Rollercoaster rides for the summer!

APB APB!

I went into the hospital last night and 3 hours later I came out. This is excellent because I didn't have to stay however, it doesn't explain my 102.5 fever. I am watching myself very closely at home in comfort with my family and friends. A much better place to be. My neutrophils (white blood cells) were 2.8 - that's good and healthy. No infections could be detected so once again I have thrown a wrench into the unknown. I feel okay. I am really spaced out because of the pain pills I am on and the thrush is back AND IT IS REALLY GROSS. It's a yeast infection (no - this isn't the kind of infection that causes a fever) starts with your tongue looking like a cotton ball and it continues down your throat, giving you a very full, heartburn like feeling. Fun - NOT.

I feel strong and if anyone is concerned about visiting don't be - I can't go out and about that much (only on a need basis) but that doesn't mean people can't come to visit. Now Grant has a bit different attitude, he is concerned that bad meany germs will invade and that could be true. I have all the fun antibacterial gels, masks, gloves.......for anyone who wishes to indulge and is concerned about visiting.

So back to the title - it looks like I might be in and out of the hospital due to the fever thing so don't worry I am only on a rollercoaster ride - up and down with my fever. And you should know that having a fever in my condition is a really great sign of health. Unhealthy people can't produce a fever when needed to fight infections or bugs - so with my fever capability I AM IRON WOMAN.

Waiting for the last one!

Well, I have only one more Chemotherapy treatment to go - July 16th. Yesterday's Chemo went well, basically pain free (except for the multiple needles to find a decent vein). My drug dose was dropped to a 75% level. My previous side effects of severe leg and nerve pain, yeast infections (thrush) open mouth sores and virtually no white blood cells (neupenia). I have be given Gabalentin to help me through this next round - it should keep the nerve pain down but I don't care I have a huge jar of Oxycodone (an amazing pain killer). So all in all it should be easier to handle. I am going to hide away for a few weeks just to be careful not to end up back into the hospital but the I could up there anyways - possible but not deterring.

I just met with my potential house cleaner. This is exciting and scary at the same time. Any hints on maid handling - anyone?

It is crazy but as I write this I can feel the pain creep into my calves and feet and the heart burn is ever present today. It is a total drag because the medicines I need to take can't be mixed with Calcium, magnesium etc etc products that are in heartburn medications. Pill juggling is quite trying at times. I purchased a new phone "Jack" Samsung's version of the Blackberry, and I am able to setup reminders that help very much. Once I get back to work I will use my Jack to it's fuller potential. But I am not thinking of work - I know it will be there when I am done this journey.

Round 5

Well in two more days it will be round 5. I am prepared - got my pain killers, antibiotics, masks, and gloves. My veins on the other hand will need a little more coaxing to cooperate. Like my white blood cells they have seemed to vacate. Technically my veins haven't ( or have they, being from alien stock who knows what lurks inside my flesh) left my system but they are hiding and are much harder to find. Do you blame them, on average for every 21 days I have had 4 to 5 needles depending on the talent of the blood takers and Chemo givers. Currently, the needle staff at RCH have a higher average of getting it right with the first take than the SMH staff. I keep telling myself it is only a pin prick and things could be way worse.

And now for the sad conclusion because of my potentially low white blood cell counts on this kind of Chemo I am putting myself into quarantine for two weeks. This will hopefully help my system recover. I tried to get out and do too much last time, so this time I will play it safer. I don't really want to go back to the hospital for a week. The staff was pleasant and made my stay very comfortable but I rather be home.

Even White Blood Cells like to vacation

Hey everybody - didn't mean to worry or freak anyone out being in the hospital for 6 days. My white blood cells decided to vacate my premises and left my immune system functioning with no protection. Funny thing is that I didn't even feel sick. My sister (bless her heart) was over helping with things while I was getting my body pain managed when see noticed I was a bit flushed. Well, the result of my temperature readings was DANGER - go straight to the EMERGENCY. So being a good girl, I went to the hospital - oh this was last Thursday night. RCH emergency wasn't that busy and after pumping me up with lots of good IV antibiotics I was sent home at 3:00 AM.

You see for three days my bod had been feeling like it was being put into a rock crusher starting at my feet. The pain was unbelievable. This kind of pain is a side effect and of course, it will affect people differently. Plus the pain didn't start right away like the nausea did with the first three Chemo doses. Being a little slow, I was virtually pain free until Sunday night after Grant took off to New York City for work, the agony snafued me with a vengeance. A clearer analogy would be a lower body 'charlie horse'. I am talking brutal pain. I was taking up to 5 baths with Epsom salts a day and night just trying to relax. During the day Thursday I saw my GP and he had just the right stuff to take the pain away - Oxycodone aka 'Hillbilly Heroine' What a wonderful drug. It doesn't make me loopy like the other kinds and even though the pain is still kind of there - I just don't care. Everything is just fine and I am sooo relaxed.

Everything seemed to be going just swell on Friday. Woke up, got dressed, went to the bathroom, ate, drank lots of water, the usual stuff. Grant was flying home late tonight. I was in no pain. My sister was spoiling me etc etc etc - just another day. When 20:00 hours rolled I thought, 'I wonder what my temperature is?' My sister had gone for a 30 minute nap at 5:30 and I didn't want to wake her because she needed her sleep - I kept her until the wee hours of the morn last night..... Sure enough I had another fever but it was not as high so no rush to the emerge was necessary. I waited an hour and called the Oncologist on Call and hearing my story he told me to pack my favorite snacks because I needed to head back to the hospital for a few days. He would call ahead to the Emergency department to prepare them for my return.

Talk about deja vu, the staff was entirely the same and we all had a good laugh and joked about it. Thus there I have been since Friday night.

It wasn't that bad - I had a private room, everyone treated me well. I even had a bathtub in my ensuite. Quite peaceful and someone was always asking if they could get me anything. I was restricted to my room due to the 'Reverse isolation' situation I had to recover in. My veins were a problem. Three different IV's were needed to pump me up with antibiotics. Blood work everyday which had to be taken from my feet due to the lack of left arm use and that my right arm had an IV in it. Oh what fun you say. Actually, it hurt less than from my arm believe it or not.

Today I am happy to be home. I have one week before I get hit again with Chemo so I am restricting myself from gallivanting around so I will be strong like Ox.

Half way through Chemo! yippee or is it?

yes one would think that I would be feeling better that I have only 9 weeks of chemo left - 9 weeks have past. Actually I don't feel great I feel sad, 'out of sorts' and I just want it over. And then I think of all the other individuals, including children, going through what I am doing and I find strength to continue the fight. Oh, don't getting me wrong I have plenty of fight in me - I am just tired of having to keep doing it every moment.

The above paragraph I started 2.5 weeks and couldn't continue, mainly to not feeling like it.