What is the Scoop?

So, here is the scoop.

Chemotherapy started yesterday, it is a new concoction the doctors hope will not have such a negative impact on my lungs. It also turns the whites of my eyes blue and my urine green, just in case you wanted to know that :) When this week (5 day round) of chemotherapy is done, my counts will once again drop and I will be on house arrest. Barring any setbacks, the doctors will once again re-evaluate my lungs to see how things are. I will have to do another Pulmonary Function Test...the reason for that is, the last test improved greatly, but there may have been some improvement because there was so much bleeding in my lungs from the inflammation. When there is that much blood, there is more oxygen, so, the doctors want to make sure the improvements were not just a result of the bleeding. It will be my job over the coming weeks to keep up my exercise, as safe as possible, so that my lungs are good when I retake this test. I will also have to have another bone marrow biopsy. They are not sure when that will be, but sometime late October, early November to make sure that the disease has stayed away. When all of those things check out, we will once again, I know it has been said before, have a potential date for the transplant. November sometime.

The exercise has been going well, I have borrowed some weights from some friends Matt and Terry. Hockey dad Mark and his son Evan moved the exercise bike upstairs for me to use once I get home, and that will be a big help in keeping me busy and staying indoors (away from illness). I have been trying to work hard in the hospital, taken 3 good walks that have included climbing flights of stairs. I think in the past 2 days I have gone up and down 33 flights, so that is good for my legs. Some of the medication I am on is supposed to be bad for my arm and leg muscles. So, I'll keep doing that for my muscles and lungs.

Shout out to all of the Wisconsin fans this next few weeks!!! Feel bad for my buddy Brian over in Scotland who is missing some of the fun Sconnie sports, but I know the dedicated fan that he is, he is finding ways to bridge the gap. I think it makes it a little better that the Vikings are struggling. The Brewers took an absolute whooping at the hands of the Cardinals in the last NLCS game at Miller Park, hopefully not a sign of things to come. The Penguins have gotten off to a good start and hopefully Sidney Crosby comes back soon. Still wearing his no hit helmet, but maybe contact in practices this week. That is a GREAT sign.

Well, hope this finds everyone and their families in good health and happy
Tony