Can You Have Chemotherapy While Pregnant?

The answer is yes! You will have people that say no way. You will hear all the terrible things that might possibly happen. Just stop. Breathe. It can be done. It is done much more often than anyone even realizes! The risks of chemotherapy in pregnancy are really mostly unknown. There are possible side effects but there is no study that has been done that can really prove anything for certain.

I read a lot of things that say you must terminate the pregnancy but this is not true. In the right hands you can be successfully treated while pregnant. If you cannot hold off on treatment during the pregnancy which is obviously the first choice, you just need to make sure you find the right oncologist who has some experience. Go to this website: Hope For Two, The Pregnant With Cancer Network. There are survivor stories on there. You can be paired up with a supporter going through the same thing as you. I was paired up with another woman who also had Hodgkin's Lymphoma while pregnant and had chemotherapy. Her daughter at the time was two years old. I cannot begin to tell you the hope it gave me. As my pregnancy progressed and my treatment continued I found more and more positive information out there about women who have been pregnant with cancer. You will get shock and surprise from people who think that you couldn't possible do this without harming the baby but it is done successfully all the time.

I just really want to spread this message because I cannot imagine following the advice of the specialist I saw who thought it was best for me to have a therapeutic abortion based on the unknowns. My life wasn't in danger and there really was no hard core evidence to show we had no hope. I realized we did have hope. In the end my conclusion was that I would fight for me and my baby. I allowed myself to accept the fact that she might not make it, but I knew I had to at least try. I would accept any problems she might have and I would deal with them and love her just as much. I realized quickly that she was doing just fine. She was growing and progressing normally with no trouble at all. I had some preterm contractions at my last two chemotherapy treatments. That is the most significant side effect I had during it all. Now my Gabriella is a healthy 15 month old baby girl.

The point of my blog was always to spread my message, our story. I still see some google searches coming through looking up information on cancer in pregnancy or statistics on this. I want women out there to realize there is absolutely hope. Your baby and YOU can make it through.

And the Results Are In

It was a long drive. It's almost a four hour drive. I was running a bit behind today. I picked the girls up from school and we started off. We got there and as usual Gabriella is quite the star. Those doctors and nurses watched me go from around 92 pounds, frail and sick to around 127 pounds round and pregnant. Now I am back down around a comfy 102. They saw Gabbi grow from a tiny little baby to a big 11 month old little girl. One of the nurses snatched her right away and started walking her around showing her off. She loved it and was waving at everyone! It was so cute.

Now yes...I know I am making you all wait for the news. haha I have to. The doc came in and I told him about the pressure of course. We discussed this and basically, I do have scar tissue but when my veins got pretty much blocked off from the tumor he said my veins started to reroute or move and the blood flow tried to go other ways. I know our blood will do this, such as in when someone has a stroke. The vessels can find new paths...maybe even create new paths. I am not 100% positive. I do feel pressure but usually when doing things like singing, talking a lot, crying, or anything involving the upper chest area. Doc said I may always have it, I may not and maybe I'll just get used to it. I may just not ever be normal like I used to. Things aren't the same and he did notice the veins in my neck as I always do. I hate them. He felt my lymph nodes, and they were perfect. He said I am so skinny that he'd feel even a slight swelling. hee hee. I tell you, he always talks about how skinny I am. =/ I don't necessarily mind really. haha My blood work came back great. My checkup went perfectly. STILL in remission!!! Thank God! I am really relieved. I started to get worried. This pressure has always been on the back of my mind. If I wear shirts that tie around the neck, I feel it. It's never been like what it was when I was sick. Yet it is there on occasion and it makes me very nervous.
Now to top the day off we decided to go out to dinner at TGI Fridays. I loved it. We haven't gone out to eat in so long. It was so wonderful. Then we stopped later to get gas and some drinks. I saw a breast cancer lottery ticket. All proceeds benefit breast cancer so I thought, I'm gonna do it. I'll buy one. I am feeling lucky. I also felt good that my money would go somewhere good even if I lose, the money goes somewhere good. You match your winning numbers or get a 10 and win all ten prizes. I got a 10!!! I won $25. Yeah! :) I never win on scratch tickets. I am happy, relieved and glad that long drive is over. My next appointment is January 23rd. I'm sure I'll get this way again. I always do. I appreciate so much all the comments and words of support. It's so hard doing this. I know in 5 years I will be considered cured. I have to be in remission for 5 years. So, as of February 2009 it will be just one year. I found badges online for each year of remission. I hope to continue adding badges each year!

