Round 4 is underway

 I am a little late getting started on this today. I feel like it has been a little of a whirlwind. Still don't want to be here, but here I am. I arrived at the infusion center a little earlier than normal. There was an accident nearby that had the freeway closed and I was unsure if it would affect my route. I forgot it was spring break, so the traffic was mostly light until I neared the freeway. I u-turn before getting that far, so I was not impacted by the backup on the freeway. 

My monthly appointment with the oncologist was this morning. It went well. We discussed by issues with the pain and neuropathy in my hands and feet. So far, it is manageable and for the most part doesn't linger the whole 2 weeks. Once we get to that point, we will back off some. We did start the Oxipilatan at the slower rate again, since I tolerated it well last time. My blood tests results showed up in MyChart as part of the after visit summary. All things related to anemia are still low, but slowly improving. WBCs are still low and monocytes are still high. Nothing new there. However, my liver enzymes were high. My AST jumped from 29 to 88 since my last infusion. The ALT went from 23 to 94. I did not see this until after I left the doctor's office. My nurse navigator came by to check on me, so I brought it up to her. After consulting with my oncologist, we will monitor the numbers. They can fluctuate with chemo. Of course, my brain immediately goes to the worst case scenario... I may have googled, "can crc cancer spread to the liver while on FOLFOX?" Google did not give me the answer I wanted to hear. Then I started wondering if the random abdominal pains were actually my liver hurting and not my GI tract. Google didn't help me there either. I am going to try to not stress. I am sure I will feel better when the newest results from my ctDNA test come back in the next few days...as long as it is still negative. 

One thing to note that did come from my oncology appointment is that I should have a genetic consultation/counseling. The doctor didn't recommend it right off the bat, because I was give so much information in such a short period of time and she didn't want to overwhelm me. She recommends it because I am young for this type of cancer. I do not know what will come of this. I do know that it is recommended that my children get a colonoscopy done 10 years younger than my diagnosis. I honestly feel like it should be lower. I was diagnosed at 48 with advanced colon cancer. I think they should get tested at 35. I think that at age 45, I still would have been at a point that required surgery and chemo. 

I have been sitting here with a death grip on infant heal warmers and a warm blanket on my hands. Why??? I washed my hands when I went to the bathroom. I don't know if I will ever be able to stop that habit. The only time I remember is if I walk into a bathroom wearing gloves, which I remove before I do my business. I also have hand sanitizer in my pocket, so it is warm. I use it before I put the gloves back on. If I am not wearing gloves when I walk into a bathroom, I forget and wash my hands. 

I feel like everything today has moved slower. It seems like I still have half a bag of drugs to go, but I have been hooked up for over 2 hours. I just want to be done and on my way home. I am really really tired. I know I probably won't be able to sleep due to all of the steroids, but I want to be in the comfort of my own home today. 

Well, I guess I am done being a baby! Both meds finished 15 minutes after my comments. Now I am on the flush before the bolus. Then I will get hooked up to the pump and sent home. Hopefully, this all happens before 3:00. I guess that means that I need to get back to reading! I think I have about 20 more pages of a book to read before tomorrow. I like to read, but I don't really remember the things that I have read while doing chemo and the few days following.

What will I do with the rest of my day? I would love to go for a walk, but it is coldish and I don't want my body to be mad at me. I also should probably give my legs a break. Last week was busy and my legs are still achy. Tomorrow is a rodeo shift after work, so I will have a bit of walking and standing to do. I am counting on the steroids to push me through this shift. I do like my placement. This is a level 5 shift, but in my time on the committee, I have never worked on level 5. I am at the Kroger gate...greeting I guess. That is all of the schedule that I have, but usually the gate people do 2 rotations on level 1 to give those people their break. Then they go back to a gate or an outdoor area to help with directions. Truth be told, I don't want to work on level 5. I don't like the set up of the chutes to get folks to the 500's and 600's. Plus, I wouldn't be able to see any of the rodeo. We aren't supposed to watch, but I catch some long glimpses and can clearly hear what is going on. Then I really do get a sort of break for the rest of the week. There is no Kidlink on Wednesday night. I may still have to work an hour or two to be Sunday ready. Hannah only has one game this week...Friday afternoon. While I love all things softball, I am glad for the small break. Then Sunday is church and a rodeo shift. Totally lazy week ahead!