All is well here. I've been getting some nudges about not knowing what's happening so it's time to update. Really nothing new to report, thankfully. Steve has had some ups and downs with nausea and fatigue but he's figuring out a few things out with medications to help alleviate the chemo side effects.
As a result, last week went pretty well even though we had to stay home most of the time. However, it actually was a fun week with friends stopping by to visit and bringing us good stories and news of the outside world, making us laugh. This is key to our mental survival! I have been getting out a bit more than Steve of course . . . I have to get my therapies: playing in the snow, tennis, seeing friends.
It's great that Steve has the nausea under control, but this week is the most dangerous week with dropping blood counts. He had a blood test today and all his blood values are low and will continue to drop. He had a platelet infusion today and last Friday. The normal platelet count is 110- 400; his is 7. Little red spots are showing up on his body as a result of the lack of platelets. His white count is a lot lower than Friday, so we are doing extra hand washing (and hand wringing.) What else can we do?? It's difficult to say when things will turn around, but hopefully by the end of the week.
It's a little freaky and scary to be home with so many landmines to avoid. Though being in the hospital was no picnic, at least they were ready to pounce on the complications that resulted from the low counts, like infections. Now we have to be the ones to be extra vigilant. Sometimes I just want to collapse on the floor from the weariness of it all. I'd like to take the Rip Van Winkle approach: wake me in April. Steve is steady, and doesn't get rattled too much by it all, but I see that he is sad too.
But he keeps telling me that he's coming back, and I believe it.
No comments:
Post a Comment