Catch Up

Okay, been away, but I'll catch you up as briefly as possible. Hehe, yea right.

Thursday went back to the doc for blood tests and to see the doc. My red blood cells dropped too much so now I have to have a shot for that every two weeks. This is in addition to the one for the white blood cells every three weeks (the day after chemo). I'm trying to arrange to have both of these at the local hospital so I don't have to drive to Shreveport each time. There's a lot a hoops to jump through for that.

I met the nurse practitioner, Kate. She was great! After she answered every question and concern I put to her with patience and compassion I told her about my two calls to Dr. D's nurse, one of which is recounted in the blog. The other call I didn't write about, but she basically blew me off and told me to call my primary care doctor. I knew this was NOT what I was supposed to do. Anyway, I told Kate who assured me I wasn't the first to complain about this nurse and they were trying to re-train her (she's new to oncology). Kate gave me her own number and told me to call her directly if I have any concerns or questions. Now I'm feeling a whole lot better about everything. I was getting discouraged there with my dealings with the other nurse.

Even so, since I was alone on the trip, I used the opportunity to purge. I cried the entire 70 miles back home from the hospital. Why? Because I want to be doing other things, things I choose, with my time. Not running up to Shreveport all the time talking to doctors and nurses and being tested and sitting in waiting rooms and sitting in small rooms with examining tables or rooms full of vinyl covered chairs with other people taking chemo.

I got a copy of the pathology report and the PET scan reports. I wanted to read them myself. Not that I understood much of what I read. One thing I did understand is that I was wrong earlier (and you'll forgive me for that because you must understand there is information coming at me from all directions) when I said that they hadn't yet tested for the HER2 marker. They actually did test for this and my cancer is not HER2. I think, but I'm not positive yet, that this is a good thing. I'll let you know if I figure out that's wrong.

I haven't lost my hair yet. In fact, it's grown since I cut it.

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments. I'm neither strong, nor brave, but I have lots of love and support in my life.

The good thing that happened this weekend: visit from a sister.