Pull Up...... Pull Up......

Hi there

So you are wondering - what is Pull up.... Pull up (other than a command on an aircraft that is not going up!). My numbers sucked today. Came close to not having the chemo. My white count was 0.6 - 0.5 is a no go for chemo. Red count was 93. Platelets were down to 129. So need to find out how to get the numbers up instead of down.

Andrea was my nurse today and she explained what the two options were. One was to talk to the oncologist and see if he would give the ok for the chemo at a reduced dosage. The other was to postpone chemo will next week. Dr. P is still on holidays. Dr. Johal is also on holidays. So, Dr. Theresa Chan was the oncologist who gave the go ahead for the chemo - 75% of the 75% dosage I was. And I won't go back to the original 100% or the 75%. So there was a lot of wait time between getting the req ok'd and signed by the doctor, the file coming back and the req going to pharmacy. Then I could take my anti-nausea meds. The req did make it to pharmacy - and I was hooked up to the pre-meds I have to take. And then we waited and waited - Andrea gave them a call and they couldn't find it - they were looking for the entire file. So, the file had to go down to pharmacy. Donna ran it next door and about 15 minutes later it arrived - guess better late the never. I only had the Gemcitabine today, the Cardoplatin is only on day 1 of the treatment not on day 8. Everything then went smoothly.

I go and see Dr. Tollas on Sept 9 (Gary is away still) and lab-work and chemo on September 10 and then again on September 17.

With my count being as low as it is, have to be careful of course of fevers - so far have been good. And of course trying to stay away from people who are sick.

Brian asked why they just don't pound me with antibiotics when my count goes down. And of course they don't like doing that - you may not have an infection just poor counts and if you start giving every patient who has low counts the drugs, they become immune to them. So it is a wait and see game.

Before we went to the Cancer Clinic, Brian, Meghan, Ryan and myself went to the Township of Langely Firehall - Doug is Brian's brother and is the Fire Chief. Ryan liked this, he got to go into two of the firetrucks and a rescue vehicle. Opened three of the hall doors - once he opened one, it was "open another one!!". He connected with Uncle Doug which was great. And we met Captain Brian Ulle - Ryan liked him. He turned on the lights on one of the trucks and got ladders down by pushing a button and then back up onto the truck again - Ryan said "ladder backing up" as it had the sound of a truck backing up. He got lots of stuff from Captain Brian - two hats, stickers, pencils, colouring books, tattoos, pins. He was a happy camper! And as we walked back to the cars, he took Uncle Doug's finger and held onto it - with his tight little grip and then gave Doug a hug goodbye.


Think that it about it....... more later....

Roni


Andrea and myself

Fire Training Officer Ryan!

Inside the fire rescue vehicle