Interesting Week and Go Blue

It's been a whole week - seems like just a couple of days!
On Tuesday we drove down to Ann Arbor to consult with Dr. Grace Elta about gastro-enterological issues (my insides). She is renowned in her field, and she's also a Professor at U of M Med School. Dr. Elta was full of praise for the treatment I've been receiving in T.C. and she was very complimentary regarding Dr. Burke's report to her. It was all good. We liked her, and she liked us.

She feels that based on some low platelet counts in previous tests, the culprit could be my liver (NASH - non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis) which can cause bleeding in the intestines. (Go figure). So she suggests changing my blood pressure medication - prinivil (zestril) to tenormin (atenolol) because tenormin might be more helpful for the liver.

She also suggests a mild estrogen (birth control pill) which inhibits bleeding. It's interesting because this bleeding never showed up until after I stopped taking estrogen because of the national scare about it causing heart problems. So I stopped the estrogen and started bleeding. It's probably not that simple, but it's interesting.

So after talking to Dr. Burke we'll probably try the prescription changes for several months and see if there's improvement. If not, then we'll get more aggressive in checking out the liver.

It was a successful and worthwhile visit. I had some blood tests to check on liver function and current CBC (complete blood count). U of M Hospital is huge, but luckily there is a parking structure right next to the place we had to go (Pod A- Level 3 -Taubman Center)

We ate dinner Tuesday night at the Olive Garden (blast from the past). Spent the night at the Fairfield Inn. Wednesday morning we started a leisurely drive back to T.C. with geo-caching along the way. In all we did 7 caches on the way home. We came by an unusual route - brunch in Elsie (not kidding) at Tyler's Diner and dinner in Big Rapids at Bennigan's (a great place if you ever get the chance).

Eric sent me an exercise program specifically tailored for me - I'm so happy. I'm starting it on Monday.

Our new porch roof is finished and I think we'll be very happy with it. Dick will build a floor in the spring.

Well, Michigan has to play Purdue today in West Lafayette - it should be a battle of the titans. Go Blue.
State has a bye to prepare to play Michigan next week.

Somehow Michigan pulled this one out and won by a very narrow margin, 16-14. This from mgoblue.com:

Garrett Rivas booted a 35-yard field goal with 2:45 left in the game to lift the No. 13-ranked Michigan football team to a 16-14 victory over No. 12 Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 23, in West Lafayette, Ind. The U-M defense clinched the victory when, with Purdue driving, Ernest Shazor forced a fumble that was recovered by Leon Hall at the U-M 43-yard line. Michael Hart rushed 33 times for 206 yards, becoming the first Wolverine since 1990 to run for 200 yards in consecutive games, and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Chad Henne.

I'm hoping that our luck will hold for 3 more games!! Wouldn't it be fun to play Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl?