I've been thinking about closing down this blog. I haven't "advertised" it and, consequently, I guess, rarely get any comments. (Not that what I've written is so "worthy" of response!) Sort of the same situation with my "religious" blog, Ich Bin Ein Luteraner.
Maybe if I kept both of 'em more up to date?
We'll see.

Well, it's over. A dark day for this dear country. I don't know whether to cry, laugh hysterically, or just quit thinking. I guess I'll just keep praying. (If that'll be allowed anymore.)

Yup

It is multiple myeloma. But not, if I understand correctly, seriously advanced. Gonna take some more tests. Something called a "fat pad biopsy." A needleful of fat that I can readily spare! And an echocardiogram because the myeloma protein can affect the heart muscle. No present indication that it has, but better safe than sorry. That's scheduled for the 30th. Don't know when the fat pad biopsy will be.
Good news is that my potassium level is back down to acceptable, probably because of this terrible-tasting Kayexalate I've been taking. But that's been cut to twice a week rather than three times.
Treatment for the myeloma will be drugs and steroids. Drug of choice seems to be Thalidomide, but that requires taking a blood thinner along with. I'm a pretty easy "bleeder" already, so I hope something else is available. Treatment will probably last for about 6 months. Depends on effectiveness, of course.
I'm a lot less worried than I was when I first found out about this. It's not like "you've got six months!" It's treatable, and I'll just keep on keepin' on.

Ouch!

Stated as simply as possible...a bone marrow biopsy is a pain in the ass! (Well, the hip, actually.)
She said it wouldn't hurt much, and it didn't except for when she was drawing out the marrow. Thank God for Lidocane! (And a cute tech assistant holding my hand!)
I'll know the results in a week.
She agrees with the kidney doc that a MRI on the kidney is most likely a waste of money. Probably wouldn't be any more definitive than the CT scan. Normal procedure is to maybe do another CT scan in three months or so and, if warranted, another one six months after that. If whatever it is is growing they most likely will not do a kidney biopsy. It just comes out and I learn to live with one. Kidney doc will probaly have more when I see him next week, but Dr. Kao, in addition to being a doll (!), is a lot more forhcoming with information than he is.
But that's a long way down the road, and I have more importnt things to worry about.

Update

It's about time I updated this, even if nobody is reading it anyway!
My x-rays were clean. No holes in the bones. More extensive blood tests did show myeloma (didn't show in the blood in previous tests), so I'm scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on the 15th. Doc is talking about chemo with thalidomide. (She'll know more when the bone marrow results come back.) That has its drawbacks as far as side effects, but she says it's very effective and may not be for a lengthy period. It all depends on how "advanced" the myeloma is.
The CT scan on the kidneys was "inconclusive." There's a 2.8 cm "something" on one of 'em, but whether it's cyst or tumor is undetermined. The hospital radiologist suggested a MRI, but the kidney doc thinks they just want more billing $$$s (!) so he's not ordering that at this time. Next appointment with him is on the 22nd.
To be succinct...............more waiting!

More waiting

Twenty four...count 'em...twenty four separate x-rays yesterday. From head to foot. Every bone in this tired old bod is now documented. And, as far as I know, I didn't glow in the dark last night. Maybe I'll know Friday.
Still waiting for the results of the kidney CT scan over a week ago. No news is good news? As of yesterday the kidney doc hadn't even looked at it!

The more I wait...

Appointment with my oncologist/hematologist yesterday. Oh, that I were 40 years younger...and single!!!
She needs more tests, of course. More blood, more urine, and a full body X-ray to see if there any holes in my bones (that's one of the things that myeloma causes.) Did find out that, in the initial tests ordered by the nephrologist, myeloma was detected in the urine, but not in the blood. Is that good? Not necessarily. That it was detected at all is not good! But I'm hopeful.
She may, eventually, do a bone marrow biopsy...that's where myeloma originates...but that all depends on these latest tests. Won't know anything about that until the 26th of this month.
No word yet on the CT scan of the kidneys I had on Monday. I hope the nephrologist doesn't wait a month like he did with the sonogram! I'll probably bug him this week or next.
It's the damned waiting that's getting to me!

