Last Wednesday, I had a followup with my local oncologist. My blood work is looking much better. The platelets and white blood cells are out of the very low areas and into less dangerous numbers ...low normal range. My hemoglobin has improved slightly....but importantly, it is moving in the right direction. Im very very anemic from the chemo, but I expect that a month from now, I will be close to the bottom end of the normal range and not so tired. The really very good news, is that I am now scheduled to be at Mercy Hospital on Monday morning to get the chemo chest port removed. WHOOHOO!!! That thing has been trouble since the day I got it. It worked...but only with a lot of effort on the part of the chemo nurses...and still not as a port is intended to work. If I never have to do chemo again...then good riddance to the danged thing. And, if I do have to have chemo again, we want to have a new port put in that hopefully will be put in right and not have the access problems this one has had. I will be clear in a month, when my blood counts are even better, to have a flu shot, see my eye doctor for my yearly exam (due last June), a mammogram, (due last July), and some other things that the chemo has kept me from doing. Im still dealing with some sciatica and lower back pain (unrelated to the cancer or chemo), which I must now address. I will start some physical therapy probably next week and massages for that...and then hopefully, be doing well enough to take off on a vacation with Tup before I have to go back to Mayo Clinic in early November for another CT scan to check for reoccurance of the cancer. I have a bit of peach fuzz textured hair starting to regrow on top of my head....which looks remarkably like pictures of my hair in my 6 month old baby pictures.....blond...and sticking up every which direction...but not as thick. I have a smattering of eyebrow hairs that have started to regrow (lost all but three hairs on one brow and 5 on the other). As for my eyelashes, Im not sure if the very short ones that are there are new growth... or old stunted older eyelashes that never completed their life cycle. Its all pretty comical. My head shape isnt great for wearing any of the ready made turbins and hats usually associated with chemo related hair loss. My head is cold most of the time....so I need something. Even the wig I have doesnt really work....they all tend to slide up in the back....a LOT!!! The only thing that really comes close is a black ballcap with attached fake hair. Robert and I call it my silly hair because I can move it up and down. Ive decided that I really dont like to wear baseball caps either....but right now, this particular one works for now. It doesnt do very well when I put on a coat though since it moves up and down when the coat collar rubs on it. Must find something else for winter. Well, winter isnt here YET, but it is to be in the 30s tonight....so I need to keep an eye out for headwear...probably something I can tie on under the chin. Hats with brims in the back just dont work...my neck is too short and the hat just gets bumped up and off. If anyone has any suggestions....Im open to ideas to try.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 21:32:06 +0000
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