After a couple of weeks of low grade fevers (99.9), my temperature spiked last night to 102.3.
I avoided a late night trip to the emergency room, but I'm heading off this morning for blood work, a chest x-ray and an appointment with Dr. Forman. Something's going on in my body. I just don't know what it is.
1:25 pm UPDATE: X-rays of my lungs look like they did when I was hospitalized in January. We don't know if it's pneumonia or lung damage from the bleomycin chemo drug that I received before the stem cell transplant. I have meds for both (antibiotics and steroids), so my bases are covered.
We don't know how or if this ties in with the high EOS count. I return to CoH on Monday.
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March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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- Your Brain After Chemo
What does a writer do when she finds out she has stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma? She blogs. Because, as everyone knows, cancer sucks, but blogging rocks.
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
January 2009
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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2008
(187)
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July
(23)
- Quick Summary
- Gasping for Air
- How much do I owe you?
- A Tribute to Bob
- Happiness is a warm blanket.
- The Final Thank You
- EOS SOS
- It was the 'roids
- I need a home!
- A Quick Update
- Prednisone, pounds, parasites, passings & pie
- FAQ
- You're beautiful and I love you
- Off to CoH
- Where can I get this?
- While you were sleeping . . .
- The "To Don't" List
- Those wacky eosinophils
- The Great Cat Napping Caper
- Final SF Attraction
- Walk this way!
- Road Trips and Lists
- More Vita Interruptus
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▼
July
(23)
Cancer Banter
I can't die. I still have to find the perfect purse.
4 comments:
Oh, Smookie!
I'll send good vibes your way through Monday (and beyond).
You might let Dr. Forman know that these pesky little setbacks are really cutting into the time you could better spend on your food blog.
You're right, Paula. I've been neglecting my food blog.
"beauty transfusion" what a great description.
Julian and I loved seeing that ( must be Italian ) glass sculpture..next time we to to SF we need t to visit the Dahlia garden.
Mary
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