Chemotherapy Duing Pregnancy?

Yes it can be done. Some doctors are hesitant to say so because so little really is known about it for sure. I was always informed it has shown to be *safer* or *possible* in the second and third trimester. I did my own research mostly from stories of other women who endured the same thing. Pretty much every story I read it is from the second trimester or third. I started mine at only 10 weeks. A specialist I saw only one time did suggest terminating simply because of the lack of information and for me emotionally she felt it would be better. Now for me personally this was not something I could do and be better emotionally. I would be much much worse. There was no risk to my health involved. I could get the chemo while I was pregnant and pretty much have faith. I chose to do that. I researched information online and I have yet to find a case where something went wrong with the baby from the chemotherapy. I have found women who delivered healthy babies and older children now from the same situation who are still doing marvelously. You can't very well get a large scale study of pregnant women, with cancer, who have chemo. You would have to divide it into 3 groups. First, second, third trimester. How could you possibly find enough women to really get accurate information? I found a great website called www.pregnantwithcancer.org. That site is what really helped. I was paired up with a supporter; a woman who had the same cancer as me while pregnant. She had all the same things happen to her and her daughter was currently a healthy 2 year old. I get a newsletter from that site every month or so. Gabbi and I were on the last one. There is a large list of names of recently born babies and their mothers, all who were pregnant with cancer. Some women can opt to wait for treatment, or induce early. I had none of these choices. My doctors didn't feel I would last 3 weeks for the second trimester to begin. I had to start. I couldn't breathe. I felt my baby kick, I felt her grow and her tests all came up good. She had non stress tests and I got a lot of 3D sonograms since I was high risk. She was prefect all the way through. I have no doubt the only thing the drug did was give me some contractions. In the beginning they were very mild. At 30 weeks they were bad enough to admit me. I had 2 steroid injections for the baby's lungs and I was on the magnesium drip for 4 days. She didn't come and I went home. Thank God! It happened again on my last chemo but this time they knew what to do to stop them sooner. The contractions weren't causing me to progress at all anyway. I was in the hospital just one day and went home. My water broke when I was 36 weeks and Gabriella was 6 lbs. 3 oz and 18 inches long. Not too bad ;) Now she is 11 months and 22 pounds!!! Yes, she's a chubby girl. I think I've spoiled her juuuuust a bit. :) I hope this answers some questions about chemo during pregnancy. Just remember if you have to go through this, check out the site I mentioned. They have a lot of information there.

My Cancer, Hodgkin's Lymphoma. What Are the Symptoms?

First of all, I don't really think I was the norm. I go through the list of symptoms and I don't know if I had many if any. Also called Hodgkin Disease, was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who recognized it in 1832. It is not to be confused with non-Hodgkin's which is not the same thing. The lymph system is made up of lymphoid tissue, lymph vessels, and a clear fluid called lymph. According to the American Cancer Society: Lymphatic tissue includes the lymph nodes and other organs that are part of the body’s immune and blood-forming systems. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs found in many places throughout the body. Other parts of the lymphatic system include the spleen, the bone marrow, and the thymus gland.

The lymph nodes make and store lymphocytes, which are special white blood cells that fight infection. There are 2 types of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes (or B cells) and T lymphocytes (or T cells). Most cases of Hodgkin disease start in B lymphocytes.

