I haven't updated in a bit. There have just been so many appointments and bloodtests and treatments that I haven't had the time, energy or brainpower to sit down and write anything. So many people have told me that they are keeping up with the blog. Thank you. It means a great deal to me to know that so many minds are thinking of us. I joke about being superwoman, but there is one power that I truly do have: the power of prayer. It is one of the things that is going to make me well- you just watch!
People have been so caring and giving, we feel blessed to be surrounded by great friends and family. The families from Kate's school have been giving us meals several times a week. I can't even tell you what a relief that is. By the time dinnertime rolls around, I am too pooped to think about cooking. If it weren't for these meals, I figure we would have all turned into fish sticks and sweet potatoes. I also made some meals ahead of time, and we have been cruising through those too. One of the most precious gifts I was ever given came from one of Katherine's teachers, Tracey. Her mom made me a prayer shawl that was blessed. I wore it for my IVIg treatment on Friday. I have never been complimented so often on something I have worn. Thank you, Tracey, and thank you Acorn School!!!
The Boring Stuff
As far as my health goes, things are chugging along. It is all one day at a time. I had bloodwork done and met with the Hemo/Onc team on Friday and then went upstairs for my IVIg and then had another IVIg on Monday. Tuesday was more bloodwork and another appointment with the Hemo/Onc doctors. My counts on Friday were higher than they were when we started the chemo! What can I say, I am an anomaly. Dr. Buff said, "you are just special". Darn right I am. heehee. So yesterday all the counts dropped. I have reached the NADIR- low point in my blood counts following the chemo. The good news is my counts have dropped, but not quite enough. This is good news because hopefully we will be able to increase the cytoxan to the full dose. My thinking is this: if we are going to do this, lets get on with it. Make me sick as hell so I can get on with the business of being well. Usually when someone is getting chemo, the doctors give them something to boost their white blood cell count. We can't do that with me, because killing my bone marrow is the whole point. We have to get my counts low enough that we kill off the stuff that is creating the antibodies while not killing me. So even though I am not a big fan of being stuck by needles 2-3 times a week, it is pretty important that we continue to watch my counts very closely. Stick away.
I have to go in again on Thursday to check counts again, and if my red blood cell count goes down any further, I will be getting another blood transfusion on Friday. I had joked in an earlier blog that having had 8 units of blood, I have become a whole new person. What happens when I get another 2 units? I guess I will be even better than a new person. A new person + 2! We knew it was fairly likely that I would need transfusions while I was getting both the chemo and the IVIg, so this doesn't come as a big surprise. I just didn't think it would happen quite so soon and with the dose cut in half. Then again, my counts could bounce back up by tomorrow, and I will end up not needing the blood. This is why it is sometimes hard to write about what is happening- we don't really have any answers, and there is no data to work off of. As my dear friend, Jasmin said, I just have to do all of this, I can't get stuck in all the ins and outs and ups and downs. One day and one blood test at a time.
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