Thursday, February 14, 2008

Chemo Update

This hasn't been a very good week, chemo-wise. I went to the doctor's on Monday for my blood work and my white blood cell count was too low for chemo -- the lowest it's ever been in the past two years. So I was given two G-CSF shots to boost my white blood cells and sent home. My coughing hasn't improved so my doctor wanted me to have another chest X-Ray, but my blood count was so low, she didn't want me in the hospital around so many sick people. So she said we'd try the next day.

On Tuesday, I went in again for a blood count -- again, too low. Those G-CSF shots that usually do the trick don't seem to be working very well anymore. But I had two more of those shots, plus a chest X-Ray. My doctor looked at the X-Ray and said my lungs have not gotten WORSE, although they haven't gotten any better. She wants me to see a lung specialist, but not while my blood count's so low, so she sent me home to rest for a day before trying again.

So that's where I am now. At home, in bed, mentally cheering on my bone marrow to make more white blood cells. The G-CSF shots have made my legs feel like jelly, so I'm not very steady on my feet. But at least I can still MOVE my legs. I have to stay away from people while my blood count is so low, lest I pick up viruses or bacteria that people with normal immune systems would have no trouble fighting off. So I feel like I'm playing hooky from school. I have errands to run -- the bank, the post office, the immigration office for Josie's new passport, etc. But I'll have to put all that on hold since I'm just supposed to sit and rest.

I also seem to have lost a layer of skin in my mouth -- it's red, raw, and swollen. Not mouth ulcers, which is a common side effect of chemo, but just missing an outer layer of skin. Has this ever happened to any of you?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey babes. Am in Colorado but still reading your blog everyday. I'm willing your bone marrow to "buck up!" too, so looking fwd to more news on that front. Hey, can you take me up on an offer of an assistant - Jane. I'll have A sort it out as she had run a lot of errands for he and I. She's a very nice and organized woman. She'll do the banking, post-office etc for you. Consider it my gift to help you ease your anxiety of the long "to-do" list. Short of me driving over to help you do them, hehe...Jane will call.
Teresa