(Sung to the tune 'Leavin on a Jet Plane' known to some by John Denver others by Peter, Paul and Mary and still others by Chantal Kreviazuk)
All my bags are packed
-for week-long chemo!
I'm standin here and I'm ready to go
I have to finish up so to cancer I can say good-bye!
This is the last stretch;
Its almost done
The nurses are waitin
I'll so be reborn!
Already I'm so excited I could fly!
So wish for me and pray for me
Think kindly each day for me
Hold happy thoughts as through treatment I do go!
Cause I've hitched my wagon to the chemo train
Back to real life I will soon be again
Oh friends I'm ready to go!
Cause the 16th will be my re-birthday
and oh! what a happy day-
I've beat this thing and I will tell it sooo!
Ohhh-
I've beat this thing and I will tell it so!
(My apologies to John Denver et al)Here I go; 10 days in hospital - I will have no access to a computer and may be in for up to 3 weeks...thanks to everyone for all your support. Here I go for the long haul but I have so many people raising me up I am forever grateful...
Take care everyone...Carey
Hi Everyone,Okay, remember the woman from last week with the outrageous 79 count of...something. Well, that something was her White Blood Cell count. Hers was incredibly high, the nurses said they would be happy with any count over 2, well my WBC came in at 37.4. Totally respectable -and actually a safer count apparently than the 79. The 79 gives you 'sticky, gummy blood', okay guess I do not need that...So, that number, the 37.4, does not make me a superstar but here is what does:I think I explained this in an earlier entry but to refresh; when you go to have your stem cells harvested you need 2 million minimum stem cells harvested to go through with the BEAM and re-birthday. Also, you need a minimum of 5 million cells to not have to go back for a 2nd day of harvest - -well, I came up with 7 MILLION stem cells on my first day! Yeah for me! I am soo happy with the news; most other steps are, well, steps to get through, this one had a goal and I SMASHED it --yee-haw!Now, technically the body does what the body does and I had nothing mentally or willfully to do with this gianormous number of cells (I even asked the nurses on harvest day if there was anything I could do to squeeze out more cells and they told me if there was they would be telling everyone [yeah, I suppose]) --there isn't any BUT at the end of this statement. Okay, a little one...'the body does what the body does... but I am happy about it nonetheless.Now, on to the BEAM. I am admitted on April the 9th and start my chemo, BEAM regime, on the 10th. Apparently the effects of all this chemo is delayed about 1 week so I will be a little tired/nauseated in the hospital but only slightly so - my biggest hurdle in fact may be boredom so if you are in the Hamilton area (no, Northern Ireland and NB is not what I consider 'in the area') and feel like a 15 min drop by I will be in Henderson on F3...as I said to a friend via email - just ask for the grumpy bald chick...Speaking of bald, still has not happened as of yet though I am shedding like a Labrador retriever, I am told any day now but there is still mucho-mundo hair on this noggin...Asta de leugo (sorry any Spanish readers on the spelling -correct me at will!)Take care and warm regards,Care
