Conquering Cancer in the Time of Covid
#9 Some Good News!
Such good news…I have to share. I had my last “mega” chemo yesterday. Today I feel yucky but if history predicts, this is the best day of the next 5. I’m the frog in the hot water and the temperature is just turning up. I’ll be down for a deep count for the next 3–5 days. But then once that passes, I’m done forever with this difficult protocol. Hurray #1
And…my “numbers” are all still excellent. Every time I get an infusion they run a CBC to make sure I’m still healthy enough to tolerate the poisons. My bloodwork is truly great. I must have really strong bone marrow and a tough constitution. I guess that’s why I feel so well in between treatments…I wondered/worried if it means the stuff isn’t working, though. But the Dr. says since my head is just a cue ball with a little peach fuzz, it’s working. Hurray #2
But my really happy news is that I’m going to be able to get a Covid vaccine soon! The next protocol is not an immuno-suppresant so as soon as I recover from these poisons, I’ll be eligible. The oncologist will have the doses in his office — he already has the freezers. So in the next month or so as the rest of you get vaccinated, so will I! On the bright side, at a minimum, my anxiety about my extreme fragility during this Covid surge will abate. At a maximum, the world will open up a little bit again. I’m really hoping to be able to see friends and family in person, especially those little baby girls of mine! Imagine a non-virtual visit, without Facetime or Zoom! In the flesh! Bring on the masks, even the shields, I’m happy to accessorize my chemo hat with additional headgear — Let’s just be in the same physical space, hell, the same city! I thought I’d have to wait until perhaps July to see my kids and grandkids but maybe not. That was a real emotional booster. Hurray #3!
And on a silly side note — of course the day after chemo should be a “no-electricity day”, following the pattern. Sure enough there’s a strong Santa Ana condition and we have been receiving notices from Edison all night (seriously, they phoned and woke us up in the middle of the night) and into the morning, to be prepared for a Public Safety Power Shutdown — a PSPS. Then we got the final notice, that yes, they were shutting down power in parts of our zip code. But, Eureka!, they left us on! We have had full power. I should probably hesitate to write this so as not to put a jinx on it, but so far, we are good. A text message states they’re in the process of inspecting all the lines in preparation to power back up, so the emergency has likely passed. Have the winds died down? Impossible to tell in our yard. It’s hardly even breezy here. There’s probably a gale blowing all above and around us, but Monte Nido is a tiny little insulated bowl, a nest in Mother Earth’s belly — (hence Monte Nido — mountain nest), cradled within taller hills and ridgelines, so the wind blows right over us. I can tell from the billowing stars and stripes waving atop the flag post on the ridge next door that wind is howling straight to the sea, but down here not a leaf is stirring and it’s a gorgeous, clear, HOT day. It’s 80 degrees in the shade, so it must be 90+ in the Valley! I do so love where we live.
That’s all for now. Back to my broth and regularly scheduled couch potatoing.
Stay healthy and sane y’all
xo
Jill
