Not to be alarmist, or to worry myself unnecessarily, but for the first time since my first round of chemotherapy at BATCC in August 2009, my white blood cell count is slightly out of bounds on the high side. There’s many things that could cause this, none of them related to CLL. They are running some tests here in Meridian, and I will report to you what they find. The tests they are running are based on some symptoms which sent me to the doctor. There is no reason for me to think I am in the beginning stage of a relapse. Did you hear me? I said there is no reason for me to think that I am in the beginning stage of a relapse. Consequently, I am not worried about this, being the rational, numbers oriented person I am. I am not worried at all. Not the least little bit. Nor do I find this news distracting. What? What? What did you say? Oh, excuse me. I said that I did not find this news to be distracti . . .

There are plenty of other things to worry about. I have not yet filed my taxes. I have not slept well in nearly a month. My stomach feels like I swallowed a concrete block, which is what sent me to the doctor. But the white blood cell thing . . . that is just an indication that something else is going on inside my body. It has nothing to do with CLL. Nah. Of course not. Merely a coincidence. A chance occurrence, as it were. The next CBC will reveal that my WBC has returned to normal. Not to worry. I’m not worried. I’m not even a teeny-tiny bit worried. Not the least little bit. This is the CLL blog, after all. I suppose I must write something about CLL from time to time.

I go to see Gooday at BATCC at the end of the month for my checkup.

I’m not the least concerned about my elevated WBC . . . completely indifferent.

So I keep telling myself.