Well...had a second appointment with my kidney doc this afternoon.
Blood tests from last month show signs of myeloma, so he's going to schedule me with an oncologis/hematologist sometime next week. More blood tests to come. Meyloma can be serious or it can be benign. Time and tests will tell. And it is fairly readily treatable with any number of drugs and/or chemotherapy. Praying for the best news.
And...the kidney sonogram I had last month shows a growth, or something, on one kidney, so I'm scheduled for a CT scan next Monday morning.
If'n it ain't one damned thing it's another!

If I ever read or hear "at the end of the day" one more time I think I'll go stark raving mad! In every context I've seen or heard it there is nothing even close to being an actual end of a day. Who started this nonsense? They oughta be locked in a room wih the ghost of my old H.S. English teacher for at least a week.

Well now! Sarah Palin is one fiesty broad! The leftist media are all in a tizzy and scrambling to find any dirt they can (dig up or manufacture.) My previous thoughts about Lieberman as the only obvious choice are dead as a doornail. His performance at the RNC was dismal. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
I can't wait to see Palin's debate with Motormouth Biden on October 8th. Of course, they aren' t really debates anymore. It'll probably have some leftist "moderator" who'll throw softballs at Biden and hand grenades at Palin.
The McCain/Nobama "debates" will be the same. Nobama won't agree to anything exept a carefully scripted "debate", which is nothing more than a glorified news conference.
But, even at that, it'll be glitz and glamor against substance and common sense. My bet is that glitz loses. Rock stars come and go like the winds.
But, there are a lot of folk who will vote for the glitz because it makes 'em feel good. As Mark Alexander has said on Patriot Post, liberals are "feelers" and conservatives are "thinkers." And, since our public school system hasn't taught our young 'uns to think for a least a couple of generations.....

I should point out.....
This blog is for comment and discussion of "secular" things: politics, social conditions, the economy, etc., etc.
If you want to discuss religion, particularly Lutheranism, my blog for that is:
http://ed-ichbineinluteraner.blogspot.com/
I wanna try to keep 'em separate if possible. "Left hand and right hand kingdoms" ya know.

Sarah Who?

Well, now. McCain takes a big gamble. But it just might work.

There are a lot of (feminist?) Hillary supporters who are disenchanted with the Damnocratic ticket. Whether Palin, with her lack of experience (are you listening, Nobama?) and her pro-life and NRA credentials will win those just because she's female is a crapshoot. At least a couple of things are in her favor big time. She's not a Washington DC insider and she's taken on "big oil" in Alaska. And, after hearing her speech this morning (on NPR no less!) I think she can take on Motormouth Biden with no trouble. Could be...
And consider this scenario:
1. If Nobama loses, he's dead meat. No way are they going to try him again in 2012. It'll be Hillary.
2. McCain will be in his mid-70s and may choose not to run for a second term.
3. Leaves Sarah as the heir-presumptive to battle it out with Hillary.
Could be. I hope I live long enough to see that cat fight!

No sigh of relief

Well, now that the circus in Denver is about over, the Messiah has been anointed, and the Motormouth about to be, it should be time for some rational thinking, eh what?
No, wait, the Republicrats come up in a week or so don't they? Drat!
(If McCain doesn't pick Lieberman to offset Biden, that ticket is dead outa the gate.)
I'm missing too many episodes of "Jeopardy" and darned near missed NCIS last night. One of my favorites, particularly Abby, the lab tech. She's got to be one of the most loveably "strange" creatures on TV.
One more week (of re-runs, to be sure, but some good 'uns) and then back to my cave for four days.

First things first

My first attempt at blogging, which I've resisted for a long time 'cause it seems to be sort of an ego thing for some bloggers, and I don't want to fall into that trap.
It's probably not going to be that much of a regular thing, but you never know. I'll need all the help I can get!