Fun With Needles & Getting Fat!!!!

And I have extras!!!!!!!!

12/22/05
Today was my 3rd chemo dose. My White Blood Cell count was low, specifically, My Neutrophile count was low. POOP! Bound to happen, though. The condition, Neutropenia, is very common in Cancer patients, caused by the chemo.

Neutrophile - The Major class of Phagocyte/Bacteriocide(sp?) in the Periphrial Blood system. or for the Scientists: It Eats Bugs dead. First responder, activates Complement, blah, blah, blah. No way am I gonna try to explain Complement here.

BTW - I'm really Loopy and my knees hurt. i feel semi-drunk. :D

Anyway - They gave me a script for this "revolutionary" drug that boosts the immune system or your money back. "Revolutionary" skeers me. Probably causes cancer.

LMFAO! I Kill Me!!!!!!!!

I just have to inject it subcutaneously over 5 days. Thighs, abdomen, back of upper arm(??????). How many animals have I stabbed? I worked in Pharma for four years. I've use a needle countless time. This should be interesting, no?

I have to start it Saturday. I think my "Insurance" had a heart attack with this script (cost?). They want to talk too my Doc before they approve it. Fucking assholes! After the Revolution The Insurers will be the first against the wall. Then the Lawyers.

The problem is taken care of on Friday and I'm able to get my drug. A friend who works in cancer research thinks its assinine that the anti-neutropenia drugs aren't Prescribed prophylactically since it's so common. Insurers, I'm sure are the reason.

Up against the Wall, puhleeze.

Back to the chemo party:

0850 - Arrive at Lombardi Cancer Center
0900 - Blood Test
0940 - See Onco Doc.
1000 - Arrive at BMTx floor for chemo. Infusion unit is full again? I'm thinking maybe they
send the more healthy patients to BMTx. No need to really watch them, perhaps?
1100 - Waitnig for drugs. Thank God they have Cable.
1200 - Waiting for Drugs. WTF?
1300 - Get drugs.

This has got to change. No way does it take 3hrs to make my drugs. I'm not going to yell at the BMTx crew, 'taint their fault. I'll save it for Infusion. Before I could ask the Nurse assumes I recieved anti-nausea drugs but it wasn't documented. I say Thanks for asking, yes, I need the drugs. So, the 1st session - no anti-nausea, 2nd session - anti nausea but no documentation.

Maybe they just want me to color all of Georgetown with my stomach contents?

1530 - Done with chemo. 3 hours of waiting and 3 hours of treating. How efficient. This time we did bring reading material and a lunch. They did try and serve us Hospital food. I declined.

The chemo side effects hit quickly this time. Severe Fatigue, dehydration, memory issues, pain in my knee joints, sensitive tongue. I pee so much I'm up to 4-5 bottles of Gatorade/day and losing the battle. Insomnia will be a bigger issue and I'll go from benadryl to Sominex (sp?). Which is benadryl x 2, literaly; has double the active ingredient of benadryl.

Theory:
The chemo side effects hits quicker, I believe, because one responds to chemo. I've responded "extremly well". less Cancer cells means the drugs are "hitting" healthy cells/tissue with greater intensity. I get the same dose until my next CT/PET Scan which comes a week after my 4th treatment. It would be nice if they did a scan after each treatment. they probably don't for short term savings. Long term loss - excessive chemo leads to future cancers. Wonder if Insurers are behind this?

Up against the wall, puhleeze.

Hair still isn't looking so bad. Not growing at all, thinning slowly.................so far. Might shave my face for the hell of it & then maybe I won't have to shave for a long time. I look like a youngen, it's short, and sparse in areas. I feel like I should go talk to my hairdresser. I've been with her for 6yrs.

Plus facial hair kind of masks the scar where they took my Lymph Node out. Takes away from my Badass look. I figure in the city people might think I got slashed. In the Backcountry I'll tell people it was from a bear with an extra long middle finger. :D

But I am Getting Fat!!!!!!!!!! Yes!
2 weeks ago I weighed in at 152. Today, 162! I like to be @155. We didn't believe I weighed that much and my Dr. agreed to have me weighed again. I think a 10lb. weight gain after 2 treatments is unusual. I have loss my appetite, in a mild way, but I know I should eat. In fact, Dani is trying to fatten me up more. The theory being that at some point I will most likely have a problem with eating and need the extra weight. if not, then I'll be a Fat Chemo Patient and lose it afterward. I promise! Thank God one of us is thinking straight. Dani's making Christmas and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Might put some in a Bowl with some Ben & jerry's Ice Cream. ;)

I'm tired so I might have to lay.............lie................make myself comfy on the couch.
Peace. And Remember what doesn't kill you will probably kill you later. Hopefully much later. :)