Day 3 - chemo up and running.

Went to see my Dad today. Spent about three hours at the hospital. He had his bone marrow samples taken last evening - apparently, that was not a walk in the park. He was joking about it today that the tech was using the needle like a jack hammer looking for his bone.

While I was there we got some good tidbits of news - well, when you're in this position, you take every sliver of positive information you can get. Basically, they said his white cell count after his second feresis (can't spell that) session today was at 35,000 (down from 77,000 this morning and 55,000 mid session). That is great. That meant they could start the chemo this afternoon. We also heard that his red cell counts were good, so he didn't need a transfusion and/or another round of feresis. All good. Keep in mind, normal white blood cell counts are under 10,000. We still have a ways to go.

BUT, he was still running a temperature and that was a little concerning. They started running the anti nausea drugs and what I called a "pre wash" for the chemo around 3:15 and they actually got it all up and running around 3:45pm. I was there until 4:00pm. I just wanted to see it all get going and see what they were going to do.

It was a relief to see that the meds were getting administered. It means we're doing what we can to fight this son of a gun.

Tonight, my Mom called around 9:15 and said Dad had to move rooms. His heart was racing, so they were concerned enough to move him. Dad didn't want her to come down, but I am sure she wanted to. I went online (of course - you know me - doctor of the internet) and it said that rare side effects and reactions to the two drugs he was given (the chemo) was heart palpitations. They did numerous tests on his heart to make sure he could handle it all and the all came back fine, so I'm hoping that whatever they give him to settle it down, works over night.

So, he'll get three days of the drug cytarabine and 7 days of the drug Idarubicin (the first three days he'll get both drugs - so it's a 7 day course.)

Keepin' the faith to fight another day. I'm going to go back up tomorrow, I hope. It's my birthday and although, I'm really in no mood to celebrate, it will be a gift to visit my Dad and just keep living one day at a time. I'll take it.