The latest update.
My medical oncologist says that some of the cancer cells managed to leak into the bloodstream during the 6 months the thing was growing. I had a chemo treatment just about 4 weeks ago that put me in the hospital for 3 days. I had a roaring case of sepsis and they had to culture the bug since nothing seemed to work to stop it. Treatment required that I come back for IV antibiotics for 11 days delivered via a pic line to deliver IV antibiotics directly to my bloodstream since the bacterium in question was immune to everything else.
By the way, the doctor says that what happened to me was not unusual, but he couldn't really warn me because reactions are highly individual. On the good side, he says the inflammatory markers are now way down, which shows that the chemo was very effective and knocked the stray cancer cells back on their heels. The remaining chemo treatments are to make sure we get the ones that are still twitching. He expects me to make a full recovery. He tells me some doctors treat their patients' cancers gently, and many of them spread as a result rather than disappear. He, on the other hand, makes you feel miserable (which I do) but he kills the cancer cells. I guess setting the hare's foot against the goose giblets, I'll take his method.
We completed the antibiotics, and then I had my second chemo treatment last Tuesday. I have 4 more to go, every three weeks. Yay.
No infection accompanied this one. It has, however effected my blood cell count and clotting factors, not to mention my immune system. Think the boy in the bubble. My fingernails look white and I'm trying to eat food with a lot of iron in it to compensate. Also the shakiness when I try to walk is something to see to be believed. I'm trying to tough it out because I have no wish for a blood transfusion. Call me paranoid. The way my luck has been running, I would get the blood from someone with HIV who has not progressed past the short interval where the disease is not detectable in the bloodstream. No thanks.
I have about a week until my blood cell count begins to rise again. Until then I have to stay away from anyone sneezing, sniffling or coughing, or take the risk of pneumonia, which I would rather not have. The prospect of another hospital stay holds no appeal for me.
My hair has predictably started to fall out and I am wearing my wig or a nightcap full time. Nobody but nobody is going to see me without hair. Period.
And by the way, I do look like an alien from Star Trek. Nobody gets pictures.
