Big Mileage

You are looking at a photo I took yesterday of my 2000 Lexus RX 300's odometer. Moments after I captured this image, the odometer turned to 200,000 miles.

I must say that it has been a well-tuned, smooth-riding, low maintenance love affair with this car. It started as a 3 year lease in New Mexico in 2000.

After the first year of the lease, we moved to Michigan. And I started putting lots of mileage -- too much mileage -- on the car because we...live...so...far...from...anywhere.

Because I exceeded the mileage limit, I needed to "purchase" the car at the end of the lease. So I've been driving this car for 10 years!

On another note, I've met my goal of 10,000 steps again today by walking with my neighbor along the Milford Bike Trail. I've done 10,000 steps a day for the past week. It's the equivalent of walking over 4 miles a day.

Gil is doing well. He had a liver biopsy this past week to determine how to treat his elevated liver enzymes. We got the results on Friday at our appointment. It definitely is caused by graft vs. host disease (GVHD) and it's going to be treated with an additional immunosuppressive drug -- Sirolimus -- added to his current regimen.

The elevation of liver enzymes is also due to ferritin (iron) overload which is the result of the many blood transfusions Gil received during the acute phase of his leukemia. The treatment is every other week phlebotomy at the clinic to take red blood cells out of the circulation until the condition normalizes.

It's all very treatable.

And now a report on the Raff kids:

Adam and Laura are enjoying Laura's birthday weekend at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort and Spa. They've had a tough week. They had made arrangements with a venue and photographer for a wedding date in late September only to find out that it will not be feasible given Adam's third year medical school limitations. He cannot have that weekend off -- it's in between one rotation and the next! Back to the drawing board.

Evan is being a good brother and is dog-sitting Bodhi at Adam and Laura's apartment this weekend.

Marika drove down to LA this afternoon to spend the weekend with Evan -- and Bodhi!

The three day weekend is a good long one for all of us.

Haiku:

Haiti in crisis

Remembering MLK

So much emotion.