Fighting The Battle – Weeks 2 & 3

I have survived the 80^th birthday party for Dennis, and now I get back to business of fighting the cancer cells that have invaded my body.

Last week, as I mentioned in the previous blog was a week with no cancer stuff was going on.  The party was a huge success, and now Monday, March 9 was arriving, and it was time for me to go back for my chemotherapy and immunotherapy.  I was good and ready to go.  My sister, Marilyn, and her granddaughter, Arianna, were still in town and they wanted to join me for the day. 

Since the morning started with an early morning blood draw, I thought once it was finished, Dennis and I would hop in the car and dash over to pick Marilyn and Arianna up at their hotel.  Unfortunately, my day did not go as planned.  I arrived at 8:15 a.m. at the lab.  Usually, I am in and out within about 15 minutes.  This time, at 8:45 I was asked about my appointment.  The woman who asked went back and checked on my appointment and then proceeded to tell me that the appointment had been made for the “overflow lab.”  I didn’t even know there was such a thing.  She then told me that I cannot go the overflow lab because they only do vein sticks and not blood draws from ports.  She said she would fit me in.  Oh boy!  I should have known this was the beginning of a medically disappointing day.

I told Dennis to pick up my family and by the time I was done, they should be there.  The lab fit me in and did my blood draw and assured me the clinic would have the results before my clinic appointment which was about 45 minutes away.  

I asked the phlebotomist a question that I should not have asked her.  I asked how many people could be with me when I get my infusions.  My hope that the answer was three, but Dennis and I figured out how to work with two.  He was willing to sit in the waiting room all those hours so Marilyn and Arianna could be with me.  I mean, they traveled across the United States to see me, so I was happy to have them there.  The phlebotomist told me that only one person would be allowed with me.  Nooo!

As I waited in the lobby with Dennis and family after my blood draw, I didn’t say anything about that.  I was too upset and thought I would ask my “Advance Nurse Practitioner” about that number.  By the time I got to the clinic for my visit, I was highly emotional—just on the verge of tears.  That is not common for me, but also not uncommon when I am highly stressed or extremely tired, of which I was probably both.  Katie, my nurse said she saw no problem with everyone with me, and if the infusion group had a problem with that, she would intervene.  I was so relieved and happy.

They she proceeded to say that I was not having my infusions that day, or Tuesday, or Wednesday.  I was in shock.  She explained that the bloodwork I just had showed that my neurtrophils were too low.  I was no longer able to fight infections, and chemo is known for attacking everything, not just bad stuff, so no infusions.  Instead, I was given a potent antibiotic to take for 5 days, and I was to get a shot.  The shot must be approved by the insurance company, and although they made the request, they had not gotten a response yet. Sorry, but the YouTube video will not embed (2nd time this happened).

This is the link to a very short video that explains what neutrophils do.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JZbsIilWbPI

Once again, I was highly disappointed.  On the other hand, I had more time with my sister outside of the hospital.  Approval didn’t come until Wednesday morning.  The scheduler at MD Anderson set me up for the shot for Friday at 4:00 p.m.  Shortly after that was scheduled, I got a call from the nurse at the.  She said waiting until Friday was too far off, and that I was to come to the hospital at 3:00 p.m. and get the shot that day.

Here’s what’s weird about these two medications I was given.  The antibiotic pill I was given is called Levofloxacin.  Of course, I googled it, and this is the first thing that popped up: “Levofloxacin is used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. It is also used to treat anthrax infection after inhalational exposure. Levofloxacin is also used to treat and prevent plague (including pneumonic and septicemic plague).”  Yikes!  Okay, that’s bad enough.  When I picked it up at the pharmacy, I was told to take it easy this week and not do too much because this medication can cause joint problems.  As I continued in my search of this medication on the Mayo Clinic site, it continued, “Levofloxacin may rarely cause inflammation (tendinitis) or tearing of a tendon (the cord that attaches muscles to the bones).  This can occur while you are taking the medicine or after you finish using it.”  I’m good, I can just sit around for a week or so.

That’s not all.  I showed up Wednesday afternoon to receive the shot that they wanted me to have.  It is called Filgrastim.  This medication is to help build white blood cells, treating a condition called “neutropenia” which is a condition of too low of neutrophils in the white blood cells.  The nurse told me a common side effect of this shot is bone pain because it is working inside the bone marrow to produce more neutrophils.  I asked what bone pain feels like.  She couldn’t really explain because she has never experienced it, but patients who have said they knew it when they had it.  That night I woke up about 2:00 a.m. to bone pain.  The best I can describe it is a deep ache within my body.  The remedy for it is Claritin.  Who knew?  When this medication is working the body manufactures histamines, so taking Claritin (specifically that brand) fights this because it is also an antihistamine.  I also found that Tylenol helped.

To make a disappointing week more disappointing, there once again was no room in the inn for next week.  The infusion center had some openings, but not three days in a row, and the doctor was very specific that these infusions must be given in consecutive days.  I am now pushed back another week to begin the 3-day regimen starting Monday, March 23.

I must trust the process.  I must trust the doctor.  I know that none of this was a surprise to God, who goes before me every day.  It’s kind of a helpless feeling that I am not in the fight.  

So, this week, I got into the fight the best I could.  I don’t know if you noticed in the last blog, I was wearing a baseball cap at the birthday party.  I am not a baseball cap wearing person, but last week my hair decided it wanted to depart from my body.  I was kind of happy about that because it was the first sign to me that I really did have chemo medications/toxins dumped into my body to fight these cancer cells.  Of course, now this low neutrophil count is another indication.

I decided to be proactive.  I have already, in one week’s time, lost about 2/3 to 3/4 of my hair, I went to check out cranial protheses.  That’s the term for a medically necessary wig!  Dennis said I really perked up to have stylish hair on my head again.  I bought one, then two, then three of them!  I couldn’t decide.  They gave a big discount purchasing more than one–so why not? You tell me what you think.  Two are very close to my hair color, and one is darker, but the color of the back underneath of my hair.  I’m still learning how to make them look normal on my head.  I don’t want them looking wiggy.

Another decision we made is that I need to stay away from crowds.  I’m okay with being around a few people at a time, but large groups and not knowing if the neutrophils are rebounding, it would be good to be safe.  I am happy that in 2026 churches now livestream their services.  And movie theaters—they are available for streaming, and new ones even available for streaming at a cost.

I know that Jesus walks with me everyday.  He has my hand.  I am not panicked.  Maybe I’m slightly worried, but overall, I am good.