24.  Drum Roll, Please. . . . 

Ви́лами на воде́ пи́сано.                            

Nobody knows whether it will happen or not.

 Literal: This is written with pitchfork on a flowing water.

Until tonight, I have not known if I would be accepted for HSCT. The days of tests and examinations and more tests were important markers for how well my poor old body would withstand the procedure and also were necessary to meet all the international protocols for HSCT, and to once again confirm the original diagnosis of CIDP.  

I have looked at this Russian quote many times in recent months and days, thinking of the image of how it is to not truly know - it is like writing with a pitchfork on a flowing water. Nothing to show for it. Not sure it can become a fact.

Well, tonight I have met with Dr. Fedorenko, gone over page by page all of the test results, heard him confirm my original diagnosis and also that he believes 100% that HSCT will eliminate my autoimmune Dx. completely.  For MS he never says more than 80%. For me, for my test results and my level of physical health otherwise, he says 100%.  Wow. 

So now it is not written on flowing water with a pitchfork - now it is a concrete sentence and forms and a medical file and all of it is one resounding "YES!".    

Who would ever have thought I would be so thrilled to be facing chemo!  But in fact, I am.  I brought Dr. F. a semi-official California Lifeguard t-shirt, just in case he accepted me, and became MY lifeguard. He smiled HUGE and put it on immediately. We agreed that some day he will come to California and we'll go surfing. Now I just need to get through HSCT, get home, get healthy, and learn how to surf.  

And then I asked the question I have been worrying over - what might have kept me out. "Am I the oldest person ever treated in Moscow as well as your first with CIDP?"  He looked me right in the eyes, with those amazing blue eyes he has, and he said, "There are 2 ways to count age. One is in years and you have 64 years, but in biological age, you are much closer to 45".  And he was dead serious.  So now I really do love this guy!  But yes, in fact I'm the oldest person ever to be treated with HSCT here in Moscow. Wow, huh!  How lucky am I that I have my Dad's great Danish genes.  Thanks, Dad!

Let the healing begin. . . .  no more pitchfork writing on water - I'm IN!

p.s. He also pointed out a ruptured disc in my neck, C5-6, next to the one I already had fused at C6-7, and said I will soon want to have that taken care of. But not right now. Maybe later. For now is written with a pitchfork on running water.