Further “Tails From the Desert”

Palm Springs holds many good, yet also some bad, associations for me. The desert is such a beautiful, enjoyable place to get away to, yet this past December it was where I started to show clinical signs of my latest occurrence of IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia). As the end of 2009 carries a negative connotation regarding my health, I hope my current condition continues to improve into 2010. Fortunately, I am robust enough for my first road trip and have made a triumphant return to my IMHA’s symbolic ground zero. New Year’s Day was both fun and relaxing for my dads and I. As the pool is a constant source of entertainment for me, I got to safely maximize the pool’s usage today for exercise and play. My energy continues to improve, so today was my first swimming session since the onset of my illness. Of course, I was more motivated to dog paddle when my Mr. Martian toy ended up in the water. I even jumped in after him a few times, as my dads were too slow for my liking when retrieving Mr. Martian. Over the past year, I have been fortunate enough to stay in many hotels during our road trips to San Francisco, Phoenix, and San Diego. To start the new year off right, we checked into Westin Mission Hills for a night. Despite the Westin’s provision of a Heavenly Dog Bed, I prefer to submerge myself in the person-appropriate version. My external canine appearance can be deceiving, as I often feel human products (beds, foods, etc.) more suitably satisfy my needs. I got to join my dads for an amazing dinner out on a patio overlooking the beautiful mountains at sunset. A golf cart then drove us from the lobby to our room. We capped the night off by going for a moonlit walk around the golf course, then lounged around in our comfortable Heavenly Bed. The hotel experience was a positive end to this desert road trip and great way to start the new year. When we get back, my dad is going to send off some blood tests to see if I continue to regenerate new Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Considering my ongoing improvement in my energy, I imagine we will see positive results form a blood work perspective.