Counting The Days

The day that I've been hoping for (and dreading) is just around the corner. On Monday I will head off to the Boston Medical Center for my six-month evaluation. The evaluation is scheduled over the course of three days. To be honest, I am equally scared and hopeful for the test results. They truly could come back either way.

I'm not sure what is scheduled for the six-month evaluation. At the very least, it consists of a wide range of blood and urine tests, as well as the wonderful bone-marrow biopsy. I really look forward having an eight inch needle inserted into the center of my hip bone.

So what's working for me? My body feels pretty good. I no longer suffer any major fatigue. I feel more energetic now than I did in May. My hair is on it's way back (although it's still a little weird). The color is back in my face. My appetite is nearly back to normal.

What's not working for me? I still have substantial edema throughout my body, especially in my lower legs during the evenings. I haven't noticed any improvement, although I have gotten much better in managing it. The nephrotic syndrome is artificially raising my tricylerides and cholesterol levels to very high levels. As a result, I am on a low-sodium, low-glycemic diet. I cannot drink. I am still 25 pounds underweight, and I have been unsuccessful in gaining (and keeping) a pound of weight over the past three months.

There's a lot of concern about my condition, but it all could still be part of the healing process. That is why I have hope.