SATURDAY - DECEMBER 1, 2012

It has been an interesting few days.  Last Wednesday Jane and I visited Leukemia doctor at Duke.  She would like for me to go for another  round of chemo at Duke beginning Jan 15 and last once again about 30 to 40 days, However, she was more concerned about my fluid retention so our Brevard Hematologist sent us to Mission Hosp on Thursday for fluid removal around lungs and belly.  After seeing how much fluid I had, he recommended that I be admitted for further fluid treatment so that I "could be dried out completely."  That could be misinterpreted.

The fluid as it turns out is coming from the heart so I have some new drugs and continuing the fluid withdrawal through meds.  I was given an echo cardiogram which showed a leak in the mitralvalve.  The replaced aortic valve is in good shape but because of the leak my heart is not pumping as hard as it should,  The new meds are supposed to heal.  Just a toad in the road to the other treatment.  For those who want to know the new drugs are Aldactone and Diovan.  It is possible that previous chemo may have caused the heart problem.  This is  officially called Congestive Heart Failure,  but this family does not recognize the term "failure" so let's ignore it or call it something else as it is easily curable with drugs.

Jane and Joyse have been great even though they left yesterday to host "Girls on Grapes" which is a great crew of women in Brevard whom we have met.    The porch is complete so it was a great place to party.

"I hope I didn't bore you too much with my life story" Elvis Aaron Presley