The Set Back

Come mid week, I was starting to get used to the routine of treatment. Every afternoon I would go in to St. John of God, three hours later I would be out and every Monday and Wednesday I'd also get my bloods checked to ensure everything was still running well and on track. Going in Thursday I was expecting just another normal day until I sat down to chat to the oncologist, he told me treatment had to be put on hold. I was disappointed and frustrated. After all this waiting I was hit with a set back only four days into the treatment, how much longer will this take to properly get underway.

In order to have the treatment, my white blood cell count must be at 1.00 or above. The results from Wednesday's test came back that my count was at 0.70. Whilst I was there, I was tested again to see if my count had risen again after the 24hour break but it had dropped. I was down to 0.50. I couldn't help but be a tad disheartened. I wasn't prepared for the treatment to need to stop, let alone this soon into the whole process.

Just to top things off I was practically quarantined, to avoid the risk of infection while my white blood cells were repairing. I was told I couldn't be around people, or large numbers of people, just in case, until Monday when I went back in for a review and to potentially resume treatment. I was shattered. I knew the weekend that was coming up was the weekend that the Geelong Football Club and the Geelong Past Players Association had organised a tin shake at the Geelong v Port Adelaide game to help me out by collecting donations from those going to the footy. Of all weekends. I was really looking forward to going so I could catch up with all of those that were volunteering on the day as well as to say thank you to those who were donating, but because of this set back I couldn't even go near the crowd. That was hard because this whole effort was organised for me and I couldn't even be there to say thanks. Thankfully Noreen and the girls went along to tin shake and help out and pass on my thanks. The best I could do was watch the broadcast whilst sitting at home.

Thankfully the symptoms had settled down at least as I wasn't having treatment, my appetite came back and I wasn't so cold or tired though the weekend of being virtually locked away was a bit testing. 

I went back in yesterday, Monday, to see where I was at and I got the good news that I could resume treatment. It was a relief to know the set back was only short term and I could pick back up where I last finished. I'm back into my routine of treatment and the side effects are making their way back but I'm just happy that I'm back on track. Today when I went in I was told I didn't need the Saline flush so I was out an hour earlier, that was certainly a welcomed surprise. No one likes being in hospitals longer than they have to. I'm hoping that was my one and only set back and I can now keep moving forward with all of this.