Phase III begins

I'm exhausted!! I couldn't get much sleep last night, and had to wake up at 6 for a 6:30 AM check-in time at the clinic. At 7:30 I was put under for about ten minutes for the spinal tap procedure, where they flush my spinal fluid with Methotrexate. Then, I got Methrotrexate and Vincrinstine IV through my port. Then, I got Peg-Aspariginase IV through my port, too. We were home by noon. I was really hungry and that was making me nauseated. But immediately after, I fell asleep for about 3 hours. I worked on some homework and took a quiz, and now I'm completely drained again. Hopefully I feel more energized tomorrow! The next chemo day is September 10. NOTE: There aren't a lot of good chemo joke pictures online. Someone should invent a funny cancer website. Because you mine as well laugh about the crap that happens to you when you have cancer. The other choices aren't as appealing.

Moving on

Good news - my counts are finally high enough to start the next phase, Interim Maintenance. Monday, very early in the morning, I'm going to be in the clinic for a spinal tap and chemo. I have been feeling good this past week, so I have enjoyed my break from the drugs... but it is time to move on and get through this! My Flagstaff visit was great, as well as other time I have spent with friends/family the past couple of weeks. I have never been so grateful for tons of schoolwork to do - but my summer has been incredibly boring, so I now will now have purpose to my days again.

Up the hill again

School started today. My biggest load that I've taken, but none of my classes seem extremely difficult. They will definitely give me something to do, though. I've felt pretty good the past couple days (knock on wood... but I haven't had chemo in three weeks) so I'm venturing out of the desert one more time before I start phase three next week.

Almost there...

To start the next phase, my neutrophil counts must be above 750. Last week they were 250. Today they were 690. Good news: my bone marrow is operating properly (all my other blood counts are increasing to normal levels, too). Good/bad news: another week off. School starts this next week, so I can get a head-start on everything. I've been having nausea when I wake up (morning sickness like a pregnant lady), but usually by lunchtime my stomach is strong again. I'm exercising every day, but cannot tolerate too much before my pulse gets too high or I feel sick.

And check out this great story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/20/cnnheroes.faith.coleman/index.html

Laying low

This weekend was OK and I just hung around the house, except for Cheyne's dinner party on Saturday and lunch with a friend yesterday. Yesterday I forgot to give myself my shot in the morning, but I was surprised that was the first time in two months that I've forgotten! Last night I was nauseated, and woke up the same way. I ended up throwing up my breakfast, but have felt better since then - I took some meds for that, too. Just hanging out and waiting until Friday's count check...

Dirty little counts

Well, surprise surprise. While my hemoglobin and platelets were normal levels today, my neutrophils and white cells were low. Too low to start chemo on Monday, so they are giving me another week. Too low to eat fruits and vegetables, which I have been doing all week. But hey - the docs told us last Monday that I was "good to go" for Flagstaff and that I should enjoy this week and the previous one. It's impossible to know what my immunity is doing, because I cannot tell when they are low (unlike the other blood counts). Sure - I love not getting chemo, but I'll be pushing the end of the year close with every week treatment is pushed back. And if I'm accepted into the M.Ed program, it will be pushing into that. So these 'breaks' as they are called are definitely a double-edged sword.

Health Care Reform - the real stories that the media isn't covering

Flagstaff was wonderful! I loved being with my friends and spending time in the local places where they make the most delicious food. I can't wait to get out of Arizona... but if you're stuck here, Flagstaff is the place to be.

You know... getting bills every week from this doctor or that company is quite frustrating. (NOT my cancer doctors - we have wonderful case managers with them who have helped us out). You think you have great insurance coverage - which I do and am grateful for that - and then you're getting bills for a doctor to call 911... or from a specialist the E.R. used who conveniently isn't contracted with your insurance... or from a different doctor who helped me while I was in horrifyingly severe neck pain for weeks on end - who says that your insurance provided wrong information for benefits and that, whoops, you're not covered for those services...

I know this blog is supposed to just be about my journey with cancer, and not my passionate views on politics. But politics is important for a reason... it effects the daily lives of real people. And health care has been a very important, very real piece of my journey with leukemia. So sue me for bringing up something that will make people upset - I am already upset. And it's my blog! If you don't like what I have to say, you don't have to read what I write. Fair warning.

We must pay attention to the current health care debate, and tune out the ignorant voices yelling things that aren't productive. It doesn't matter what ideology or party or religion you belong to --- health care is very simply a life-death matter. There are real concerns to be had about the different proposals in Congress right now. But no matter how much you disagree with President Obama's ideas on health care, he does not want to kill off old people or hold hearings on whether or not a person is "worthy" of coverage.

