Tale of the Waiting Rooms

Not sure what it was, but I am just struggling to think of a good title for this post. A date seems so boring. Oh well, this is the first update for quite a while. AND, so far, there is nothing really to report. The steroids I am on for my lung inflammation has been making me hungry all the time. I feel like even when I am bloated and full, that I am hungry. I have been sore, maybe because of the weather...which turned pretty cold and windy, pretty darn fast. I have had a bit of a cough and runny nose, which I think is nothing...probably mostly due to my lack of immune system. I have not had any fevers and that has been great. I am exactly a week off from my last chemo dose and right in the middle of when my counts are the lowest and I am at the greatest risk for infection, illness, fevers, inflammation, etc. Molly and I are hoping and praying we can get by this time and make it to my pulmonary function test, possibly next week.
So now, here I sit in my HHS Hockey hat in waiting room number 2 of the day. HEY! There we go, the name to this weeks blog! Tale of the Waiting Rooms. I'll try and get pictures of all my waiting rooms today and throw them on the blog...wow I am stretching for something interesting.
I tried to put the waiting rooms in order in which they were sat in. However, here is the news, enough with the waiting rooms. I just had a chance to talk with my transplant doctor and the news was pretty good. The end of next week is the Pulmonary Function Test and CT scan. I will have those before I meet with my doctor, and based on the results of those two tests, we will see what the transplant schedule looks like. The soreness that I have been experiencing is most likely from the Neulasta shot I had to take. Neulasta works by helping the body make more neutrophils. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell, that help the cell to kill and digest microorganisms it has engulfed. WOW is that a mouthful, bet you never thought you'd learn so much reading Navarre's dumb ole' blog. I am now waiting to get platelets. Again, this is all because the chemotherapy that I was on killed all the immune fighting cells and platelets. The platelets really help with preventing bleeding...normal platelet counts are between 150,000 and 350,000...and currently, mine are in the 14,000 range...so it'll be good to get these platelets.

Well, I think that is the total update for today's activities. Some after-thoughts...

Good luck to the HHS hockey fundraiser TRIVIA NIGHT! Wish I could be there to play, but I am hoping that the team holds it together without Molly and I. Molly did get the GTL question from Jersey Shore wrong last year, which was a big bummer, I am sure she was ready for the Kardashian question that would come up this year. I am sure that Sukawaty, OB, and Millard can hold things together this year!

Good run for the Brewers, too bad they had to lose to the Cardinals...man, I hate those Cardinals!!! Pitching just blew up in the post season and Gallardo was the only one who could pitch, although Wolf had a great start. I think Fielder is gone to LAA, but there may be some sliver or a grain of sand of hope that he stays? Don't think so, and I can't blame him....25-30 million dollars a year is pretty good.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a great start when you consider that they have had their best players injured for most or all of the start of the season. When Malkin, Crosby, Letang, and Orpik are all back for good, with Neal, Staal, Fluery, and the rest playing well, look out Atlantic East Division.

Packers go for their 7th estraight win on Sunday against the hated Vikings. My guess, 34-14 in favor of the Packers. Poor Adrian Peterson just doesn't have much to support him and Packer fans are going to get the first taste of the future of the Vikings....Christian Ponder. We'll see, I do not think he is their man. Wasn't ever a fan of him at FSU. I suppose if you have AP in the backfield, it can't be all bad.

Finally, the Wisconsin Badgers go into East Lansing to battle the Spartans. This is a big game for the Badgers and not as much for the Spartans. Because they are in separate divisions, both teams can still make the BIG 10 championship with a loss, however, with the Badgers needing this win for the BCS standings and still looking at being unbeaten, they have a lot to play for. The Spartans, fresh off a big win at home against Michigan also needs to win the following week against Nebraska to really ensure a BIG 10 championship game. Do they invest all their efforts knowing the following week may be more important? Add to that, one of the big d-men for Sparty is suspended...and it looks good for the Badgers at Michigan State.

And a quick add on with a good story from the Wisconsin Badgers Hockey team. http://host.madison.com/sports/blog/article_54cfd338-fb88-11e0-bc43-001cc4c03286.html

Thanks! I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy. Have a great weekend!!! Tony