delayed

Today was suppose to be chemo treatment number 2. That is right...suppose to be.

I woke up and got all ready for the big day. I took a nice long shower since I wouldn't be showering for the next 2 days...remember I would be carrying around the pump. I got dressed and headed to the grocery store with my husband to get stocked up for the week. He took the day off work to spend with me at the cancer center getting chemo.

On my good days I try to get things done around the house...I clean, I cook, I do some grocery shopping...all this to prepare for the bad days, hence the grocery shopping.

We came back from the store and put everything away, giving me just enough time to put on the lidocaine cream over my mediport site before I was off to the cancer center. They gave me the lidocaine cream at my last visit and told me it will help when they access it with that big 'ol needle. It worked I might add!!! I didn't feel a thing...not a thing!


applying lidocaine cream to my mediport site:


covering the cream with an opsite:



prep complete and all ready to go:



So off to the cancer center we went. As soon as I checked in they put me in the infusion room to get my mediport accessed.


accessing mediport:


After they accessed my mediport they drew some labs prior to my chemo treatment being started. This is where things take a turn. We spent the rest of our time in a waiting room with both my favorite nurse practitioner and my favorite oncologist in and out with lots of information for us.

waiting in the room (chewing on ice and drinking ice water I might add, since I thought that would be the end of my cold beverages for awhile):


Results of my CBC (blood work)

prior to chemo my WBC (white blood cells) were 6.69 today 2 normal is 4.8-10.8
prior to chemo my RBC (red blood cells) were 4.34 today 4 normal is 4.2-5.4
prior to chemo my HGB (hemoglobin) was 11.8 today it was 9 normal is 12.0-16.0
prior to chemo my neutrophils (important)was 3.59 today .54 normal is 1.4-6.5

What does this mean? Well... it means I couldn't do chemo. The chemo treatment #1 knocked my white blood cells and my neutrophils down too much (also the fact that I was fighting a cold/virus didn't help). They talked about giving me injections of neupogene (sp?) which would stimulate my bone marrow to produce white blood cells. This did not happen today, but could be a possibility in the future if my blood count doesn't go up enough. So...instead they delayed my chemo for 1 week. This is good because it gives me another week of feeling good and another week without the pump. This is bad because it prolongs my treatment.

I did learn today that I spoke too soon. We thought after our last meeting with Dr. R that I would only have to do 4 months of chemo, but now he is back to saying 6. The plan is to do the reversal surgery after 4 months and then have 2 more months of chemo to complete.

Dr. R informed us today that he did some genetic testing on me which he discovered I have a balanced translocation (basically some jacked up DNA). This was not news to us...we knew this from our genetic testing when we were trying to have a baby. What this means in the OB world is multiple miscarriages and eventually maybe having a healthy baby...what this means in the cancer world is that I have an increased chance for this cancer to reoccur...BUT DR.R said it also means that I will have a better response to the chemo. Apparently people with jacked up DNA respond well to chemo. Good news...and bad news. Because of the chance for recurrence, we are back to the 6 month treatment plan.

I also found out today that the last 3 nights that I have been waking up sweaty is also a side effect from the chemo. It has put me in a pre-menopausal state. You have got to be kidding me... I just love all these side effects.

Another thing...during my exam with the nurse practitioner I asked her about my bloody noses (which I have been having daily...and almost every time I blow my nose). I thought it was from my cold...it looks like the chemo has caused sores in my nose that have become infected with MRSA. I am now on antibiotics for this. I'm guessing working in a prison at this time is probably not the smartest thing for me...but ya gotta do what ya gotta do...and I love my job.

So...I spent the day basically getting my mediport accessed and deaccessed!

showing off my accessed mediport site:


I'm hoping that by next Tuesday my blood work is at least in the normal range so I can get back on track with the chemo. Please pray for this.

~I smiled today because I got to spend the day with my husband!

~I smiled today because I got to bring a friend a box of goodies before her surgery.(There is nothing like giving back!)

~I smiled today because my husband cooked dinner!

~I smiled today because while I was at the cancer center getting blood work done, they informed me I was not pregnant! NO KIDDING! Apparently they do routine pregnancy tests! When they told me they were going to do one... my husband told me I better not be pregnant, or else! (he is fixed by the way) I informed him, that with this poop bag hanging off me, men do find me quite attractive! lol

~I smiled today because it was nice out and we got to run around the back yard...by the way...when did she grow up?


~I smiled today because it felt good!

Today was a good day, but tomorrow will be even better!