Most often it starts in the upper part of the body such as the chest and neck or under the arms. Hodgkin disease can spread through the lymphatic vessels in a stepwise fashion from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, and late in the disease, it gets into the blood vessels and can then spread to almost any other place in the body.

The cancer cells in Hodgkin disease are unique. They are called Reed-Sternberg cells (or Hodgkin cells). They are an abnormal type of B lymphocyte that is much larger than normal lymphocytes.

The 2 main types are classical Hodgkin disease (which has several subtypes) and nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin disease. The types differ in the way the cancer cells look under a microscope. The types are important because each grows and spreads in a different way. Often they are treated differently. Ask your doctor about the exact type of Hodgkin disease you (or your loved one) has. All types of Hodgkin disease are cancerous (malignant) because as they grow they may compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue and spread to other tissues. Hodgkin disease occurs in both children and adults.

Back to the symptoms. Typically you'll hear this:

Drenching Night Sweats
Frequent Fever that comes and goes
Itchy Palms and Feet
Lump under the skin

You may notice a lump in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. Sometimes this may go away, only to come back. Although it doesn't hurt, it may finally not go away, and lead you to see a doctor.

I never had a night sweat. I only once had a fever of about 99.9 that was unexplained. It was not long before I was diagnosed. I don't remember having itchy palms and feet. From what I hear, this itchiness is extreme and hard to relieve. Some people feel like they are just crazy.

I had a lump or pressure in my throat. That wasn't really how it started. I remember oddly enough the very first ever time I felt a fullness in my chest. I was driving. I felt a sort of odd sensation in my chest followed by a full sort of feeling. I can't properly explain it. I remember it was odd but it was followed by pressure and it never went away. I remember thinking what if I have cancer, immediately followed by me thinking I was crazy and then letting it go. I saw a regular doc for a regular checkup when he found a thyroid nodule. I figured that was what caused my pressure and let it go at that. I had sonograms on my thyroid but every single day almost this pressure was feeling worse. I felt like someone was squeezing on my neck and it was very uncomfortable. I found out later that even my family thought it was in my head! I am not one to rush to the doctor. I don't get crazy about myself being sick. I do worry about my kids, but not me really. Anyway, I also developed wheezing. It was on the exhale and my breathing was getting a little more labored. It was way worse late at night and when I was lying down. I had tests on my thyroid, saw endocrinologists, Ear Nose and Throat specialists and my gynecologist even sent me in for tests. I let this go on for four years.

My husband had to move for his job. The move was very hard on me physically. I was a couple of weeks pregnant while moving and didn't know it. I was so tired, wheezing, coughing and having a very hard time breathing. I felt lazy and didn't know what was wrong with me. We officially moved out in April and by the end of that month I couldn't get out of bed. I had to see doctors to find out what was wrong and it was hard. I had the fine needle biopsy on my throat. I mentioned it before. I definitely have to save the details of that procedure for another day. I have had that done twice. The second time with no anesthesia. I had this camera shoved up my nose on a long tube and down my throat too. I had that done twice. They charge me about $200 just for that tube up my nose not counting the numbing spray, the doctor, and all the other things they did just to tell me I was ok.

Regardless, the endocrinologist did schedule the MRI and finally found the tumor. By the time we had those results back (which was only about a week) I could not lie flat at ALL for an MRI. So we couldn't do any more testing. The doctor said it would be pointless to do one after chemo began because it wouldn't be accurate and the treatment was the same. I want to know what stage I was but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. I know it was considered bulky and that automatically puts me at stage II. We just don't know how much it spread without the full body MRI. I suppose it doesn't matter since I am in remission. Still, I am going to discuss with my doc when I see him again just exactly what stage HE considered me. I don't know what to tell people who ask. Especially those who have had cancer as well.

So, I guess my point of this post is to inform. I want to help anyone else who is going through this cancer. I want to inform those who are looking for information and to know my experience. I do remember something I read a few times about drinking alcohol causing pain in the tumor area. I have had some wine and it never caused me pain. I may have felt more pressure though and I specifically remember after having a glass of wine, the next day I coughed up a little blood. I did that more than once though. I was pretty scared when that happened as I was still undiagnosed.

