Sabine said that if she got a good report from Dr Sheehan this week she was going to give him a big hug. The report yesterday was very good and Dr Sheehan said he was "very pleased" with Sabine's progress.
The lambda light chains stayed in the low 200's and Sabine has another eight weeks off chemotherapy. Yes, the report was good and as you can see by the picture, Dr Sheehan got a big hug!
After our meeting with Dr Sheehan we went over to the clinic and , at Dr Sheehan's recommendation, Sabine received an infusion of a biphosphate to strengthen her bones and bind up some of the calcium that the cancer often produces. Her calcium level is a little high and this will put it in range of what Dr Sheehan wants to see. She is also on a small amount of blood pressure medication (metropolol) that keeps the blood pressure in a good range.
This coming Monday we go for the second attempt at connecting a fistula in Sabine's arm (see earlier blogs for what that entails). And we will be nursing Sabine's delicate arm for
three days at the cottage next week.Yesterday, after the good news, we had celebratory lunch at the General Store in Spring Green and then visited a fabulous place that some of our friends had been encouraging us to go -- The Global View (future website at www.globalviewintl.com)
Marion, who has travelled to Asia for over thirty years is committed to maintaining a personal relationship with Asian artisans, hand selects articles, understands the lives of the people who produce quality items, and helps to keep traditional cottage industries alive.
Global View's artisan work is housed in a huge barn overlooking the Wisconsin River valley. They are just 7 miles west of Taliesin on County Highway C (turn south on Clyde Road and look for the sign about .7 mile from Highway C).
Many of the artifacts come from both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. I have always admired the depiction of the Hindu god, Shiva, because, as you will notice, he is dancing on the back of a sleeping human. Now, isn't that just like us? We doze and sleep, unassuming, while the mystical presence dances on our backs!
If you are ever in the Spring Green area, this is a place worth visiting.
So Sabine has had a great summer -- it will be 24 weeks without chemotherapy. She has been able to be active, run and cycle and take some short day trips. We continue to participate in our myeloma support group and help others who are newly-diagnosed and receive support from those who have been on the cancer journey longer than we have.
We continue the celebration tonight when we go back to Spring Green for a "sing-a-long" to the movie "Mama Mia." And we're putting on our dancin' shoes!
