PACKER (pitty) PARTY - Day 63

I hoped this post would be stanza after stanza gloating about the Green Bay Packers playoff win and my anticipation of the next week's NFC Championship championship game at Lambeau Field. Alas, the San Francisco 49ers had other plans - or rather - Green Bay's special teams had others plans...The crushing loss (which I feel slightly less bad about considering that Aaron Rodgers really is a jerk, and karma caught up with him this week) shall not overshadow the epic pre-gaming, food, and game-day fun had on Friess Lake.

After a long hiatus from hanging out with the parents, Jim and Sherry made their return. We had to pull out all the stops to make up for lost time.

We began with a walk across our own FROZEN TUNDRA (Friess Lake). Sported our patching Packers hats as a family, introduced Milly to the joys of walking and running of a playground of frozen water and snow.

Following sunset on the lake, we enjoyed Wisconsin-style Bloody Mary's, Chicken Wings and Vegan Chicken wings, played a rousing round of Code Names, prepared home-made pizzas, built a fire, and prepared for kick-off!

We played squares in additional to rooting for our Pack. Jim won quarters 1&2, Sherry quarter 3, and Jessy quarter 4. No wins for Raj. No wins for the Pack. However I can say that fun was definitely had by all!

Another Packer seasons in the books. Aaron Rodgers is a heck of a quarter back, even if he's less than stellar has a human being. Probably his last game with the Packers, and as is always the case, there's always another season - and I'll be a DIEHARD Packer fan for life!!!

Health Update:

Reminded that most of you read this blog not for my sports commentary, but to follow the progress of this whole Bone Marrow Transplant recovery journey!! Lots of updates today:

• I'm having surgery on Monday, January 31st to repair a hernia they found at the very beginning of my transplant. This is mostly good news, as it means they are confident I can recover from the procedure. However to aid in the surgery being super easy, I'm back on a liquid diet for the next week to shrink my liver...Hello clear liquids for the next 7 days!

• I seemed to have a developed a strange diabetic type blood glucose situation - but they aren't exactly sure what's going on. Its quite common for patients with Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant to develop diabetes within a year of a transplant, but not at all common if you've had an Autologous Transplant like me...So it's a bit of a mystery. I'm starting a new medication tomorrow to see if helps regulate things. Side note: American health insurance companies are the ABSOLUTE WORST! 8 days of arguing back and forth, and they still have refused to cover this medication my doctors insist I need! So I've paid what some people pay in rent to cover it out of pocket while this mess is sorted out. You shouldn't need to be an expert in advocacy and campaigning to navigate your own health - but in America that's what you need. Watch out United Healthcare, I'm coming for you...In the meantime - I can't get the jingle of O-O-O-O-Ozempic out of my head. This drug is clearly so damn expensive because every other commercial on television is them advertising it with their impossible to forget jingle.

• ANC count is up to 755! That's good progress. Platelets still too low but climbing. All eyes for me are hoping the doctors feel comfortable enough for me to go out at celebrate my Dad's 70th Birthday on February 26th. The countdown begins!

What's Entertaining Us:

• Sucked in to Station Eleven

• A very fulfilling episode of CBS Sunday Morning on this frigid SUNDAY AM. Really appreciate Jane Pauley's jewelry today, and the interview with Christine Brazansky.

• The laughably bad Green Bay Packers Special Team

• Watching Full size trucks and snowmobiles zoom across Friess Lake

What I'm grateful for:

• On Friday, after a tough-ish Dr's appointment, spending the afternoon walking by the shores of Lake Michigan with my Mom, enjoying Hot Chocolate from Colectivo, followed by a few games of scrabble and my parents house. (My mom won all the games)

• Another beautiful slice of the Ice-Age Trail (Cedar Lake segment)

• Finding a bit of bougie, hippy crunchiness in rural Wisconsin (We managed to get Raj a green smoothies, avocado toast, and vegan chicken wings yesterday).

• Texting with Ben's best buddies during the Packer Game, and loving how they can immediately evoke and share exactly what Ben's reaction would be to every plan. Love ya Mitz, Bilsky, and Josh!!