Chemotherapy #4: Halfway there!

I had my 4th chemotherapy session yesterday. It went as well as can be expected. I saw the doctor and then sat around for the day having medication pumped into me.

No one is pleased about how much my white count has continued to drop after every chemotherapy session bringing with it fever, infection, and hospitalization. So the plan for this round is for me to return to Halifax on Monday and go to the outpatient clinic every day next week to get bloodwork and a bolus of saline (a litre of saline) so I'll stay hydrated. They're hoping this will prevent me from getting a fever although I really think they just want me close by when/if I get one. It's happened 3/3 times so far so I'm not super hopeful that this plan will work to prevent the 3am fever. But, maybe!

The results of my CT scan came back and everything is looking good. Yay!! I didn't see my regular doctor so the doctor hadn't read my scan before he saw me but skimmed the report while I was there and said the news was all positive. The spot on my right lung is gone as is the one that was between my lungs and liver (I didn't know there was a spot between my lungs and liver). I asked about the spot that was between my lungs and he said there was no mention of that one but that it may be the spot that the current report described as 'between lungs and liver' instead of 'between lungs.' Apparently there is no standardization on radiologist reports which makes zero sense. Either way, there was a spot and now it's gone. And the nodules on my liver and left lung have shrunk.
Hurray!!! Yay science!! This isn't for nothing!

Yay drugs that are working!!

After the chemotherapy medication, I had my second spinal tap. The only difference this time was that the doctor didn't take a fluid sample. My last sample was negative and I guess he wanted me to have a break. It was still very painful but since I knew what to expect, I was much less anxious and it didn't seem as bad. Maybe by the 6th time it won't hurt at all.

Today is my resting day to try and avoid the headaches caused by the spinal tap. Caffeine, salt, staying hydrated, and not moving is suppose to be the key of keeping the headaches away. That means I'm drinking lots of coffee while laying down for most of the day today looking at the messy house. It'll have to wait for another day unless the cleaning fairies happen to show up before then.