Go platelets! Go platelets!

So I went to the cancer center this morning, prepared for disappointment. I had read online that although platelets can jump back quickly they probably don't go back over the 100 needed for chemo as quick as one week when you're as low as I was (26). WRONG! My platelets were 115 this morning! The prayers worked! Thank you!! What a huge relief that is - I was afraid not just to leave the house for fear of what could happen if I got into an accident or whatever, but I was afraid IN the house because I'm a bit of a clutz haha. While preparing dinner last night I was so nervous using a knife for fear of cutting myself while having such a low platelet count. But now I feel safe again haha. My WBC is lagging just a teensy tiny bit at 1.9 (was 2.3 last week, 1.4 the week prior). It generally needs to be over 2.0 to proceed with chemo. However, there's another number or two that they factor in and thanks to those other numbers, my 1.9 is good enough to move forward :). I forgot to ask what my iron level was but I'll find out tomorrow when I go back in for chemo. YUP, you heard that right - I'm getting back in for the God given liquid gold cure juice tomorrow! Woohoo!!! They're going to check my #s again in the morning for good measure but as of now, it's a go! :) I am thanking God, and I thank you all for your prayers! And, I'm drinking a lovely carrot/apple/pineapple juice mix today to help boost that WBC up a bit too ;). I'll post again tomorrow with more info on the game plan to help prevent and/or manage my counts proactively this next round (#6).

Prayers for platelets...and other cells ;)

Monday morning I go to the oncologist for blood work and to meet with the oncologist. They want me to come in a day prior to my scheduled chemo appointment to check my numbers since they were so low last week. Last week my platelets were 26 (if they get to 20 or below, or if I start bleeding while they're as low as they are now I'll end up needing a transfusion) - they need to be over 100 to get chemo. My WBC count was 2.3 (up from 1.4 the week prior) - they need to remain above 2.0 to get chemo. My RBC count was 9.8 (below 10 is anemic) - if they're still below 10 tomorrow I'll be getting some expensive shot in the arse (I'm ok with that). I'm praying for platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells - for the numbers to be above the required amount to resume treatment. I'm also praying that I can continue to remain otherwise healthy, avoid the dreaded swine flu, and avoid any injury that might cause me to bleed since I don't have the necessary platelets for clotting. We're going through Purell hand sanitizer like water around here. I carry it everywhere I go and use it countless times per day if I'm out of the house to help avoid catching anything that could make me sick while my WBC count is still so low. My hands are getting dry and chapped so I have to also carry lotion to keep moisturized to avoid natural cuts/scratches. I'm feeling pretty good. Just tired. I have had a mild headache and all over body aches and pains (muscular) this week, which apparently is normal for this stage of chemo, and I can't take any pain relievers since they affect platelets, so I just try to not think about it and when I'm sitting still I massage my arms and legs and do some gentle stretching for a bit of relief. Bob was home for part of the weekend and helped me get some sleep by taking over Cooper duty at night and letting me sleep in Saturday morning (thank you, Bob!!!). He had to fly out Sunday morning though :( and Cooper was so upset when he saw Dad come down the stairs in his uniform. But once I managed to distract him we proceeded to have a productive day of running errands. I am really missing church while my counts are down...another reason I need them to come up quickly - I can't wait to go back. Today, Cooper decided not to nap until he finally passed out at 5pm ;/ and slept til 7:30pm. Now it's nearly 9pm and he wants to play play play...so it's going to be an interesting night haha. Well...I'd like to go forward with chemo cycle #6 this week if my blood work meets the requirements - that's what I'm praying and hoping for, as crazy as that makes me. Blood work on Monday, and hopefully chemo on Tuesday. Thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers. I'm so grateful for, and touched by, your love and support. Love, Julie

Tattoos and zzzzz's

OK, not really tattoos, but if I squint really hard to blur my vision then I can imagine the bruises that are popping up all over my body as pretty tattoos. haha. I'm up to four bruises now and thinking I really really wish I could do something, besides pray of course, to boost my platelets so that I can guarantee treatment on Tuesday and stop being decorated with these not-so-pretty tattoos. I'll keep praying and squinting at my bruises to imagine them as something beautiful haha. Normally today I would be down at UCLA attending my breast cancer support group but my WBC count is still considered very low, making me vulnerable to infection, and one of my friends from group told me that last week a couple new members were present and both mentioned they had sick family members at home so it was good I didn't go last week either. It stinks though because it helps me so much to be there with my sister warriors and I miss them. Since I didn't go to the support group and is a non-work day for me, I decided it would be a day of sleep. So when the sitter arrived this morning I marched right back upstairs to bed and slept for 4 glorious hours, uninterrupted. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I slept that long (that's sad, and scary) uninterrupted - probably that first time I got a hotel room. Because, even if Cooper didn't wake me, the hot flashes usually will. At least with the hot flashes I can just throw the covers off, turn up the fan, turn over and go right back to sleep. Cooper's wakings involve getting out of bed, going across the hall and figuring out why the heck he's up and upset. I love him so much but night time is brutal for me, especially when Bob is away (which is more often than not). Now that I'm awake I'm working on finding answers to how I will get Cooper the H1N1 vaccine since he would be high risk if he contracted it (history of 2 cases of pneumonia and asthma symptoms since he was a newborn) and I would be high risk if he passed it to me. The pediatrician doesn't have the vaccine yet and is referring people to county h1n1 vaccine clinics in the meantime --- well --- there's now way we're going near one of those clinics with the #s of kids and parents that would be present - that would be like locking myself in a closet with sick people - not going to happen. So, I'm waiting for the pediatrician to call me back to help me figure out what we're going to do to get him the protection he needs. Lastly, I'd like to give a special shout out to my friend, Pat, who just completed his treatment and who has been quite brave as he withstood very painful side effects and infections and hospitalizations throughout treatment. Even through his very challenging treatments he took the time to communicate with and encourage and pray for others, including me. He's a beautiful person and I'm so grateful and honored to know him. Please include Pat in your prayers, asking God to heal his wounds quickly so that Pat can resume enjoying home cooked meals in place of a very inconvenient and unpleasant feeding tube that he is still dealing with. God bless you, Pat!