Because I had such a nice day at the oncologist's yesterday, thought I'd return this morning for my Neulasta shot.  It's used to stimulate the growth of healthy white blood cells in the bone marrow.  (Chemo kills the cancer cells AND the healthy cells, but - in theory - only the good cells will grow back.)  Most people do not experience side effects with Neulasta, although some can get bone pain.  I hope to be one of ordinary many who skip that!  

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

 Not sure if I'll get the Neulasta shot in my arm or through my port.  I wanted to watch Susan access my port yesterday, but my head was in the way and she had me turn it the other direction.  Will try to remember to bring a mirror so I can watch next time.  (FYI it actually hurt more when she removed it than when she inserted it!) 

I asked a lot of questions during the procedure yesterday; I wanted to know what each bag she was hanging had in it since it was all new to me.  (Actually, I was surprised that she didn't tell me as she was doing it.)  Later, I heard another woman (who obviously had been coming for some time) start asking some questions about what she was getting!  Susan seemed a bit condescending (to everyone, but especially to the older folks) but I was not intimidated, and expect to know exactly what's going on with the entire process.  Maybe it's a generational thing (I was definitely the youngest person there) since in their generation doctors were thought of more as gods not to be questioned ... or maybe I'm just nosy!

 

When my brother Andy was in the hospital (for most of a year) he was on all sorts of drugs.  One day he noticed a different pill among the ten or so they'd brought him and questioned the nurse.  She (of course) told him to 'just take it', but he didn't.  And that pill turned out to be a mistake! 

Right before I left for Maryland I discovered a very entertaining blog about a woman's experience with breast cancer.  The snippets and vignettes made me want to read more, so I ordered her book, which was waiting for me when I arrived home on Monday.  Despite her challenges  (she was a mom with two young boys and in the midst of a divorce when she was diagnosed, which created major health insurance and other financial problems) she kept her sense of humor, and I found myself laughing out loud while I read it.  There was a religious slant I could have done without, but I do recommend the book.  Check out her blog here: http://www.humorfightingcancer.com/index.html

I did not sleep well last night (Susan had mentioned that the pill I started last night might keep me up) so today I'll have to ask the doctor if I can take a sleeping pill.  With 6 different drugs coursing through my body last night I was afraid to add one more to the mix.  Woke up at midnight, but at least did go back to sleep until 3 a.m. 

My temperature is doing fine - the three times I've taken it it's registered 97.6, 97.7, and 97.3; knowing my body temp is always low I did ask the doctor if I still needed to wait to call until a fever hit 100.5 since even 98.6 is a 'fever' for me.  (Yes)

That's all I can think of at the moment.  It's now 4:00 - think I'll go climb back into bed and read, then later head out to the hot tub for a soak to watch the sunrise with the other early birds.