Halfway There, 3 Months Down, 3 To Go

Yesterday, I received my 6th chemotherapy treatment, out of 12. The day was uneventful. As per the routine, my visit began with registering my vital signs - weight, temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation levels and blood pressure – all were normal. From there, a quick blood draw (and relatively painless thanks to my “port”) to check liver and kidney functions and get a complete blood count. Again, fortunately all the results were within the acceptable ranges, given the circumstances, clearing the way and “qualifying” me to move forward with the day’s planned chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy has a significant impact on one’s immune system and white blood cells. Since the chemo drugs can’t decipher between cancer cells, and healthy cells, they do their best to kill everything. It’s been interesting to watch how my white blood cells react and the counts fluctuate from week to week throughout the cycles. The doctors have been tracking these counts to identify a pattern and some predictability as to when I hit my highs and lows within each cycle. The all important neutrophil counts are their main focus. Neutrophils are the part of your white blood cells that kill and digest microorganisms and fight infection. So when these are low, (almost always now), certain precautions need to be followed to limit my exposure to bacteria and potential illnesses. All food must be cooked to 160 degrees F (boy, I really miss the medium rare steaks!), fresh fruits and vegetables are off the menu too – it seems counter-intuitive, but evidently there’s just too much bacteria for my body to handle. And I also need to be careful about subjecting myself to large crowds and potentially sick people (way too obvious, but they find the need to keep reminding me of that). Hand sanitizer has become ubiquitous, at home, in the car and in my office.

Overall, I feel ok. I am able to function just fine on most days. However, I can now sense the gradual toxic accumulation of the chemo drugs. Nausea, peripheral neuropathy, and fatigue are all part of everyday life to some degree. I guess a small price to pay, with all things considered.

Hopefully, the next 6 treatments will be tolerated as well as the first 6 and I can then get back to the more enjoyable things in life (like medium rare steaks!).

I’ll write again when I have something worth sharing. Thank you for reading, and as I asked before, please go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings.

Glenn