And yet another delay –

Whoa! I know what you are thinking – two posts in one week, what is going on over there? Truth be told, I had mostly finished the last post, but delayed posting it and needed to get this next one out before tomorrow as this is an evolving situation. I don’t fancy my story as anything as riveting as Loki or Wandavision episodes, but there is a bit of suspense being inserted into the story in the last couple of weeks with the plan changing week to week depending on blood results. As I mentioned in the last post, I had gone out on a limb by scheduling some time away. After my first deviation from the planned chemo, all I could do was wait to have it rechecked the following week. Our plan was to get that taken care of in the morning, get packed up and then head out for our next holiday destination – Anstruther. This would mean someone would drive me to chemo the following day and then need to pick me up in the afternoon, but we were really only a 1/2 hour further away than if we were driving from home. I packed all my medications and even an extra blanket and hot water bottle, in preparation for the chills and fever that had been developing as part of the after effects of my new chemo regimen. Well we were only about 15 minutes drive from home when my phone rang through my bluetooth in the van. I could see it was a ‘01382-‘ number and knew what it would be before even answering the call – no chemo yet again. The nurse sounded very apologetic while telling me that my counts were yet a bit lower than the week prior – Argh! yet another delay! Well, I guess I didn’t need to worry about the chills/fever or losing out on my Friday of ‘holiday’ sitting getting my infusion after all.

Although this really felt like a setback, it was truly a blessing to be able to enjoy time away not feeling exhausted and unwell. I was able to hike a bit of the coastal path, walk with the kids to the park, and even walk from Anstruther to Pittenweem one morning, bringing back yummy hot chocolate treats for everyone (except dad) from the Cocoa Tree. For all of this I am incredibly grateful.

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Making the most of it –

Mom and Dad are now on the short end of their time here. True to the usual, Mom is trying to shoehorn all the ‘last visits’ into the time left. We are glad they have been able to get across to visit after so long away and that they put up with all the extra hassle inserted in this particular trip with COVID testing on both ends and having to add an extra leg to the journey. Tomorrow will involve checking back in on my blood tests, last visit to the Balgay cemetery, then packing and final goodbyes before getting them on the road to Edinburgh, ready for an early am departure Friday back to the US.

Lots of moving parts –

So, there is a lot going on in the next 48 + hours. I cannot imagine my chemo would be called off 3 weeks in a row, but I know now it is a possibility. Prayers for an acceptable White Blood Cell count MUCH appreciated. The plan going forward will be for my chemo to be at a lower dose. Not gonna lie here, I would much prefer the highest possible dose even if it means feeling worse, but this is what has to happen to keep going in hopes of keeping the WBC count at an acceptable level to continue. So, what is needed is the perfect balance of enough chemo to continue killing cancer, but not too much to keep me from getting the chemo.

And the results are . . .

I started this post on Wednesday and was waiting for a few pictures to add to post it. Today is Thursday and I had my blood drawn. Even earlier than I would have expected, I saw a 01382 number calling my phone. Well, the WBC count over all is improved, but my Neutrophils are still too low. Chemo has not yet been called off, but I will have my blood checked again in the morning. They only need to show improvement and I will be able to go ahead with chemo – keep the prayers coming!