Hello,
I had my third round today. In order to prepare for the day, I used my Emla and a big ole piece of Glad Press N Seal. That to me is so bizarre. But the Press n Seal sticks to your skin really well and I didn’t feel a thing when they accessed my port. So, as strange as it might be to place a piece of Press N Seal on your body, if it works, go with it! The EMLA is Lidocaine and Prilocaine cream so it penetrates the skin and works as an analgesic. You put the Press N Seal on to keep the cream in place. If Emla rubs off, its efficacy sort of plummets!! J
Sometimes I get a kick out of some of the warnings posted on medication containers. For example, the Emla cream states “not for ophthalmic use” as if I would have a strange desire to put it in my eyes! I would assume you could file that warning under “Obvious” but perhaps there have been some mishaps that have prompted the manufacturer to warn the general public! That to me is also bizarre!
I’m not just crazy when I tell you that I think my lymph node has shrunk. We met with Dr. Walsh’s nurse practioner Kristine (just another name you can try to keep straight) today and she confirmed it. We saw her after the first round of chemo and she estimated the lymph node was .5cm. Today she said it’s practically non-detectable. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dr Walsh took a quick feel of the node as well and confirmed that is has decreased in size. They can only assume that everything else is shrinking as well!! They can’t guarantee that everything is shrinking but they’re feeling positive.
They check my blood work the morning of chemo to ensure I’m healthy enough for treatment. As I’ve mentioned, they check white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Why do they have to check these counts? Chemo attacks rapidly growing cells and cancer cells are rapid growers as are your blood cells. Your blood cells are formed in your bone marrow. When the chemo attacks them, sometimes your body can’t make enough blood cells and platelets to keep up with demand. The result is a low blood count.
Each of your blood cells have a very specific job: White blood cells fight infection, Red blood cells carry oxygen and give you energy, and your platelets help your blood to clot.
My white cells and my platelets look perfect but my red blood cells are getting a little low. A red blood cell count is measured with two tests. One test checks how much protein is in the red blood cells and the other test measure how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells.
Kristine only quoted the protein levels in my red blood cells. Most men score between 14 and 18 and most women score between 12 and 16. My score is 10.7 so it’s getting low. Kristine recommended a drug called Procrit (maybe you’ve seen the ads). The doctors usually recommend Procrit if your red blood cells fall below 11 so I’m right under the threshold. Procrit is meant to stimulate red blood cell production in order to prevent the need for a blood transfusion. However, in 30% of patients who use Procrit it doesn’t’ work.
The Procrit is administered as a shot. I was not psyched about it but I was a big girl and it didn’t really hurt that bad. Faith told me I would feel a pinch and a burning sensation and she was right. But, the burning only lasted 30 seconds. No big deal. I have to have the shot every week and it may take 3-4 shots before I see any results.
As I’ve said, I have the ability to make things seem so much worse in my head than the actual event. On the flip side, if I think something might go well or make me happy, my imagination cannot even begin to compare to how great the actual event is!!
Speaking of warning labels on medication containers… The warnings on Procrit I would take a little more serious like: PROCRIT® and other erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) increase the risk for death and for serious cardiovascular events. That is not something I would file under “obvious,” but rather “what exactly do you mean by a serious cardiovascular event?”
Basically, my blood pressure could rise (it was a respectable 100/70 this morning. I tend to have healthy blood pressure and when I was pregnant it would dip to such low readings that I began to wonder if I should be worried….and we all know it doesn’t take much for me to worry!!), I could get blood clots, etc, etc. They will watch me closely so I’m not too concerned.
My iron levels are a little low so they may put me on an iron supplement as well. I will find that out later on in the week.
I am planning on posting some pictures in the very near future. My neighbor Dreah offered to help me post them. I said, “Great, but would you mind acting as a photographer as well because there still aren’t many pictures of me in Greg’s camera!!!!!”
Thanks to Tim and Patty Porter who sent us a great meal from Omaha Steaks. It was delicious.
Have a good one.
Love,
Kim
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