Hello and progress to all you fellow-travelers and all you caregivers.
Last week I told you something about my adventures with the daily
self-injection of neupogen, a chemical designed to raise the white-cell count
after it has been decimated by chemotherapy.
The injections were nowhere near as trying as I had expected. They were
actually quite easy after a deep breath. But even so I had a truly lousy
week, as anyone reading my notes must have gathered, with five transfusions
in all. Last week the highest white-cell count I had was 700. My doctor had
told me that this number would rise significantly as a result of the
self-injections, and might be up to 2000 or so early this week. Abracadabra!
Today I went for a blood check and the white count was 6,500. In fact my
overall count was more or less normal. I was told to stop taking my
antibiotics. For the next week or so I can go around town, eat in
restaurants, see a play, whatever.
This is good news, worthy of unstopping a bottle of champagne (am I allowed
to drink champagne?), but of course it's part of the go-round. If we proceed
as planned, on Halloween I shall return to the nurses and chemo bags for
another five days of consolidation, followed by release and low blood counts,
more self-injection, and then another day like today when I can go into a
crowd with no more fear than anyone else. Followed by two more such
go-rounds.
This is a strange process, and though it is proceeding as predicted by my
hemotologist (called a rocket scientist by someone who knows him), the fact
is that though the process is predictable the result is not. It boils down
to, "if you do this, your chances are better." That's where real
self-confidence comes in. And faith. And alternate therapy. And prayer.
And the love and support we mountainclimbers receive from those who hold our
hands as we proceed, helping us find the way.
Cheers!
-- Ron
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