Day 19

Things have settled into a new normal routine. Vlad goes to M.D. Anderson every morning to have his blood tests and have fluids infused, usually for 4-5 hours. I drop him off and pick him up. On New Year's Day, I went to work downtown during his time. It worked pretty well. Saturday I came home and slept. Today, I came home and did chores. Karina, my sweet cleaning princess, came today to do the stuff I hate, namely floors and bathrooms. It helps take the edge off the mountain of stuff that piles up during such times.

Vlad is doing very well (knock on wood). His numbers continue to be normal (which is to say they move around a lot, but so far not into a bad area). He has not needed any transfusions and he's so far avoided infections (please knock on wood again). This schedule will continue for another week and a half. Then whatever they decide will change things again, we hope that means he can get fluids at home.

Oh, and he shaved his head. It looks awesome!

New Year's Eve we Skyped the Nezhinskys and toasted them "virtually" with champagne, which was pretty amusing. We had a little bit of food on the table. New Year's Day, Friday, we ate black-eyed peas and our friends Lana and John stopped by with takeout food that was tasty.

Saturday, I hit the farmer's market and got some satsumas and yard eggs. Then got more groceries at Central Market. We finally have groceries in the house. Then last evening, Linda and Terry came from Beaumont and brought a whole New Year's dinner with them: a divine roast pork, cabbage with sour cream and caraway seed, black-eyed peas with pico de gallo, and the most amazing corn bread. We had a lovely feast.

Today it's been nose-to-the-grindstone with laundry, work, dishes. We're going out to eat tonight; it's been a long time since we were able to do that. Happy New Year, indeed!