By Way of Update...

I am so grateful to be typing this update from my bedroom!  I can't imagine still being in the hospital.  My oncologist, Dr. El-Shami, has been very aware of and sensitive to the fact that I have young kids at home.  I know that is why he allowed me to come home early.  Of course, I'm under strict orders to return immediately to the ER at any sign of a fever or sickness.  And, I'm returning to his outpatient clinic twice a week to check my CBC.  I returned Friday for my first follow-up and, as expected, my numbers are declining.  My white blood cell count was really low and my red blood cells and platelets continue to drop.  I will go back again on Tuesday.  If I get too low, they'll send me over to GW hospital (which is just across the street from his clinic) for a few hours for a blood transfusion.

In the meantime, we have to be very careful about germs.  Because they pumped so much chemo into me over such a short period of time (I was on chemo for about 6 hours a day for 5 days), my immune system is "out to lunch", as Dr. El-Shami puts it.  There has been a lot of hand-washing at our house and I'm semi-quarantined to the bedroom, particularly as my numbers continue to drop.  I'm also on what's called a neutropenic (all these fun vocabulary words we're learning!) diet, meaning no fresh fruits or vegetables, due to the bacteria they might carry.  No flowers in the house, either.  My cousins sent me some fabric flowers and a friend drew a beautiful bouquet for me. :)

Today I feel much more weak than I have, due of course to my declining red blood cell count.  I'm grateful for good anti-nausea medication.  They pumped it into my IV for half an hour before each chemo treatment and sent me home with an oral pill. My appetite waxes and wanes, but is overall much better than it was in the hospital.  Who would have an appetite on hospital food, chemo or not?!  Blech.

Here's one meal from the hospital.  That green thing was broccoli in a former life.  The red liquid was supposed to be tomato soup...I think they just gave me a can of tomato paste.  *shudder*
Food, among many, many other things, is much better at home.