I had chemo today! Blood levels were improved. White blood cells came in at 3.5 and the good ol’ Neutraphils zoomed up from 0.7% to 1.4%. BUT I did not get Chemo #6. Don’t know what kind of prayers and crossed fingers were going on out there but here is what happened:
I got to skip Chem #6 and advance to Chemo #7 – and that’s big! Remember how my treatments come in sets of 3 with the first treatment having two chemo drugs and the next is just Taxil? Well, #6 was the third treatment of Set 2 and was a Taxil only treatment.
I know……….., it is confusing.
Treatment #7, however, is the first treatment of my Set #3 and so I got both Charboplatin and Taxil. Set #3 is my last set so, as I understand things, I should now be done with taking Charboplatin and have just two Taxil treatments left. In talking with my chemo nurse we discovered that Charboplatin is the culprit that reduces white blood cells. Nice to have gotten the last installment of that (unless a curve ball comes along with more).
As I was happily listening to my music while the various bags dripped into me, I came up with a music analogy for my Dose Dense Chemo regiment. You musicians may relate to this: Dose Dense Chemo has the structure of a Blues tune in waltz tempo with the accent on the down beat.
Let’s call it – “Blues 2012 for Tammi”
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil], [Taxil], [Taxil]
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil], [Taxil], [Taxil]
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil], [Taxil], [Taxil]
Bridge [my surgery]
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil], Taxil, Taxil]
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil], [Taxil], [Taxil -but I skipped this dose]
1-2-3 [Carboplatin + Taxil (today)], [Taxil], [Taxil]
The End !
And for you non-musicians, who are now scratching your heads saying, “What on earth is she talking about…..she surely has lost it now!” What this means is
16 DOWN & 2 TO GO!
Great news for Independence Day! Hope you had a nice day yesterday. I was in Hardwick for Jeanne’s 81st birthday, celebrating with a picnic on the farm. Nice to see everyone, and Jeanne is the same. Smaller but just as independent!
81 ! Unbelievable. She gives that number a whole new image. I was thinking of her on the 4th. Great day to have a birthday!!
Do you know BATO is having a reunion in December?
Tammi, I was thinking of you all day today. Glad you got to have the chemo, and sad you GOT to have the chemo. Write a song with that one, ok? Love you! Cin
Nice! 🙂
Anne: it is great to see that you are doing so well. That makes me happy! Always thinking of you. Gloria
Good to hear you had your chemo. Now “only” 2 more to go. You will be so glad when this is all over, but as long as it does what it is supposed to do: go for it. Hope you are feeling well.
Love, René and Mary
i’m finally getting caught up with you! glad to hear that things are going well over there and ALMOST done! 🙂 we were busy over the holidays because even though we had to work, we left the marina anyway and headed up to annapolis after leaving one car at a friend’s so that tom could commute. it was a week of getting caught up with old friends. we were supposed to see mike and carmen on the chester river but that got canceled because it was too hot for them and we couldn’t make it to chestertown because tom, who was supposed to be off, had to work. HOWEVER, i got an email from norman and betsy and peggy sue who were at stillpond and on their way home to norfolk after a two-month new england cruise so we got caught up with them last saturday just below the Bay bridge and they followed us back to our marina and stayed with us for a couple of days. it was just glorious to get together and catch up on everything. it was one of those weekends that you absolutely had to stay plugged in at the marina with the A/C on full blast. the heat was terrible – it just sapped the life out of you! we talked about everything and everyone including you and craig. might get together this coming weekend with mike and carmen and mike and lita at knapps narrows. we will see. in any case, you look great in the pics – i still can’t get over the cleopatra wig (love it! LOL…..) the summer is still young and you only have TWO to go! hooray 🙂
And I’ve been fathfully following your adventures via Facebook. Living vicariously! What fun to be getting together with all those old friends. With a bit of luck perhaps we can participate too – perhaps in October.
Meanwhile, I’ve been going through a rough patch during the last four days and not looking forward to Wednesday’s chemo appointment at all. When I feel good it is hard to imagine ever feeling yucky again but when I feel yucky….that seems to go on forever too.