Another Eventful Week - No Chemo (Low RBC)

It's been an eventful week.  Last Thursday I had my follow up blood draw with Dr Belanger to check my immune system markers in my blood.  Following that appointment I was confined to bed throughout the weekend just too weak to do anything else.  I felt like I was coming down with an illness.  My family came to visit Saturday and I was able to muster enough energy to go downstairs and visit for awhile.  By Sunday night I was feeling really warm and my temperature came in at 101.1 deg.  We monitored it for about an hour, and it didn't change, time for my first ER visit.  We went to Emerson and after a lab draw, chest xrays (negative), and a conversation with my oncologist they sent me home with having a potential virus.  They did take a couple blood draws for cultures to determine if there is a bacterial infection somewhere, results are still pending.  Parker had been sick earlier in the week with a fever and cough, maybe I picked up a touch of that.

Tuesday I went in for my next Cis-Gem chemo, but unfortunately my red blood count was too low.  This was discussed as a possibility with the ER doc and my oncologist.  They took more blood and sent me home to return the next day for a blood transfusion.  They must have a whole closet of my blood in MGH by now.

Of all the tests, procedures, IVs, and injections I've received, a blood transfusion was still my biggest fear.  It stems from the days people could get HIV+/AIDs and knowing the medical profession is still prone to errors (like my last port).  A transfusion like that I could never recover from.  Knowing my heart was starting to pay the price for low red blood counts (elevated heart rate), and faintness of breath when I did any activity, I agreed to go through with it.  Today I took 560 cc's of red blood cells.  That's like 2 and 1/3 cups of blood.  It was transfused into me via my port over 2 bags, 2 hours each.  We waited an hour for the blood to arrive from downtown.  So it was another long day at the hospital.  The good news, my legs don't feel like boat anchors anymore, I can move!  The bad news, I saw my face in the mirror and started crying, I looked like a whole other person.  My face was swollen, bloctchy, and flushed.  I would never willingly go out looking like that.  Once my infusion was over I did all I could to get home quickly.

Feeling Sick

Getting Blood