I usually go through a 36-hour “detox” period after checking out of Hotel Hope. Nausea. Lackluster appetite. Low energy.
Not so this time. I checked out on Monday afternoon and hit the ground running with none of the usual chemo side effects.
Ordinarily, this would be a good thing, but not so this time. My boundless energy and hearty appetite underscore the reality that I received a reduced dosage of chemo during Round 4. My blood counts simply couldn’t take the assault of a full-on regimen.
What’s more, the plans are moving forward for the auto stem cell transplant without the benefit of Rounds 5 and 6. I met yesterday with my nurse coordinator, and July’s calendar is filling up fast with tests (bone marrow biopsy, PET scan, CT scan), clinic appointments, Hickman catheter insertion, Hickman training, a small dose of chemo, ten days of injections and, ultimately, the stem cell harvest.
If all goes “according to plan,” I could be hunkered down for my month-long stay at Hotel Hope before my birthday on August 15. Of course, a lot could happen to take me off course, but . . . one day at a time, one day at a time.
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