A Somewhat Serious Note

As most of you know if you come here on any kind of regular basis, blogging is an important outlet for me. It's a great place to blow off steam. I guess I hadn't realized how important it was until I couldn't do it.

I've been going through a little personal stress that I couldn't write about here.

One reason I couldn't write about it was that I hadn't told my family and I had to hold my tongue. Now you know how close I am to my parents and sisters and sons so that was hugely stressful too.

But now I can vent here because SB helped me tell my sister Jen, his BFF. Tomorrow morning we will tell my parents, they are still in the cottage and by the weekend I will tell Grace. (Deb & Gen - if you are here, zip your lips!)

About six weeks ago during a routine physical I was found to have some strange test results. Further testing has produced a preliminary diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. There is still further testing taking place to confirm the diagnosis and stage the disease.

Right now they are quite hopeful that my case is asymptomatic and we will just watch it. This is known as a smoldering case and half of all smoldering cases never go any further. However, there is the chance that it is Stage 1 and my doctor likes to go at these cases aggressively. I am relatively young (only 1/3 of MM cases are diagnosed in people under 65 and I am 47) and otherwise healthy. If he seeks treatment it will likely be a bone marrow harvest, followed by a round of chemo and then my pheresed bone marrow will be given back to me.

This changes some things and some things remain the same. Should you be lucky enough to see me, I will expect you to act no differently than any other time that the goddess of the Naval Blogging Strike Force graces you with her presence.

I am young and healthy. Boston is the center of the medical world as well as the hub of the universe. I will be fine.

I am relieved to be able to vent here. Boy did I want to come out here and whine about the bone marrow biopsy last Tuesday! I told the Armorer and SWWBO that I had never been on a farm, but I knew what it felt like to be kicked in the ass by a mule!

So I will still scream and yell about my Bad Boyfriend. I will still profess my adoration for Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch and the CNO and Admiral Keating. I will still try to help you all understand that Boston is the most important place on earth. But for a while I will actually be more self-absorbed than usual. I know, you didn't think that was possible....but it is.