Another week without chemo :(

I went to Madigan yesterday feeling good. I was proud of my suppressed immune system for getting me through air travel and a sick husband sniffle free! I was confident that an extra week without chemo would surely help that white blood cell count...

Not so much. My count yesterday was 800...lower than last week. Boo :(

I absolutely HATE that there isn't a darned thing I can do to help my WBC count go up. There are white blood cell booster shots I could take, but since the number that measures my WBC production increased slightly (meaning that my bone marrow is doing its job, but very slowly) my doctor feels that giving me this booster could permanently slow my body's natural WBC production. Obviously that would be bad, so I have to wait out another week.

This interruption delays my chemo timeline by two weeks. While not the end of the world, if I'm further delayed next week, there is a possibility that I would go into surgery early, then finish up the chemo afterward. My best rate for cure is to go into surgery disease free, so the more chemo I get before surgery, the better my chances...so you can see why an early surgery wouldn't be ideal for me.

In other news, Brian and I took advantage of a beautiful Seattle weekend to explore something new for both of us...Discovery Park. It was my first public outing without a scarf or wig...here is a photo of me and my (very short!) hair...

Please continue to send good thoughts and prayers my way, specifically that my WBC counts rocks when I go back next week!!!

Not-so-lucky Number 13

Yesterday was supposed to be my 13th round of chemo. Unfortunately, my lab work came back with less than stellar results. My white blood cell count was 900...normal is 5,000-10,000! So my treatment was postponed for a week. While this isn't the biggest deal, it just means my chemo timeline was extended by a week, which is pretty discouraging for someone who's been counting down the weeks since October.

The other tough thing is that I traveled on a plane (can you say hello germs?!) twice in the past week and returned home to a sick husband. Here's hoping the masks on the plane helped and Brian was done with his contagiousness before he got home.

On the bright side, at least I had fun while my white blood cells were deteriorating. Hawaii was a blast...the warmth of both the sun and my friends was good for my soul.

I plan on partaking in lots of oysters and vitamin C this week (zinc is supposed to be a WBC booster!) If any of you have any other recommendations, please pass them my way...

I woke up with bed head!

This is a huge milestone for previously bald as a queue-ball me! I officially have enough hair now to wake up with bed head! Granted, it's only about 1/2" long, but that's better than nothing.

I'm pleased to report that while my white blood cell count was a bit low last Monday, it was good enough for me to get my fifth round of Taxol. My diaphragm spasms seem to actually be subsiding (I'm almost afraid to say that thinking that I might jinx myself!) I continue to enjoy my increased energy and the mild Pacific Northwest winter by getting outside for walks almost every day this past week.

I took a cooking class with my mom last night, courtesy of my awesome co-workers friends. We learned how to make artisan bread. As avid as I am in the kitchen, bread has never been my forte. I'm excited to put my new found knowledge to use. I better up the ante on said walks as I crank out fresh loaves of yummy home-baked goodness...carbs have an annoying knack for attaching themselves straight to my bum upon consumption! I was telling my mom last night that my oncology team is going to love me as I arrive to every appointment with a new loaf of bread.

I'll have Brian take a photo of my new 'do and post it soon. Enjoy your weekend!