Team Martha 3, Lymphoma 0

My scan from last week shows the good news we hoped for: my death star drug has destroyed most of my cancer sites, with the two remaining lymph node locations down to the size of a pinhead even before Monday's half-way mark (3 out of 6 'big' chemo sessions).  Can't ask for much better than that!

Also on the good news front, my infection-fighter white blood cell count is higher than usual for this phase so the efforts of my prayer warriors and the simple sleep/walk/eat right focus is really paying off.  However, my hemoglobin counts continue to get whacked and I'm heading into a time when I may need transfusions.  I could tell that my red blood cells were dropping as I only have about 2 to 3 hours of energy a day now, and I have to pause more frequently on walks to get my breath.

I hope to avoid a transfusion, as it seems creepy to get someone else's blood - homegrown and natural is my preference.  Also, in a week of such horror from both Boston and West, Texas, where blood is needed for far more serious issues, I wish I could be giving blood instead of possibly doing the reverse.

Dallasites have a special affection for West, a small town which is always a road stop if we're travelling to Austin, San Antonio or college town Waco.  It's a very small town settled largely by Czechoslovakians, and the famous Czech Stop store sells unbelievable kolaches (don't miss the cherry cream cheese for pure decadance), Czech sausages, and other specialties.  If you're lucky enough to know someone from West, you'll get a glimpse into Czech customs - and a Czech wedding isn't to be missed!  To have such horror visited on such a small and hardworking country community is simply heartbreaking. 

But Texans, like Bostonians, are all heart.  By midmorning our local blood bank was having to turn away volunteers and ask them to make an appointment for later;  the Red Cross was flooded with offers and donations, and local churches have sent relief supplies to help churches in West with their congregations' needs. I'm proud to live in a state and in a country where pulling together to help each other in times of need is simply engrained in our DNA.