When the doctor team rounded on me yesterday, they thought I might be able to go home today. Most of yesterday my temp was down, around 98-99. I did have 1 advil at 12 noon and that seemed to last for quite a while. Unfortunately at 11pm when they came to get my vitals, I knew I was hot. And sure enough my temp was back up to 102F. I took another advil and eventually the temp came down and I broke a sweat. I woke more completely when they came to get another Cest X-ray about 45 minutes later, only to realize that my sheets and clothes were all sweat soaked. I'll tell you, fever is serious business. I will never brush it off so easy again. I am going to be very directive with my pts about how to treat their fevers and that of their kids. They are no fun.
My hair continues to make an exit. So much falls out on the pillow or down the shower drain that is time to have this stuff shaved off. I will try to find someone who can do it today or tomorrow. It hard to sleep on a pillow covered with hair as it sticks to the surface, tickling my face.
I realized last night that I am in a funk. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Does anyone know how I can pull myself out of that and move back to a better place? Some of it is my extreme fatigue from all these fevers. Some is the tedium of having to be treated everyday for something ("It's always something..." RR)
When Holly came back to the hospital last night she brought a Netflix disc with her-Monty Python. I had forgotten how funny those guys are. I mean much of the humor is in bad taste or silly but it is funny stuff. It's creative too with all of their skits, cartoons, etc. No one is doing anything like that anymore. Why not? Is it just too corporate these days?
Mostly my numbers continue to improve: plt's 333,000, white cell count 2.2, Hgb 8.5 (well at least the other 2 are good)
5 comments:
I would be surprised if you weren't in a bit of funk, after the last month of your life. It's been a chaotic roller coaster for you from the touch and go diagnosis time to changing doctors to going in for chemo to bouncing back and starting to exercise and then having a set back. But it's okay and it's going to be okay. Your strength of spirit and body is what has gotten you through an aggressive breast cancer treatment and totally back to baseline afterwards(give or take a few hot flashes). And it will see you through this as well. From everything I've read, your type of AML has a great chance for a CURE. That's huge. Not just remission, but cure. So, hang in there and let yourself have a funk-day but know that you will ride this out and be okay.
Love you, friend.
shannon
Hey Teresa,
I totally feel for you. I really hate fevers...the aches, and the total dis-comfort. Ugh. No wonder you've been in a funk! I sure hope you continue to improve and those neutrophils do their jobs. Here's something that might make you smile. Last Friday (the 4th) Freddi and I were coming home from town and found a stray (lost?) dog on Doggett mountain. She is a Bluetick Coonhound...very cute and very, very funny in that puppy way. Now, imagine Quigley with long legs, and there you have it. We are calling her 'Cedar' because there were a lot of Cedar Waxwings in the trees above where we found her. Our elder canine stateswomen are not too pleased about the whole thing and we think my friend Nancy will adopt her. More on that later. Big giant hugs all around you and Holly.
PS - I'll send Holly a pict of Cedar via email...
Hey, Tree,
Hang in there! Like others, I can sure understand your being in a funk. I had to smile when you wrote about the Monty Python movie--seems like a little laughter was just the ticket. Hope you begin to feel much better and are soon back home.
Hugs, Julia
I recently rented Monty Python too. They are funny guys. I also rented the Muppet Show! How silly is that? I'm a strange one sometimes. Jim Henson sure was a creative soul.
I really found the first season of Ugly Betty on DVD to be a blast. I don't know who else would agree, but it is just silly, goofy fun with a heart...
I hope things start to look up for you. I check on you every day, and appreciate your blog. I don't understand half of it, but I'm learning...
I wish I had a magic wand to wave around and say some crazy words and make it all better. I think I'll try that and see if it works. Let me know if you feel anything there. Miss you, Liza
Holly-take good care of yourself too...very important!
Tree - Humor is a good thing to get you through the "FUNK". It's hard because you have no control over a lot that is happenning to you, but you know how important the power of positive thinking is! My friend, Eddie Lee (aka Woozie), has several times reminded me that some times we have to go through bad things but to remember it will not last forever and in the end the experience shapes us into who we are. Remeber the tortoise and the haire. That little turtle had to get through some obstacles before winning the race! Love ya lots! Becky
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