If You Have A Blood Clot In Your Heart...Don't...January 15 2012

If you have a blood clot in the right atrium of your heart...DON'T do a Google Search on "right atrial thrombus"...the news is nothing but scary!


I walked Kemmer 0.84 miles on a flat road here in town...just a strolling along pace.

My Father Celebrates His 91st Birthday - January 14 2012

Lab Values, Walking, and Eating Good - January 13 2012

I received my lab values from January 11 2012 in the mail today. I'm doing fine except for my low white blood cell count at 2.7 (norms 4-11.2).

My liver enzyme is still up a tad - most probably from my daily Fragmin (blood thinner) injection.

 I walked slowly up the the BLM Canyon just beyond the Powers' pasture for 1.3 miles with Ron, his dog Iris, and Kemmer.

 I made a delicious chicken and veggies dinner in my new pressure cooker tonight. Served it over rice from my new little rice cooker. Yummy! Jani would be so proud of me!

Waiting for Revlimid - January 12 2012

I spent all day waiting for UPS to deliver my Revlimid 10 mg which has to be signed for. It finally showed up at 3:45 PM. This is my first delivery to Mackay, Idaho - so, it was nice to know that it all worked out.

Afterwards, walked Kemmer 0.84 miles on a dirt road paralleling a pivot field and the Mackay Airport. The sun sets behind the Mine Hill leaving Mackay in shadows by 4:20 PM these days, so we were in the shadows on your way back to Jonah (1999 Honda Passport).

 Looking back toward Mackay Dam.

It is so DRY here and my thumb is cracking with all the hand washing I do. OUCH~

Lab Draw - January 11 2012

I drove to Arco, Idaho with a population of 995 (28 miles south of Mackay, Idaho with a population of 517) to the little Lost Rivers Medical Center Laboratory to have my blood drawn. First poke success! I won't get the results until they are mailed to me. They will fax the results to both Dr. Shull in Idaho Falls and Dr. Myint at UCH.

Afterwards, I walked Kemmer on the Arco Number Hill - where every Butte High School Graduating Class since 1920 has put their year of graduation up. It was steep and we only went 0.2 miles as not to stress the blood clot in my heart.

Once we got back to Mackay, I walked Kemmer on the Mine Hill an additional 0.6 miles.

Walked Only 0.6 Miles - January 10 2012

I'm weary today and if I didn't have Kemmer, I would not have walked at all today. I managed to do 0.6 miles on the Mine Hill. You can see from the map below how close the Mine Hill is to my house in Mackay, Idaho. My house is at an elevation of 5,903 feet and the Cattle Guard on the Mine Hill where I park to begin my walk is at an elevation of 6,233 feet. Before I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, I walked from my house up the Mine Hill to the Cattle Guard and beyond EVERY DAY - I was a HAPPY walking machine! Even the week of my diagnosis in May 2012 with my hemoglobin just 10.6 (I didn't know I was anemic at the time), I hiked up the MIne Hill. I ached all over - especially across my back at my scapula, but I had turned 60 years old and I thought you just ached when you got older ---- little did I know I had multiple myeloma!

I finally got my January 5 2012 Echocardiogram Results today over the phone. There has been no change in the size of the blood clot in the right atrium of my heart. I asked that Dr. Shull's office send me the report and they said they would. However, the persistence of the the blood clot is a real bummer for me - I so want to be ACTIVE again, but fear the clot breaking away in my heart and going to my lungs or brain!

A good friend sent me the following this morning which made me giggle out loud!

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes? This is for all the germ conscious  folks  that worry about using cold water to  clean.
 
 John went to  visit his 90 year old grandfather in a very secluded, rural area of Saskatchewan .
 
 After spending a great evening  chatting the night away, the next morning John's grandfather  prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  

 However, John noticed a film like  substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather  asking,
 
 'Are these plates  clean?'
 
 His grandfather  replied,
 
 'They're as clean as cold water can  get em.
 Just you go ahead and finish your  meal, Sonny!'
 

 For  lunch the old man made hamburgers.
 
