Almost. Almost. Almost!

Dr. Flenner called me today, and the histoplasmosis antigen in my body is almost to zero. He said that the reading is "less than 0.6" For perspective: When I was diagnosed, in the ICU 22 months ago, the reading was 57. When I was discharged a month later, after intensive IV therapy, the level had dropped about 30 points. Since then, taking oral medication, the progress has been slower. A year ago it was at 7.5 Eight months ago it was 5.5 Four months ago it was 2.5 Patty said, "I guess you could have spent a couple weeks of your sabbatical in the hospital, getting IVs, and that might have knocked it out." I said, "Yeah, that would have been lots of fun."

When I saw him last week, Dr. Flenner talked about reducing the dosage of my medication, or of prescribing it for me in pill form, rather than as the liquid I take now. But that was wishful thinking. He would have done that had my reading this time been zero. (Before he takes me off the medication entirely he said, "You were so sick; I'll have to see two consecutive readings of zero.")

Sigh ... I see Dr. Flenner again in late November. Let's pray it's down to zero!

OK. I'm going to return to the TV set to watch the Republican National Convention. This whole campaign is such great theater! The two Vice Presidential candidates only add to that. On the one side, you never know what's going to come out of Joe Biden's mouth! I don't think he's ever had a thought that has gone unspoken. And Sarah Palin and her family members are like characters in a Bruce Springsteen song. It'll be a very, very interesting next couple of months.