White Count. etc.

I forgot to mention that the first picture below is of Joan, who has done so much for me that I needed to put her picture in my blog. (She probably would have chosen a different one..... I'm not so good at moving pictures around though.) She gave me Lance Armstrong's book It's Not About The Bike when I was first diagnosed.... after she had come with me to the surgery to remove the lymph node (which I was not worried about) ..... Last Thursday she spent the day with me at Georgetown, which is probably the main thing that made it a good day for me..... She did a LOT in between too, but if I listed all the things she's done for me here she'd probably be mortified, so I'll desist.

Now for the update -- Em is all better, and my white count is UP today! I couldn't believe it -- that neulasta shot I got last Friday (guess who brought me to the hospital again) really worked! It's at 7.6, and the normal range was listed as 3.6-9.6.... and after a 2.7 a week ago Thursday morning before chemo!

Now if only this yeast infection would go away..... I took a diflucan last Saturday, and a 2nd one today....... Last Saturday's only cured the front part of it, but it had already travelled back along my episiotomy scar...... so I'm hoping today's will kill the rear one before it comes forward again. I would not have waited so long (not even for the first dose) but my oncologist was not clear initially about whether I could take it, and then after that, about what her role was to be in the yeast issue..... It bothers me that it got so bad because I have been so diligent about yeast prevention for decades now!!! Also, all the things I do to prevent it...... are struggling to hold it steady now. Oh well, at least it came at a time when I have to be off the bike anyway. (I can barely sit in chairs!)

About the bike thing. I tried to do another 55 mile ride last Wednesday and my knee went out on the way back. I had been tired before that, but I'd ignored it. I hadn't been sleeping great, which is always a sign that I need a good workout..... plus I love riding with the Babes! but I can't ignore a knee issue. So I got a ride home (Thank you Sue F!) and got in to see the chiropractor that afternoon (I owe Megm for pointing me to him.)

The chiropractor tried all his tricks and they didn't fix it -- so he said it's an inflammation -- and that i have to do heat/ice through the weekend, and that when I get back on the bike (hopefully next Wednesday) I need to scale down my biking..... Basically I have to recognize that even though I feel like myself most of the time, the chemo is toxic and my body is handling it, but it's trying..... Kind of obvious, isn't it? (I always have to learn about the obvious, it seems. I'm stubborn that way....) So I guess it's time for me to ride with the slower bikers, and maybe to see if the fast riders I usually ride with will come on a ride with me on their fat tire bikes -- maybe it will slow them own enough that we can ride together comfortably.

Swimming still works. Mom came with me yesterday and today. I did a mile both times in the usual 45 minutes. Then the locker room conversation was really interesting..... people I've swum and showered with for years had to know what was up with the new hairdo..... We barely got out in time to get to the grocery store before Emily's bus! When Mom and I walked to the car I wondered aloud to her why people always seem to talk to us......

I am lucky she's here -- and that I'm well enough to be able to enjoy the time with her!