JAMs Jams. Pure. Real. Fresh.

That this is actually going to come to an end soon! I saw Dr Keedy & she checked my labs today. My bloodwork was excellent. Still a little anemic but plenty good enough for treatment next week. My white count came back up to normal, my platelets are back in the normal range & all the other functions were great! So chemo is on for the last time next week. Woohoo. And i talked her into letting me take the second and third doses of Mesna by pill next week which cuts about 2 hours off each days chemo time!!! Woohoo again. She also said we could go ahead & get the first set of post cancer scans scheduled. Did you read that? Post cancer! At the end of each visit the doctor fills out a form that tells the schedulers what to book for you coming up. For seven long months each time this has been more chemo, more labs, more yuck. But this time my form didn't have any more drugs or chemo on it. I have to say taking that form to Debbie, My favorite scheduler & a cancer...

And a bunch of new blood! I feel like Judy again. Well more like Judy. Looking forward to a fun 5 days before I start the FINAL round. If you're coming next week, the location is the 2nd floor of The Vanderbilt Clinic in the Cancer Infusion Center. Tuesday thru Friday I will start around 8.30. Not sure yet what time I will be done ech day, depends on some things I have to check with Dr Keedy about Friday. Please don't feel obligated to spend the whole time with me. It's VERY boring & I'm quite happy with whatever time you can spare!  Here is who I think is coming each day... Monday - Christine (CB, it's a slightly different location Monday) Tuesday - Angie J & Bob Wednesday - LML & Angie V Thursday- Lisa A Friday - Jenn T I'm at the point where there's no way I'm not finishing this so if your plans change & you can't make it, don't feel bad!  I will keep the faith, carry on & cross the finish line!

Well, its really no surprise, as much as I was hoping it wouldn't be the case, my red counts are super low today.  My Hematocrit is 20 - the lowest it has been is 19 so thats pretty stinkin low and explains my extreme fatigue in the last few days. That also means I have to get 2 more units of blood today, which takes forever.  My platelets are also really low - 59 - which is the lowest they have been by far - nothing really to do about those except hope they jump up to above 75 by Friday so I can get chemo next week.  Cross your fingers for that please. I also saw Dr Holt, my orthopedic oncology surgeon, this morning for a routine follow up.  She said my scar looks good but there is a lot of scar tissue.  Nothing really to do about that.  In some ways it doesn't even seem real that all this started with surgery back in January!  She said the leg swelling & "fat foot" is probably going to continue for a while but eventually should get be...

Its been a tough week, I won't lie.  I'm pretty sure my red blood cell count is at rock bottom - we will have it checked Tuesday but until then its a major effort to accomplish the simplest tasks.  Tired doesn't really describe it - its not like I go to sleep at night & wake up in the morning & feel rested.  Taking  a nap would make no difference.  Its a fatigue deep to my bones.  Its the kind of fatigue that makes me lean on the counter to peel potatoes. I think I've finally reconciled why this is so hard.  I have this constant mental war going on.  I have to make this choice all day every day - choice one is to do what I need & want to do physically like go to work, make dinner, take care of the house, cook breakfast, etc.  The downside of choice one is that I am left so physically drained I can barely function - and I take that out on those around me unfortunately so we all end up miserable!  Not a good situation. Choi...

September 30 in the afternoon will be the no mo chemo party at our house. Everyone and anyone is invited - we will have a jumpy house, a keg & who knows what else. Invites will be coming but consider yourself invited!!

I wanted to share this communication from Southwest Airlines.  I traveled a ton last year & finally right at the end of the year made their A-List status - I was pretty excited.  A couple weeks later this whole cancer thing started & so I haven't been able to travel this year as you know & also haven't been able to take advantage of the A-List "perks".  So Amber suggested I ask them to extend it for a year.  I figured what the hell - they will probably say no way but I will ask.  Here is the letter I got back from them. As you can see, not only did they extend my A-List for the whole of 2013 but they wrote such a nice, kind note to go with it.  Customer service is so important - something I have come to appreciate professionally in the last few years but its nice to experience it personally as well. I feel a little bit better each day - still fighting the remnants from that damn virus - I just can't seem to kick it & by the end of...