I really tried hard to do what I needed to to get better. I got anything that I thought I could possibly manage to eat or drink, but even swallowing water just KILLED my throat!  In a normal day I would take about 3 hours to choke down a glass of Ensure or chocolate milk to try to drink in some calories, I would drink a glass or two of water, and I would maybe eat half a piece of bread for the rest of the day.  That just wasn’t doing it, and I was feeling worse each day.

Finally my nurse decided to check in on me last Thursday before her shift ended.  I told her the things that were bothering me (mostly my mouth and throat sores), and that I had vomited that morning, and that I had no energy.  She assured me that those were all normal chemo symptoms.

Then at some point I mentioned that I had taken my temperature and that it was 102.2.  That’s when she really started listening and told me that I should have called her right away.  She said that when you are in chemo and your white blood cell counts are as low as mine were, you just can’t get a fever or you have to come into the hospital.  She called another doctor and he confirmed and said that they felt strongly that I needed to come and be admitted right away that evening.

I knew I should be in the hospital, so I was glad that she had followed up with me and that hopefully they could do something for me.  Last Thursday night I was admitted to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, and I have been here ever since!  I have not had my computer until today.

Since being up here I can see how much I needed to be here.  I had all sorts of infections in my body that I just couldn’t fight off due to basically no white blood cells.

On Saturday they gave me a blood transfusion and I received 2 units of blood.  That was a very positive thing, and I can tell it has helped my energy already.  White blood cells just have to be made by me in my own body though.  While I am getting a bunch of IV antibiotics, my body slowly started making some white blood cells on its own.

The last three mornings my white blood cell count has improved.  This is very good.  My mouth and throat sores are still here, but getting better for sure.  The whole time I have been here I have not had anything to eat until today when I had 4 bites of a waffle, but it just hurt my mouth too much.  I have had a smoothie and a milk shake over the last two days too though, so that is improvement.  I bet by tomorrow I will be able to eat and drink much better because it seems like my mouth and throat are really starting to heal now.  HALLELUJAH!!! Before I can go home, I need to stop getting fevers every day, and I need to be able to eat and drink a little better.  I think those things will happen really soon.