C left early this morning to go to History Days a few towns over with a bunch of her friends. It worked out nicely because Willie and I left the house around 9:15 and didn’t make it back home until almost 3.

First up on the schedule was the blood draw. It wasn’t overly busy. We waited for a short time before he got called back. I read a book and people-watched. I knew Willie was done and coming around the corner because he clears his throat and I know the sound.

We went up to the bone marrow biopsy floor. Willie was nervous and his palms were sweaty because of it. He ended up having his biopsy done by Amie – a nurse he has had before who does a great job. While he was back I had my book out and watched people come and go again. The whole thing takes about a half hour or so. When he came back out he said it was the smoothest one yet, though he still intends to get any subsequent biopsies sedated. I guess the drug they use makes you feel like you had the best power nap of your life.

Willie had to fast because of his blood draw, so he was ready to eat. We walked a couple blocks away and grabbed sandwiches at a local deli. There was a very tall man who came in while we were eating. He had to duck through the doors and Willie said his jaw came to the top of the door jamb.

After lunch we stopped by the LC desk to see if Paul was working. He was not but Grace was. We visited with her and then took a walk down the long hallway to the new building they were working on the entire year we were down here before.

These images are looking two different directions, but back when we were here before, both ends looked like the photo on the left. Long with a dark end at either end depending on where you were at. This is the hallway Willie passed out in on C and forever changed her feelings about the clinic. The photo on the right is the new view down the hallway – I’m taking it from the roughly halfway mark. The light at the end of the tunnel is the new radiation building.

Part of the view from the new building and some fiber art on the wall.

We met with the pharmacist, the nurse, a doctor in training – a Fellow – and then very briefly the actual doctor. We both really liked the Fellow. When is done with his fellowship he will go to Boise, ID and be a part of their transplant program there. He said Willie’s labs were the best he has seen all week. He also said Willie is the longest living person diagnosed with AEL that he has ever met. The appointments felt really positive and I am grateful for how the day went.

We went home and Willie took a nap while I ran something to C and she and I ran to the store before her practice. I came home and began making a cake and baked Ziti for the team potluck, except something is melting on our stove when the oven is on so we turned it off and I made the Ziti on the stovetop and the cake in the microwave.

While I was preparing food new results came in for Willie’s CD4 immune system test. We didn’t know that the numbers could go backwards, but they did. Of course that threw Willie for a major loop. He sent his doc a message to ask if there was anything to be concerned about and then consulted Dr. Google. According to the internet a recent infection could cause the CD4 numbers to go down. After talking with the doctor earlier today we are under the assumption that Willie was fighting something last week, hence the enlarged lymph nodes that have since gone down. (They are going to have an ultrasound of them next week just to make sure there isn’t anything else going on, but the doctor was pleased that he could not feel the one in his armpit.) We learned that the lymph nodes in the groin area are always larger because that is where a lot is filtered so they don’t worry about those until they get to at least 2 cm.

The doctor’s graph showing how the odds of survival level out and that the bulk of the threat of disease reoccurence is surpassed in these first three years.

While waiting between the pharmacist and the nurse we looked out over all the construction happening. Each of the cranes is flying an American flag. And at night they all have bright red lights to notify planes and helicopters that they are there. It was a surprising sight the other night when I saw the lights for the first time.

Looking down below at the colorful flowers and leaves.

The plan was to bring the food to the potluck, but not stay, but when Willie realized it was being hosted at our friend’s house, he decided we should go. So, we went and had a nice evening with friends. I think it was good for us to be able to get out and not sit at home and dwell on things. I have only made it this far because I hand it over to God, but it takes Willie a little bit of time to process. I have to acknowledge and validate his feelings, while also stay positive and rational, because if I also stressed about it, we would be in trouble.

On our way to the potluck, there were a lot of machines in the fields harvesting.