Day 36-39...

this last week went very smooth.....God news!

We sailed through each day, I received only one type of chemo this week and my labs/blood counts held up and I didn't need any blood products. 

Monday, I go back to the 2 other drugs for two weeks and as of now I have to go only on Monday and Thursday. Monday I will get the chemo that is injected in my thighs and another IV chemo. Of course all of this depends on my labs that will be drawn first thing Monday.

Here are my labs from Thursday...

WBC: 2.6

RBC: 2.79

ANC: 1.9

Hemoglobin: 9.0

Platelet: 76

at times is seems like this treatment is moving so slow and then when I realize that I have 90 days less of treatment and I am feeling pretty good most days and just have to keep hydrated and rest when my body says rest.

The next course of treatment is called "Standard Maintenance I" and if all of my labs are good, I will start right away on day 57. This course will included 3 day hospital stays every 2 week for 8 weeks.

thank you for being on this journey with me! We still have bracelets, if any of you wants one. Just send us your name and address via email or a comment.

until next time, God Bless...

day 29-32...

let's just say.....it went really really really smooth and I my only side effect is lack of energy.

Monday, Day 29... check in at 8am had the chemo infusion in my ommaya port and had NO nausea or sickness! I did need some blood builders and also 2 other kinds of IV chemo and we left the building at at 4:30.

Tuesday, Day 30...checked in at 9am, got one round of chemo and left the building at 10:30am Ü

Wednesday, Day 31...checked in at 9am, got one round of chemo and left the building at 11am Ü

Thursday, Day 32...checked in at 8am, got one round of chemo and left the building at 10:15am Ü

Next week only one round of chemo Monday thru Thursday. I am done with the chemo in my ommaya port for this 56 day Consolidation.  Yeah!

It was a great week! I know from the last round of this schedule that all of the chemo caught up with me during the second week. I do have to say that I feel stronger each week. My blood counts are showing that also. Here they are as of today...

WBC: 1.8

RBC: 3.75

ANC: 1.9

Hemoglobin: 12.0

Platelet: 159

So, as my mom would say, one less week of treatment. Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers!  

Stay in touch, if you have time and are healthy, let's get together.

Have a great weekend Ü

day 29 postponed for one week...

8AM...arrived at COH and had me labs drawn. I was coming in prepared to have the round of chemo into my ommaya port that I missed on day 1, 2 different IV chemos and to start back on the pill form of chemo for the next 2 weeks.

10:55AM...we find out that my white blood count is not high enough to get ANY chemo today or this week. This week schedule will be postponed until next week in order to allow my white blood count to recover and that I will be getting 2 different blood products is all. I will then also come back here on Thursday, for another blood test and get whatever blood products needed.

2:30PM...on my way home.

this is when my dad would say, "blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break", thanks dad!

After my really rough weekend and day 21 and after a ultrasound and CT scan of my abdomen, the only possibility to the pain in that area is a slight infection in my large intestine and this is because with all of the antibiotics and chemo I have had, it causes the good stuff to be striped out of my system and then it cause an infection which of course is treated with more antibiotics? Huh? I am now on 3 different antibiotics, one to protect me from bacteria, one to protect me from possible cold type infections and now this one to help heal the infection that all of these medications and chemos are causing. I am thankful that mom is keeping me on tract with what pill to take when.

Over all I am feeling pretty good, the only thing that I now deal with is some aching in my bones. This is because the bone marrow is working hard at rebuilding my blood that it actually causes my bones to ache. The best thing for this is water, water and more water. I have been able to take short trips out and about, I am just having to listen to my body when it says either stop, sit, lay down or sleep.

That's it for today, I will enjoy having the week off, let's get together.

oh, here are my numbers...

WBC: 1.4

RBC: 3.55

ANC:  .4

Hemoglobin: 10.9

Platelet: 231

saturday night, day 20

being completely honest...I sat on the couch most of the day on Saturday, watching tv. The chemo was kicking my butt, I was tired. Around 4pm or so I noticed when I stood up that my back was stiff and sore. As the night went on it became more painful and got to the point that I couldn't find a comfortable position. 11pm I decided to go to bed and hoped that laying down would help. Wrong! nothing helped, medication, heating pad, knees bent, extra pillows, willing myself to relax and at 3:30a we were in the car on the way to the COH. 

By the time we arrived I could only stand and the pain could be described as cramping or spasms that would come and go and made it really hard to get a breath. This really felt like the pain that I had in my stomach but now it was in my back, Well, the first dose of medication lasted about 20 minutes and at least allowed me to sit in the bed. The second dose lasted about 1 hour and to lay a little more flat and then a third dose was needed in order to give me complete relief and allow me to get to sleep and I was going to be admitted for observation and so that my doctors could try to get to the cause and Monday was chemo day.

Monday was spent having testing and about 2pm my doctor came in to give me the chemo into my port and I was pre-medicated in a comfortable and quiet room and as she prepared for the procedure I was really hopeful and just as she finished, I had the same violent reaction as I did last week. I did get really sick again and once it passed I just wanted to climb in the bed and sleep. I still needed 3 different kind of blood transfusions, as I did in the hospital and one more round of IV chemo. If there is anything good to say, it would be that as fast as it comes on, it passes just as fast. I was able to enjoy a Baja Fresh burrito for dinner and settled in for another night as an inpatient.

So after, multiple doses of pain medication, a chest xray, 2 urine tests, multiple blood tests, an xray of my back and having my stitches removed from my ommaya port surgery. Diagnosis: unknown. Best guess: the pain was caused from a extreme acceleration of the bone marrow producing blood. I guess this is quite common and others have ended up at COH feeling similar pain. 

At 3:45p on Tuesday, I was on my way home.

Here are my latest numbers: (remember, next week I start back on the 4 day routine of chemo. So enjoy and celebrate with me. These numbers look very hopeful)

WBC: 1.5

RBC: 3.21

Hemoglobin: 9.6

Platelet: 238

Glucose: 100

Thanks for checking in. Keep praying and keep in touch...