God Save The Queen

God Save the Queen 

The title song for this blog happens to be the National Anthem for the United Kingdom. I am by no means comparing myself to the British monarchy or Queen Elizabeth. However, as the reigning chemo queen, the title is appropriate. The Chemo Queen has met her match in Gemzar!

I have completed the first cycle of my new chemo regimen. And it couldn't come too soon. My body needs to recoup! Gemzar is kicking my blood work's butt!! Every chemo I've been on had the capacity to lower by blood cell counts, yet to date I have not experienced this until Gemzar. I count my blessings every day on just how well my body has handled past treatments. Here is a snapshot on the Gemzar impact:

 As you can see, my white blood cell count is in the toilet, beginning a steady decline since my first treatment on 12/10. Needless to say, I am under house arrest (not literally) while my counts are so low. Any type of bacteria or virus could create problems for me at this point. 

Note that labs are taken prior to chemo, so God only knows how much lower they got after my 12/23 treatment. Let's just say the doctor was concerned enough to reduce my dose on 12/23 AND proscribe a general 7-day antibiotic to help protect me while my body begins to heal. 

The antibiotic, Levofloxacin, is a treat in itself. I finally took the time to read the possible side effects. WTF!!! This antibiotic can kill me. Holy crap! I used a new phrase after I read them: What the f*ckity f*ck!? Sorry for the language but I think it's appropriate. In addition to your basic standards of nausea, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness, here are some of the more fun possible side effects:

• Possible liver problems
• Possible kidney problems
• Unusual bleeding/bruising
• Tears or breaks in the aorta
• Tendon rupture, most commonly the Achilles tendon
• Changes in sensation and possible nerve damage
• Central nervous system effects (hearing voices, see things, seizures, tremors)
• Worsening of myasthenia gravis (a condition which causes muscle weakness)

To top things off, my iron is really low. They are adding an iron infusion when I go in for chemo next week. Isn't that special!

What I've discovered this past week is that I can be full of energy one day, then really tired the next. There are days I have a lot of stamina and feel good. There are other days where I don't feel bad but I don't feel great. I am sure this is of no surprise to anyone but me.

So .... what is the chemo queen to do? Practice common sense:

• Eat well
• Eating by itself can be challenging simply because I have no appetite
• This is getting better
• My weight is stabilizing and the downward slide is on vacation
• Sleep well
• I have sleep aids and CBD oil if I need them
• I am not a napper, but I took a three hour nap today (this is a tired day)
• I may need to nap during lunch when I return to work on the 4th (still not going into the office)
• Keep moving
• Continue walking Sam, even when I don't have as much stamina
• Continue daily chores such as laundry, dishes, etc.
• Strengthen my core

I think all of these things are necessary to minimize the impact this protocol is having on my body and to improve my overall chances of sticking around a few more years.

One other thing happened this week that has happened before, several weeks ago. I started seeing double ... for about 3 minutes. It went away as fast as it came on. The first time it happened, I had just started my hot shower. This past time, last night, I had just wrapped up in a blanket while watching TV. If I close one eye, I see fine. I recently went to see the retina specialist and all is fine from an eye perspective. I doubt this is cancer related, but definitely worth a discussion with the PA when I go in next week.

Note: Not looking for sympathy ...  just keeping it real. I knew this journey would be a "ride" and it is!

Wishing everyone an early Happy New Year! I'm ready for 2020 to be over!