Roller Coaster Week

(  This has been Larry and I these last few weeks :)

So, this last week in to see Dr. V on Monday.  I was scheduled to have labs and then on Tuesday I was going yo have my final chemo...FINALLY!  But when my labs came back my white blood cell count had dropped drastically.  The week before it had gone down to 1000  (remember, I'm trying to get it above 1500 before they will even do the chemo).  Well, I had been coming in for Neupogen shots, and I had been feeling really good the previous week, so I actually expected my counts to have come back up, so when Dr. V looked at the labs results and said my count had actually gone down to 215 I was shocked.  That put me in a category of not only being able to get the chemo, but also in a very high category for getting an infection.
So, instead of coming back in for chemo the next day, she had me come in for just the Rituxin.  Then she set me up to come in every day for a Neupogen shot in hopes of getting my white count to bounce back up.  She mentioned if it did not come back up this last week, she would have to schedule another bone marrow biopsy to see what was going on.  What is going on??
Do you see why it's been a roller coaster week???
On one hand I'm feeling pretty good, and on the other hand my white count in soooo low.  Plus, I'm not sure if I'm going to get that last chemo treatment.  Which....
on one hand I'm super glad to think I might be done, and the other I don't want to miss any treatments that might ensure the cancer staying gone.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH  (which is what I say when I ride a roller coaster!)

Also, Dr. V said she wanted to call Dr. Glenn (my Utah doctor) to get her input on why my counts would be so low, but then found out Dr. Glenn was out of town last week.
SO I decided to email Dr. Alice Fan (My Stanford Oncologist).  I just really wanted to get her input on the situation.  I explained everything to her and this was her email reply:


Dear Jen, 
Thank you for your email update. Sounds like you've been through a lot!  Infections and delays due to counts are common, so it is not unusual or worrisome to me. I'm very happy to hear about your clear CT results.   I would like to call Dr. Virgilio tomorrow when I'm in clinic to touch base with her, and then after I talk to her, I'll give you a call.  Sound ok? 

All the best, 
Alice

(Dr. V was out of the office on Friday, so she is calling me today..Monday)

Dr. Fan is an amazing doctor, and I feel so lucky that she is willing to look into what's going on with me.  She is the one that set up my course of treatment.   That being said, I really hope she calls Dr. V today and they decide that I don't need the last round of chemo, and I can just start my Rituxin maintenance.
I should be hearing some time today, and the thing is...
I'm ready to get off this roller coaster!!!!!



GOOD THOUGHT:
I'm starting to rebuild.  My strength is coming back slowly.  I'm starting to feel like my old self.  The "chemo side effects" are starting to wear off.  I'm so excited to keep moving forward!