My WBC count for today was 9.11! Remarkable. That's higher than what I came in with! So they have stopped the Neupogen shots and will let my body take control now.
Also today they stopped two of my antibiotics. If all goes well tonight, i'l be weined off the rest of them tomorrow, and discharged on Tuesday!! That is when we had our original plane ticket booked for, so it works out perfectly.
I still have much weakness in my legs. I can stand up but that's strictly on bone strength. If I unlock my knees, I am like j-e-l-l-o! So I am anxious to have Dr. B or Dr. T (the MS doctors) stop by tomorrow and give me advice. I didn't expect to leave here worse off than I came, but I keep reminding myself "it's only temporary"!
I think that's about it... Mom and I are watching Lifetime movies right now. Haha :)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Some catching up to do...
So yesterday I didn't post because I believe I was asleep by 7 (at home time). I know even Evan was up later than me... but that's ok. Rest is good- and I definitely enjoy it!
So 11/28 my WBC count was .26. Mom and I, as well as the doctors were very glad to see this jump.
Unfortunetly, I did also go for a CT scan of my chest which confirmed some negative things. I have slight pneumonia in both lungs, as well as fluid, and both are collapsed toward the bottom. It sounds worse than it is. The Dr's put me on antibiotics and were watching to see if I had another spike in fever over night- that did not happen. They also mentioned that as my WBC increase, I will have more energy and be more active and this will all heal on it's own.
So I have been sitting up alot more, giving my lungs the chance to fully expand. They also left me with this breathing apparatus, and even over the course of the day, my lungs have gotten stronger. So that should all be taken care of in no time.
11/29- Today
My WBC count for today was 2.26!!!!!! Now that is quite the jump. I received one last shot of the Neupogen stimulant, so we should continue to see large jumps over the next couple of days. My WBC must be 5.00 to be discharged. They are currently weining me off the antibiotics and it sounds like my release day will be Tuesday.
I am also off the oxygen that I was receiving. It was very minimal to begin with, but it made a huge difference. I think because I was more mobile today, my lungs are functioning better- more great news.
The only real issue now is regaining the strength in my legs. I can't walk as well as I could when I got here- and that is scary. My muscles are just so weak from not moving for those few days, I have to really work with them these next couple of days. Today, Mom and I did some stretches, and strength exercixes, but there's alot more work to be done.
Evan keeps asking if my legs are better, and unfortunetly at this point they are worse. But with hard work and perseverence, I will be sure to have improvement to show before I know it.
No one said it would be easy- But it WILL be worth it!
Good night to all- and all the comments I have received always bring a smile to my face. Thanks to family and friends for taking the time to read this blog and stay informed, and also for sending your love! I'll be home soon :)
So 11/28 my WBC count was .26. Mom and I, as well as the doctors were very glad to see this jump.
Unfortunetly, I did also go for a CT scan of my chest which confirmed some negative things. I have slight pneumonia in both lungs, as well as fluid, and both are collapsed toward the bottom. It sounds worse than it is. The Dr's put me on antibiotics and were watching to see if I had another spike in fever over night- that did not happen. They also mentioned that as my WBC increase, I will have more energy and be more active and this will all heal on it's own.
So I have been sitting up alot more, giving my lungs the chance to fully expand. They also left me with this breathing apparatus, and even over the course of the day, my lungs have gotten stronger. So that should all be taken care of in no time.
11/29- Today
My WBC count for today was 2.26!!!!!! Now that is quite the jump. I received one last shot of the Neupogen stimulant, so we should continue to see large jumps over the next couple of days. My WBC must be 5.00 to be discharged. They are currently weining me off the antibiotics and it sounds like my release day will be Tuesday.
I am also off the oxygen that I was receiving. It was very minimal to begin with, but it made a huge difference. I think because I was more mobile today, my lungs are functioning better- more great news.
The only real issue now is regaining the strength in my legs. I can't walk as well as I could when I got here- and that is scary. My muscles are just so weak from not moving for those few days, I have to really work with them these next couple of days. Today, Mom and I did some stretches, and strength exercixes, but there's alot more work to be done.
Evan keeps asking if my legs are better, and unfortunetly at this point they are worse. But with hard work and perseverence, I will be sure to have improvement to show before I know it.
