Lucky Bugs!

The minute B got home the other day, he rushed upstairs to tell me this tale.  While shopping in Wally World (I know!!!) he saw a beleaguered dragon fly resting on a box piled with others in the aisle from which a gentleman  was removing items as he stocked the shelves.  Well, in Morris Land, an endangered dragon fly or turtle will never do.  You may remember these stories of Sally: Inauspicious Beginnings  and  Sally the Loggerhead Turtle.  And of course there is the story of the dragon fly: Ratties and Hope

Since all of that is a given, B enlisted the aid of the unsuspecting fellow stocking shelves, and one of his boxes, in shooing the poor critter aboard so that B could anxiously march him outside to freedom.  (I need to ask if the ticket checker at the exit required a receipt!!!)  B reports that the fly looked quite sad indeed, with his legs all akimbo and wings hanging rather limply.  However, with a bright smile on his face, B finished up, "But, once I got him outside, and he saw a tree....BZZZZZZZ!  He just took off!!"

Here he paused to proudly show me this pic!!!

That man cracks me up!!!  I told him he probably unleashed the most amazing dragon fly ever, who had been facing his doom in the frozen nether regions of the Walmart freezer, having been shipped over from Brazil, but now rescued and released, will attack all Zika carrying mosquitoes and save the world from pestilence!!!!

In other news, if you hadn't caught it buried in the "Happy Anniversary" post, I got the results of my scans and remain clear of melanoma, almost to the day I had my first melanoma excised in 2003.  So, I can repeat, with the confirmation of CT's of the neck, chest, abd and pelvis with an MRI of my brain that I am...

156 months (13 YEARS!!!!) post my original melanoma diagnosis in 2003 at age 39
76 months Stage IV (more than 6 years!!!)
70 months NED
68 months after starting nivo (Opdivo)
38 months (more than 3 years) since my last nivo infusion in June of 2013

I attained my lab results as well and my thyroid, adrenal glands, kidneys, and liver all remain in good working order.  The fact that I am cold has NOTHING to do with my thyroid function and EVERYTHING to do with people who keep the air conditioning set too low!!!!  I am not at all anemic with my hemoglobin much better than it ever was during my trial.  Not sure if that had anything to do with my Opdivo treatment.  I suspect it had a lot more to do with incredibly frequent blood draws involving fairly significant quantities of blood as well as blood cell damage from leukophoresis!  Whatever the reason, I'll take it.  My LDH is the low side of normal (118 with norms of 117-242).  For grins and giggles we also had a lipid profile done.  My cholesterol level was not something I had particularly cared about when I figured I was going to die from melanoma, but thought perhaps at this point I should have it checked after all.  There was a little mix up in the processing of it, so last night when I got home from work, I found this note at my desk:

I know who to get to write my "condition of health" letter when I run for president!!!!

I laughed and laughed.  For all that I do exercise and eat healthily, B works much harder and more dedicatedly than I.  And while he does not need cholesterol drugs or anything close, I have to say, I think he was a little jelly!!!

For reference, here's a little primer on a lipid profile:
Total cholesterol measures all the cholesterol in all the lipid particles.  Less than 200 is good.
High density lipoproteins (HDL) is the cholesterol in the HDL particles and is called the "good" cholesterol because it carries excess cholesterol to the liver for removal.  40 and above is good.
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) as you might expect is the cholesterol in the LDL particles and is the "bad" cholesterol as it is the part that can build up in the walls of blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis.  Less than 100 is good.  Less than 70 is better.
Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), also called triglycerides.  These fatty bits help store calories and give you energy, as well as help build cells and hormones, however, they also contribute to hardening of the arteries as they ferry other lipoproteins around.  Less than 150 is best.


All in all, like the dragon fly, I too, am a lucky bug.  Thanks for listening.  I hope you laughed. It has been a tremendously hard time for many of my melanoma peeps lately.  It feels weird to write of my good fortune sometimes, but perhaps it will shine a small light, a little glimmer of hope, for those in need. Thanks to B and all of you who take such good care of me.  Love, laughter and hope to you all. - les

PS....I just got...TODAY....a letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield (Via eviCore...ANOTHER middle man in their lovely system!!) stating they have approved my request for an MRI of my brain.  Today.  My scans were done on the 25th!  Freaks.

PSS....If you would like the gift of a big laugh of pure silliness and joy!  If you are a woman over 30...and even if you are not...you've got to check out Jeanne's blog post from today:  ...or just me... amen!     I actually LOOOOVE some of the outfits.  Fly your freak flag high, my ladies.  AND give no shits!!! - c