Chemo schedule 3 - day 7

no updates since the third - sort of oops but also topics are a bit of a repeat. Currently midday at home on day 8 of third Chemo. cycle.

I saw the Doctor last Tuesday, before we started the chemo, it was a day of frustration and concerns.  Frustration because I  had to hang around the hospital for no real reason, concern because Tony was himself concerned about the node in my groin that was surgically biopsied. He thought it may have grown!  So he sent me for a CT scan & I was admitted late Tuesday to be ready to start chemo 3 / see him on the Wednesday.  Well thankfully CT results were good, nodes are shrinking, however that one node is taking longer - probably due to the invasive surgery. So, positive news there!

I've now completed the in-house schedule 3 chemo. and am currently sitting at home in a rather damp Brisbane, whilst my blood counts once again drop.  I've taken a little longer to recover from the hospital time on this occasion, it's primarily nausea / loss of appetite plus tiredness.  The nausea is managed via drugs, however you really do not feel ready for a good home cooked meal!  Tiredness again relates to the drugs and disturbances received whilst in hospital, Monday I was unable to concentrate but was not tired enough to sleep.

I'll be back to see the doctor on Thursday (day 9) so may get admitted dependant on my blood counts / neutropenia - infection once again is the biggest risk and Tony's potential requirement to give me further platelet or blood products.  Day oncology next Saturday - a short 30 minute IV, again depends if I am admitted prior to this due to the blood counts. After that is is recovering til 31st /1st when round 4 starts.  (Eeeek)

So that is round 3 update.   Interestingly my relatively rare illness is so rare that there was a guy about 10m away from me in the hospital, with the same illness, and running a month behind me!! Interestingly a different doctor with potentially differing treatments - more questions for Tony my Oncologist!!!!

Hayley got to fly down to Sydney to meet with Lesley, Barry, Hebe and special guest - Barry's credit card for a few days (shopping) - nice for friends to catch up and spend some time together especially before the girls start their Uni. careers.  Afterwards she met up with her cousins and had a nice day or so, before returning to Brissie to "partee"!!

Kathryn flew out for Pittsburgh last Sunday, that month flew by very quickly!  She is  now safely at Uni. with her team mates after quite a long haul flight. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see her off at the airport, I don't think nausea and farewells go together.  As it happened Liz said that the Airport was freezing and it was a good move to stay at home, so tearful hugs in the garage was the best farewell we could gather. 

Some thoughts / quotes I read recently -
“You can not control what is dealt to you; you can only control how you deal with it”.

What lesson did I get from today? In the words of Woody Allen:
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”