“Get a job!”  Dr. Orloff told me this twice during my visit on Friday.  My numbers are wonderful…almost all are in the normal range, and those that aren’t are not far from it (white count:  5.06!, neutrophils:  2.14, hemoglobin:  12.3, hematocrit, 33.9 and platelets:  194,000).  I was ecstatic, Dr. O was happy to pass on the news, Kim and Sharon at the office were excited…it was an all-around first-rate appointment!  He told me I don’t need to come back for two months, so I’ll pay them a visit after my trip out to Seattle.  I mean, this is a big deal!!  Dr. Kales called Saturday morning to tell me about reports Seattle requested I bring with me to my appointments.  I was so happy to talk to him, and I almost wanted to ask him, “When can I see you again as my doc?”.  I know I’m in wonderful hands with Dr. O, but you all know how I miss my main doctor.  After several years under his care, I imagine it would be difficult not to feel so attached.

My next adventure (OK’d by Dr. O…in fact, he OK’d pretty much anything I feel like doing–within reason.  He advised against taking up any extreme sports.) is tubing…so, who wants to go?  I figure a little float down the Shenandoah is a good way to round out the summer, don’t ya think?  Before we know it, fall will be here (and hopefully it will bring with it some gorgeous weather).  With the beauty of the season comes the worry of flu, and this year we have the added worry of a possible swine flu epidemic.  Dr. Orloff said I will definitely get the typical flu shot, however not enough is known about the H1N1 vaccine.  Within the coming months, medical professionals will have more information about it, and my oncologist should make his decision about whether I will receive it.

In other news, I’m working on finishing up my speech for “Bark for Life” this weekend.  I’m so excited about this event, mostly because I will have the opportunity to recognize Jameson and Guinness.  Laura plans on taping it, so hopefully we’ll be able to put it up on the blog at some point.  Or, come on out to the walk!!  It will be at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston at 8:30 AM this Saturday, August 22, 2009.  Click here http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=12677 for detailed info.

I haven’t made much progress on the job front, but it’s always at the back of my mind.  I felt a sense of urgency with Dr. O’s order to “get a job”!  :)  My parents are so patient, and after all I’ve been through with leukemia, I know they want me to discover a career that will bring me joy and fulfillment.  They are not rushing me, and although part of me feels guilty, the other part is simply grateful.  Guilty because I should be exerting more energy in my search and grateful because they provide me with the opportunity to conduct a job search in a way that feels comfortable to me.  I know I am spoiled.

Last year at this time, a job was an abstract word that I put in the recesses of my mind so I could concentrate on getting well.  I know, you’re sick and tired of reading “last year at this time”, but tough!  I can’t help but compare and contrast.  So, to continue, last year at this time, I wasn’t worried about working.  I was thinking about surviving.  Mostly, I was worried about traveling far from my family and friends to get a transplant in Seattle.  I was nervous as I filled up boxes to mail out to myself at my new home, the “Pete Gross House”.  I made a tape of noises I might miss in Seattle:  the screen door shutting, Jamie and Guinness barking, katydids.  Would I ever hear them again?  Anticipation made me feel almost sick to my stomach.  But I went.  In some ways, it doesn’t seem so long ago.  Then I scan my blog, and I realize how many posts I wrote, how many pictures I took, how much better I now feel, and it appears as though many years passed since last August.

This August, I’m excited to go back to Seattle, my second home.  I’ve made a list of restaurants to visit, people to see, new places to explore.  In my head, I’m planning the outfits I will wear to the clinic for my four days of testing.  I’m hoping it will be chilly enough to don the new black coat I got in Falmouth.  I hope Carlo (remember, my neighborhood dog?) is outside “Paddy Coyne’s” so I can stop by and say hello.  I will relax by the huge fireplace in REI, I will enjoy a latte at “Vivace’s”.  We’ll buy some pumpkin bread at “Grand Central Bakery” on Eastlake.  We’ll go for a walk around Green Lake, watch the seaplanes come in on Lake Union, head over to University Village for a stroll through favorite stores.  We’ll head down to Pike Place Market to explore, we’ll search for outdoor events and adventures, and we’ll drive around the neighborhoods to admire the homes and the views.

Oh yah…and I’ll go to my follow-up visits too.

Lots of love to all you faithful readers out there,

Julie