Hmmm I just found something new myself. I discovered this on the American Cancer Society site.

Overview: Hodgkin Disease
After the Tests: Staging

Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. This is very important because the treatment and the outlook for recovery depend on the stage of the cancer.

Hodgkin disease most often starts in one set of lymph nodes and then spreads to a nearby set without skipping areas, at least until late in the disease. Growth into nearby organs can sometimes happen too. The current staging system is based on these facts.

If a biopsy has confirmed that Hodgkin disease is present, the next step is clinical staging. This includes taking a medical history, doing a physical exam, and then doing imaging studies.


Imaging Tests Used to Stage Hodgkin Disease

One or more of the following tests may be used to help determine the extent of the Hodgkin disease in the body.


Chest X-ray

Hodgkin disease often causes swelling of lymph nodes in the chest which can usually be seen on a plain chest x-ray.


Computed Tomography (CT)

This test gives your doctor a better look at lymph nodes in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, as well as other organs. The CT scan is like an x-ray but instead of taking one picture like an x-ray, a CT scanner takes many pictures as it rotates around the patient. A computer combines these pictures into an image of a "slice" of the body.

Often after the first set of pictures is taken, you or your child will get an injection of a contrast dye, or you may also be asked to drink a liquid of contrast material. This helps better outline structures in the body. A second set of CT scan pictures is then taken. Some people are allergic to the dye and get hives or a flushed feeling or, rarely, have more serious reactions like trouble breathing and low blood pressure. Be sure to tell the doctor if you or your child has ever had a reaction to any contrast material used for x-rays.

CT scans take longer than regular x-rays. You need to lie still on a table while they are being done. You might feel a bit confined by the ring you have to lie in when the pictures are being taken.


Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This test is rarely used in Hodgkin disease, but if your doctor is concerned about spread to the spinal cord or brain, MRI is very useful for looking at these areas. MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays. MRI scans take longer than CT scans -- often up to an hour. You may have to lie inside a narrow tube, which is confining and can upset people with a fear of enclosed spaces.


Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

PET scans involve injecting a form of sugar that contains a small amount of radioactivity into the blood. This sugar collects in the cancer cells. A special camera can then detect the radioactivity and show the areas of cancer in the body. PET scans can help tell if an enlarged lymph node contains Hodgkin disease or is benign. Recently, newer devices have been developed that combine the PET scan with a CT scan. PET/CT scans can help pinpoint the exact location of the lymphoma.


Gallium Scan

During this test, a small dose of radioactive gallium is injected into a vein. It goes to lymph tissue in the body. A few days later a special camera is used to find the gallium. This test can find tumors that might be Hodgkin disease in lymph nodes and other organs.

The gallium scan can be useful in finding lymphoma that the PET scan may miss. It can also tell the difference between infections and lymphomas.


Other Tests


Blood Tests

Blood tests aren't used to stage Hodgkin disease, but they may be useful in getting a sense of how advanced the disease is and how well a person might withstand certain treatments. Hodgkin disease cells do not appear in the blood, but a complete blood count (CBC) can sometimes show signs of the disease. A shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can be a sign of more advanced Hodgkin disease. A high white blood cell count is another sign, although it can also be caused by infections. Blood tests of liver function might also point to Hodgkin disease in that organ.


Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration

Tests of the bone marrow (a bone marrow biopsy) may be done to tell if Hodgkin disease is in the marrow. To do the test, a long thin needle is used to remove small bits of bone marrow. A piece of bone might also be removed with a thicker needle. The 2 samples are usually taken at the same time from the back of the hip bone. The area is numbed first. But even with the numbing, many people feel some pain. The whole process takes only a few minutes.


