Sorry For The Delay....

I am really sorry it has taken so long for me to get this entry on the blog. I have been out of commission in a couple of ways.....First our wireless internet took a little jolt of electricity on Thursday and our internet has been down and when I felt good enough on Thursday to update the blog we didn't have any service....plus I had my first chemo treatment on Monday, the 30th and was pretty much out of it on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

The drugs were worth every bit of the price I paid. I didn't have any nausea or vomiting, but I was pretty loopy and very tired! I haven't been to bed before 8:30 pm since I was in kindergarten, until last week. A big thank you to Cindy and Pat for taking me (physically) to Pings for soup on Tuesday....I hear we had a good time.... On Thursday night I developed a headache that kept me awake most of the night and so after calling Dr. Thomas on Friday they started me on antibiotics for a sinus infection. I sort of went down hill from there and was pretty miserable on Friday and Saturday. After each of my chemo treatments I receive an injection of Neulasta (sp?), which is suppose to stimulate my bone marrow to make red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. One of the major side effects of the drug is bone pain which also started on Thursday. I had a lot of discomfort in my neck and back because of that. I was pretty much back to my old self on Saturday night except for some low grade discomfort.

I went back to Iowa City on Monday, April 6th, for my blood work up and we discovered that my white blood cells (the ones that fight off colds, flu, etc.) were very low. The normal levels should be somewhere between 5.0 and 10.0 and mine was at 1.6. They were 5.4 before chemo on the 30th so I am now identified as a chemo patient that is going to have problems with neutropenia (low white blood count). They think that my count was probably below 1.0 when I felt so bad on Thursday and Friday and they had actually increased to 1.6 and were on their way back up towards normal. As long as they are at or higher than 1.0 next Monday then I will still be able to get chemo #2. They also get a little concerned about people like me being in public, crowds, etc. because the immune system is close to non-existent....so they would like for me to stay home, but in my own medical opinion that would not be good for my ATTITUDE so I am doing my best to stay away from sick people...(my idea not theirs). Anyway...I now have 1 treatment down and just 7 to go (yeah!!!!!!!) and I am greatful that I did not spend 3 days with my head in the toilet! The prayers are working so I will take any and all you can send up my way...

One positive is that I did drop a few pounds last week since nothing tasted good other than popsicles...thank you Sharron for the balloons and the Ensure...I am going to need those this next time around I am sure! And thank you Joni for the beautiful little singing bear....and the continued cards and well wishes.... I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful, loving, giving people in my life!

In closing here are a few things that an old health care provider has found out since being on the other side of the bed!...

• You can only receive so much of specific chemo drugs over your entire life time....when I am finished I will be at the 50% mark for these 3 drugs
• Chemo stays in and accumulates in your body and the level increases with each treatment therefore the side effects may also increase.
• Oncology nurses are some of the happiest people I have ever met even though they start each day knowing that there will be some people they help to save and others they tried to save.
• That no matter how bad off we think we have it that every time we go to U of I we always witness people who are worse off than we are...the people with no feet...
• That there are way too many cancer patients, the morning I started I was one of 11 new ones that morning.
• That cancer does not discriminate...young, old, rich, poor, cute, homely, tall, short, fat, skinny.....not one single person is exempt.

Just 1 more thing...Neal's 50th birthday was on Monday, April 6th, and he spent it with me at the University...when you see him wish him a happy birthday...I am a lucky woman...

Signing off for now..with a greatful heart, flat chest and little smaller butt....