Nadir Appointment #4

Today's appointment went very smooth and was pretty quick! My sister-in-law Cheri was by buddy for this appointment. She picked me up a little early which was great because I had some insurance issues that I needed to talk about with the Insurance lady at the Cancer center. I was 15 minutes early and within 5 minutes they called me back to have my port accessed. This port access was pretty smooth with very little discomfort. The nurse had a difficult time getting my blood to flow through the port and had to back flush it to get it working, but it was no big deal and no pain on my part. (Thank goodness!)
My friend Myrna was having her port accessed at the same time as me so we were able to sit and visit while we waited. Her last chemo is on the same day as my next chemo. I'm really excited to hear her ring the bell! I told her not to ring it too hard because I want it to still be there for my turn next month! :)
I didn't really have any new questions for the Dr. so the meeting with him was fast. He was happy overall that I seem to be handling the chemo treatments. At the start of my chemo it was harder on me than it has been the past couple times.

My blood work results:
Red blood count- 32. Normal is 38, this is the lowest I have been so far. This means I'll get winded easier and feel more tired. (I was surprised by this as I have been feeling pretty good. I haven't had to take naps, but I do notice I get worn out quickly.)
White blood count- 6.6 Normal is between 4-10, so I'm right in the middle. A safe place to be.
Platelets- 151. Normal is between 120-420. Looks good, the Dr. was happy.

This past chemo was probably the easiest one so far. Friday after chemo I felt blah, but not sick. Saturday I felt pretty ok too. I helped Dave do some yard work even. Sunday was a tough day, I felt AWFUL all day! This Sunday was comparable to my 1st chemo Sunday. Monday was a good day. Tuesday was a good day, I spent a few hours at the park, sitting in the shade, with my kids, a sister-in-law, a couple of my cousins and my Grandparents. I was thinking that Wednesday would be a good day too, but it was not. Wednesday was the day my bowels had had enough of all those chemo chemicals. Spent the day at home, close to the toilet. Felt wiped out and tired most of the day. Thursday was better than Wednesday, however I stayed close to home and the toilet again. Friday I was finally confident enough to go out and have some fun with my kids. I helped Bradley with a lawn mowing job and spent the evening at my Dad's retirement party.
I am currently still feeling good. Each day I feel a little stronger physically, but mentally I feel challenged. Chemo brain is a hard thing to get used to. I forget things easily. My patients is short. I have little energy or drive to be productive, and if you know me you know how bizarre that is! My emotions have been a bit tender. I get frustrated and cry easily about my limitations and upcoming events in my journey. I think this is normal and nothing to be worried about. Most people going through difficult things hit a wall and feel discouraged, I think that's where I am. It's just a temporary stage. These emotions are part of the journey to being a stronger, more confidant person, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

The other day I got a letter in the mail from a cousin. Totally out of the blue, and totally unexpected. Those kind of acts bring more sunshine to my day than anything! So if you find yourself looking for something to do and feels like there's nothing to do, send me a note of encouragement. Notes of encouragement and support are better than GOLD! I save them and pull them out to read on hard days.

My next appointment is for an echo cardiogram. I'll update you on that if there's anything exciting to tell. I'm sure it will be an uneventful appointment. My next chemo is June 26th. This will be my 5th and next to last chemo. There is an end in sight, at least to the chemo part and all the days that follow being sick. I'm looking forward to the not being sick and I'm super looking forward to my hair growing back. Until then, I need to remember to take baby steps! Nothing about this process is fast or quick, it all takes time...

I love you all!
Christy