Well, that was interesting!

I had my quarterly oncology check-up with Dr. DaSilva yesterday. I am still "clean." I finally said "enough!" with the wacko blood pressure readings I've been getting on my legs since the surgeries, and braved having it taken on my arm. Voila! It's normal! Hooray! No more speculation about whether I have coincidentally developed high blood pressure along with breast cancer, it's been human or machine error all along. I don't think I'll make it a habit (I am still inordinately terrified of lymphedema in the arms as a result of the harvesting of axillary lymph nodes), but it was nice to know that I am indeed not crazy, at least in the matter of blood pressure readings.

I then spent two hours with the genetics counselor, Debbie, who painstakingly walked me through the minefield of BRCA 1 & 2 testing implications. Everyone in the medical community is so darned pussy-footy about this subject, and I lose patience. I either have the mutation or I don't, and it seems to me that knowing which, is critical to my own peace of mind--not to mention protecting my children and nieces with that foreknowledge. But apparently, some people really don't want to know. Or, feel guilty if they have the gene mutation (what is the point of that)? And there are many legal implications, and papers to be signed, and butts to be covered. Sigh. Take the blood already. Send it off. Let's get this show on the road.

In more important news, I started knitting my first hat! Working on circular needles was scary at first, but it is starting to look like a real piece of headgear! Today at class, I will find out how to end it (it has to narrow down at the top so it doesn't look like total dork-wear), and I want to make sure I'm doing that right, but I am thrilled to break out of my rectangular knitting habit and tackle a new challenge. I will post pix later.

And, our friend Ray arrived late last night on his cross-country drive from Northern California. I was deep in the arms of Morpheus, so I didn't hear him come in...he made the drive in a record 3 days. He and I will be painting his newly acquired rental house this week and next.

It's all good.