RBC Regeneration Confirmation Coincides With My Girlfriend's Visit

First the good news, my reticulocyte count is in and I am officially regenerating new red blood cells (RBCs). For those of you may be reading my blog for the first time, new RBCs are called reticulocytes. So far, my response is not as exuberant as my dad would like, but it is certainly a good start! As my medications do their job of suppressing my immune system from destroying my RBCs, my bone marrow should start to produce more of reticulocytes. Another blood test going to the lab today will show if I am producing a higher number of reticulocytes and the extent to which my RBC level is dropping. Hopefully, my reticulocyte count will be more abundant and my RBCs will have minimally dropped. Now the bad news, my RBC level has continued to decline. Even though we know that I am regenerating new red blood cells, they may not be produced rapidly enough to replace those my immune system has already destroyed. We’ll see how I feel over the next day or so, as my overall energy will improve as I churn out more RBCs. At least I am still eating with a good appetite, drinking lots of water, and passing well formed bowel movements. I was so lucky to have my girlfriend, Lucia, come over the house today for a sleepover. Lucia is my only true girlfriend and I always love to spend time with her. We used to get together more frequently than we currently do, as we lived a short dash across a conjoining balcony from each other. I remember the first time we interacted, as she came running into our condo through the open sliding glass door. My dad’s potted plants provided enough of a barrier to prevent me from leaving my dad's porch, but Lucia easily bypassed such obstacles. She ran right into our living room as if to announce her presence in our lives. I really appreciate the emotional support she lends me in my time of sickness, as I want to be better so that we can run and play together again! I am glad that we had a short play date to the park (see above picture), even though all I had the energy to do was sit on the warm, cement bench.