 Again, John was concerned about the plates, as his appeared to have tiny specks  around the edge that looked like dried egg  and asked,
 
 'Are you sure these plates are  clean?'
 
 Without looking up the old man  said,
 
 'I told you before, Sonny, those  dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another  word about it!'
 
 Later that afternoon, John was on  his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let  him pass.
      
 John yelled and said, 'Grandfather,  your dog won't let me get to my car'. Without diverting his attention from  the football game he was watching on TV, the old man  shouted!
 
 'Coldwater, go lay down now, yah  hear me!'
 


 Meet Coldwater ! 
 

PS. I don't let Kemmer lick my plates at all --- poor abused dog!

Walked 1 Mile - January 9 2012

Kemmer and I walked on the Mine Hill for 1 mile.

I've been eating pretty well too. Ron brought me some homemade beef barley soup today.

Hair Growth - January 8 2012

My hair continues to grow and get a tad WILD on the crown~ Click twice to enlarge to see the wild ones~

Walked just almost a mile today with Kemmer (0.47 mile out and 0.47 mile back)...and managed to get in the picture frame today!

Revlimid 10 mg Day 6 of 14 Cycle 2 Maintenance Chemotherapy.

Neuropathy - January 7 2012

The neuropathy in my fingers seems to be getting worse or I'm just noticing it more here in the cold weather of Idaho. My fingers hurt when they get cold. I have stopped taking L-Glutamine as it may support myeloma tumor growth (see http://multiplemyelomablog.com/2012/01/another-supplement-to-avoid-especially-before-during-and-immediately-after-a-transplant-l-glutamine.html) - Thanks Danny Parker.

I decided to make and keep a rating scale for the neuropathy (numbness and tingling) that I'm experiencing in my fingers and left great toe (I don't seem to have any in my other toes). I made the scale up myself - 0 to 5. 0 = no neuropathy and 5 is TERRIBLE BAD. I don't know if I'm going to have to reduce my Velcade dosage (1.7 mg) or not. I had my last dose of intravenous Velcade on December 26 2012 (1st Cycle Velcade Mainenance). I'm on Day 5 of 14 of my Revlimid 10 mg (2nd Maintenance Cycle). I am especially aware of the neuropathy when I type on the computer.

Walked 1 Mile - January 7 2012

Kemmer and I walked on the Mine Hill this morning for 1 mile. A beautiful clear day with a STIFF ICY wind from the north. No heart pain and we just strolled along.

 I'm not too great at setting the camera on the timer...but, I almost got us in the frame!

Walked 0.6 Miles - January 6 2012

I walked Kemmer only 0.6 miles this morning on the Mine Hill. Mackay was covered in clouds, but it was clear and cold at the Cattle Guard on the Mine Hill. I'm not sure what I should be doing with this blood clot in the right atrium of my heart????

I thought I might hear about the results of my echocardiogram yesterday, but I did not. I did call Dr. Shull's office in Idaho Falls and asked them to send me my blood test results from January 4 2011. I REALLY MISS the instant blood test results from Colorado!

I also called the Atrium Pharmacy at the University of Colorado because my pharmacy here in Idaho has told me that they cannot get Fragmin 12,500 unit individual injections for me. The pharmacist at UCH said they could get Fragmin in a multi-dose vial (20,000 units per cc) and I could draw up the 12,500 units myself. Now, I have to work on getting a new prescription.

Blood Clot In My Heart Persists - January 5 2012

I drove myself 100 miles across the high mountain desert again today for a repeat echocardiogram at Sandcreek Echo in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Still no winter here, so the drive was easy.

Sandcreek Echo in Idaho Falls was a very pleasant place. The echocardiogram room was bright compared to my previous echocardiograms and even sported a live fish tank. Very friendly receptionist,  Lynette and technician, Krista, made the whole experience nice.

