September 16, 2017.. We made it home just fine. We enjoyed not having to hurry to get home. I think we're going to really like splitting these trips up into two day trips instead of trying to make the trip in one day. We didn't get home until later in the day because we stopped to do a few things along the way. Thank you all for following this blog and especially thank you for your prayers.

I am sorry again for the delay but I had finished writing this blog entry and then got a phone call and I forgot about it. I'm sorry I'm late posting again.

September 15, 2017.. We left Little Rock at about 11 a.m. it always takes us a long time to get up and get everything shipshape and packed before we leave. It makes it so much easier when we don't have to rush and try to get home the same day. Tonight we are in Cookeville at Country Inn & Suites. We have never stayed at one of the hotels in this chain and it is very nice. It is good to be so much closer to home. Thanks for all your nice and sweet comments on this blog.

September 14, 2017..  I got the Kyprolis treatment today in the infusion area. I thought we would not be there longer than 2.5 hours but we were there for 7 hours. The nurse said I needed to get another blood test and that showed my hemoglobin was low which would require a unit of blood, which I got. I found it hard to believe my hemoglobin had dropped from 8.7 to 7.4 since Monday with my myeloma not that active. She admitted that she might not have flushed out the port enough when she took the sample.
Tomorrow, we leave for home (yipee). We plan to drive to Cookeville and spend the night.
Take care and enjoy life!


Note: I typed this note and forgot to publish it. I am so sorry but I am finding it just now where I left it. It was finished but not published. I am sorry if you were looking for it earlier.

September 13, 2017..  As Charles Stanley often says "NOW WATCH THIS". Today, doctor Van Rhee told me according to my situation, the test results "CAN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS". I could tell he was really pleased with what the tests were showing and so were we. One of the markers they look at is the percent plasma cells in the bone marrow biopsy. Mine were about 80% (the highest they had ever been) when we got here in early June. The test this week showed .0001%. On his report, he said if it had been any lower, it would have been undetectable. (Lower is good.) The imaging showed the lesions were gone! See what your prayers have done? Thank you and God for doing that. These are the best numbers I have had since I was diagnosed in early 2012.
I have started on the new treatment today and will get another treatment tomorrow. I will have the same treatment schedule I had before last December which is get two treatments per week for 3 weeks then get 13 days off. I will have to return here in one month for a few tests and review how things are going. I won't have to get the full round of tests I normally get.
Thank you wonderful friends and family for your support and prayers.

September 12, 2017..  I went through all the tests that I was scheduled for today . The bone marrow procurement went well. I finished with the MRIs tonight and did not get back to the apartment until 9:30 pm. I really don't like to have late appointments like that.
Tomorrow, I have the appointment with doctor Van Rhee. If he continues with the plan he had for me when I saw him last, I will get the first of my treatments tomorrow afternoon and I will get the second one on Thursday. We plan to start home on Friday. I hope our plans don't change.
Thank you all for following this blog and thanks very much for the  nice comments.

September 11, 2017.. Testing went ak today. I had the physical exam, blood draw, pulmonary function test, echo-cardiogram, and PET scan. I will not hear the results from the tests until I see the doctor on Wednesday.
Tomorrow, I will have the bone marrow biopsy starting at 12 noon and then 4 MRIs with the last one scheduled at 8:15 p.m. I hope they can get that one done earlier.
Thankful Irma was not as bad as they had forecast.

To Little Rock on September 10, 2017

We split the trip into two days. We drove to Jackson, TN yesterday and got there in time to go to the Casey Jones railroad museum. It was a pleasant day,. We were really surprised this morning to learn there were several families there that were Florida evacuees fleeing hurricane Irma. There were three families eating at the same time we ate and were talking with each other about their trip north away from the storm. One said she did not get to the hotel until 2am this morning. We had noticed there were more cars on the road with Florida tags than any other state other than the state we were in. I just did not understand why people were in Jackson that were evacuating Florida but I did not ask anyone.
My first appointment is tomorrow at 9am.