Poshshorty...I have not ever received a scam email while here. Could you tell us what it involved? Did they ask for money or something? I agree it is a shame if this is the case. I know you can report this, but not sure to whom.

I reported it and they are banned now thank goodness. they were saying that their husband died and left her a bunch of money and now she only has 3 months to live and needed someone to leave the money to. it is normally an email but this was on here via pm. beware everyone.

Wow, everyone has so much going on all at once. Went to the doctor Tuesday and HMG is now up to a 12.4. I am very happy and feel better. In the past I never get higher than this though so I am making the most of it.

Chris, sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. Hope doctor is able to give you something to help with the pain and especially hoping you make your trip. You have such strong determination and a great spirit that I know you will make it thru this tough time.

Posh, I think your Dad is very wise and has recognized what is best for him. It is very hard to watch our loved ones struggle with illness. Stay strong and know you are in our prayers.

Jules, sorry to hear that the BMT is on hold but you are right in that it gives you more time to process. Keep writing and speaking up about how you feel.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying each day. Life is what you make of it so Live, love, and enjoy!

LaDawn

Happy Father's Day to all the father's and father figures!

LaDawn

Dear All,
The last week has been pretty miserable. I was in great pain from Bursitis, and as each painkiller did not work my dosage was increased to something higher or stronger. It certainly made the pain go, but I was in a pretty poor way, with dizziness,feeling very unwell, memory slipping, vomiting, and talking rubbish. I caled the GP's after hours service, and the locum would come at 1.05 am, 4 hours later. I rang the hospital who are supposed to deal with people with Dysprasia and Leukaemia, but they had no beds and could not help. I rang the Ambulance service, but they could do nothing, except ask me what I did want them to do, butr I did not know, I just wanted to feel better, saner and lerss sick, and have no pain.
Apparently it was a morphine product that was making me go mad.
I am now off that stuff, taking anti sick pills, and all the other stuff I take as normal. Have seen the General Practitioner Doctor this morning, and she has stopped all the morphine products and having now had 36 hours without any, I am recovering.

Did think though I was about to drown, and drowning is not the best of deaths!

Attention, Leaky |Navy.....be careful!

Love to all.
Chris.

Hi All

Thought you might find the below amusing. Its about how to fix a leaky boat. Take out the boat terminology and it sounds awfully like having MDS. I do wish that using a pump or simply bailing water out would be the cure for MDS.

Obviously, you have a faulty seam somewhere on your boat. Finding it may be near impossible, but with time and patience, and very close observation, you can find it. The leak sounds so slow though, I'd say 'why bother?' and just get a bilge pump or simply bail the water out occasionally with a small bucket juanitodelgrande's How to fix a leaky boat Yahoo Answers

Im struggling again with the fainting spells. I find them quite frightening as my pulse rate is incredibly slow when they occur. The fatigue is manageable. Trying desperately to find away to not let this distress me. Humour seems to be the only way that I can get through each fainting episode.

Rachael

Chris and Rachael, how scary for you!

Chris, you must have literally been at your wit's end when all this was happening. So is Bogota still on?

Rachael, these fainting spells could be so dangerous. Do you drive? Do your Drs have any idea what is happening? I'm a great believer in using humor in most situations, but sheesh, I'd be hard-pressed to do it in your case!

LaDawn, 12.4 is practically a miracle! I'm so happy that you are doing well.

Hey all,

Chris - sorry to hear about the ongoing "stuff". I've been on the morphine before and didn't like it either though it was for other things not this. Hope everything stabilizes and they can give you something to travel with. It's always hard to take one's mind off of the leak so they can see some of the possible solutions.

Rachel - I don't know what your fainting spells are like but I get what I call the woozies fairly regular. They usually come when I stand up, or get out of the car to walk somewhere or sometimes just "cause". For me I am on blood thinners and aspirins and blood pressure meds for the ole ticker so my blood pressure stays down in the 110/65 range most of the time. Sometimes it drops a bit lower and the "woozies" say howdy. I just find a non-moving :-) object to lean on for a minute or three and they go away. Hope that helps understand what you might be having.

Last week and this weekend were the week after chemo week and usually the worst for fatigue. Part of the family with my grandson and brand new grand daughter came in last Tuesday and left today then my daughter and her two near teenager kids came in for the weekend. It's very quiet around here right now LOL LOL. Papa feels a big nap coming on.

Hope everyone had a great Father's day and that all of you/us have a great week.
Mike

OMG - Chris - Knock it off! Straighten up and fly right! Seriously, you must have been scared to death but nothing a couple of pints of ale won't cure (says Lou). Please keep us posted and

Rachael - I hope mikeytj pegged it right and your fainting spells are just a case of low blood pressure...but do be careful.

Lou and I drove to Dayton, Washington with others from our car club to attend a fun car show. He won first place in the 1940's Modified classification for his '41 Studebaker. Wow - he was surprised.

Have a great week everyone!

Gayle & Lou Najera

To all my loved ones, leaky naviy captains and first mates, crew and pressed men, Howdo partners?