The blood clot in the right atrium of my heart is still there. Of course, a cardiologist has to read the echo from today before I'll know the official results. I took hard copies of my previous 2 echocardiograms (Nov 2 2011 and Dec 1 2011) along with my MRI of the Heart Results (Nov 3 2011) so the new cardiologist would have some reference point. I wathat the blood clot persists because I really want to be more active without the FEAR of a pulmonary embolus or worse.

Went straight home back across the desert and in to the Big Lost River Valley. 48 degrees on January 5 2012 is unheard of in Idaho - but, that was the case today.

Highway 93 from Pehrson's pivot to Mackay with Mt. McCaleb on the left. January 5 2012

New Oncologist in Idaho Falls, Idaho - January 4 2012

I drove myself 100 miles from Mackay, Idaho to Idaho Falls, Idaho to meet my new oncologist, Christian Shull, MD.  I have to leave our Big Lost River Valley drive across the high desert to Idaho Falls which is before you get to the Tetons.

Twin Buttes on Highway 20 January 4 2012

Tetons way off in the distance on Highway 20 January 4 2012.

We had a good meeting and he had the orders for maintenance chemotherapy and labs from my transplant doctor, Han Myint, MD at the University of Colorado Hospital. Dr. Shull ordered a repeat echocardiogram for me for tomorrow to evaluate my right atrial blood clot in my heart.

Dr. Shull's office, Snake River Oncology is large. Without Jani, I had to take my own picture, I think the receptionist thought I was crazy.

Fishing photos on the exam room.

My white blood cells are below normal at 3.3 (norms 4.1 to 10.9 at this lab). I continue NOT anemic with a normal Hg at 13.5 (norms 12 to 18 at this lab), and my platelets are normal at 285 (norms 140 to 440 at this lab). My MCV (mean corpuscular volume) or size of the average red blood cell is high at 98.5 (norms 80-97) probably due to the change in elevation between Colorado and Idaho.

I don't have the other lab values yet because they send them out. In addition, I asked if they had lab values available online and they do not - Dr. Shull said "Welcome to rural Idaho!" when I asked about it. I'm going to ask that they mail (snail mail) them to me in Mackay.


I finally got the January 4 2012 lab values on January 16 2012.

I had a nice email from Shirley Olsen offering to take me to Idaho Falls tomorrow for my echocardiogram. I emailed her back that I was fine and thanked her for the offer.

Bard Power Port Site Continues to Heal - January 3 2012

The site on my right chest wall where my Bard Power Port was removed is still healing 19 days after it was removed. Some tenderness still. The curving red line at the bottom is from the Tegaderm dressing that was put on too tightly.

Walked 1.0 Miles - January 2 2011

I love being home in Mackay, Idaho where I can be in the hills in less than 5 minutes from my house. Kemmer loves it too because there are so many little critters to chase (mostly voles and rabbits). I was way over dressed this morning...about 24 degree and no wind.

This is the Mine Hill just above my house and the reason Mackay, Idaho was found in 1901 when copper was being mined. The mine has long since closed. The Mine Hill contains the White Knob Mountains in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Below is Mackay with Lost River Range and Mt. McCaleb on left (11,427 feet) directly across the Big Lost River Valley from the Mine Hill. Our valley is about 4 miles across between the two mountain ranges with the Big Lost River running through Mackay. We are fairly isolated and don't even have a stoplight - you have to drive 100 miles to even see the closest stoplight.

Jani Departs Idaho for Colorado - January 2 2012

Jani and I got up at o'dark thirty for Jani's departure from Mackay Idaho to Greeley Colorado this morning. Jani and I have been like VELCRO for the last 7 months - so, this is HARD! W both cried!

We drove over to Sammy's to say good-bye to Dad. He was waiting in his truck for Sammy's to open. Sorry about the blurry photo, but it was only 12 degrees and I guess I was shivering or the camera was on the wrong setting or BOTH.

 Jani hugging Dad good-bye. January 2 2012

 Sammy's, Mackay, Idaho January 2 2012

 And they're OFF - Zoe and Jani leaving on their 680 mile journey to Greeley, Colorado


Came home and had to make my own breakfast for the first time in 7 months - instant oatmeal with frozen raspberries.