Red Cells and White Cells and Platelets, Oh My!

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.6 13-17 v Platelets 105 140-375 v ANC 2130 1800-8300 ^ Our dear neighbors across the street are off on an adventure...again. They left yesterday for Arizona for a few months of winter sunshine. We already miss them terribly. They tried this lifestyle last winter for the first time, and they liked it so much they are planning a longer stay than before. Good for them...not so much fun for us!  Now, Tom, why are you writing about your neighbors on a blog about your health? Good question. Here's why. If you look at the Box Score above, you will see that, although hemoglobin and platelets are off very slightly from Mo...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.0 13-17 ^ Platelets 106 140-375 ^ ANC 1810 1800-8300 ^ Into every life a little rain must fall. We are happy about that. It was a long, hot summer, and it has only come to an end in the last week or so. Did I mention it was also dry? Fortunately, we had a very wet, cool spring, so in our little corner of the world, we were not suffering from drought has we have for several years. I wish I could say the same for the rest of Oregon.  We started getting a bit of rain on Saturday, which was a blessing, because the fires in the drought stricken parts of Oregon had caused smoke to filter into the Willamette Valley and raise the Ai...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.4 13-17 v Platelets 97 140-375 v ANC 1310 1800-8300 ^ It's fire season in Oregon. Today, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is well into the unhealthy range at 154. So, although my ANC is rising nicely, we are still quarantined. "If it isn't one thing it's two others," my grandma used to say, when things seemed to pile up on her. Fortunately, Jill and I are accustomed to staying home.  We did venture out in the morning h aze and f og (or as I call it: hog ) to the the North Lancaster Kaiser Office this morning for a blood draw.  The results are in the Box Score above. As you will note, my ANC has risen n...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.6 13-17 v Platelets 122 140-375 v ANC 370 1800-8300 ^ Yesterday was Thursday, the day that I usually have my second blood draw of the week. For months, I have dropped in at the lab for this service, but as of Tuesday, I have had a vascular access port inserted in my chest. Drawing blood from this device requires the extra training and experience of an RN. Fortunately, nurse Jill at the infusion center was able to schedule me for a blood draw there.  I was especially grateful for this appointment, because yesterday was the day I was told to remove the clear covering of my surgical site, essentially clear plas...

The deed is done. I am now the blessed recipient of a vascular access port. ( See: Follow the Bouncing Ball ). We arose at 4am yesterday in order to make the drive to Hillsboro and the Kaiser Permanente West Side Medical Center. Poor Jill was called on, once again, to drive in the dark for my benefit. I know this causes her some anxiety, but she never complains. Is it any wonder I love her so much?  The surgery was pretty simple and was done with local anesthesia. We arrived early, having been instructed to arrive at 7am, and I was seen promptly for my 8am surgery. I noted when we were on the way home that the time was 9:21am. So, as surgeries go, this one was pretty quick and easy. I asked the surgeon if I would be able to play the violin afterward. He assured me that I would. I told him I was grateful, because I have never been able to play the violin before. There is some soreness in the area of the surgery, as you might imagine, but it is manageable and will pass in a couple of...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.2 13-17 > Platelets 127 140-375 ^ ANC 140 1800-8300 ^ We have had a few quiet days without medical stuff going on. The Oregon Ducks football team beat the Arizona Wildcats. Jill made chocolate chip cookies. What more could I guy hope for on a sunny weekend in October?  The box score today shows improvement in my lab results,  but that pesky ANC, while on the rise, is just too low for chemotherapy. That's because, along with cancer cells, the chemo kills off some of the healthy neutrophils. So, my chemotherapy has been postponed for a week to let the neutrophils get back on their feet,  When we had o...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.2 13-17 > Platelets 98 140-375 ^ ANC 20 1800-8300 v I'm a bit disappointed this morning, because my ANC is still going down, after having gone up significantly a week ago. This is a new experience. Usually, when my ANC begins to rise, as it did a week ago, the rise becomes dramatic until it reaches the Standard Range. I will try to connect today with oncology to see if this is a concern or just a bump in the road. Jill and I had hoped to have a meal with daughter Tara this weekend, if my ANC  was out of the neutropenic zone. Instead, we will remain in quarantine.  Part of the frustration is that I ha...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.2                13-17 v Platelets 63 140-375 ^ ANC 50 1800-8300 v Things are settling down a bit, medical-mania-wise. I had an oncology follow up yesterday. It seems between the chemo's effects on my skin and limited opportunities to wash my eyelids post surgery, I have developed a nice crop of styes on my eyelids. Well, duh! Where else would you develop styes, Tom? I have developed a number of sties in various places around the homestead, but that is entirely different.  After my appointment with Dr. O, we walked across the ha...

URGENT, URGENT!! My friend Brian, who is walking this path with me, tested positive for Covid19 today. Please pray. He is very immunocompromised.

One of my favorite people ever since dental school and one of my best prayer warriors is a guy named Bill. After he read my last post, Bill sent me a text message. The conversation that ensued went straight to my heart:  Bill: How many gears does a “Chemo Cycle have?” Keep up the good fight. Loveya Me: 3 gears forward and 2gears back. 🤣🛵 Loveya Bill: It’s fuel must be Faith and prayer. Praying for you now. Loveya Me: Thanks, Bill. You’re fueling up the CC!! Bill: As I am praying, I picture the “Chemo Cycle” as a three wheel trike whose wheels are not  inflated with air but with solid foam of love. Both axels are riding on shock absorbers of patience  and trust!! Me: That’s beautiful. May I quote you? Bill: Not me but the Holy Spirit. Loveya Yes!  Me: Perfect! Loveya Makes me want to hop on that Chemo Cycle and go for a spin!