Went back to the Cancer Center today for follow-up blood tests. As you may remember, during my Tuesday visit, the bloodwork indicated a “dangerously low” white cell count, putting me a very high risk of infection.

With the flu running rampant here in SC, and the knowledge that idiots everywhere think nothing of coughing or sneezing all over someone else, I was sentenced to house arrest, unable to go anywhere except the Cancer Center, until my white cell count came back up.

Now, I’m an introvert by nature. But I gotta tell you, this isolation was KILLING ME. I even had to sit in the car while mom shopped at Trader Joe’s on our way home from my Wednesday shot. TORTURE!

But it looks like the three days of Zarxio shots worked, because today’s blood tests indicate that my white cell count is back to acceptable levels. I won’t lie, my first reaction was:

Mom and I stopped for a quick celebration lunch on our way home, where I ordered…wait for it…a SALAD. That’s right, three solid days without any uncooked fruits and veggies made me appreciate that damn lettuce more than ever. AND I get to go to my quilt guild meeting tomorrow! Yay!

Next up: I’m back for my final, pre-chemo blood tests on Tuesday, then on to round 2 of chemo on Thursday. Next time around, they will treat the white cell count issue proactively and I will be fitted with a Neulasta patch on my chemo day which will dispense the cell-builder medication automatically over the course of several days.

Modern medicine totally rocks!