Round Two

So, today was chemo round two. Quite honestly, I feel better this time than I did last time, most likely because of the anti-nausea meds that I had this time that they forgot to give me last time.

We arrived at the center around 9:15 and I had my blood drawn. Every time I have chemo they'll have to draw my blood and make sure my counts are okay. What exactly does that mean? Well, chemo can destroy bone marrow, and bone marrow is responsible for making new blood cells (red, white, and platelets).

• Red blood cells deliver oxygen through the body. This is why my heart might have to pump faster than normal (less red blood cells, blood needs to be circulated more). So, I'm supposed to make sure I don't over-exert myself when exercising.
• White blood cells fight infection. This is why I caught a cold last time. My body is more susceptible to infection because I have less white blood cellls. Something as simple as eating raw vegetables could be a problem if my white blood cell count is too low.
• Platelets help blood to clot, say when you get a cut. So I have to be careful about cuts & scrapes. This is why I've decided to stop cooking. I just can't cook without cutting myself. jk. I'm still cooking (but Sarah can attest to the fact that I cannot be trusted with a meat cleaver for my own safety's sake :-).

They also give me a shot of Neulasta in the arm about 24 hours after my chemo appointment (I'll go in tomorrow for that) in order to boost bone marrow production. The last time I didn't feel it for about a week but then I had a terrible back ache that Mr. Wizard said was essentially my bones hurting due to the expansion of my bone marrow. Hurts so good!

I don't know the exact numbers, but my blood counts were good. Yay, bring on the chemo! I know that sounds sarcastic, but really... when I was waiting for my chemo, I heard one woman get "denied" her chemo because her blood counts were down. Ugh. That would suck to get all psyched up for it and then have to come back in a few days.

Okay, so I also met with Mr. Wizard. I liked this part. He asked how my spirits were (twice, and he even asked Rusty!), and I've got to tell you I'm firing on all cylinders when I get in there because I'm excited to be making another stride. He reviewed the side-effects I felt, and none of them were concerning. We also talked about my upcoming (hopefully!) trip to Chicago where I plan to run a 5k in the zoo with Jocelyn. We're really excited about having the monkeys cheer us on as we run past them. He's already told me that I can go to Chicago if I feel well (and the trip is scheduled for an off week), but when I told him I was running the 5k he told me not to overdo it. Chemo does damage the heart in more than one way, so he said if it was too hot outside I shouldn't run. I assured him that I could always walk it, then I let him in on a big secret...

"I don't run very fast, either. We're talking 12 minute miles, here..."

He smiled at that and I think we're on the same page. I have to take it easy, and I know that. Plus, I'm using the Galloway training method, which involves running for 3 mins. and walking for 1 min. the entire time, so I think I'll be fine.

But the best part of all was when he did the exam. He noticed that my lymph node has basically shrunk in half, and he also felt that the tumor shrunk to about 2 cm (compared to about ~2.5 cm). Woohoo! He seemed to be very excited about this (as was I), and he did say that it was a good sign that it responded to treatment early. I <3 that. Thank you, Mr. Wizard!

Next, the nurse told me that I could choose whatever room I wanted. Now, all of you at Stratus know exactly where this is going...

I tend to be a little territorial, or maybe it's habitual. I like to try new things, but I also like to have a routine. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day. I wear my hair the same way every day. Rusty and I typically go to the same restaurant (or one of the same few) for our weekly date night (though we do try new restaurants occasionally). And I sit in the same seat at the cafeteria every single day. In fact, back when I was at my old job before leaving and coming back, it was a "thing" (oh yeah, I've had 3 different jobs in the last 2 years but went back to the same company... that's pretty habitual).

The "cool kids" at work knew it was my seat, but sometimes there would be an infiltrator - (a nut-job, if you will) someone who didn't know that they could sit at any seat on the damn table except mine. Sometimes someone would tell the nut-job that they were sitting in my seat, sometimes not. Sometimes I didn't know the nut-job well enough to tell them to move (hey, I can be bitchy, but I don't pull that stuff on just anyone). Here's where it gets really weird... in that case, I would "fix it" as follows:
A little irrational, right? Since I'm back at my old job, they now have a sign on the back of the seat that indicates that it is, in fact, my seat (lest there be any confusion). Now that I've set the stage... back to chemo.

The nurse told me to pick any room I wanted, so I looked to see if the room I used last time (room 12) was available. I walked right past the end room with a nice view to see if I could keep the same one. It was taken :-( I went back to the end room and happily began my chemo.

Really, it's no big deal (cancer is mellowing me!), but it did give me a good opportunity to joke about my neurotic habits. We've decided that I should decorate the room that I like so that everyone knows it's mine. It already has a comfy chair, but it squeaks, so I'll need WD-40. Then, the sterile-looking privacy curtain can be replaced with hippie beads. I could also rearrange the seats so that I don't have to decide whether I want to sit next to Rusty or Mom... I'll put them both next to me. I'll also paint it a nicer color, maybe put in some posters, and I'll have a mini-fridge full of beer (for Rusty).

What would you put in your room to make it feel like yours? What irrational neuroses do you have?