Today was my third day of pre-transplant chemotherapy with the fludarabine and cytoxan. Just one more day of chemo to go and then a few days of rest. Well...not really rest. I'll start Tacrolimus and Sirilinus(I think I got the spelling right...don't feel like checking the protocol right now) tommorow. Those are the drugs to help prevent Graft Versus Host Disease. The tacrolimus is a 24 hour infusion, and I'll take that through the IV until I'm discharged. So despite being done with the chemotherapy, I don't get a reprieve from the IV situation.
Everything today went pretty well. The doctors had little to comment on, which is of course a good thing. I am neutropenic now, with my neutrophil count below 1000. It was 1600 the day before, so it is heading in the right direction. This is nothing since I've been dealing with neutropenia each cycle of EPOCH that I received this year.
One thing that has been a nuisance is the use of the drug lasix. I'm given that drug about twice a day...usually with my chemotherapy and when I go to sleep at night. Lasix is a diuretic, and I'm receiving it so I pass more urine and don't get the bleeding in the bladder that is a side effect of taking cytoxan. The lasix makes me have to head to the toilet every 10 to 20 minutes for about 2 straight hours. I know its helping me out, but its a pain when all I want to do is sleep, and I have a constant feeling of having a full bladder. Its not fun to deal with, but the alternative, blood in the urine, sounds worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment