Tuesday evening medical update

Off I went early this morning for my doctor appointment and bloodwork. I was really hoping to see some improvement in the neutrophils (white cells you need for immunity), but that count was still 0.0. Platelets were down to 6, but my red count was still holding from Friday's transfusions. This was not exactly the news I really wanted to hear. In order to try to boost the whites, the doc has started me on Neupogen shots. Those will be daily for the rest of the week. And I have to finish out my Levaquin (antibiotic) prescription.

Then I got a transfusion of platelets. It took a while for the platelets to arrive from the blood bank and because they were A+ they had to run very slowly. Although I was premedicated with Benadryl, I still had a very slight reaction toward the end.

The Benadryl totally knocked me out again. I was so sleepy I was weaving a bit when we walked out. I didn't get done until after noon, and just had time to get to the appointment with the surgeon. He looked at my port wound and declared it is improving. Yea! I get to stop having the large wet dressing every day and can switch to a small dry dressing. He wants to see me again in a couple of weeks.

I was still very sleepy, and the home health nurse had to come to change the dressing on my picc line. I decided to sit on the sofa in the family room and wait for her. It was only going to be half an hour. All I can say is it's a good thing I left the door unlocked for her. I crashed and only woke up with her talking to me. But now I have a new dressing and an order in for new supplies. Will see her again on Friday.

The medical schedule for the rest of the week is:
Wednesday - Neupogen shot
Thursday - CBC, Type & Cross, see doc, Neupogen shot
Friday - Transfusions of 2 units of red cells and one unit of platelets, Neupogen shot, home health nurse to take care of picc line.

Next week is the scheduled week for the next round of Dacgoen. I can't start that until the white count starts to rise. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and thinking lots of positive thoughts. Visualising little armed white cells running around in my bloodstream.