Home Sweet Home

I realized that not everyone is on Facebook and so not everyone knew that I had, in fact, made it home. Friday, after my second infusion of the Vidaza (chemo), I was released from the hospital. I have a long list of potential things that can happen (fever, allergic stuff, etc.) and a huge bunch of meds to take, but I'm home!

The Vidaza is administered IV infusion for seven days in a row, and then 21 days off. After the first two in the hospital, I got my second two at the Vince Lombardi Cancer Center (also in the hospital, but as an outpatient), and today was #5 in the infusion center in Medical Office Building 3 on the 9th floor. I'll have #6 tomorrow, take Xmas day off, and then #7 on the 26th.

I also learned that my insurance approved me to take the oral chemo Venetoclax (one big hurdle), and it will be shipped by specialty pharmacy or something. But (of course) there was an issue because I should be taking allopurinol (to protect my kidneys from tumor lysis syndrome) but the allopurinol caused the nasty red rash on my stomach, and apparently a skin rash is the first sign that it could be anaphylactic, so no more allopurinol for me. The alternative med (uloric) has been associated with an increase in heart issues, and I'm on so many cardiotoxic meds already that they've decided it is safer to monitor my levels of uric acid and NOT give me uloric unless it's needed.

The other thing we're waiting on is what dose level of Venetoclax I will receive. Apparently it interacts with Fluconazole (the anti-fungal I need since I have essentially no immune system), and so I may need to do a dose-reduction. Hopefully that will all be figured out and the meds will be ordered, and I can start on that soon. I was happy to hear that Venetoclax carries a "low risk of nausea" and so I am hopeful that I can get by without taking Zofran (which I get before the Vidaza). It's a crazy string of meds that lead to other meds and all sorts of delightful side effects.

But I have been adjusting pretty well to being out of the hospital after 21 days (22 if you count the first night I was admitted). It was very odd when I first got home. Though it was nice to be home, it didn't really feel like "home" because I'd been in the hospital for so long. I'm happy to say that I was able to get over that relatively quickly. It's the little things--like the first night I was home, I minced an onion for a recipe. On Sunday I actually drove to chemo (Cara drove me home because the anti-nausea meds make me kind of sleepy and dizzy). I have been walking, and yesterday I even went for a five mile bike ride on my fat tire bike!

Cara & Travis are home for the break between semesters, and Ash is also off. It's been wonderful and cozy to be home playing games and cooking and being kind of lazy, actually.

And my white blood cells are creeping up very, very slowly. Yesterday they were able to measure my neutrophils (0.1) but today, although my total WBCs were higher, they didn't check the neutrophils. Maybe tomorrow...

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday--whatever you celebrate(d). The days are getting longer now--which will take forever to seem like a difference, but mentally it's nice to know. And 50 degrees in December? I certainly can't complain--especially when it includes lots of sunshine. So many things to be thankful for.