Hello from Arkansas

Or should I say "howdy."

We got here Tuesday night and ate a great pizza at Damgoode Pies. One of the things I miss around here.

Yesterday was a verrrrry long day. Went to the hospital at 5AM to have my port accessed. I didn't want half a dozen blood draws, IV inserts, etc. After that it was a 6AM PET scan, 8:30AM visit with the research nurse here, 9:30AM x-rays, 10AM EKG, 11AM check-in at the MRI and after two hours in a tube with long banging noises, a celebratory late lunch at Whole Hog BBQ. Then I worked until around midnight.

Today, we do bone marrow. A bit less hectic than yesterday.

I have seen a couple of very young people here on this trip, including a girl yesterday who looked like she cannot have been older than 25.

I also met, on the flight from Dallas to Little Rock, a woman who completed Total Therapy 1 in 1996. Almost fourteen years later, she has no trace of the disease. And she did not have the benefit of thalidomide, revlimid or velcade. Basically she had old chemotherapy (probably VAD) and two transplants. And no maintenance therapy other than perhaps dex. Remarkable proof that people are being cured.

My appointment with BB is on Friday -- will report what I learn!