Lose 2 lb Over MLK weekend

That's right!  Eat what you want.  No exercise involved. How?  Give blood!  Please donate not just for Harry, but for all children who need blood.  Our synagogue is sponsoring a blood drive next week.

From the Kesher Israel website

MLK Weekend Blood Drive for Children
   

Honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by doing a mitzvah on MLK Weekend!

Kesher Israel will be hosting a blood drive forChildren's National Medical Center in honor of Harry Weinstein on Sunday, January 18. From 9am-2pm, the CNMC bloodmobile will be parked right outside of Kesher, making it easy and convenient for you to give blood and help save a life. 

To make an appointment to donate, click here.  Appointments are required, so please register early!  Another blood drive is scheduled for Sunday, May 3rd.

Snow Day

Gardenfest

I don't know why I let Harry go to school yesterday.  He had spent the weekend with a low grade fever, headaches, neck pain and nausea.  But it was Monday morning, first day back and beginning of exam week.  I should have told him not to worry about exams.  I should have let him sleep till 10.  When I picked him up at 145 for his clinic appointment, he collapsed in the car.  He lay sleeping in the chair in the waiting room for over an hour.  He slept through the exam.  But was awake for chemo.  And beat me in 5 rounds of boggle.

Harry has had a grueling two weeks.  This is considered the toughest part of treatment.  We are still in Round 4, Delayed Intensification.  When medications have the word toxic in the name, you know it won't be easy.  These last 2 weeks he has been on cytoxin, thioguanine, Ara-C, methotraxate, vincrytine & Erwinnia. The Ara-C had nurses coming by 3 days a week during break.  And our dedicated team even came by Christmas Day &  New Year's Day.  So we were home bound during break.  And Erwinnia means 3 days per week at the hemonc clinic.

Harry also had 2 lumbar punctures, a spinal tap where meds go in.  As you may recall, he stopped using any anesthesia for this.  Most patients go to sleep and wake up with it complete.  Harry hates the after effect of anesthesia and has foregone it for the last 3 months.   Last Tuesday, the procedure did not go well.  He usually goes in chatty and comes back ready for lunch.  But last Tuesday he returned pale.  He felt a cold icy rush down his femur.  Something that he never experienced as the pain is usually spinal.  He then passed out and slept deeply, the after trauma deep sleep.  This was my worst day since July.  You think you know it all.  You've adjusted.  This is your new reality.  And then you get scared again.  And worry about the what ifs.

All was not entirely glum.  At the start of break we decided to take a quick weekend away, to Richmond.  Loaded with expert advice from my friend Lora Spiller, we crammed a lot in to make certain we Harry had a small break.  Best Chinese of our lives at Peter Chengs! (coming to Rockville in March) Black Sheep for brunch.  Toured the VMFA and the Museum of the Confederacy.   We even stopped into the Jefferson, saw the stairs used in Gone With The Wind (yes - THE Stairs) and looked at their archives.  Gardenfest - one the the best light displays in the country!  The kids loved it and posted tons of photos on Instagram (the thing they do to signal approval.)  And for those who remember A.V.'s, their son has taken the recipes and opened Edo's Squid.  Probably the best Italian food I have had outside South Philly.  Heading out we drove up Monument Boulevard, and toured Beth Ahabah, a congregation 250 years old, and stopped by Sugar Shack for a last treat.  

The Christmas tree is made of bicycles!

At least today is a snow day.  He's sleeping on the sofa.