but acknowledged that while I was in the hospital I didn't really comprehend the depth of my illness. That was probably a blessing.

He looked over the last set of blood work, ordered more blood work so that we can see a comparison but thought that he wouldn't really see anything that would show that I was still having problems. I do have swelling in my joints but after tomorrow's results on the blood work we'll know where to go. He really feels like this is just going to disappear altogether and that I won't have to deal with this any more.

I will see him again on June 22 right before he leaves this practice. He is going to work for the V.A. as he got a 12 million dollar grant to do some research. He will spend about 30% of his time seeing patients and the rest doing his research. He said that he will keep in touch with me and will see my husband at work so he'll know how to get a hold of me. He also said that if I want to continue to see him that he'll figure something out. He's just a good man and a great doctor.

I really feel like it was divine providence that I ended up in Dallas Presbyterian Hospital and got to have this man as my doctor.

Kamikaze

This is my rheumatologist, Dr. Salahuddin Kazi, I bet he got called Dr. Kamikaze at some point in his life. I'll have to ask him. You can't see it in this picture but he has beautiful blue eyes. He also has those breakaway glasses I told you about...the ones that come apart at the bridge. Anyway...

Tomorrow morning at 11 I have my first follow up appointment with him since being discharged from the hospital on March 1. I was supposed to see him on March 25 but I was in Arizona witnessing the birth of my first grandchild. I'm going to ask him lots of questions with one of them being if he really thinks I need to follow up with the oncologist and have another CT scan of my spleen. They even mentioned doing another bone marrow biopsy at one point. Frankly I don't think I need to have a visit or the biopsy. I'll do whatever Dr. Kazi thinks is best.

My joints are on fire today after going to an exercise class that put way too much pressure on my knees and major joints. I'm probably better off sticking to walking. I'll ask him about that too.

Maybe I'll ask him where he got his cool glasses. More tomorrow.

Your one true beauty

In the movie, Little Women, Jo sells her hair to make a wig so she can make money for the family. Her whole family, shocked, sees it for the first time when she takes off her hat and instead of seeing the abundant long hair she once had they see her short hair. One of the sisters exclaims with a sad voice, "Oh Jo, your one true beauty!"

That's kind of how I feel. I don't have much about me that is beautiful but I did have great hair. Every hair dresser has told me how wonderful my hair is. It's thick and shiny. Well it was....here is what I have now. Thin, brittle and falling out. Handfuls every day.

Raquel Welch, I have an idea for you

Dear Raquel,
I'm losing my hair due to being poisoned by a drug. Every day I wash my hair and every day my bathroom floor looks like a bad shag rug! My hair is getting thinner and thinner every day. I'm looking at wigs...yours in particular. Today I came across this website for your wigs...click HERE.

Not only do I want your wigs but I want your body! (Not in a sick way.) You're how old? Right now you're 69 but you're going to be 70 in September...I looked it up. I also saw you on Oprah a few weeks ago. You've had so much plastic surgery that you look like you haven't aged. Are those your real boobs or are they fake? Hmmm...I'm guessing fake. Anyway...you also had on what looked like a pair of Spanx only they went down your legs like pantyhose. I want those but I want a pair that will go from my neck, down my arms, to my finger tips and down my legs to my toes. I'm kind of picturing something like one of those suits that burn victims wear but much more fashionable for those of us trying to look slimmer and hold in all the jiggles.

I know you have jiggles...you're 69 for heaven's sake! Don't lie...just tell me where you got them.

Anyway...I said I have an idea for you....besides the wigs can you sell us your body? Again, not in a sick way...I just want to use your body with my head for a little while. You probably know a way to make that work. If you can't do that can I at least have a free wig? Just one. I'm thinking about changing my look completely if I'm going to wear a wig. What do you think?





I'll take any free wig you want to send me but I'm thinking long flowing hair might be a nice change. My husband says that my skin tone isn't really suitable for blonde hair so maybe something red or something brown with blonde highlights? Why don't you just surprise me.

You don't have too long to make your decision because I'm thinking of shaving my head and I'll want to cover up this bald head A.S.A.P.!

Thanks for taking the time to read this Raquel. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Me!

Your face is so, so, so.....ROUND/FAT

Found this photo on the Internet and thought...this baby looks how my face feels!

I'm down to 5mg of Prednisone and although I have lost 30 pounds my face is still very round. My skin feels hard too. Like the tissues got pumped up too much!

To top off my fantastic look I'm also still losing my hair. It's not coming out in clumps but I swear I am losing handfuls of hair every day. If I'd saved it I might be able to make a wig for myself.

I'm feeling so much more like myself before I got the "Mystery Virus". I'm just wishing that the side effects were over. I still have skin that is peeling on the bottoms of my feet, the hair and the Prednisone face. I'm ready for it to all go away.

Going up the stairs is no longer an effort so that's awesome and I don't feel like I need a nap every day. It's all good.

I need to schedule a follow up with the rheumy and with my hematologist and I'm hoping that I won't need to keep monthly visits with either one.

That's all for the update for now.