Ann Arbor Staging System

The staging system for Hodgkin disease is known as the Ann Arbor system. It has 4 stages, labeled with the Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV. The higher the number the more advanced the disease is. If Hodgkin disease affects an organ outside of the lymph system, but is next to a known area of lymph node involvement, the letter "E" is added to the stage. If it involves the spleen, the letter "S" is added.


"Bulky" Disease

This term is used to describe tumors in the chest that are at least 1/3 as wide as the chest or tumors in other areas that are at least 4 inches across. If bulky disease is present the letter "X" is added to the stage. Bulky disease may require more intensive treatment.

So....I know for a fact mine was considered bulky. I had a tumor between the size of a "baseball and a volleyball in my chest" according to my doctor and my charts said bulky. I saw it. I have a small chest, as I am a pretty small person. So, I guess that puts the letter X on my stage. I knew it was bad at the time. I just always hoped it hadn't spread. It kills me to not know for sure.

And here is what scares me folks:

The terms resistant or progressive disease are used when the disease does not go away or keeps on growing while you are first being treated. Recurrent or relapsed disease means that Hodgkin disease responded well to treatment at first and went away, but it has now come back. If Hodgkin disease returns, it may do so in the area of the body where it first started or in another part of the body. This may happen shortly after treatment or years later.


My doctor does NOT think it will return so I hold onto that faith. He knows what he is doing. If it does, I'd fight it same as before. The cure rate for Hodgkin's IS good though.

Stage 5-year relative survival rate
I 90% to 95%
II 90% to 95%
III 80% to 85%
IV About 60% to 70%

You really do not get good statistics like that on too many cancers. That gave me hope through it all too.

It does repeatedly say that the treatment is more intense and the statistics lower if the stage is bulky. That's kinda scary but oh well. I am in remission and I have faith that is where I'll stay. I hope I have clarified some things for some people and hopefully helped out some new people. I feel great and I breathe fine. My neck has never felt 100% like it did before. I have scar tissue and I do have four thyroid nodules in my throat that cause some pressure. I still feel 100% better than I did before with no wheezing or shortness of breath so I am very very thankful. I'll post more on this disease later because I really didn't cover much of it at all! I'll go over the treatments and all that in a later post.

July 2008

I need a new update. It's already July 5th. It's so hard to believe how much time has passed by since this whole thing began. I see some people have come by the blogging looking for info. I am so glad to help people that are going through what I went through. I know the fear and uncertainty. It's so scary. You are not only feeling sick but now you have to worry about that new life growing inside you. It's hard to believe this could have a happy ending but it can and does! Gabriella is now 7 and a half months old! She was 19.5 pounds at her last check up. I can't help but giggle at that. She was 6 lbs 2 oz at birth. I know I have spoiled her but I think I'm gonna forgive myself for it. She's such a precious miracle. I worried about her so much and desperately wanting to make sure she's healthy I never let her cry for a second. haha She gets what she wants fast. I think I am in for a world of trouble for it though. She has us all wrapped around her chubby little finger. She can roll all over the room now. She doesn't crawl but I think this is her version of it. She can sit for awhile and when propped against the couch she can stand for quite awhile. I am proud of her accomplishments. Oh I think it wise to point out she has a milk allergy. I have had her on soy formula since about week 4 of life. She seemed super gassy and fussy especially when straining for a bowel movement. I gave her regular formula once and I will NEVER do it again. Let's just say it was not a pleasant experience. I myself am also doing wonderfully. I had a little cold last week but I think it's finally going away. I hate getting a sore throat. Any wheezing or pain in that area just reminds me of what I went through. I get nervous too at any pressure at all in my neck or chest. I think when I get sick the lymph nodes swell as normal but it causes extra pressure in my throat. I still have that scar tissue in there and thyroid nodules. I want to just feel no pressure ever again. I guess I can't have that though. I have my next follow up on July 9th. We are making a little family trip out of it since the doc is so far away now that we've moved. I still can't imagine seeing any other doctor. He's the best. I will update everyone on how my appointment goes. I think we are scheduling a scan this week. I hope we can do the scan itself closer to home though. I am going to include some new pics of the baby. She's such a big girl! She is also drooling all over the place. I expect that first tooth any day now. If anyone who reads my blog wants some words of encouragment concerning pregnancy, and/or Hodgkin's Lymphoma, please feel free to e-mail me! sandilynn1975@hotmail.com. Put in the subject line something regarding Hodgkin's or pregnancy because otherwise it will get deleted or maybe in the junk folder. I hope I can help even one person. I also uploaded a pic of me singing recently. I love having the breath to sing back!!!

