Part Twenty: Down for the Count

            Something didn’t seem right.  I was getting more tired every day.  My gums were bleeding.  My teeth hurt when I tried to chew. 

            So first thing Wednesday morning, I called the triage nurse at OCSRI, hoping for some help.  She suggested getting bloodwork done.  Exhausted, I whined right back, “But I don’t think I can handle coming to Tulsa today.”

            That is how my cancer care shifted seamlessly to the OCSRI satellite office in Bartlesville.  Now I only have to go to Tulsa for the appointments when I see my oncologist.  I can see his nurse practitioner here in Bartlesville and do my chemo here.

            The lab results were startling.  Everything looked good except for my white blood and neutrophil counts, which had dropped to virtually nothing.  Such a precipitous drop so early in the chemotherapy regimen is unusual, especially since I receive the white blood cell-boosting Neulasta injection the day after each treatment. 

            Dana made the follow-up appointments for me at the front desk while I sagged onto a bench.  I did not have the capability to process information.  I listened to everything through a haze as exhaustion enveloped me.  Two blood work appointments next week, followed by nurse practitioner appointment Friday.  Clearly, no chemo next week.

            The treatment for neutropenia is to rest and stay away from germs.  Also, be careful not to get a scratch or cut.  Because my mouth is so tender, stay with soft foods.  Be very gentle when brushing my teeth.  Rinse mouth every two hours with the water/baking soda/salt solution.  Limit contact with people.  Wash my hands often.

            Around nine o’clock Wednesday evening, feeling awful in every way, I suddenly remembered I was also supposed to keep track of my temperature.  The magic number, about which you call the triage nurse immediately, appeared on my digital thermometer: 100.5.  Sure enough, the nurse said to start the antibiotic prescription, which I had received as the standard “just in case you need it” after my first treatment. 

            My temperature has stayed normal today, which evidently for me is in the 96-97 range.  I’ve been taking it every couple hours.  I feel less sick than I did yesterday.  I’ve spent today alternating between recliner and bed.  I am an expert in the art of dozing, and the peace in my soul still prevails.  God is good.  He’s got the details.  All I have to do is rest.