No one said it would be easy- But it WILL be worth it!
Good night to all- and all the comments I have received always bring a smile to my face. Thanks to family and friends for taking the time to read this blog and stay informed, and also for sending your love! I'll be home soon :)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!!
First of all- Happy Thanksgiving! I was hoping to be home spending it with my family, whom I miss very much, but I must say the turkey here was pretty good. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and ate more than they should have :)
So let's recap first on a positive note- my WBC count is still going up and is now at .04. At some point over the next few days those cells will begin to rapidly divide and we will see a major change in that number. So it is just a waiting game.
I am now on a total of four IV antibiotics. My fever comes and goes throughout the day. Last night it spiked and I was having some trouble breathing, so I have been on oxygen ever since. I also began to develop a slight painful cough, which they think may be pneumonia. Not exactly what I like to hear, but it's very common being that I was bedridden for 3 days. So they did a chest x-ray, and I am scheduled for a CT in the morning. The sooner we know- the sooner they can treat it- the sooner I'll be discharged. So it's all good- I'm where I need to be and have the utmost confidence in the team of doctors that they will fix all of this ASAP. So although I've had a few breakdowns because this is so overwhelming, the nurses and Dr's assure me this is normal and I will do just fine!
On another positive note- I took a lovely shower today. And I am happy to report that all hair is beginning to fall out (I pray not my eyebrows!) which is great, because I haven't been able to shave in two weeks. It was starting to get ugly lol.
I guess that's all! Happy Thanksgiving- Gobble Gobble!
So let's recap first on a positive note- my WBC count is still going up and is now at .04. At some point over the next few days those cells will begin to rapidly divide and we will see a major change in that number. So it is just a waiting game.
I am now on a total of four IV antibiotics. My fever comes and goes throughout the day. Last night it spiked and I was having some trouble breathing, so I have been on oxygen ever since. I also began to develop a slight painful cough, which they think may be pneumonia. Not exactly what I like to hear, but it's very common being that I was bedridden for 3 days. So they did a chest x-ray, and I am scheduled for a CT in the morning. The sooner we know- the sooner they can treat it- the sooner I'll be discharged. So it's all good- I'm where I need to be and have the utmost confidence in the team of doctors that they will fix all of this ASAP. So although I've had a few breakdowns because this is so overwhelming, the nurses and Dr's assure me this is normal and I will do just fine!
On another positive note- I took a lovely shower today. And I am happy to report that all hair is beginning to fall out (I pray not my eyebrows!) which is great, because I haven't been able to shave in two weeks. It was starting to get ugly lol.
I guess that's all! Happy Thanksgiving- Gobble Gobble!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A long awaited updated...
Sorry I have been MIA. But I'm back!!!
11/24 update:
WBC count for this day was .03. I woke up in the morning with a low grade fever. With no immune system they consider 100.5 a safe fever. However the fever escalated thoughout the day to 105 at one point. This hightened all my MS systems and even made my hands so weak I was unable to do most things- like type. They started me on broad spectrum antibiotics while they waited for the blood culture to come back so they knew exactly what they were dealing with. It ended up being a gram positive blood infection which they are now treating with an exact antibiotic. With the high fever came the worst headache ever. I tried Morphine but even that didnt help. I now use Norco to control the pain- it's a mixture of tylenol and Vicodin.
This is also the day I started my period. I have taken an injection called Lupron which is supposed to prevent it from coming- but that didnt happen. Needless to say I also needed to receive red blood cells and 2 sets of platelets. They want both of those numbers higher than usual because I am losing blood. I had an allergic reaction to the red cells so now I take Benadryl first to avoid the itcing sensation.
My Wonderful Auntie Robin went back to her family. It was so nice to have here her. I am thinking she may need to borrow my bright orange "Fall Risk" bracelet. haha. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit :)
11/25-
My WBC count for this day was 0.00. Because I still was receiving red blood cells and platelets my Dr.s decided to do another blood draw to make sure they were both moving up. During the second draw my WBC was .01.
I still had a fluctuating fever throughout the day and an awful headache s0 I was basically bed bound for those 2 days. They ended up giving me some steroids to give my body a break from the fever.
