Day One of Cycle 5 to be next Monday

The nurses at the BMT clinic this morning heard my dry cough, which I have had for 10 days to 2 weeks, and told Abby about it before her scheduled visit with me. Abby visited all the other chairs in the infusion room before getting to me in Chair 1 and then asked me about any fever along with the dry cough; when I told her the maximum temperature that I have recorded was 99.2, but that I woke up during the night with a damp tee shirt and then later with a damp pajama top. She said we could not start chemo this morning and would have to postpone it until next Monday. I told her that I had already taken the dexamethasone and she said "that is ok but don't take any more and don't try to fill the prescription for cyclophosphamide." She told Scott, the nurse who worked on me this morning, to give me a shot of Aranesp after which I was to go to the Radiology floor for a CT scan and to pharmacy for a 6-pill course of an antibiotic to fight the cough and fever. I also had to fill 2 prescriptions that I would be out of before next Monday and had expected to fill on my Thursday visit. So I got home a little after 12:00 not hungry because of concern about the schedule change and its impact on our planned time-share exchange to Colorado Springs next month.


My schedule change also seems to impact Emma's appointment with Dr. Hull on April 26 about the still persistent blistering leg. She wants me to go to the appointment with her, which I would like to do, but will be unable to do so. Nancy's work schedule is flexible enough that she can come take Emma and has volunteered to do so many times. Nancy was here last night wanting Emma to call to see if there might have been a cancellation at Dr. Hull's office. Emma did not call until after I gave her the news about my schedule change. Her call elicited the information that not only had there not been any cancellations, if she canceled, she wouldn't get in to see him until sometime next month. So I guess Emma will accept Nancy's offer and both of us will have some sort of news to post next week.


Abby called this afternnon to tell me that the CT scan confirmed that I have a low-grade infection in my chest and that the antibiotic that she prescribed may not be powerful enough, in which case she will prescribe something stronger. I told her that I took the first 2 pills and feel somewhat better, but the cough persists. We will talk again tomorrow or the next day (I guess she does the calling).