The eyes have it!

 The self improvement regimen continues with an additional surgical procedure.   I have signed up for cataract surgery'  Hopefully I can get it scheduled in the next month.  They tell me there are no contraindications with my Chemo so I figure I might as well get it done now that I'm into medical exploration mode.

I've had about a half-dozen appointments leading up to this point.  Pleasantly, I've been able to do all this within the Santa Rosa VA system.  The next appointment is at SFVA to "measure" for my "replacement lens" and then the surgery, again in SF following in about a week if all goes well.  I'll spend 2 days at SFVA as the doctor needs to see the patient 24 hours after the surgery.  I will then be permitted to drive home apparently without an eye-patch.  Amazing, huh? 

Treatment

 I just talked to the Oncologist, reviewed treatment options and decided on the protocol and did preliminary scheduling. Now I have to notify those affected by that scheduling.

The details, briefly, are two-day chemo every 4 weeks  at SFVA infusion salon [my name for it as it sounds so continental😎] staying at the Hoptel on the Ft. Miley campus.

I wlll be given rituximab [Rituxan] and the usual cocktail at the salon.  I will also be on a daily pill, lenalidomide, Revlimid, for 21 days with a 7 day break and then another 21 days until it is no longer needed.  I will also be taking acyclovir if needed.  I don't think I will be needing it as it is use in treatment of Herpes, shingles and chickenpox. There is a long list of possible side affects for all of these but I have been lucky in the past, so fingers crossed.  I am scheduled through February.

Biopsy Results

 The results are in but I'll be damned if I can make anything out of it.  Acronyms galore speak of ranges, high, normal and low counts low counts.  A couple of things i recognize from the past is platelet count and immature platelet fraction which are both low. I'll just have to wait for the Oncologist to call and pass sentence.  

Meanwhile, I am in the middle of scheduling cataract surgery and I have an initial Pre-op appointment on 20 September.  Looks like it will be pretty quick scheduling.

Last bit of news is I was called up for Jury Duty for the the week of October 7.  I called about postponing it expecting a hard sell. The woman I spoke to was great.  She immediately canceled the summons and wished me well.  That eliminated a great deal of anxiety: who would have thought it could be so easy?

My charges are keeping an eye out for me