Dee's Blog Bit

I've been feeling more and more ill since the first cycle of my new chemo, last Wednesday.
One of the expected side-effects is a sore mouth, so I wasn't too surprised when my mouth got sore. 
I wasn't surprised I didn't feel great.  I felt fluey and achey.  Again, that's to be expected (this stuff is destroying my cells, after all).
But it started to get too much.  My mouth was in agony.  I could hardly open it, I couldn't speak properly, and all I could 'eat' was cold milk.

Yesterday, I had to go the the hospital for a bone scan, so I called in at the chemo dept while I was there.
They took my blood, and informed me that my white blood cell count was 0.  Yes, zero.  I had absolutely no immune system.
I also have tonsilitis, which has spread all over my mouth, hence the incredible mouth pain.
Obviously, having no immune system, my body couldn't fight this, so it was just getting worse.
Fortunately, my temperature was normal, so they sent me home with antibiotics, anti-bacterial mouthwash, and pain killers.
If my temperature had been high, that would have been a sign the infection had got into my blood sytem, causing blood poisoning, so I'd have been stuck in hospital, on IV antibiotics.
I'm just grateful I'm at home!

Before the chemo, I felt absolutely fine, even though I had a 10cm alien growing in my liver.  Now I feel like I'm falling to bits!

The doctor made sure to tell me that the course of antibiotics will have ended in time for christmas day, so I'll be able to have a couple of glasses of wine!
I REALLY hope my mouth's better by then (I hope it's better long before then).  I don't fancy liquidised christmas dinner.  All I can eat at the minute, is liquidised bland food.  I can't even manage fruit smoothies, because the acid sends me through the roof!

So for now, I have to stay home.  Not allowed to go out, incase I manage to find myself some more infections, and not allowed to see anyone who has colds, or anything else.
It's been a fun week in Deeland!