Back to Health Update Main Page

Sep 30: Home
Feeling good. Yesterday's trip to Lake Erie was great. Weather was fantastic. Birding was decent, but not outstanding...but I didn't care. It was just wonderful to be outside. Should I say it? Last day before next round of chemo starts. Will the third try work? [grin] Tomorrow should start the third round of chemotherapy, cycle A. Hopefully, only a week's stay in the hospital, starting tomorrow (Monday).

Sep 29: Home
Feeling good, but a little tired (too many naps yesterday prevented a great night's sleep). A birding trip to Lake Erie is planned today (no, I'm not driving). Weather should be nice.

Sep 28: Home
Feeling great. Yesterday's trip to a park was terrific. Enjoyed beautiful leaves, tranquil waters, and Autumn air with a touch of chill. What great weather! What a nice afternoon! Had lunch with colleagues from my job today. It was nice to see everyone again. Ahh. Now it's time for one of my many frequent naps...

Sep 27: Home
Visiting family in NE Ohio. Slept well, but with help of pain pills. Neck was giving me problems yesterday. Experienced lack of balance again on several occasions yesterday afternoon, but have not fallen. [thankfully] Feeling pretty good overall. Planning on getting outside this afternoon to enjoy some colorful leaves and fresh, non-hospital air.

Sep 26: Home
Good night's sleep. Struggled a little yesterday with walking. Experienced loss of balance on a couple of occasions...this is new. [sarcastic yippee] Feeling good overall, tho. Hope the platelets are on the rise...there's really no way to tell, physically, what's going on unless they're so low that bruises don't heal and you get little red spots all over. [eek]

Sep 25: Home
Restless night. I'm a little tired and weak (will find out later just how weak with some exercise). Brrrrr. It's c-c-c-old, windy, and soggy today. Feels like November. Somebody pass the hot chocolate. Where are the fireplace and some dry logs when you need them? [grin]

Sep 24: Hospital...NO WAIT...I'M STILL HOME!!!
Not as good as I thought. Got out for a walk yesterday afternoon and seriously lacked endurance. Beautiful Autumn day, though. Time to go back in today for body-slam chemo in the House of Pain (yeah...the hospital). Hopefully, will be out by the weekend...then we get to watch the blood counts plummet again... [sigh...pardon me for my temporary self pity here]
Platelets are still too low. Will wait another week to go back to hospital.

Sep 23: Home
Better than I've felt in a long time...since maybe this Spring? Looking forward to getting outside this afternoon again and enjoying the weather and the fresh air. The leaves are starting to turn colors and look just fabulous. Each day alive is a blessing. Scheduled to be admitted to the hospital tomorrow (Sep 24) for my next round of chemo. Just a recap of mid-August Bone Marrow Biopsy: No cancer found--I'm in Remission; additionally, cytogenetic testing found no Philadelphia Chromosome or other negative gene mutations. [cartwheel!]

Sep 22: Home
Almost completely recovered...must be time for chemo again. Bruise on stomach is almost gone. Eyes better. More energy. Out birding today. What happened to summer???

Sep 21: Home
A little sluggish and groggy today, but inspired as an American after last night's Presidential address. Spinal fluid from yesterday's Lumbar Puncture (LP) was clear--an initially good sign. LP was more difficult yesterday. Each LP wears down protective lining. Dr. hit a nerve yesterday, sending a flash of pain down my left leg. Muscles in lower back tightened up and felt like a "Charlie Horse". Better today. LP site feels like nothing more than a bruise. Last black and blue marks on the mend...platelets must be improving.

Sep 20: Home
Still slow-moving. Have Lumbar Puncture today at the hospital with a chemo treatment for the central nervous system. Have to lay flat on my back for 4-6 hrs without moving. [yippee. yahoo. aack.] This inactivity can be performed at home according to Drs. Have they tried this on their own??? The best part about this is that it's my last, regularly scheduled Lumbar Puncture. Now *that's* worth cheering about!!!

Sep 19: Home
Tired and a little weak. Still visiting family...a nice break.

Sep 18: Home
Feeling improved. One stomach black and blue mark is almost healed...other starting to mend. Dr. made no comment about the sticky eyelids...guess I won't worry either. They're slightly improved anyway. I can still tell I'm Anemia Boy, although with frequent rests, I can walk farther than I imagined.

Sep 17: Home
WHOA! No hospital stay yet! Platelets, tho on the rise, are still too low to start chemo. Cycle is put off for a week. Scheduled Lumbar Puncture and intrathecal chemo (chemo for central nervous system) on Thursday. It's my 4th and last one...HOORAY! Visiting family thru Wednesday evening...

Sep 16: Home
Platelets finally on the rise. Not prepared mentally to go in for chemo tomorrow. [sigh] Tired today. Succumbed to gravity this afternoon and studied the back of my eyelids for a few hrs. Better for a while, but very tired this evening again. News'd out...

Sep 15: Home
Better today. One stomach bruise is starting to heal. Eyelids still a problem. No blood counts today. Out with my mother shopping for a short while. Patriotic music playing and flags everywhere. It's awesome to experience the power and unity of American sentiment during this time of crisis.

