Round 1 Goes to MB

I'm declaring Round 1 a victory for me. I am ahead on all cards and am really happy that I did not have anything more than a few minor effects like a lack of energy around day 3 and 4 and some early acid reflux. That was on me since I shouldn't have eaten that bowl of pasta with the tasty red sauce I made for Alison's dinner on the first night of Round 1. I started over-the-counter Prilosec on day 2 and will finish that 14-day plan this week. I'm also paying more attention to acid and alkaline forming foods to try to find a better daily balance. 

To track my progress I created a chemo-adjusted scoring system to assess how I feel each day. Yes, the engineer in me has created a spreadsheet to track my scores. It's a work in progress that I will tweak over the next few weeks. It includes sleep, appetite, energy level, exercise, how my internal systems are working, nausea, vomiting, and increased temperature level. All factors receive equal weight at this point and the ere is some subjectivity to my final score for the day. I"m also tracking my daily temperature and weight. My average temperature for the for Round 1 has been 97.7°F and my weight is down 4 pounds, which is insignificant for me.

Daily Scores for Round 1

I also had my first complete blood count today. Anna drew my blood at the chemo facility and I had my CBC in 5 minutes. The level of professional service I continue to receive is still beyond my expectations and I love it.

My white blood cell count (WBC) is down noticeably as expected. And so are my white blood cell type counts (granulocytes and lymphocytes). So I am now more prone to infection and will try to avoid those visibly sick people around me. My red blood cell count is not not down from my last CBC, hence the reason why I have more energy now. My mean platelet volume shows up as low but it's about where it was at the last CBC.  I have not spoke to Dr. Seifter about the CBC results yet and whether there will be any changes to the levels of ABVD as a result. I hope to see him on Thursday for a quick consult. 

CBC on October 23, 2012

Round 2 Starts at 10am on Thursday, 25-Oct. Mom and Dad are going to tag along for the fun. We have reservations for a late lunch at Petit Louis Bistro, I'm going to enjoy a good meal while I can.