Home

They released me on Friday morning, and Kevin came to get me and bring me home.  The only thing that really concerns me is that I have NO idea if my whites are still climbing.  I just have to assume that they are.  I am pretty much on lock-down for the weekend, avoiding public places and close contact.

Monday morning, I'll go back to work, still avoiding close contact until Tuesday's blood work gets drawn.  I had accrued 28 hours of vacation time toward next year, and that will cover most of the 4 days I missed while in the hospital.  I'm thankful that those were available, but a bit scared to have my safety net gone.  This simply cannot happen again.  No problem.

The worst part so far is that it seems that all of the side effects from early on are back.  I have a nearly constant headache, I can't sleep, and I'm emotional as hell.  I had a really bad headache last night, so I took what felt like enough pills to drop an elephant, and was back up at 1:30.  *sigh*  I had been sleeping fine for a couple of weeks (without pills) before this setback.

Basically, I think the quarantine has afforded me too much time to think.  When I go to work tomorrow, I'll be busy, and that will help.  My blood work is set for 3 in the afternoon on  Tuesday, but I may see if I can go early so I can wait for the results.  If my whites aren't back in the normal range of 4.0 - 11.0, I have to cancel my plastic surgeon's appointment and my chemo on Thursday will likely be postponed.

I would think, after over a week on antibiotics, my counts will be fine.  However, I would have thought they'd climb higher than .7 after 4 days on IV antibiotics.  They were .6 on Tuesday .5 on Wednesday, .43 on Thursday, and .7 on Friday.  They can't tell if that was a "trend" toward upward numbers, or just a fluctuation.  They let me come home, though, because there was nothing they were doing there that I cannot do at home.

I'm home.  I figured the "I'm home" post would be happy and fun.  Call it lack of sleep, the headache, or the whiny state I'm in, but I missed that goal by a long shot.  My feelings are hurt by the slightest little thing, I'm exhausted, but need to expend energy in order to get more sleep.  For the first time in my life, I'm in the middle of a weekend that seems to be going on too long.  Sorry, my working friends.  I know that comes as a betrayal to you all.  I promise to be crabby about Monday like the rest of you.

Work, Dinner, and the Fair

I'm going to get a full week in this week.  That's good, since I don't know what next week will bring.  I spent four hours last night finishing up some testing that I was doing at home.  It's nice to be able to relax and get comfortable and still be able to work.

So I finished last night, and spent 45 minutes this morning composing an email with the results.  Not five minutes later, I got an email that a different round of testing was ready to start.  LOL  Well, that was some interesting timing.  It did free me up to come home midday and work from home some more.  I was a little bit sore and a lot tired.

Mom made my night, though, by bringing dinner over.  So amazing to just eat some wonderful stuff without the prep.  Coworkers have been really pitching in, too.  Now that I'm back at work, it's saved them the long drive out here, and they've been bringing stuff there and I'm bringing it home.

Our little town fair started tonight, so the girls are up there right now.  They're spoiled rotten, so their grandpa paid for all-you-can-ride wrist bands.  Kevin will pick Kami up tomorrow and we'll take her up there on Saturday.  Maybe tomorrow night AND Saturday.  Since it's only 2 blocks up the road, it's convenient for us.

We've decided to have a low-key weekend, just chilling out.  In the past, we've had a party on fair weekend, but there was no way I could entertain people this year.  I'm a bit emotionally unstable, and I don't know how I'll feel physically from day to day, either.  I just didn't want to chance having company.

It's my last weekend of "normal" for quite some time.  Chemo starts Tuesday.  Blech.