My ANC (absolute neutrophil count) was just 9 yesterday, which is the lowest I think it's ever been. Today it's at 23. The magic number for me to go home is 500. Traditionally, it picks up tomorrow and just hits 500 on Friday. I'm hoping to repeat history so I don't have to be here through Saturday.
I had a little bit of a rough night last night. The nurse took my temperature at 1am and I was running a fever. The deal is that if I run a fever, they have to take my blood cultures (every 24 hours). The last time I had been cultured was midnight the day before because of my late check in time so I had to have blood drawn from both arms. Poor Mike was sleeping, but the nurse had to turn the light on so she could see. I was happy that she could use my IV to draw blood so I only had to get stuck once, but Mike wasn't happy about being awakened at 1am. He's pretty tired today. I went back to sleep after he left for work (and after phlebotomy came in to draw blood at 6:40).
Dad came to see me today, which is pretty monumental since he hasn't been able to drive until last week. He goes back to work next Monday, but he's still moving around with a cane. He's got a handicapped tag for at least another month. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention at the front gate and got in the wrong line with the people who don't have badges. If you have a badge, they wave you to the left and then on through. He had to go through the whole security line. I should have told him about the side entrance off Old Georgetown road, which is even faster.
I'm feeling a little more energetic today. I slept a lot yesterday and fell asleep by 9pm too. I just could not stay awake, but it's probably because my ANC was so low. The doctors finally got on the ball and have agreed to give me anti-nausea medication twice a day because I get too nauseous to eat otherwise. Of course, my oatmeal this morning wasn't really worth eating! I often wonder how they mess up the food so horribly. I mean, oatmeal is oatmeal. They must buy generic because it definitely wasn't Quaker Oats! I've got to call for my lunch and I'm so excited about my prospects. Maybe I'll just have a sandwich - they can't mess that up too badly. Right......?
3 comments:
Maybe you can give your dad a box of Tic Tacs as a substitute for Vicodin to go along with the cane, and he can really work on his Hugh Laurie impression. You've gotta think a good Greg House would go over big at NIH.
Alright I'm going to start doing my neutrophil cheerleading. It goes something like "Go Neuty, Go Neuty! Yeah ANC! Wooo hooo!" Then I hop up and down in place for a couple of minutes. You can see why I was never a cheerleader. But I'll do my best. Go team!
Julie B.
He'd have to work on being really grumpy too.
Congratulations Angela! I am so happy for you. You and Michael enjoy your vacation. You both deserve it. I will be gone myself for two weeks on our cruise to Alaska, but I will talk to you when I get back.
Love Mom
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