Chemo #4 DENIED (for now)

Really? I'm only 3 cycles in and now my white blood cells have decided to pack up, go on holiday and not return in time for chemo #4. This is a little bit annoying as I'd geared myself up for my next treatment, warpaint and all - much like Mel Gibson from Braveheart but without the questionable Scottish accent.

I have to go back bright and breezy on Monday to have another blood test to see if they are at 1, they're at 0.7 right now so I'm what's considered moderately Neutropenic. If I'm back up to 1 I can have chemo on Monday afternoon. Yay(!)

A couple of positives to take from this small break;

1) I get to spend a nice, healthy, productive weekend with Paul.

2) If the chemo is destroying my healthy cells which do grow back, I can only imagine they are nuking any rogue cancer cells, if any remain, which don't grow back (hopefully)!

I knew all was not going to plan when we got to the day unit today and my name wasn't on the list for treatment. The receptionist asked us to go and sit in the waiting area whilst she found out what was going on.

Half an hour later, Blanquita the most amazing head nurse called my name and asked us to follow her into a side room.

Blanquita is from the Philippines. A rather round lady with the sweetest, tiniest voice and bubbly personality. So friendly and reassuring. At her request I'm to call her 'Ate' pronounced 'Atta' which means older sister in Filipino. So I do, she's my newly adopted older sister who takes care of me.

Ate asked us to sit down and she explained to us that the chemo hadn't been dispensed and she would find out why as soon as possible. I wouldn't be having it today as by the time it would be dispensed it would be far too late and they would have to keep me as an in patient, something they want to avoid when I'm fairly healthy (germy hospitals).

Ate went away to find out if I could be booked in on Monday, she came back and said my white blood count was a bit too low to have chemo today anyway so a couple more days reprieve and to get my body in a stronger place to go for #4.

So, I have another weekend of FREEEEEEDOM (apologies for the second Braveheart reference in one post), I'm going to really enjoy it, but avoid large crowds so not to catch any germs (hmmmf).

Hayley x