2 down, 10 to go

since the shortest treatment plan of 8 rounds of chemo (alone) isn't on the table anymore, i decided i'd mentally prepare myself for the longest road to avoid disappointment... leaving me with 10 rounds of chemo to go (or 6 rounds plus radiation).

my dad joined me for chemo this week and treatment took over five hours with all of the waiting, etc. unfortunately, my blood work showed that my white blood cell count was 'critically low'. if it remains at this level, unfortunately i will be denied my next chemo treatment, delaying completion of this process. i understand that while chemotherapy directly targets cancer cells, it also decreases bone marrow activity resulting in lowered blood cell counts within the body.  i am now receiving a daily injection to stimulate my bone marrow to develop more white blood cells. the side effect is that the injection can cause bone pain; thankfully, i haven't experienced that yet. i'll go back on tuesday for my blood to be retested to see how the injections are working. in the meantime, i was told to be extra careful about germs (avoiding public places, unnecessary contact with other people, etc.)

on a positive note, emend has changed my world!! this week was much more tolerable without the ridiculous nausea. (thank you, merck!) ...and, i still have my hair. :)