Quick Update - Back In!!!!!

Good News -- My doctor is back home, and I am back in treatment!!! My neutrophils responded nicely to me forcing calories and food down my throat this past week - resulting in me gaining two pounds making them much happier. (never in my life have I had to *work* at gaining two pounds....)

For those of you reading this chemo info that are a few steps behind me -- I had no idea how the whole idea of allowing chemo into my body affects so many different things. My nurses the last few weeks (and then this was almost verbatim confirmed by Nurse LeeAnn - my inside scooper) kept encouraging me to take my anti-nausea meds. They didn't realize they would have to define nausea for me.

When food is cooking and you have to walk away - that is a nausea trigger. When you are in a car and suddenly don't feel well, that is a nausea trigger. When your stomach just doesn't feel well - and I know this is a no-brainer but I needed tutored -that is a nausea trigger.

I wasn't taking my meds enough to stop the nausea so I was losing weight bit by bit, and that does nothing to help your white blood counts - especially neutrophils.

Plus, they said that the whole idea is to stop your brain from associating food with nausea because in two months your brain will be triggering you not to eat a lot of foods, making it much worse eating-wise and keeping your blood counts up.

Some people have been kind enough to share their own "secrets" to pumping up WBCs and drinking two glasses of orange juice a night was one - I did it. I had read a couple of places that beets and sour cherry juice helped - did that too. (thanks Scotty and Lee Ann for your research) There is nothing in the medical literature to prove this, but who knows.

We believe they came up most notably with a lot of prayer and the "finger of God".

I was at OSU today for over 10 hours, back tomorrow for hopefully a short day then a trip to the Stephanie Speilman Center after that; back at OSU on Friday all day and then a short day Saturday.

So I am especially watching good food intake along with taking my meds better and faster. And sleeping.

Thank you so much for your prayers - I think Scott was watching the window locks closely until I heard the news back.... (smile) We all had a little party and then the IV quickly went in.

(and Bill, thanks so much for the loan of "important equipment" - mucho, mucho gracious!!)