Successful Dose 5

Yesterday during Doxorubicin dose 5, I hope we slaughtered a bunch of cancer cells!

The whole day went really well. Lou and I left the house just before 7, and we got to the checkin counter at Duke just before 8, when my appointment was. I didn't go in for bloodwork till after 8:30 but that just gave me time to read my Jack Reacher novel.

Dr R reported that my neutriphils count is 1400. They do not like to give you chemo if it is not 1500, but he said we would go ahead anything. I said that I really hoped I was not going to have to get another Neulasta shot, and he said no.  Thank God!  That was a week and a half of misery I am glad to avoid.

Neutrils are white blood cells that are for cuts and infections.  They are what makes pus yellowy white.  Ick. Is there anything I can do to bring that count up? I need to be careful about being around germs.  I also need to get enough sleep.

Luckily, I had my favorite nurse in the treatment room.  (Well, they are all awesome.)  This time, my port gave us no trouble at all.  (Last time, it was clogged and it took like an hour and a half to clear it.)  We mostly talked about local restaurants that we ought to try.

On the way home, Lou and I always stop for lunch. This time, we went to The Olive Garden because I was really craving eggplant parmesan. It was very good, and we were seated immediately. Whenever we try to go there for dinner, there seems to be a long wait because it is popular and packed to the rafters.

But I have to admit that I was tired and generally not well for the rest of the day.  I tried to sleep early in the afternoon, but I couldn't. It was like I was too tired to fall asleep.  So I gave up and read Jack Reacher. Later, I started watching espidosdes of The Andy Griffith Show and fell alseep for at least an hour in the very late afternoon.

This morning, I woke up at 5:00AM totally wide awake, so I got up and checked email and played with Sam.  Today I have physical energy (must be the Decadron) but I am mentally tired.  Lou walked Sam alone, then he walked me too!  It is very cool right now, nice walking weather.

Oh, and today I started eating Nutrisystem food again.  My weight has gone up a bit since coming off the clinical trial drug that miraculously made me totally disinterested in food.  Because I threw out my clothes as soon as they got too big, I need to stop gaining weight before all my clothes don't fit!