Halfway Through Chemo
Well, time does fly by, doesn't it?
After I returned from RFKC I was really tired, as was to be expected, but as days went by I realized that I wasn't feeling any better. By Tuesday I was pretty much exhausted and when I went to see my doctor (surgeon) and looked at the stairs leading up to her office, I made a beeline for the elevator. I've never done that before. Because my doctor deals with cancer patients all the time I discussed my fatigue with her and we decided I needed to go immediately for a blood test. So, I went to my oncologist's office for the test and discovered that my blood counts were way below safe. I was immediately given a shot of Neupogen and scheduled for another the next day. These shots are given in two's and boost the bone marrow activity in order to grow white blood cells rapidly. The mail side effect of the shots is bone pain and I did get a little of that which was quickly remedied with Tylenol.
Meanwhile I was scheduled to go to Fiddle Workshop in Kittitas (next to Ellensburg) the following week, but because I was nervous about being around so many people and children (actually they are the same) in small spaces and the chance of infection, I opted to skip workshop for this year. My fiddle teacher, Stuart Williams, did send me the materials I needed and I pledged to learn at least some of the tunes this summer. It was hard to know all my friends were there and I wasn't, but I just have to know that next year I will be up and running full steam and healthy.
Now that we know that my blood cells will drop, I am already scheduled for my shots next week. And next Sunday I will leave for one week at the Centralia Old Time Music Campout. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to seeing old friends and playing lots of tunes In the fresh air. I will have my trailer there so I can fix my own food and sleep whenever I need to. Comforts of home.
Apart form the chemotherapy stuff, my body is healing well from the mastectomy and reconstruction. Hard to believe that started only four months ago. Still some cosmetic work to be done there, but that isn't for a couple of months and will be done under local anesthetic in my doctor's office. After all the other stuff that is no big deal.
So, every day is a gift, and each morning I arise with no expectations except to do whatever comes along as I feel up to it and sleep as much as I need to. I am looking forward to the end of this chapter, but I am ready to face whatever comes my way.
