12.23.2008 - Platelet Count Rising

On 12.23.2008, I went in for what I thought was just lab work, but my chemo nurse added Avastin treatment in addition to the blood counts. I get Avastin via IV every couple weeks. It doesn't have any side effects that I can tell. I have a MRI in a week and perhaps we'll schedule chemotherapy a week after that. They could have scheduled chemo for the same day as the MRI, but it is treatment that I would need a ride for and I am not going to subject Carissa to finding a babysitter for all three kids or taking them all to the appointment to see if I can do chemo. We will wait for a blood test that guarantees that I could do chemo before we schedule the next round. My platelets were still low, but rising from what they were last time. My white blood cell count was low, but not low enough to require any treatment for it.

There isn't anything like learning how bad someone else's situation to let you know that you aren't so bad off. A guy and his wife sat down in the same chemo room that I was in and were chatty. They told me about his situation. He has the same sort of tumor that I had and in the same general location - R Temporal Lobe. He was older than me and I learned retired from the US Army. He was on long term disability and can't return to work, he is taking BOTH Avastin and Thalomid, he had aggressive regrowth that grew substantially in only a month, and they live in Colorado Springs, so they have to travel 64 miles to get to the hospital. I drive about half that - 33 miles - to get to the hospital. He and his wife wanted to know all about my situation and since I was stuck doing Avastin, which only takes a half hour now, I thought I would chat with them. Usually, I don't enjoy chatting about cancer stuff with other patients, it can be depressing.