Does every up have to have a down?

Dear Friends and family,

So it seems. The good news from the pulmonologist is that the pneumonia is all gone, or at least so much so that we may as well say "all." When Dr. Janus walked into the examining room after comparing the last 2 xrays, she looked at me and said, "You're feeling better, I can tell." She was right. I had walked up multiple sets of stairs (in the subway system, for example) without having to rest, and I think I will be able to read my paper in two weeks without difficulty. Hooray! My O2 was 99!

Dr. Mascarehas from Mr. Sinai had sent her a comprehensive analysis of my condition based on our session over two weeks ago, and she was impressed by his analysis. He mentioned the trials I can't go on and the cure we can't try (stem cell transplant) for various reasons, but he hopes that there is at least one trial I can go on. The most interesting thing, scientifically, is that the lung condition may be the result of my bone marrow not working any more to make blood and something in the lungs tries to help, just as my gigantic spleen tries to help (and does help, I guess).

The main negative I am experiencing is my right hip: the possibility that the prednisone is causing deterioration of the bone is rather awful to contemplate, since a bout with prednisone has put my dear friend Ken Rothwell in a wheelchair for good. Dr. Janus mentioned that some people need a hip replacement after prednisone. So the hope is that the problem hasn't progressed too far yet, and when I see Dr. Mascarehas, he will tell me what to do. For this week, I stay on the prednisone. If I go off it (tapering gradually), I know I will miss the "up" effect it gives me.

The body is a curious animal.

My family does not want me to talk about them in any detail on my blog—that's something they can do on their blogs and on FaceBook. That's why I seldom mention them, but they are often in my thoughts, and we spend time with almost all of them by phone every day. Friends and famly are the center of everything.

The funniest thing happened yesterday: we got lost on the way to attend Toby's birthday party, and after bemoaning the state of Nassau County signage (unreadable even when present) and the failure of a few attempts to get directions via cell phone, Merwin and I opted for home, limping our way there after almost 2 hours of roaming. Of course we didn't take the GPS because we were going local and "knew" where we were going. Even a Nassau County map would have been a good idea. Oh well. We had some good moments together and wished Toby "Happy Birthday" by phone.

May your ups be much higher than your downs,

Love,
Bernice