I also managed to make an "appointment" with Mary the LPN so she could shave my head. My hair had started coming out and I didn't want it all over the place- that would skeeve me out. So now I have a buzz cut and the stubles and falling out as well. It took me a little while to come to terms with it and actually look in the mirror- but it's not the end of the world.
Today-
I woke up feeling pretty good today. But before I knew it I was being brought down to have an ultrasound of my stomach and liver. My stomach was hard and distended the day before, and apparently my liver enzymes were elevated, but everything came back normal. The lack of muscle relaxers in my system at that time caused my legs to constantly shake and drained all my energy. I took a nap, but my fever kept coming and going again today. So another bed bound, usless day.
I am currently receiving platelets and red blood cells because at the mid-day draw they had dropped again. And at this point my WBC count is .02. It's slowly moving in the right direction and hopefully when this infection is over with we can start to see the numbers climb alot higher.
So all in all the last 3 days have been a major setback, but it was expected at some point that I would get a fever. So fingers crossed the next few days I elevate my numbers and then I'll finally be released! :)
That's pretty much the whole re-cap. I will continue to try and post daily to avoid this in the future! Nighty Night!
11/24 update:
WBC count for this day was .03. I woke up in the morning with a low grade fever. With no immune system they consider 100.5 a safe fever. However the fever escalated thoughout the day to 105 at one point. This hightened all my MS systems and even made my hands so weak I was unable to do most things- like type. They started me on broad spectrum antibiotics while they waited for the blood culture to come back so they knew exactly what they were dealing with. It ended up being a gram positive blood infection which they are now treating with an exact antibiotic. With the high fever came the worst headache ever. I tried Morphine but even that didnt help. I now use Norco to control the pain- it's a mixture of tylenol and Vicodin.
This is also the day I started my period. I have taken an injection called Lupron which is supposed to prevent it from coming- but that didnt happen. Needless to say I also needed to receive red blood cells and 2 sets of platelets. They want both of those numbers higher than usual because I am losing blood. I had an allergic reaction to the red cells so now I take Benadryl first to avoid the itcing sensation.
My Wonderful Auntie Robin went back to her family. It was so nice to have here her. I am thinking she may need to borrow my bright orange "Fall Risk" bracelet. haha. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit :)
11/25-
My WBC count for this day was 0.00. Because I still was receiving red blood cells and platelets my Dr.s decided to do another blood draw to make sure they were both moving up. During the second draw my WBC was .01.
I still had a fluctuating fever throughout the day and an awful headache s0 I was basically bed bound for those 2 days. They ended up giving me some steroids to give my body a break from the fever.
I also managed to make an "appointment" with Mary the LPN so she could shave my head. My hair had started coming out and I didn't want it all over the place- that would skeeve me out. So now I have a buzz cut and the stubles and falling out as well. It took me a little while to come to terms with it and actually look in the mirror- but it's not the end of the world.
Today-
I woke up feeling pretty good today. But before I knew it I was being brought down to have an ultrasound of my stomach and liver. My stomach was hard and distended the day before, and apparently my liver enzymes were elevated, but everything came back normal. The lack of muscle relaxers in my system at that time caused my legs to constantly shake and drained all my energy. I took a nap, but my fever kept coming and going again today. So another bed bound, usless day.
I am currently receiving platelets and red blood cells because at the mid-day draw they had dropped again. And at this point my WBC count is .02. It's slowly moving in the right direction and hopefully when this infection is over with we can start to see the numbers climb alot higher.
So all in all the last 3 days have been a major setback, but it was expected at some point that I would get a fever. So fingers crossed the next few days I elevate my numbers and then I'll finally be released! :)
That's pretty much the whole re-cap. I will continue to try and post daily to avoid this in the future! Nighty Night!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Day 12
If I hadn't mentioned it before- my mouth hurts! My gums are very sore and this is all due to the cell breakdown from the Cytoxan. Brushing my teeth feels amazing and definitely provides some temporary relief. The doctors are montioring them closely so that sores do not develop. Other than that, the nausea is still under control, and my legs are still as weak as they have been since this process started.