I wish to believe that every doctor's office, health care provider, and insurance company has the patient's health in mind when making decisions. I wish to believe the best about people, and the American people. But reality shows a different story. I have stated numerous times on this blog how amazing my doctors and nurses are - they are the heroes who saved my life. I am one of the lucky ones: I have insurance and have been able to get the best care available to me. Others are not so fortunate. Sure, I may have some legitimate beefs with the powers-that-be regarding some of my health care coverage... but at least I have it!

When I am no longer a student and have to provide for my own insurance, I would like to have insurance and not be denied it simply because cancer is a pre-existing condition.

I do not question the motives of those concerned with the costs of health care reform, concerns about the availability of doctors under a public plan, or other legitimate issues to raise when discussing such important legislation. I do question the motives, however, of those who are so deeply motivated to halt any progress or change to the unquestionably flawed system in this country. I wonder... if they were diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer, would they feel the same way? Would they want to kill any proposals for reform if they had no insurance and suddenly got sick?

I wish President Obama and the rest of our lawmakers the best in fighting for a healthier country. Anyone who cares about other people should be praying for the best outcome of this national debate. These news stories about these "town-halls" across the country where nutjobs are yelling and physically confronting members of congress are not the real story of health care. Those videos do get fantastic ratings on websites and on television, though, and that's why they're there.

Ask the mother who has had to quit her job to take care of her baby with lymphoma about her story with health care. Ask the senior citizen who has filed for bankruptcy because he can no longer afford to pay for his medication about his pharmaceutical coverage. Ask the college student who is diagnosed with leukemia about his concerns over the future of his health with a "pre-existing condition"... I'm right here.

These are the real stories about health care. Let's get them on the news.

Still Not "Planning"

The past few days I've been out a little bit, feeling OK. I get nauseated sometimes and I'm easily exhausted, but at least I'm not quarantined. I would write more about what I'm doing tomorrow and Tuesday, but I don't want to jinx anything. Let's just say I won't be in a nasty desert.

Back to basics

Well I've been feeling better after the blood products last week and this week. I still get nauseated throughout the day, and I also have had some forearm and hand pain from the chemo Vincristine. That's the drug that has made my fingertips (sometimes legs) numb and tingly.

I finally got to drive again yesterday - it's been two months since I last drove! I ran some errands today and finished up my grad school paperwork... It's all official now! I just have to wait a few weeks to hear back. I'm back to eating fruits & vegetables, which is great news because my wheat allergy (which causes my bad excema to flare up) is beginning to reveal itself again. The last three months I could eat whatever I wanted without my skin going crazy... perhaps it was the steroids or the really harsh drugs that made it go away. I guess that's the only good thing about re-induction later this year and the steroids I'll have to take again - bread, pizza, pasta, flour tortillas..

Also - since I got out to play in the real world, it's been months since I have been able to do a lot of 'normal' things that I actually enjoyed doing today. Things like driving, ordering at the drive-thru, filling out a bank deposit slip, going to the post office... I'll try never to take these things for granted again! It may sound crazy... but just lock yourself in a house for two months and you'll see what I mean. Promise.

Toxicity is funny... or not.

Well... my platelets came up! Everything else was down. I'm getting two units of blood again tomorrow. Got to talk about the next phase with the doctor... the first few weeks should be easier, but my counts will be knocked down again after. Guess we'll get to wait and see again.

Waiting

Thursday I saw the doctor for a count check: most everything was higher than Monday, but most of my levels were still extremely low. Since I was "borderline" for transfusions, the doctor said he assumed my counts would be coming up because I was feeling relatively good. The past couple days have been boring as usual, but I'm glad to be feeling better. I get nauseated every day, waves of the dry-heaves come over me, but then pass. It's annoying but of all the symptoms I've had the past three months... this is one of the least worrying, and one of the least painful. I go Monday to see how my blood has done over the weekend, and also to get my last dose of chemo for Consolidation... then I get almost two weeks drugs-free before I start Interim Maintenance. This next two-month phase is supposed to be much easier, they promise. We'll see! My fall semester, all online, begins at the end of this month. I'm taking 18 units but none of them should be killer. Then I'll graduate December 11, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk. I'm applying to NAU's Masters in Education program (grades 7-12, social studies) that operates in Phoenix and begins in January. I'll be a full-time student (keep my insurance) and then once I graduate in May 2011 I can get a job with a school district (get my own insurance)!