I believe that some people who read this want to know REALLY how I am, not how my mood is or what I'm thinking about and praying. Here is my own version of how I am on Day 9 of hospitalization.
Remember that with Induction Chemotherapy the objective is to zap the “coral reef” structure within my bones as quickly and completely, thereby killing the leukemia cells that had taken over about 80% of that territory. When all the cells are killed, then the healthy cells grow back first. I got infusions of Chemo drugs 24 hours a day from Tuesday to Friday last week; since then, the nasty stuff has been doing it damaging work. I have to go down before I can go up.
My blood counts today were reassuring LOW:
- Total white count (norm: 4-10): .25
- Percentage of white count that are neutrophil infection fighters: 0
- Red count: (norm: 4-6): 2.4
- HCT oxygen carrying cells (norm: 36-48): 23
- Platelets (norm 150-450): 7
We are very encouraged about these low numbers; they indicate that the chemo did its job. At Stanford, I had to have a second round because my numbers did not get this low with my first chemo.
The goal is to achieve and then live through this highly vulnerable state to reach the recovery stage.
I look a bit strange. Most of my skin below my waist looks like the worst measles you've ever seen as the result of a drug allergy made to look worse because my low platelets led the spots to be more numerous and bigger. Plus when I scratch the spots, I get bruises.
Above my waist, I have things that look like water blisters from the same allergy. Around my hairline I have similar blistery looking things but they are red and very itchy. I will be putting pictures of me in the “Health Record Album” in the next few days.
Benedryl helps the allergic reaction somewhat. Thanks to Valtrex, I have no cold sores around my mouth and so far the hairline blisters seem content to stay that way.
My skin texture has a bit of a “crusty burn” look from the internal chemo burn.
Since my fever broke on Sunday, however, I’ve felt remarkably great (better than good). I feel that my body is telling me it is in remission. That may sound strange, but I feel healthy on the inside in a way I did not before.
Infection is the major health hazard now and I have many sites where infections could set in or expand. I’m monitored every four hours. Most of the hours in a day, I have multiple lines of drugs being infused into me. My fever has stayed below 100 since Sunday and was normal most of today. I got infusions of both platelets and red blood.
Sorry if this was too gruesome; I welcome these inconveniences as a sign of transition to someplace better than I was. Love, B.
Bonnie, thanks for the numbers, and thanks for the marvellous spirit of *you* that gleams through the words like sunshine through a tree. Happy, non-infective thoughts beamed at you from Vancouver, BC!
Posted by: Jim DeLaHunt | April 13, 2006 at 09:58 AM