Expiration dates...

Do you pay any attention to expiration dates?
I do and I don't.
I don't when I'm just "general" grocery shopping, but I always go to the markdown bin to see if there are any super deals and mostly the super deals are items that have past their expiration date and so if something catches my eye I'll check the expiration date...just because and chances are 99 out of a 100 that if it's somethin' I need or can use I'll buy it.
Then there's the "used meat department" which is TIPPETTSPEAK for the meat markdown bin. I even know which store has the deepest markdowns and I go there once or twice a week  mid morning to check out the "deals."

Wellst, I've had a different kind of expiration date experience...

You see, even though I now consider myself a cancer survivor I still have Multiple Myeloma and always will. They cannot eradicate all the Multiple Myeloma cells in my bone marrow because in order to do that they would have to kill off all my bone marrow and that wouldn't bode well for me living.
So, the plan is...subject to change as has taken place throughout this adventure which started 3/17/10 when I was diagnosed...that I be on this chemo drug Revlimid for the next 2.8 years and I'm assuming they'll have some new treatment regimen for me tho keep the cancer at bay.
When first diagnosed they were considering a bone marrow transplant and that would give me "up to 5 years".
Then they decided that I qualified for a Stem Cell Transplant and they could give me from 5 to 10 years...I'll take it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last Monday I went down to the University of Colorado Hospital for my monthly check up, was able to see my main Oncologist Dr. Lee and after going over my blood test results for the past bunch of months, and my response to the treatment plans he had prescribed for my, mostly administered by Dr. McFarland up here, that he could safely give me 10 to 20 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My expiration date has just been extended!!!!!

That's the good news.
The bad news is two fold.
First, I'm gonna have a recurrence of Myeloma, but "not to worry" because that's why they harvested and then froze extra stem cells when I had my transfusion so that I did have a "relapse" I wouldn't have to go through the gruelingnesss of another harvest.
Second, the chances are if I don't watch out and keep myself fit, away from people who are not well...he didn't specify mental or physical or both..., and keep myself warm not inviting a cold that as someone with a history of pneumonia I'm prone to contracting and a cold can rapidly turn into pneumonia and that is what probably will kill me.
So hence, my expiration date has been extended with conditions.

He gave me a flu shot and sent me on my merry way saying, "See you in a month."

Next post I'll get into the Revlimid story...