The week started with a flurry of appointments at the Ottawa
Hospital at 7:30 am. I visited with the
blood letters who drained an appropriate amount of blood and collected some
urine samples. My instructions for the
urine test were much clearer this time and all went well. The ladies were at odds about instructions
about holiday blood services but I ignored their chatter as I was not scheduled
over the holiday. I then walked over to
Timmy’s for a breakfast sandwich and a tour of my e-mail inbox.
My 8:15 am appointment with Dr Jonker was in Module C and I
checked in at the time of the appointment.
I was then ushered into a room by a new nurse who listened patiently
about my experiences of the last two weeks.
She noted the key issues on my file and weighed me and then disappeared. My next human contact was with Dr Jonker this
time and we had a good chat. He was
satisfied with my reactions and the way I was managing them so his
recommendation was to stay the course and have my Chemo treatment thee
following day with the same cocktail that was prescribed last time. We chatted about Christmas and I took the
opportunity to remind him of my vacation period and scheduling around it. He was OK with the plan.
So off I went happily confident that all was as it should
be. I went to the Superstore for some
shopping for fruit and other staples.
While I was in there I received a call from Martha, Dr Jonker’s clinic
nurse. She had just received the blood
test results and my White Blood Cell count (WBC) was below normal and they were
going to delay my Chemo by one week.
That called changed a bunch of things for me. Not only did I now have to deal with bloodletter’s
Christmas schedule but it also was a kick in the teeth as I was familiar with
the WBC process that I had dealt with in previous Chemo Treatment
sessions. It meant that I could go three
weeks between sessions or rely on a very expensive self administered shot just
after Chemo was completed to heighten the development of WBCs post Chemo treatment.
In addition, this revised schedule was
going to put a pressure on me around my holiday plans. Bottom line – I was bummed out as I thought I
had some control over my schedule. Not
so as this is now in the hands of my WBC count.
Now my next Chemo is now on the 27th of December
with blood tests either the Friday before or early on the 27th. On a more positive note, this revised
schedule ensures that I will be able to enjoy the Christmas meals and
festivities without Chemo side effects.
That is not too bad at all.
Other things that happened over the past few days were very
positive as we visited my Toronto family for a couple of days. Tara-Lee, Kaia and I set out by car last
Thursday and spent a few days with Lucy while we shopped, ate, visited friends
and family, ate and rested. It was a
good visit which ended with a post snow drive back to Ottawa on Saturday. That night Freddi and I were invited to a
gathering of some Lake Bernard friends and family to enjoy some cheer and some
Christmas food delights at the Hempel cottage.
It was a very nice evening of laughter, good food and cheer. On Monday I had a dinner date with two lovely
ladies who I worked with and have stayed in touch with. Having dinner with them and catching up on
our lives was a very positive ending to a tough day. It is these encounters that provide a source
of positive energy to get through some of the tougher times.
I expect that I will not to adding to this blog before Christmas
as I am on that holding pattern.
Therefore I will take this opportunity to thank you for following this
trail through the woods and send you off with my best wishes for a Happy
Christmas and a Frantic First with your family and friends. It is a time of year to relax and enjoy time
with your closest people. That is what I
will be doing.
Love to you all .......
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