On another note- my WBC count is finally going up! Today it was .06!! That's up .01 from yesterday. Haha. Obviously not a huge gain, but we are atleast moving in the right direction. I've had 3 shots in total, and expect the trend to continue at a much more rapid pace over the next few days.
I must give a SHOUT OUT to Dr. John (The chemo Dr.) for overseeing my care for the past 2 weeks. His round on this floor is done, and there will be someone new replacing him tomorrow. I hope you visit this blog-feel free to comment- and thanks for understanding "The Graceful Slide"!
My Wonderful Auntie Robin is leaving tomorrow afternoon, so we had one last party in 1026! Giordano pizza is amazing- for any future HiCy-ers. I highly recommend it.
Nighty Night! :)
On another note- my WBC count is finally going up! Today it was .06!! That's up .01 from yesterday. Haha. Obviously not a huge gain, but we are atleast moving in the right direction. I've had 3 shots in total, and expect the trend to continue at a much more rapid pace over the next few days.
I must give a SHOUT OUT to Dr. John (The chemo Dr.) for overseeing my care for the past 2 weeks. His round on this floor is done, and there will be someone new replacing him tomorrow. I hope you visit this blog-feel free to comment- and thanks for understanding "The Graceful Slide"!
My Wonderful Auntie Robin is leaving tomorrow afternoon, so we had one last party in 1026! Giordano pizza is amazing- for any future HiCy-ers. I highly recommend it.
Nighty Night! :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Day 11
My WBC count for today was .05! This accounts for even more leg weakness and an overall tired feeling. Needless to say, I bonded with my pillow quite a bit today :)
Nausea is still an issue, but I have learned to double dose for those special occassions. Like tonight- The girls and I ordered Chinese food and it was very yummy!
My favorite sister in law is leaving tomorrow morning to go back to RI. Another big SHOUT OUT to here for coming to visit- it was great to have her here and change the mood a bit! We had plenty of good laughs!
I also received my 2nd Neupogen shot today. The Dr still believes my WBC count for tomorrow will bottom out to .00, but then we should be seeing an upward trend.
We'll see what tomorrow brings- Goodnight to all!!
Nausea is still an issue, but I have learned to double dose for those special occassions. Like tonight- The girls and I ordered Chinese food and it was very yummy!
My favorite sister in law is leaving tomorrow morning to go back to RI. Another big SHOUT OUT to here for coming to visit- it was great to have her here and change the mood a bit! We had plenty of good laughs!
I also received my 2nd Neupogen shot today. The Dr still believes my WBC count for tomorrow will bottom out to .00, but then we should be seeing an upward trend.
We'll see what tomorrow brings- Goodnight to all!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
What a day!!!
So after some minor miscalculation- I ended up starting Neupogen today. Odds are my WBC count will still drop tomorrow, but then we'll be on the upside of things and wait for the WBC to return to a safe level - 1.0- and I will be discharged. In the meantime, I can expect to develop a fever, that may not necessarily be related to infection, so they will closely monitor me and provide broad spectrum antibiotics to contain it.
On another note- I had some visitors today! SHOUT OUT's go to My Wonderful Auntie Robin and My Favorite Sister-in-Law, Shannon!! They traveled all the way here to keep me company for the next few days. We ordered some local pizza- per the advice of Mary the LPN- and it was amazing. I doubled up on my anti-nausea meds, Zofran and Ativan, and had a feast! Party in room 1026!
And although my Amazing Boyfriend, Haigaz, could not accompany those fine ladies on their journey- I must also send a SHOUT OUT to him for the gorgeous pink sapphire and diamond bracelet he sent. You're the best! Love you, babe!
That's all folks :)
On another note- I had some visitors today! SHOUT OUT's go to My Wonderful Auntie Robin and My Favorite Sister-in-Law, Shannon!! They traveled all the way here to keep me company for the next few days. We ordered some local pizza- per the advice of Mary the LPN- and it was amazing. I doubled up on my anti-nausea meds, Zofran and Ativan, and had a feast! Party in room 1026!
And although my Amazing Boyfriend, Haigaz, could not accompany those fine ladies on their journey- I must also send a SHOUT OUT to him for the gorgeous pink sapphire and diamond bracelet he sent. You're the best! Love you, babe!
That's all folks :)
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