Blue hair

[Guest guest]

Hey Bob,

Remember when the old ladies used to put a blue rinse in their hair? Never

could figure that out, but I think you would look great with a " blue beard " as

long as you didn't have the old sailor's personality.

Yes, we traveled a lot of rough and crooked roads, but there were the fun times.

I think Bobby, Jerry, Len & Ernie, me and a few others can attest to that. As

Jerry said, we ate and drank our way around Houston. We met a lot of wonderful

people in the BMS trial when we stayed at apartments. They didn't all have CML,

some were there for heart transplants and some had different kinds of cancer,

but it was a warm community of people willing to take the challenge to try to

cure their cancers. Some didn't make it, but you saw the courage and grit.

It always seemed a lot easier if we had someone to travel that road with and if

you have a sense of humor, you can get through a lot of things much easier.

Even better is a great caregiver. I know some in our group traveled alone for

their clinical trials and Bobby is a prime example, living in apartments or

flying back and forth. We did, too, but I don't compare my case to Bobby's,

because I normally had Jimmy with me, unless he was in the hospital and then it

gave me time to reflect on how lucky I was to have him at my side.

Making you mix your own INF is the pits. I never had to do that or even mix the

HHT like Jackie did. I had a CVC and a pump for the HHT, but it was formulated

at MDACC every week, according to what my count was for the past week. When it

comes to courage, we have a lot of it here, with a capital " C " . It certainly

would be better to get a round of chemo every other week or every third week,

but please let someone else do the mixing. At the local oncology office, I got

to see first hand how they mixed the chemicals. Each week a different oncology

nurse did the mixing and it was in a closed in room with a huge vent to carry

the odor outside and I imagine it was quite toxic according to the warning

labels on the INF. While it was hell, I think most would agree that the

inconvenience and everything else that went with it did give us extra time. I

know what you mean about the INF fog, it never seems to lift, but is supposed to

last about 10 years after you cease taking it. Gives us a lot to look forward

to. LOL Keep chipping away, Bob, and we will be waiting to see your pictures

with blue hair. We'll even put it on YouTube for you.

Hands & hearts,

Lottie