Oh F**K!!!

Waking up, back at HOME, with Dan at my side after a week... I can't begin to express how happy I am. I really am feeling so well. It is so ironic, having leukemia and going through one chemo treatment, I right now feel BETTER than I have most of this past year. I have energy (due to the transfusions and now having a much better red blood/hemoglobin counts), I'm REALLY well rested (from sitting/laying bored in bed at the hospital for a week), and I have Dan and my dogs back around me full time!

Yesterday was good - it started with talking with my doctor and going over not only what would happen yesterday, but also the long range plans. He scheduled my third and last dose of the Fludarabine for 3PM yesterday and went over a lot of stuff from the various prescriptions I would need to get, what each one did and when to take them. We talked about scheduling a blood test at his office once a week and that the future treatments would again be a four-day process, but done out-patient through his office. I'll do chemo treatments every three weeks, so the next set will be the week of Sept 29th.

Now he did warn me that even though I have so far felt no ill effects of the chemo, it can kick in around the 10th day after treatment. One of the prescriptions is for anti-nausea so if out of the blue the chemo does start hitting me, I can immediately start to counter it.

At this point, I am planning on going into work for the next two weeks, then probably take the week of my chemo off. Dan has been keeping a watchful eye on me, constantly warning me about not pushing myself too hard, and while I agree in part, I really do think it will be ok. And I know that NO ONE at my office will let me push myself too much either...

We're going down to visit my mom - my brother did fly in (he had planned on visiting around now anyways) and should be at my mom's about an hour before Dan and I get there. That way they can have a good start of a visit, then he'll be able to help me when I tell my mom. On the good side, EVERYONE who's seen me tells me how great I look, with color in my cheeks, so even though the news may sound bad, seeing me feel so good in front of her should help her take the news.

Catch ya all later...