Brachytherapy #2

Brachytherapy/HDR number 2 went better than the first. It was still painful, but I guess just because I knew what to expect this time, it was easier to deal with. I took a new book to read this time while I waited the long time for the planning period. Apparently my nurses are all bookworms too, because they were all asking about the book and we all had a good laugh about it and the irony of it. In short, the book is about a woman who died from cancer and her husband keeps getting handwritten letters from her after she’s dead that apparently contain secrets about her that he never knew. I’ll attach pics of the back cover so you can read it for yourself.

Anyway, apparently we are passing this book around the nurses station when I finish it (which will be by tonight) and Brandy (another nurse) couldn’t wait, so she went and downloaded it as soon as she read the cover. I’m excited about that because I love discussing books.

I had labs done before brachytherapy to check all my levels. My platelets are fantastic now! Remember they had dropped down to 28, then dropped again to 25, so I had to do the blood transfusion and that got them up to 54. Yesterday, they were... drumroll.... 238!!! Does that tell you how horribly low they were? Yikes.
My white blood cell count, however, is still bad low. Normal range for someone in my position is 4.30-10. My count is 1.18. I asked her what that meant and she said, “It means you have no immune system right now. You can’t fight off infections or sickness and if you catch something, you’ll end up in the hospital.” So now I’m told not to go in public if necessary and if I do, then I must wear my medical mask and use GermX immediately after touching public doors, store buggies, etc. so I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t go to the ball or birthday party or my aunt’s event. I’m tired of being quarantined!

My first immunotherapy is next week on the 15th, so I have to go in on Valentines Day and get more blood work done for the trial.

When I’m done with brachytherapy, I plan to take some homemade goodies to all my nurses and doctors and some of the other staff members because seriously, they are the nicest people. And they saved my life. Yes, we are paying for those services, but these people go way above and beyond what is required of them. They all greet me by my name when I walk in, and treat me like family. There’s hugs at every single visit. Dottie and Raymond at the front door, they'll chase you down if you somehow manage to get past them without a hug. And then there's Joanie, my clinical trial worker. She has gone out of her way to check on me all the time. I see her at every visit, which obviously was a lot. She's been the one consistent person there through all of this. I am going to miss her, and everyone else, when it's all over.

Usually when cancer patient’s treatments are all over, they say they never want to see “that place” again. But this whole experience changed my life in more ways than one, and my treatments may be ending soon, but me going to that building won’t be ending. That’s all I’m saying for now. There’s still details that have to be worked out.

If any of you, whether I know you or not, have questions about ANYTHING, please feel free to ask. Seriously. No matter how personal, because clearly I have no problems sharing details. Want to know my symptoms, ask. I'm an open book.