Recovering thank good ness, from one of the wmost scary episodes of my life. I thought determination had let me down, but it was onl;y the stiff prescribed to make me better. Don NOt rely of junk medicines, but stick to your determination and go through the thick and the thin.
We are rebooked to fly London - Atlants, Atlanta _Bogota on Sunday 4th July, which is some date that is apprently important because you beat the Injuns or some other lovely set of people, cannot remeber which. So as I fly through American Air, I will blow all of you with the misfortune to live there a wet kiss each, so if you feel at any time that a seagull or pidgeon has wet your head, don't worry, its me, and I am not contagious. Repeat Blood transfusion next week, to top me up,and away we go. Have enough medecines to see me through 8 weeks away, cos I cannot afford the prices for drugs in Colombia, all imported from the USA at ridiculously high prices. Though in fairness, it will be half a suitcase of drugs, 3 pairs of socks and a bikini. Weight keeps dropping, so I have a vast number of clothes to take to my Colombian Tailor for alterations. I need at least 6 to 8 inches out of my trousers, and some jackets. People see less of me, but they like it that way, so am happy to oblige.

"Nil illegitimae carborundum" Do not let the bastards grind you down.

I will try asnd post some pics from Bogota, and will be on line as often as possible, 2 or 3 times per week.

Bi bi.
Chris.

Way to go Chris, I'm delighted to see in you the proof that it's the positive of life every day vs the negative of this crap that we all share that allows us to "not let the ....... grind us down".

I hopy your trip is fantastic and that as you head south towards Columbia you will be high enough to blow one of those positive filled wet kisses the far to many folks in TX with this and other junk like it.

We might live in leaky boats but your proof that the faster we paddle that boat the less chance it has to sink.

God Bless and have tons of fun.

Mike

Yeah good one Mike. Good on you Chris matey! I think I am starting to do the same (paddling faster). I have started an Animal Care course and it's something I've always loved and wanted to do. So I'm not just going to sit around waiting for my flesh to fail!!! However, I was responsible and spoke to someone about my low platelets and practical work experience with the animals. And they still didn't kick me out of the course! Which I'm so glad about.

So it seems I'm committed to stay here in the cow country at least for the next 6 months. And then I want to move back to Brisbane. But for now, BMT is not in my thoughts.

Pick up those ores!!!! And paddle for our lives...

xx Jules

Way to go Chris!!! You won't be flying over Illinois on your way to Columbia so need for me to worry. There is no need to tell you to enjoy your trip because we all know you will.
I was supposed to go back to MD Anderson for my monthly chemo, blood work, etc. but that has been changed to July 13. I will meet with the stem cell transplant coordinator to see if either of my sisters are a match for me and if not put my in the national data base for a transplant. My doctor said I am not ready to consider a transplant but this will be out of the way if and/or when the time comes that I might need one. We have had a good laugh because my doctor told me that my chromosones and DNA will all change. One of my sisters is a little cranky and high strung and the other is very low key and wouldn't say "poop" if she had a mouth full. I am somewhere in the middle between the two but found it interesting that this could be true. It has been 3 months July 24 since I have had a blood transfusion and hope to make it well past that time before I have another. The last two transfusions have been 3 months apart. I am getting short of breath and have the heart palpatations but I am going to wait until the last possible moment to give in to one. I really don't think it's that bad yet so I will get my blood work done in Illinois since I won't be going back to Texas for about another 3 weeks. I have been on oral Vidaza for 15 months for a week every 28 days, so it is a little scary to go this long without my chemo. It will be interesting to see what my blood counts are after going 6 weeks without my chemo. There are some days that I have to paddle my boat harder than others. Today was a good day and we went shopping with my daughter and my three youngest grandkids. They are 2, 4 and 8 years old and the two youngest are boys who had not had naps. Needless to say, we were ready to get out of the mall and head home.
I hope everyone is feeling okay and enjoying these nice, sunny, warm days that we are having here in Illinois.

Aw, you guys, I got a chuckle out of all your posts. Chris found his mind again, Jules got smart & started doing something she loves to do, Mike has the right idea about paddling our boat, & Susan--well, thank goodness she's not like her poopy sister!

Had my latest blood draw & Aranesp shot this afternoon. Counts are okay, down a touch. Platelets went down quite a bit; not sure what it means, but I'm still within normal range, so not to worry.

July 4, I will be standing around waiting for a sloppy wet kiss from the skies--our cap'n, as he flies off to Bogota.

Oh, Chris? Don't take the bikini, I don't care how little room it takes in your suitcase. If you're like H, with his weight loss, you perhaps have some loose flesh hanging around. And I'm not talking about THAT...

Dear Leaky Boat Navy,

Chris - good one old boy. Great post and glad to have you back among the leadership ranks of our unique navy!

Sharon - I couldn't have said it better...you ROCK and pegged Chris just right. I second the notion...leave that bikini at home Chris. You don't want to scare the natives!

Lou's blood sugar is down to 142 tonight. We're hoping to get into a better diet routine...as we both want to lose weight. This just may be what the doctor ordered.

Lou & Gayle