Countdown

I'm hoping not to jinx myself here by saying that my chemo is now set to begin this Monday, January 7. Last time I said that I came down with a monstrous infection.

If you know me, once I've made my mind up on something I'm ready to go. Needless to say, postponing my chemo wasn't ideal. Let's get the show on the road!

I start Monday at 8am with a drug that I had 2 years ago, Rituxin. Last time it made my hair turn to straw, messed with my body temperature regulation and added to my fatigue levels. That said, it reduced my symptoms once I was done with the treatments and I felt better. Tuesday through Thursday of next week I will receive two chemotherapy agents, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide. They are know to be hard on the immune system, so I suspect my already deficient immune system will get beat up a bit more. That said, I hope to come out of this better than I'm going in.

Here's where I stand: my bone marrow is packed solid with cancer, my blood is about 85-90% cancer, my immune system is severely suppressed for which I already get immune boosting drugs every 6-8 weeks, my spleen is enlarged, and I have too many leukemia-related symptoms to type out. No wonder I feel like crap so much of the time!!!

My sister, Inga, is coming from Texas to get me through this first round. She arrives Sunday and will be here for 2 weeks. Hopefully, I won't wear her ragged. The first round is supposed to be the toughest and potentially have the worst side effects. That said, the later treatments can cause chaos as the chemicals build in my body.

Ok, so here's a reminder for everyone: positive thoughts, prayers, good vibes, lots of love.... I'll take it all and need it all. Yes, I'm tough and strong, but that doesn't mean I don't need your support and will need it to get through. Plus, please let me know what you're up to, I hate having this disease be center stage.