Check up today at the Maine Center for Cancer

So today I had a check up at the Cancer Center at 9:00AM.  Crystal was able to get the morning off so she could come to the appointment with me.  Seeing that we had close to an hour to kill between kid drop off and the appointment, I took her to the International House of Pankakes. I know, I know, big spender!  Nothing but the best for my Crystal!

So we got to my appointment and we were one of the first ones there.  From the waiting room, I could see into the lab area and there was a person having their blood drawn.  It looked like the older lady drawing the blood was hesitant and was being "overseen"" by another lab person. 

"Look at that.  There is a trainee in the lab.  If I get her, I am going to be pretty adiment that she was not going to be drawing my blood."  I said to Crystal.

Crystal just rolled her eyes...  You see, at the IHOP, we had a lengthy discussion on how I was going to behave during the "blood draw".  I was going to go to my happy place and just deal with the fact that I was going to give blood.  After seeing the trainee, I could tell that plan was pretty much going out the window.

Out of the lab comes the trainee and she calls my name.  I am sure I went completely pale at that point.  She sat me in the blood draw chair.  I immediately ask her if she is a trainee. 

"If you consider doing this for 30 years a trainee, then yes I am." She answered.. 

Phew!!  I then said that I would need to lay down for the blood draw to prevent me from passing out.  The older lab lady rolled her eyes and told us she would find a room for us so I could lay down for the blood draw...

The rest of the appointment followed pretty much the same story line...

Bottom line, my blood counts are up.  My immune system is healthy right now and I feel great...  Next appointment is next Tuesday at Maine Med.  They are puttingg me out, doing a bone marrow biopsy to make sure the leukemia is still in remission.  They are also going to extract some spinal fluid to make sure there is no leukemia in my nervous system.  While I am out, they are also going to give me a shot of chemo in my spine while they are in there for the fun of it...