1. I blasted out of Kellogg around six this morning to have blood work done at Sacred Heart. The results were mostly positive with one exception.
My white blood cell count and my absolute neutrophil count are getting low.
Therefore, the transplant team lowered one of my immune-suppression drugs and took me off of the antibacterial drug I've taken since the transplant.
The following is a blog statement, not an informed medical statement: my sense is that the drugs I've been taking to suppress my immune system or to do work on its behalf have contributed to this lowering of my white blood cell count and my absolute neutrophil count.
Nurse Jenn sent me a long list of precautions to take in light of my white blood cell count and absolute neutrophil having fallen.
Actually, the list of precautions isn't much different from what I've been doing.
It does throw my participation in the get together at the Inland Lounge after Don's Celebration of Life into some doubt.
I'm thinking if I wear a mask and camp out in the back room where I can keep more distance from people that I can attend for a while.
I would really hate not to go at all!
2. After I left my excellent visit to the medical center, my day just continued to be fun and uplifting.
I rocketed over to the Great Harvest Bakery for a delicious Morning Glory muffin and a bracing cup of Cravens coffee and purchased a loaf of Dakota bread.
Trader Joe's is near the Great Harvest Bakery and I popped over there and bought a bag and a half of some fun products including a new seasoning mix, a new pesto, a Thai peanut satay sauce, a couple of seasoned, pre-prepared meat items, a fancy salad for Debbie to take to work, and other things.
I followed Debbie's directive: if it looks fun, buy it!
I obeyed.
I have now read eight of the twelve books on Leah Sottile's July 13th book list she compiled in response to the NYT's publication of a list it called "The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century."
The four I have left to read don't seem to be available on any bookstore shelves locally, so I'll order them from independent bookstores online and have them shipped.
I do, however, want another book right now to read, and so I dropped into the Barnes and Noble store off Sullivan Road.
I wandered around a bit and suddenly I couldn't -- and didn't want to -- resist the attraction of Stieg Larsson's novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
I purchased it, strolled to the Barnes and Noble cafe, bought a tall latte, and sat outside in the mildness of a September Spokane Valley morning and read the book's first chapter.
I'm hooked.
3. I spent much of the afternoon finalizing the Saturday buffet following the Celebration of Life for Don Knott.
It's now nailed down!
Plenty of food -- and as I wrote in an email, if it's not enough, I'll buy Chinese food next door at Wah Hing!
Debbie arrived home with the news that she had to leave soon to return to an event at Pinehurst Elementary School.
I went into cooking overdrive and, before Debbie had to leave, I got out the wok and made a chicken stir fry that included onion, zucchini, celery, cabbage, and cilantro and enhanced it with the Peanut Satay Sauce I bought today at Trader Joe's.
With that wok, I'm telling you, it's possible to make fast food that is mighty tasty!
Just as Debbie arrived home, the power went out thanks to a short, powerful thunder storm.
We shrugged and each went to bed.
I had the best night of sleep I've had in months!
When we woke up, PRESTO!, the power was back on.
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