The Next Mountain to Climb

After the ER visit, surgery, and a few days at St Agnes Hospital, I’m almost back to my normal. That means the bacterial infection — which turned out to be Staphylococcus aureus — has cleared up.  Yesterday was the first time I’ve seen the oncologist (Fresno) since I had the surgery to remove my abscess. He ran my bloodwork and checked the abscess and it’s healing. After all of that, he decided to wait another month before my next chemo infusion. There are a couple of reasons for this: Firstly, he wants my body to focus on healing the wound. Secondly, due to the wound, I am at much higher risk of secondary infections than I would be otherwise. So, he decided it would be best to wait on the chemo.  He wasn’t able to speak with Dr. Ganjoo at Stanford, but put in a call. He thinks she will agree.  While we both agreed that the chemo is important and neither of us likes the idea of taking a month-long break, an infection would be very dangerous for me. All things considered, ...

While undergoing chemo, a fever of 100.5 is considered an emergency. The development of sepsis from an infection because of a compromised immune system is the fear.  Kristi went to the ER at St Agnes last night because she developed a subcutaneous infection — presenting with an abscess and fever. Early this morning they decided to admit her for IV fluids/antibiotics. They will also be draining/removing the abscess. They have not yet determined if it will be a bedside procedure or operating room procedure.  The good news: she is at the hospital and things seem to be under control at this point. She will probably be there for a couple days at least.  I will send another update after she is discharged hopefully in a few days.  *Update to the update — she’s on the afternoon OR schedule for a simple surgery to remove the abscess. 

We are one week past the first infusion of Doxil (liposomal doxorubicin); it's a special version of the doxorubicin that it less destructive to heart muscle.  Doxorubicin is nicknamed Red Devil.  Red because it has a reddish color and turns the urine reddish for a while.  Devil because the devil himself probably wouldn't wish it upon his enemies.  It's a powerful chemotherapy that Kristi has had before, twenty years ago for the breast cancer and a few years ago for the lymphoma. She's had a pretty tough week so far.  The side effects come on slowly over a couple days.  By Wednesday last week she was in bed, nauseas, unable to eat, mostly asleep all day and night. She has been eating just a little yesterday and this morning.   The tumor pain is also constant and intrusive, as always. She is scheduled to have these infusions every four weeks until such time as her doctor sees tumor growth and decides it's not helping, or until she herself wants to m...