Sep 14: Home
Good, but weaker today. Although yesterday's platelets were extremely low, I did not have to go to the hospital for more platelets. Hemoglobin dropped steeply and I may also need blood today if the trend continues. Will have lab work done again today. Black and blue marks still not healing. Eyes still dry and sore and eyelids sticking together. I'm a little concerned that my body is not producing enough platelets to rebound on its own yet. During the last Cycle B, platelets were already on the rebound at this point, although I still needed a blood transfusion because of low hemoglobin levels last time. Come on body...do your stuff!

Sep 13: Home
Good today, but tired. Not sleeping as well with all the events of the past 48 hours in the U.S. Happy for every day I have, alive. Have lab work again today and may need platelets if they are low again.

Sep 12: Home
Thankful to be alive. A good day physically, even though platelets are low. Got outside, enjoyed the weather, and did some birding. It was a good distraction from the tragic reports on TV. I wonder if these new events will make it more difficult to get blood products in the future, when I need them...

Sep 11: Home
Feeling pretty good. Will probably need platelets today after lab work. Mouth slightly worse. What's the deal? Get better already! (This often works!) [haha] Eyelids still swollen and sticky. Eyes still dry and itchy.

Sep 10: Home
Better sleep. Better overall. All blood counts up except for platelets (very low). Dry mouth feels like not enough saliva. Tip of tongue tender with odd dark bumps. Hope they magically go away instead of mentioning to Dr. Don't want to go to hospital before my scheduled time (Sep 17). I have developed a great disdain for hospital stays... [grin] I do have to visit the lab for blood work on Tuesday, in addition to my scheduled M-W-F visits. [ugh]

Sep 9: Home
Tired this morning (toooooo much food yesterday). Neck sore (probably "Football Neck" from watching all the unending college football games). [haha] Back from the hospital lab. Platelets may be stabilizing...finally. Hemoglobin fairly low for just getting blood on Friday. White blood count is still extremely elevated, probably due still to effects of neupogen shots (factoid: neupogen is derived from e. coli), which I stopped on Wednesday.

Sep 8: Home
Feeling much stronger today. Wonderful day with family. Able to enjoy WAY too much homemade food, too! [grin] Will have to go in to Grant Medical Center in downtown Columbus early tomorrow morning for lab work. Hopefully, platelets are rebounding on their own...

Sep 7: Home
Wimpy this morning. Not winning the battle with gravity. Had lab work in the morning and a blood transfusion (2 units) this afternoon. Feeling much better this evening. Amazing what a little bit of blood does for one's energy level...

Sep 6: Home
Very weak today. Back to feeling like an invalid. Smallest of tasks is difficult with racing heart and shortness of breath. Herniated disks in lumbar and neck acting up. Sniffles return. Eyes itchy and eyelids swollen. Get to stop giving myself neupogen shots today. Yippee! Have two baseball-sized black and blue marks on my stomach from being low in platelets and giving myself shots there. WBC is up, all other numbers are tanked. Had to go to Infusion Lab today to get platelets. Have to go at noon again tomorrow to get a couple units of blood. At least one more day of fighting gravity. [grin]

Sep 5: Home
Got platelets yesterday (up to 27 afterwards). Better night's sleep. Less back pain. Feeling good, but very weak. Got outside this morning, but will sleep the rest of the afternoon away... Having minor shake and bake symptoms (both nighttime & daytime), but registering no significant fever (<100).

Sep 4: Home
Bad back spasms kept me awake most of the night, inspite of my wonderdrug pain relievers at max dosage. Weak and tired this morning (sleep=4hrs, non-contiguous). Blood counts evening out, though low, except for platelets (very low at 3). Holiday shortages still affecting availability. I'll need to go downtown to Grant Medical Center for platelets this afternoon. Still neutropenic and anemic. I need to buy one of those orange triangles (SMV-Slow Moving Vehicle) and tack it on my back. [grin]

Sep 3: Home
Platelets and hemoglobin just above transfusion levels. Yippee! I get to stay at home. More labs tomorrow. Weak today, but in good spirits. Nice day with family. Mouth acidic, but no sores. Eyes sharp and back to normal. WBCs still very low (still neutropenic).

Sep 2: Home/Hospital
Platelets low. Needed to get a 4-pak of platelets this morning at Grant Medical Center (everywhere else was closed/booked full). Fortunately, the order got back quickly and start-to-finish was less than 5 hrs (a new record!). Slept much of afternoon. Beautiful day out. Cottonwood leaves starting to fall. Cooler today. Made me think of Autumn...[pleasant sigh].

Sep 1: Home
Weak, but overall fairly good today. Blood counts may be stabilizing except for platelets. Have to run downtown to Grant Hospital tomorrow. They're prepared to give me blood products if necessary. Normal lab is closed, and Riverside is understaffed to handle the demand. I just love getting medical help on holiday weekends... Platelets may be pretty low today, as I have some old black and blue marks showing up and a new one in my stomach where I gave myself my daily neupogen shot. Neupogen makes cells mature at a greater rate. It is used to reduce the number of days that I am neutropenic (WBCs are too low).

Back to Health Update Main Page