October 31, 2014 – Recent trip to Mayo

First of all, BOO!  Are you scared yet? No, well then Happy Halloween!  We were in the always rockin’ Rochester Minn this week for a checkup.  We met with transplant and hematology and had some social fun also.

Our meeting with transplant went well.  Margaret did not have a biopsy since she has had a lot of them and they are getting hard to do because she has had so many and her EF (Ejection Fraction) was the same as it was on the last trip. They even checked it side-by-side with the last echo and it was the same.  Her potassium is normal but she is currently taking 4 potassium pills a day to get it that way.  They said ‘come back in three months’ so that is good.  Bottom line from a transplant view is stable.

We also met with hematology and her FLC (Free Light Chains, a marker for amyloidosis) was 3.7 which is pretty darn good so happy, happy, happy.  The doctor also said that if there was a need in the future she would now be eligible for a SCT (Stem Cell Transplant) so that is one more option if it is needed.  Before she was not eligible because of the lymphoma. Bottom line from hematology, stable.

The bad news from the trip was we were not able to get into the transplant house, ok, we know how to walk into the house, we just didn’t get to stay there. And by the way when that is the worst news you get than that is a pretty good trip.  We had the opportunity to meet with Mike and Dianne L., Mike transplanted 10 days after Margaret.  We were lucky enough to be able to eat dinner Sunday night and Monday night with them, it was so much fun, it is always nice to be able to see them.  Mike and Dianne brought us a very tasty treat and it was difficult not to eat it all at once but then I would not have been able to sleep that night, lots of sugar!!

We also saw another person from the local support group, but since I do not have her permission, I will not use her name.  The good news was she was going back for a checkup which is great!

That’s the recap of our trip.