Emerging

My young son's class planted emporer tulips last fall with the Journey North migration program on the internet. They have a plot outside their school and a plot on the internet map where they can observe the budding and blooming of tulips all up the east coast. I had the opportunity to witness their excitement a week ago as they went checked their garden plot for 'emerging' tulips. This was the new word for the day: emerging. We counted 28 tulips leaves pushing through the soil. What excitement. I drove home to quickly scan my own garden and found not a single tulip leaf twisting in the soil. Now THIS week, I am happy to say we are 'emerging' also. We counted one tulip, one greening primrose and a small clump of narscissus or daffodils and what may be one hyacynth pushing up in the garden. My excitement almost eclipsed that of the kindergarten class. Further announcement of spring will come when the garden is in full bloom.

On the health side of life, my red blood counts are 'emerging' into a much healthier glow, but my white blood count is still struggling. Waiting until April 1 for my next scheduled appointment will mean a six week break since my last treatment. Since this appears to be a result of having received so much chemo compounded by the flu, I don't know when I will be able to tolerate treatment again, if the milder maintenance treatment will be sufficient or if a more toxic dose will be required to reduce tumor growth and if I will be able to withstand a full dose of chemotherapy again. Not much of a note to end on, but that is where I find myself at the time being.