Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

The 4th chemo cycle which started yesterday was a breeze. Drug used was no longer the hard-hitting Epirubicin administered in the first three. Instead, Taxotere, a lighter drug in terms of after-effect discomfort was given; it will be this for the 5th and 6th cycles. I spent today much in rest, awaiting the expected after-effect of slight fatigue. It came but went off after a short nap in the afternoon. No nausea.

Back to Epirubicin. It was indeed strong going by the falling haemoglobin level (red blood cell count) since the start of the chemo session. I used to be a high 12 on haemoglobin and has since seen the level lowered steadily to the latest count of 8+. Any lower, blood transfusion has to be introduced. The attendant risks of this are high enough to prompt Dr Khoo to give me an iron injection. It certainly cost a lot ($1500) to bring back some colour to my cheeks. Hopefully, this, like the white cell booster shot, will stave the need for blood transfusion. It was comforting to know that the chemo drug's suppression of red blood cells is temporary. I should be able to return to my normal levels by Dec. What a relief! Meantime, food rich in iron is to be eaten in greater quantity.

My kind boss in HK has given me more days for medical leave by allowing chemo sessions as time off work. So, instead of reporting for work on Sep 10, I need report only on 21st, which is to be extended, much to my annoyance, by yet another week on account of the F1 race taking place during that period. Roads and car-park inaccessibility means that I'll have to take public transport to work, a prospect I do not relish given the almost sanitised atmosphere I'm subject to in the past 3 months. Having come this far I'm not risking infection to derail my chemo program. No wonder they say that women come from Venus and men from Mars. Cannot see what this excitement from testerone-laden car racing fanatics is all about.

Now that I'v passed the half-way mark, am looking forward to the completion of the course and am thinking hard the past days on how to celebrate its end.

sunnybunny