Out on the lamb



Turbie-Twisting Clean

 Spent Thanksgiving weekend doing Thanksgiving things, as it should be.  That included a drive behind the Orange Curtain for mucho turkey and all the stuffing, including the requisite pie.  (As an aside, I've been told the ratio of the circumference to diameter of a thanksgiving pie is the same, regardless of whether it is pumpkin, apple or mince.)  Today was a routine visit to the doc to get blood level checks.  Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, blood levels were low.  Heidi spent most of the morning at the doc's office getting more platelets.  She started to get red dots on her legs yesterday, which we've learned is a sign of clotting problems caused by low platelets.  Other signs are pointing toward a need for red blood cells later this week.  Who needs fancy tests when you can read the signs?  Anyone who wants to donate to the cause can browse to http://www.givelife.org/ and tiptoe to your local donation site.

All this low blood count business means Heidi had to put away the dental floss, Sonicaire and other such bacteria-dislodging bleeding-inducing luxuries.  Oh well.  Such is the sacrifice.

We scheduled our consultation visit at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.  I've been asked many times why we are going there instead of continuing treatment here in Tucson.  We were actually told by two different oncologists here to get the stem cell transplant elsewhere.  Seems the stem cell program is on hiatus here in Tucson.  They're expecting it to restart, perhaps in January.  In the meantime they are sending all stem cell transplant patients to other cities.  Most go up the I-10 to Phoenix's Mayo Clinic.  But Fred Hutchinson is the epicenter of such work.  Since we have family there in Seattle, it makes sense for us to go to the center of the stem cell transplant universe.  To the galactic center of the bone marrow galaxy, so to speak.  Where the leukemia hippies go get their anti-cancer nirvana.  Whence the origins of treatment began and developed.  As I said, we have family there so it makes sense for us.

Consultation is a one-day visit.  We're flying in Monday morn (Dec 6) and flying home Tuesday eve.  We get to talk meds with the docs, discuss treatment options, hear about trials, tour available housing and talk everyone's favorite subject:  insurance.

The highlight of the trip for me will of course not be the drive to the airport, nor the flight to Seattle, not even getting on Sound Transit light rail for the ride to Westlake.  No, the best part of the trip, what I am really really looking forward to, that I've been talking about ever since Paul Allen created his Vulcan community around Eastlake, will be to get off the train at Westlake and ride the SLUT.  That's right, mass-transit boys and girls, for everyone who's anyone wanting to get in and out of Eastlake, the South Lake Union Transit is the one to ride.  You can bet that when Heidi and I don the Eddie Bauer look and slog back into the Jet City, that's where we'll be.