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Arriving at NIH

We've all arrived at NIH. This time I'm here with my friends Elsie and Nancy. It was quite the eventful morning getting here. Besides being very behind etc. nothing went according to plan. First problem - I slept through my alarm. I had all these things I was going to do in the morning and woke up two hours after I had planned to get up! I hadn't done the laundry for my trip yet, so I threw on some clothes and rushed downstairs to get the laundry going.

I also had some work things I needed to take care of etc. but I was having computer issues.

I ran around trying to get things together for the trip. I finished the laundry and had what I was planning to take all neatly folded on my bed to put into the suitcase. As I was doing this, out of no where I proceded to throw up all over my suitcase and the clean clothes in it! I didn't have anymore quarters and I was running out of time. I had to beg quarters off a neighbor to at least wash the now yucky clothes (which are still wet spread out on the couch at home now). I started just throwing stuff into the suitcase. I really hope I have everything I need. God only knows what I've left behind.

I have no idea why I did that. I wasn't feeling queasy. I took my temp and it was fine. I really don't know - but my tummy has been a bit girgly today.

Now that I'm at the NIH I'm running a low grade fever. I was also a bit alarmed when the guy from respitory therapy showed up to look at my CPAP and notified me that oxygen had been ordered - just in case. Just in case what? I've never been on oxygen except maybe after a major procedure and then only briefly. Who ordered the oxygen? I decided he was just a air lacky and probably thinks everyone gets oxygen, "just in case."

Then the nurse was just here to take my vitals and my oxygen saturation numbers, while good, don't get me wrong, were not the usuall perfect 100. It was 96. That's not oxygen territory, but I'm always 98 to 100 except during my six-minute walks. But I wasn't doing anything but sitting in my bed. Hmmmmm......again, no one get alarmed - 96 is okay - but the two little events together were a little odd.

Dr. Markello is burning the midnight oil tonight. He's working on tracking down a gene for people with the same sort of bleeding problems as HPS'ers - but don't have HPS. He seemed very excited about what he's working on so I'm anxious to learn more. I always love chatting with him. I feel like I should bring a tape recorder because I always learn so much.

I was trying to get the wireless to work so that I could send a story to work when he came by. Elsie and Nancy were in Nancy's room chatting. He's had a long day. I've had a long day and Elsie over there looks like she's conked out for the night.

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