Rough Times!

Well, I've had my first setback with my chemotherapy regimen of Bendamustine. Friday November 2 I ended up the the local E.R. room at Windsor Regional Hospital with a temperature of 39.5 Celsius or about 103 Fahrenheit. Also had a low sugar count of 1.7

Can't really tell you a whole lot about it from my own perspective as I was pretty out of it and don't recall much, as Brenda filled me in on most of it which I don't recall at all! After being seen by the E.R. Dr. on duty I was sent home with some antibiotics. Saturday I was a bit better as well as Sunday, and felt well enough to go to the Spits game with my brother! Not knowing at the time my blood counts were seriously low I put myself in a bad situation that I normally would not have done.

Well turns out I was sicker than I knew at the time as the E.R. department at the hospital called on Monday to say to come back in as they had my blood cultures report back and I had a serious infection and needed to be admitted and put on high dose antibiotics!

After being in a room about 6' x 8' for 20+ hrs in emergency I was finally taken up to a room where I would be for the rest of the week until Friday. I rec'd a fresh dose of antibiotics every 4 hrs. while I was there and was confined to my room and those entering had to gown up! Seems to have done the trick as my counts rebounded back to somewhat normal conditions and I was released about noon on Friday the 9th.

Since then I have been well but tired. I'm keeping myself in a bubble right now and not venturing out too much other than for coffee with my uncle every day and one trip to Costco.

I now have all the medical aids that were recommended for me by an assessment from a CCAC (Community Care Access Centre) worker. I now have a cane, walker, safety bars in the shower, a (wedge) to extend our toilet height and a M Rail for the bed. Guess I shouldn't have mentioned falling a few times! All for my own good though I guess.

Just over a week away till my next chemo, so I hope my blood counts stay good enough to proceed. Seems Bendamustine although less toxic than most chemo is hard on the blood counts and there could end up being more episodes like the one mentioned above and I end up with Febrile Neutropenia again and back in the hospital. Let's hope not though. That was not good times at all, scary when someone fills you in on what happened and what you said or did that you have zero recollection of.

So for now it's staying in as much as possible and watching movies and napping! Until next time..........