Closing the 2nd cycle, moving on.

Finally, I am sitting at a Starbucks doing what so many do; look busy, smart, and free, working on my laptop. What a joke! I am in-between doctor appointments and wanted to take a minute to do an update.

I did finish my 1st cycle of chemo, and started the next. Actually today is the 3rd dose of the 2nd cycle, and Monday I will have the last dose of this cycle. I haven’t had to transfuse since Jan 20th! I will start cycle 3 on the 19th. Still don’t know how many cycles I will do

To catch up on my lab work, here is the last one:

WBC 10.5 Normal 4.5 – 10.5 (white blood count)
RBC, HGB and HCT were low….but not too bad
PLT 44 Normal 150 – 400 (platelets) This still critically low, but up from 17

The WBC is up because of the Neupogen shots to increase my WBC. But I’ll take them anyway I can get them.

AJ and I did meet with LeMaistre about the transplant. He was happy that my sister was a match, so that the process could begin. Of course, he gave me ALL the options, even not to do it right now, because this decision is mine to make. I asked him “why” would I not do the transplant now. In short, his answer was “goals and priorities.” Basically, “what” is important to me at this point…i.e., if I wanted to go on a cruise in the spring, he would get me ‘doctored up’ and ready to go and then when I got back everything could be reassessed. Or maybe I wasn’t ready for the possibility of trading one set of problems for another right now. All, very good points, but since I don’t have anything lined up…I am ready to move forward.

Daddy, use to say, “if it is ever worth the doing be wise and do it now, don’t be foolish in pursuing what tomorrow may not allow.” I do, as LeMaistre said, “intellectually” understand all of this, but emotionally and physically is something else. I can say, I have truly been working on accepting that this is a year long process, at best. I can do a year.

Here is some good news. LeMaistre is not to concerned about my blood work so much. His idea is for Dice to move as quickly to get me “clean” and then move right into the transplant. By the way, he doesn’t like the term “mini.” He says there is nothing “mini” about it! If the treatment I am taking now doesn’t work fast enough, he wants to dose me once with a BIG chemo and just zap that mutated cancer and move forward. We won’t know if that is happening for another month or so. While we wait, I have started all the testing for the transplant and getting insurance approval. My sister, Linda, will be coming to SA as soon as the insurance approves her, to do a day’s round of tests. She will return for “harvesting” a week or so later. The harvesting process is about 4 days, and thank God is not as grueling of a process like in years past. She will have 1 shot day for 3 days, to increase her stem cell activity, pack the suckers in! ~ and then one day for the harvesting. It is a little different than what I did because she has good health cells, and good veins, not ‘shot’ by chemo.

In updates past, I mention a transplant buddy, Shiann, that went through everything at the same time I did. I saw her a our 100 day appointment in October and we both were doing great! However, she too will be returning for a donor transplant about the same time I am. On the other hand, during the holidays she experienced a very difficult set back and lost one of her kidneys. I want to give “thanks” for her amazing recovery and for her power to rise above. May God continue to bless Shiann as she begins her 2nd transplant process too.

More later, guy…….by the way, I am at chemo now and I got it! Blood work is a little down but still good enough for chemo. That is what we need. Amen.

Have a good weekend. Pray that I get chemo on Monday to finish the 2nd cycle.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7