Mid-January Update

It's been a while, so I figured it was about time for an update.

I've got high blood pressure. Not on my own, but my cyclosporine (my immuno-suppressive drug) has given it to me. As we taper the cyclo gradually, we should see my BP drop to more healthy levels. In the mean time, though, I've now got a BP medicine on board. We'll see how it works.

I need a goal for physical health/fitness right now to get me off of my butt and working out. A number on a scale has never been enough of a motivator for me. I really don't care if I weigh 190 or 220, as long as I and my doctors are convinced I'm healthy. So, here's what I've decided to work towards: I've decided to walk at least one, and possibly three half marathons this year. As a reminder to anyone who may be reading this and has forgotten, the myeloma has made my bones very, very brittle, so I'm not allowed to run...ever...unless my life depends on it from a safety standpoint. I'm currently considering the following:

• June 14 (Saturday) - Utah Valley Half Marathon - This one starts in the canyon and ends in Provo. Nice, gentle decline in elevation.
• August 16 (Saturday) - Park City Half Marathon - Starts and ends at the same location. 460 feet up and 460 feet down. This one's at a higher elevation, so it may be the toughest of the three, but it's still not very bad with elevation gain/loss.
• September 27 (Saturday) - Layton Half Marathon - The flattest of the three courses. Starts on the bridge to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, and ends in Layton.

The biggest challenge with doing these races is the logistics of it all. They all start in the morning, and with 5 kids, that can end up being a challenge on a Saturday. For example, the Utah Valley 1/2 requires that participants get on a bus from the finish line to the starting line by around 4:30am. That means I'd have to leave my home by about 3:00 in the morning to get there, sign in and be on the bus in time. That's no problem for me, but what about my family? I think the thing to do is to find at least one person to walk each race with me, preferably someone from the Salt Lake valley. That way, I can get to the race in time (with my walking buddy) and my family can come later to cheer us on along the course. Noelle wants to walk at least one with me, but that would mean that someone else would have to bring our kids to cheer us on. I'm not sure how we'll be able to do this all, but it's very important to me. Noelle and I were planning on doing the Layton one last year, and then my diagnosis came. Perhaps someone will read this and decide to walk one or more of these with me and the logistics element will go away. I don't know. I've started training pretty early. I walked 3.1 miles Tuesday morning in the "balmy" 44 degree weather. I need to do 2 miles today and begin a regimen that will have me ready (but not burnt out) come June. More details to follow as we get closer.

I've decided it's time to begin teaching voice lessons again. I was teaching before my diagnosis and loving it, but with the diagnosis, and specifically the stem cell transplants, I had to stop. I'm ready to get back on that horse again. I've developed a Facebook page (facebook.com/PhilpottVocalStudio) and website (philpottvocalstudio.wix.com/philpottvocal). In just a few days, I've gotten over 100 "Likes" on my Facebook page (still hoping for more...) and a couple students for voice lessons. I won't be doing this full-time. I'm just doing it (and not charging anywhere near what other voice teachers are charging) mostly for the creative outlet. We're going to convert Jenna's bedroom into my studio - probably this weekend if anyone wants to help us move the piano =0) - and building two bedrooms in what is now the upstairs entertainment/play room. That will probably/hopefully happen by the end of March. I have a basic floor plan ready for the upstairs conversion, but NONE of the know-how to do the work myself. Also, with the dust, etc from the construction, I think my doctors would have a cow if I were to attempt to do the work myself. It's just putting up a couple walls, two closets, and doing some electrical work. We also need someone who knows how to do tile to do the tile in our master bathroom so Noelle and I can move back upstairs. If anyone has any experience in either of those fields, or knows someone who does, please let us know. We'd love to get this done by the end of March, like I said. 

I'm feeling pretty dang good. My energy levels are good and I feel pretty healthy. I've battled a cold and also something new to me...Human Metapneumo Virus. the virus was only discovered in 2001, from what I've found online, and acts much like the common cold. The problem is it's closely linked to RSV, which is a bad one for me to get with no immune system. So, I've been very careful around others, 'cause I'm contagious, but also, I've been extra careful about not going anywhere where I could get worse. We're planning to take our family to Disneyland the final week of February - just over 5 weeks away!!! I can't afford a hospital stay which would possibly prevent me from going. Our tax return and income from the voice lessons I teach should pay for the trip with some money left over to help us pay for the renovation upstairs.

We traded in our beloved 2005 Chevy Suburban for a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan on New Year's Eve. The decision was purely logical (more legroom for the growing kids)/financial (lower cost of ownership every moth with HUGE gasoline savings, lower mileage, less maintenance/repairs, etc. I could see us driving to Disneyland with the Suburban that has over 96,000 miles on it and having it break down somewhere along the way. On the other hand, the Caravan has just over 35,000 miles on it, so the chances of a breakdown are minimal. Also, the Caravan is still under warranty til we hit 100,000 miles. We got AN AMAZING DEAL on the Caravan from Larry H. Miller Dodge in Sandy - I highly recommend you go see Nate there if you want/need a new car. Let him know John Philpott sent you, and he'll take extra special care of you... 

There's really not a lot else to discuss at this point. Things are slowly returning to a point where I feel more and more "normal" every day. The biggest challenge for me is remembering that I have NO IMMUNE SYSTEM. I still can't go where I want to go or do what I want to do. For example, all seven of us, along with my brothers David and Jeff and their families, have the Pass of All Passes from Seven Peaks. On this coming Monday, which the kids have off of school for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday observance, people with the Pass of All Passes can get into the Utah Grizzlies (minor league) hockey game FREE. I can't go. My whole family will be there except me. It sucks rotten eggs. I wanted to do a half marathon in Las Vegas in November, but I can't because there's nowhere for me to stay in a hotel because they're all germ-ridden, filthy holes. I have some friends in Vegas, but I can't expect them to clean their home to the degree that it would need to be cleaned for me to crash with them. I still can't shop where/when I want to shop or eat at restaurants at normal meal times. Life isn't easy, but it's a life. It's so much better than being six feet under, and I have to remind myself of that regularly to keep the proper perspective. Here's to being above ground. =0)