Out with the old 2009...

Greetings one and all and thank you for checking on me and I hope everyone has a very happy new year!

I suppose I am way past due on posting something here. We are currently in the throws of winter here in Columbus, MS the likes of which we have not seen for a good long while with single digit lows at night and highs during the day in the upper twenties and yes, we did have a bit of show this morning but you had to pay close attention or you might miss it.

I recall back in December of 2005 when we were at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (south eastern corner of the state about one and a half hour drive south of Minneapolis). They were having a mild winter. They were complaining of the warmish temperatures and absence of show before Thanksgiving. They were experiencing low temperatures in the single negative digits with highs in the positive single digits. I recall speaking with folks back home in the south who would tell me about the 72 degree weather. I think it took me four months to get warm after I got back home and didn't really get warm until the summer. I think some of that was due to my stem cell transplant recovery.

Speaking of that, the number we have been following which we think is a good indication of disease progression (monoclonal protein level) has been on a slightly declining plateau for about the last eight months or so. I am taking this as an answer to prayer and an over all good thing. The number is hovering around .2 gm/dl. The latest was .17 gm/dl. I am told that even if it was to go to zero (which is normal), they would want me to stay on some dose of Revlimid until disease progression at which point we would try something else. If I can behave myself, I may be in this game for quite a few more years (I hope).

Next subject. I decided it was about time to get into Windows 7. I did a small amount of homework in advance and realized I would most likely have to purchase a new model computer with Windows 7 preinstalled which is what I did. Vinita and I went to our nearest Sam's Club in Tuscaloose, AL to shop back in December. I knew I wanted one of the new all-in-one computers but wasn't sure what brand. Sam's had the new HP TouchSmart which is extremely attractive affordable so we bought one.

I have spent about the last two months off and on getting out of our five year "old" DELL. We have them side by side on our desk which is cramped for space now but I am optimistic this will be temporary especially in view of the fact I just ordered a HP Pavilion dv6t Notebook PC. It should be here around the end of January give or take. I did way more homework on this one than the all-in-one. There aren't many all-in-one's right now so not that many choices. Laptop computers are another story. The choices are mind boggling so I decided to go with a pair of HP's. I ordered a TV modulator so I can set the laptop up in the bedroom and use it as a 15.6" wide screen TV. Best of all, HP offered me a 30% discount so I didn't have to go to Sam's Club to shop :)

I'm planning on reformatting the hard drive on the DELL and reloading the original Windows XP software so it is like new. It is a DELL Dimension 2400 with a 17" high brightness flat panel monitor and extra RAM. The Altec Lansing speakers hang under the monitor which makes for a nice compact space friendly footprint on the desk top. If you know anyone who might be interested, this one is negotiable, your pig for my computer - ha.