Regular 4-month VA visit

Today was our every 4 months visit to the VA. The last time
we went, I didn't go, because I was in Rochester because of
Jeanne's death.

Robert checked out pretty well with everything. His white
count is up to 112,000, but it goes up so slowly that Dr.
Braun pointed out that young doctors get really alarmed
about that, but he has seen Robert-like patients that just
go on and on and the red count doesn't drop, as expected.
And likewise, Robert probably has prostate cancer, but it is
so slow-growing that something else is likely to be the
killer, neither the CLL nor the prostate cancer.

We had lunch at the museum, as usual. The place was mobbed
with school children to see the Titanic Exhibit for which we
did not have tickets. We didn't have time, either.

We returned in time for our 1 o'clock appointment and waited
until after 2 PM Dr. Braun was clearly upset; he made a
call and described a patient whom he expected to bleed to
death over night and later explained to us that race had
been an issue and that the patient's family and he had
lost trust and he didn't blame them. Other than that we
don't know, but it all sounded very tragic.

On our way home we stopped at Namaste and picked up a
temporary "mate" because ours had been declared faulty,
which Robert had decided long since. It is the vehicle that
communicates between the solar electronics and the computer.
They gave us a loaner and are ordering us a new one.

We then went to Orik and bought some bags for the vacuum
Robert uses to clean out soot from the furnace. We also
went to Barnes and Noble to get Tom Brokaw's latest book
about the 1960s, "Boom." The clerk asked if I wanted to
renew my membership and I said yes without checking the
price. It had been $15.00 last year. When she said I owed
$36.00 I questioned her and found the "membership" price was
$25.00 and the book was 10.00. I cancelled the membership
and took the book. The membership and coupons do add up,
but somehow the $25.00 really stunned me.

When we got home I had a message from Dr. Ho. The biopsy
was back from my skin caner and I have to come back to
discuss further treatment. I know, or hope, I'm wrong, but I
don't think it is basil cell because of where it is. I'll
call in the morning to make an appointment. I really fear
it is melanoma.

The good news is that I received my Amazon order for three more of the Diane Gabaldon series books, real bodice rippers which are great escapist literature.