August 29, 2007 - Wednesday

Well, feeling a bit better today than yesterday. Fighting a simple cold has never been quite so difficult. But even though I have felt weak, tired, and fluish, in truth I have no infections and my lungs are crystal clear. So I won't complain too much. I can fight this and get better. I never really assumed chemo would be smooth sailing all the way through. It's chemo for crying out loud. Not easy. It was just crazy how fast I got sick Tuesday. I had already been sick so it wasn't a surprise as far as that goes. But I felt fine, then cold, then freezing, the shaking. It was nasty. I hated that feeling. Then I was sweating all night which is in itself nasty. Anyway, the treatment went fine Tuesday. I saw my doctor and got my blood drawn...through my arm again of course. The port? Haha! Never will I see blood come through that thing. They got my meds started around 11 ish. Then the nurse has to come over and manually push two different kinds of meds through my IV. That takes several minutes. I have fallen asleep during it before. lol Then I get a bag of primary fluids, which is sort of to flush the IV. Then I have my last bag of chemo. My treatment is ABVD and I forget how to spell or pronounce each drug but the final one is the one with the D and the one the doc said probably caused my problem yesterday. Like I said though, I felt fine. A cold is nothing to complain about. I was ok. Got in the car, feeling fine. Air conditioner running, and I was hungry. It was around 1:30 p.m. and I was ready for food. I took just a couple of bites then my body just said NO! I was not so good after that. But on the upside today I am feeling quite improved. I have taken no tylenol and my fever is still gone. Thank God! Between freezing then sweating alternately all night I just want to feel normal. By sometime in January of 08 I just miiiiiiight feel like a normal girl again!!! Woohoo :)

7th Chemo (August 15, 2007 - Wednesday)

11:46 AM - 7th chemo, more than halfway done!
Current mood: content

Well, yesterday was my 7th chemo. I got there a bit after 9 and they called me in to insert the IV into my port. Again tried to draw blood through it to no avail. It just will not work. Not for blood draws anyway. It hurt when she jabbed the needle into my port. Worse than it ever has. I don't know why. Sometimes I can barely feel it, then others I feel it bad. You all need to understand what this port is. I have a plastic drum inserted under my skin. You can see a bump on my upper left chest. Not super big but it's there. Then a tube is running through my vein from the port. That tube and drum are always there until I have it removed. I can feel it under the skin. Anyway, so then the nurse picks of the syringe to flush the port. She pushes the syringe down and it won't budge. OK. This was odd. She realizes she hasn't clamped down the port needle or something and so she puts her hands on it and pushes, HARD. Ouch! Finally she gets the thing flushed and then has to draw from my arm again to get blood. Why, my veins hurt today I don't know. Last time she bruised me and it didn't hurt. This week she bragged about not bruising me and it hurt worse than any shot or needle I have ever had. She inserted this thing and it burned like my arm was on fire. I grimaced and held tight to the chair while waiting for my blood to fill up in this stupid thing. Finally it was done and my arm was tender and my port. So I see the doc, explain the lumpy throat feeling. Not too concerned, we will just watch it. It comes and goes I have noticed. One day it bothers me, the next I barely notice it. Who knows. Anyway, I get in the chair for chemo. Appointment at 9:30. Chemo started around 11 something. Yes, I wait so long on these days. She put in the syringe to flush it again. This has to be done lots of times. Anyway it wouldn't go in again so she had to grab the plastic bit around the needle and push down again. She pushed and jabbed and wiggle the port around. OUCH! I avoid hitting this thing, anyone touching it, moving around. And here she is just grinding it. I was seriously sore after this one. Anyway she got it to work alright and we started the chemo. I got done about 1:15 with all of it. While I was sitting there getting my chemo I noticed a very frail old man across from me. He had no port and they were trying to insert the IV into his arm. I saw him grimacing and stretching out in silent pain. His daughter (I assume) was holding his hand tight. Poor old guy. His cheeks were sunken in and he was skinnier than I ever was. (lol) Anyway, this nurse gives up and the guy has several bandages on his arm. This was obviously not her first try today. Another nurse came and tried the other arm. I swear it took them a good 30 minutes to insert his IV while I tried not to look too much. It's hard when he is right there though. Poor guy. After it got inserted he slept in that chair the rest of the day. I left before him and he was still sleeping. So, it could definitely be worse. Everyone sitting in one of those chairs there has a story. I can't help but wonder. Anyway that was my day. It was not too bad. I had dinner afterwards at a restaurant in the mall. I had an awesome chicken parmesan. It was the best perhaps I've ever eaten. So my day didn't end too bad and I feel good today :) My hemoglobin was low again, or in other words I am anemic as usual with this chemo. Nothing I can do about it though. But my white blood count was good so I am happy. :)

