Down a quart

         Well I'm a quart low.  My blood count is so low that I am anemic. I have chosen to use a drug called, "aranesp' which forces the body to produce red blood cells. It will take me several days to determine how effective the drug is and if I am truly  in need of a transfusion.
        If I do need a transfusion because of my body size I usually receive a quart of blood. The difficulty with receiving blood transfusion is that over a period of time the liver cannot separate the iron out of the transfused blood. While they can monitor this they have no means to prevent or rectify the problem. It is not a problem unless a lot of blood is transfused and I am showing no sign of abnormally high iron counts but I am trying to approach the process with the attitude to do only as much as needs to be effective being the best and letting my body do as much as it can still do naturally.
         I spoke to my favorite niece yesterday, she is actually my closest cousin's daughter but has become a niece to me. She is coming to visit August 9 - 15 . I am delighted. We spent time together when I lived in Phoenix and she came to look after me during my first chemotherapy session . We became very close , so much so that she is the daughter that I wish that I had had.  I am arranging to fly her from her home in Indianapolis .
           Allie will be gone from the eighth to the twelfth so my niece and I will be on our own for a few days before Allie joins us.