Phil's Vacation: Day +4

More pickles and more great company. I also watched Invictus which I found inspirational, but probably more made for viewing in the theaters. The quote that stuck out the most from Mandela during the movie was, "Forgiveness liberates the soul..." In America it seems like we are quick to blame, slow to apologize and very few times do we reach forgiveness. So let's make sure we teach our children how to dominate forgiveness.

My Lower half ain't so happy

Yesterday my labs confirmed that I am officially neotropenic...meaning my white blood cell count (WBC) is close to zero. What that means is I get to wear a sweet mask if I go out into public and that I avoid every sick person like the black plague.

It's been months since I have had any side effects or issues with treatments. I am currently dealing with a couple of issues that make me realize that on the MM path, remember to count your blessings when things are "normal."

First, I feel like this whole experience has brought me to appreciate the hard work of all the pregnant women who have gone before, are pregnant or will one day take the plunge. Sometimes I feel like a pregnant woman, although our house probably is only big enough for one pregnant lady at a time.

Here are two recent pain points:

1. Lower Back Pain - I was warned of bone pain with the neupogen shots, which I shrugged off after 4 days of taking shots with no side effects. Yesterday was different. I have a shocking pain that comes in waves in my lower back. I have no clue what back labor feels like, but I think this is the closest that I will ever get to it.
2. Fissures - Hopefully this isn't too much information for you to take with you into your weekend, my apologies if it is. The only relief I can get from this excruciating pain is when I think of Jerry Stiller's comment in Zoolander: "It stings me like a fissure in my a**". Again, I will never feel the pain of childbirth, but shoot, every morning I am reminded that childbirth is not for me!