Chemo Number 6 (July 31, 2007)

Well I am officially halfway done with chemo. I get 12 treatments which is considered 6 cycles. 2 treatments equals one cycle. I don't know why but that is how it is. Either way, I am halfway done and I feel like I have really accomplished something. I just got home. Today didn't go too bad. I went to get my blood drawn and get hooked up to the IV in my port. They got the IV in my port but again, no blood. The meds go into my port just fine but not one single drop of blood comes out. It's stupid. I don't get it at all. I can't bleed? So they poked me in the arm to draw some blood. That worked ok. They told me I was the 5th person today whose port wouldn't give up the blood. I am wondering what the point of this thing is if I am just gonna have to get another needle in me at each appointment anyway. Regardless I was never afraid of needles and that's a super good thing. I see my share of them now a days. My bloodcount was good. My iron was just a tad low which they said is normal around this time. So I am little bit anemic. I need to stock up on some iron. My blood pressure is always low but today it was 82/58. Sheesh. I sent Jason a text asking if I am technically still alive? (I always make sure my texts are very worth it. My stupid cell company just raised them to 20 cents each. Totally off topic. lol) No wonder I get lightheaded all the time. If I stand up fast I usually feel a sudden rush to my head that hurts then things get a tiny bit black then everything goes back to normal. I try to remind myself to standup slow but eh, I always forget. Anyway, they were pretty quick today in getting my meds changed. Usually my machine beeps forever before they change my med bag but today they were on top of things. I got out of there by about 12:40 which is awesome. Had some lunch afterwards at a new place. It was good. I feel actually pretty awesome except for being tired. Anemia and low blood pressure I think make you tired on top of getting up at 6 a.m. I sat in that chair and fell asleep today. I get so tired there and TV only makes me sleepier. Anyway, that's the latest update. I am doing really well. I am so glad I have made it 6 treatments and still haven't needed a shot to help my white blood cells or anything! I think that's a good sign. Oh and I still have my hair. It's shedding. I mean, I shed a lot. BUT no one else seems to notice too much so hopefully I will be able to keep my hair. I get nervous washing it because that is honestly when I shed the most. I try to be very easy on my hair. It lives in a ponytail at the moment. Otherwise I'll just have pieces of hair all over the back of my shirt. NOT attractive. I'll be glad when this is all over. Come December I'll get to tell the story of radiation. That's what's next. That is 5 days a week =/ For like 5 to 7 weeks. I am not sure exactly how long I'll get that. Not looking forward to it but I am looking forward to getting better. :) Thank you to all my friends who write me and respond to my blogs. It makes a girl feel loved!!!!