Scary!

This Tuesday, I was at the SCCA to get my antibiotics from the last time that I was at the hospital. While I was in the infusion room, I started to get confused. I ended up getting transported to the UW via ambulance. I continued to get worse until I couldn't talk. Meanwhile, I remember everything everyone was saying to me. I just could not answer. I could only moan. The right side of my body was numb. They took me to a CT scan, MIR scan, and gave me a lumbar puncture. They thought that I might have had a stroke. I spent the night in ICU with Travis, my Mom, Jill, and Nick. Early in the morning, I needed to go potty-so I started talking. I don't know what happened to turn it back on. I was missing a few words, but now I'm pretty much back to normal. Wednesday I was transfered to the regular cancer unit. Thursday I got to go home.

That was a close call!

On January 1st, I was sent home from 4 days of chemo at the UW. This round of recovery felt a little different. I still felt nauseated but it didn't seem the same as before. On Thursday Jan 7, I went to SCCA for my usual follow-up to receive the "light" chemo doses. After I received the chemo, they took my temp prior to giving me platelets and it was 102. I was waiting for a hospital bed at the UW and while I waited my condition became a little more concerning. Eventually I was ambulanced from the SCCA to UW and admitted to the ICU. It was discovered that I aquired a blood infection, called sepsis, and they pumped me full of fluids and antibiotics. Today, Jan 12, I am still at the UW. I am no longer in the ICU but they are holding me until my breathing improves. I will get a chest CT today to make sure I'm not developing pneumonia or something in my lungs. I'm feeling much better compared to a few days ago. No more nausea. I still have a bit of a cough but they are giving me some good cough medicine to control it.

I have finished my Day 1 IV push of Vincristine, 2 hour push of Methotrexate, and 22 hour IV drip of Methotrexate. I have mostly finished Day 2 lumbar puncture with Methotrexate and 2 hour drip of Cytarabine. Still feeling pretty good. I have been trying to find other people my age with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, but 80% of cases occcur in kids ages 2-5 and the rest in adults over age 50. The chances of me having it at this age is so slim. Plus it is more common in males. So strange. I know you cant believe everything on the internet but this site had some interesting information on my cancer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_lymphoblastic_leukemia

Platelets finally made it!

I am officially checked in to UW Medical Center to receive my chemo therapy. My platelets were at 51 yesterday, and they have to be above 50 to start treatment. Barely made it ; ) I should be out within 4 days, as soon as the methatrexate is out of my system.

Christmas

I would like to thank everyone who helped make our Christmas special. Thank-you for all the warm wishes, food, gifts, support, lights, firetruck visit and decorations. We had a wonderful Christmas. These are pics of Loghan exploring the firetruck on Christmas Eve, putting up Christmas lights, and Loghan with Santa.

Trying again for next Wednesday...

I still did not have enough platelets to go into the hospital this week. (Darn, I wont be in over Christmas ; ) I did do an outpatient round of chemo and on Monday. I am going to have a lumbar puncture with Methatrexate chemo injection. I am also taking high doses of steroids to help keep cancer away and boost my platelets. It is nice that I am still doing something to make sure the cancer doesn't come back while waiting to get back in the hospital.

Waiting...

My platelets are still not high enough for chemo, so today I had a platelet transfusion instead of checking into the hospital. I will go back Monday for labs to see if I can check in Tuesday for chemo. This would mean me being in the hospital for Christmas. Bummer.