August 24, 2022
Lauren is down to four more treatments and then she can kiss chemotherapy goodbye.
It has been a few weeks since we have seen Dr. Vandermolen face to face, but we have seen his nursing staff to address any side effects from the chemo medicine. This past Tuesday, we went directly to the infusion center for a longer than normal session due to the addition of Keytruda. The infusion appointment began at 8:30 AM with the usual blood draw to make sure Lauren’s numbers are within range. When the nurse came back to us with the results, it showed that Lauren’s counts have decreased again, in particular her hemoglobin and white blood count. It was within range to start treatment, but again the nurse was concerned that another blood transfusion might be necessary before the end of all treatments. We will probably know more going into next weeks treatment whether Lauren will need a blood transfusion or not, but considering her hemoglobin went from 11.4 to 9.4 in a week and the limit before a blood transfusion is below an 8 is it’s a sign that the chemo is taking a toll.
In my opinion, Lauren has been taking a beating from these weekly treatments compared to the beginning when they were every other week. It just seems like her body doesn’t have a chance to recover between infusion sessions. The side effects have remained the same, which include:
· Constant fatigue
· Loss of appetite / inconsistent food likes
· Nausea
· Heartburn
· Irregular sleep patterns
· Menopause symptoms
· Emotional rollercoaster, respectfully and expected
· Inability to have a glass of wine (booooooooo)
Who would want to have chemotherapy after seeing those side effects? I sure as hell wouldn’t, and I can only judge what I see on the outside, but I can see her fighting everyday to try to live a “normal” life, whatever “normal” is at this point, both our lives have changed.
One thing that came back to mind from Lauren’s call with the nutritionist last week was something that she said about people going through chemotherapy and are in the home stretch for completion. The nutritionist stated that many people tend to give up and stop treatment because of all the shitty things that happen to your body. With me taking some time off, it has given me the opportunity to be that annoying voice in Lauren’s ear to remind her to stay strong and that it’s almost over. I need her and she needs me.
More to come after we meet with Dr. Vandermolen next week and have an update on Lauren’s blood count and if treatment #4 can presume next Tuesday. But 75% done and its an uphill/downhill battle the next few weeks.
Chris
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