Foiled again!

As much as a person can try to plan out certain events, like for example a last chemo treatment, sometimes our plans are foiled - In this case, foiled being defined as: to keep a person from succeeding in a plan, or a setback.  Today, my WBC's were terribly low, in fact at an all time low.  Between January 27 and today, my neutrophil level went from .83 to .27.  This, my friends, is what we call bottoming out! 

On top of the low neutrophil counts, I've been experiencing some shortness of breath and wheezing lately.  I'd like to contribute most of that to all this running I've been doing recently, but I've been noticing it just day in and day out as well.  Because of these two things combined, Dr. Londer made the call to hold off on treatment until next Friday (2/17), but wanted me to schedule a follow up MUGA (heart) and Pulmonary (lung) Function test to be done sometime before treatment just to make sure there haven't been any changes contributing to this shortness of breath/wheezing.  If you remember from a blog way back in the beginning, one of the chemo drugs can weaken one of the heart muscles, and cause breathing issues, so it's good we have it checked out to make sure nothing like that is going on, and it's more so just asthma related.  Once we were done meeting with Londer, we headed over to scheduling to see  what we could work out.  Turns out, there were openings today still to get me in for both tests!  I guess this is pretty rare for someone to get in for 1 test let alone 2 tests so last minute like this.  It was meant to be! I'd like to think someone was looking out for me today - that someone being the big man upstairs.

It's safe to say I was disappointed knowing that today wasn't going to be my last chemo day, but in my heart I knew it had to be this way.  I don't have to like it, but I do have to respect Dr. Londer's decision.  He knows what he's doing, and he's only looking out for what's best for me in the long run. I remember how good I felt going into chemo the last time I had that extra week off.  My stomach issues subsided, I felt well-rested, and I had a little "pep" in my step.  Next week I'm going to be in serious cancer butt-kicking mode, so watch out world!  This cancer is going to get straight-up kung-fu kicked in the gut!

Team-in-Training
Please think happy thoughts for Josh and I tomorrow morning as we begin the actual training/running with the rest of the team-in-training members.  I was not planning on joining them for the run tomorrow being that I was supposed to have treatment today, but now I don't really have an excuse!  Don't worry all you mothers out there.  I will be careful, and will keep my inhaler on hand just in case.  Yes, we do know that we live in Minnesota, and it's February.  Are we crazy!?  It's possible =)  Normally when I see people running outside in the middle of winter, I think to myself, "are they crazy?" and now Josh and I are "those people".  We did a little shopping this evening for some winterized running gear to hopefully prevent us from turning into human icicles.  I'm sure we're still going to be cold, but it'll give us incentive to keep moving.  Outside of the cold weather,  continuing to remember why we're running in the first place is incentive enough to just keep moving.

Josh getting ready for a chilly run outdoors

For those of you who have donated money, THANK YOU!!  If you're interested in helping Josh and I make our goal of $5,800, there's still time!  This link will take you straight to our team homepage - Team in Training - Team Madson

Wish us luck!