CML - Two Weeks

When I am discharged from the hospital, my wbcs are 242000.  They give me this little folder with pockets, like I used to have in school, to keep all of my discharge paperwork in, but this one doesn't have unicorns on it, it has a picture of the hospital.  I'm told that I need to have blood drawn on Monday April 14th.  My follow up appointments with both my primary physician and my new oncologist are set for Friday April 18th.  I'm retaining so much water, that the first two days out of the hospital are painful, but it feels so good to be able to walk around the block, and take a shower and wash my hair, that I feel like I have little to complain about.  

I've been staying at Keith's house, instead of at home.  My sister has a four year old, and Lacey tells me that it's quite possible that she has strep throat.  I know that I'm not exactly immune compromised, but my doctor did tell me to try to stay away from anyone that might be sick.  I miss walking Lacey's monster dog, and sleeping with my cat, but I'm so grateful to be out of the hospital, that I'll take it for now.

I'm super concerned with taking a shower, because of my neck hole.  The nurse told me that I could shower as usual...and I do, taking maybe just a little bit more care.  Its the first actual shower that I've taken in six days, and the first time that I've washed my hair in more than a week.

I'm still not able to go back to work.  Every time I ask, my doctor tells me to just give it another week.  Lets give it a few more days.  I've been doing minimal stuff from home.  Sending a few emails, and delegating the things that can be delegated.  My co-worker informs me that the last count she saw on my voicemail at work is 29.  Then it stopped counting.  Yikes.  I'm anxious to get back.

Going to my appointment on Friday is nerve wracking.  I go it alone.  Its a new office, and a new routine for me.  The oncology waiting room is separate from the general waiting room.  Everyone in it looks way sicker than me.  That actually makes me feel a little bit better.  They call me in fairly quickly.  

Dr. Hilliard comes in and asks me how I'm feeling.  Tired.  Occasionally nauseous.  Aside from that, okay, I guess.  He takes a look at my labs, and my white count has gone up a little.  I'm up to 259000.  Hearing it is a blow.  I was sure that I would have gone down at least a few thousand.  My hemoglobin is low, too, but not critical, so I won't have to have a blood transfusion yet.  He tells me that we'll give it another two weeks, and give the medicine a chance to work.  If my counts do not continue to go down, then he says we may have to consider other options like raising my dosage, or switching to another medication.  I'm pretty bummed that my body is not cooperating, but rationalize my rise in WBC by figuring that my blood is less diluted than it was when I was getting pumped full of iv fluids.  

Its hard to tell my cheerleaders about the rise in white blood cells.  I try to sound super confident that it is not an upward trend.  Inwardly, I'm freaking out a little.  

Two more weeks.  Please let them go down.  Please, please.