It's been a long journey but I finally feel like this is all about to end. I still have 3 more grueling chemo cycles but there's an end in sight and first, I'm going to get married!!
My MIL and my SIL took me to the two chemo cycles this time. This was the first time I had had two days of chemo since the end of radiation. Don't forget, during radiation my short week was only one day... so they added the extra chemo back in this time and boy did my body not like that. I felt pretty good through the end of the chemo week, but by Friday I was already getting winded and so I knew I was going to need a blood transfusion. What I wasn't prepared for was how awful I was going to feel the following week. By Monday I could barely stand up for more than 5-10 mins without getting tired and having to lay back down for at least 20 mins. I laid in bed most of Monday and ended up developing a fever. My mom was so worried that she told me to email the nurses to get an appt for Tuesday instead of waiting for my scheduled appointment on Wednesday. I was able to get in the office Tuesday afternoon and sure enough, everything was critically low. I think if it was possible to have negative counts, mine would have been negative. So a blood transfusion was scheduled for Wednesday and because of my fever, I was put on IV and oral antibiotics.
The blood transfusion gave my red counts a bit of a boost, but on Thursday when I went back for more labs and IV antibiotics, my platelets were down to 19 (should be 140 at the lowest 'normal' level), so I was headed back to the hospital in the morning for a platelet transfusion. I also had to go in over the weekend for more antibiotics.
My Bridal Shower was May 12th and because I had had such a rough week and basically no white count, we had to make sure that no one showed up sick to the shower. Luckily I have an awesome Matron of honor (Cat) who sent out a quick email just asking people to keep me safe by not showing up if they'd been sick or had sick little ones at home, etc. Luckily it didn't seem to have affected too many people and the shower was awesome! We had a lot of fun dressing our models in wrapping paper and bows made into fashionable wedding dresses... if I hadn't already found mine, I would've taken one of those ;o)
The next week I did go pick up my wedding dress and it fits perfectly! I went back for more labs on Thursday May 17th and they were so good that the nurses told me I didn't have to come back until after the wedding!! I couldn't believe it. Not only did I have time off of chemo, but now I had time off of going to the drs office!! Sweet :o) On Friday the 18th, Cat and I went down to Richmond for my hair and makeup trail. Everything worked out great. Cat was even nice enough to take a detour home and drop me off with Sean so I could go with him down to Culpepper to watch his dad land his new plane that he had flown from Ohio that morning. It was pretty awesome to see it! I'm excited to one day take a ride!!
The next week I went into work Monday and Tuesday. It was great to see everyone. I can't wait to be there full time again. It was definitely hard getting up on Tuesday after having such a long day with no nap on Monday (haha.. no nap)... but totally worth it. I went back to working from home the rest of the week but look forward to going back sometime in June, I hope.
That brings me to this weekend. We've had some house projects to get done in anticipation of our house guests that start coming in tomorrow. We are hosting some of my former exchange students while they stay here in the States and so we had to make sure we had adequate accommodations while they are here.
I can't believe the wedding is less than a week away. And as of tomorrow, May 28th, Sean and I will have been engaged for a year!! We have been through so much in this year, really in these last 5 months, I just can't believe it's here. But I'm ready. I'm ready to walk down the aisle and see the man who didn't flinch when the Dr told us I had cancer. I'm ready to marry the man who continues to stand beside me while I endured the most painful experience of my life. I'm ready to say "I Do" to the man who even though I have no hair, eye brows or eye lashes, still tells me I'm beautiful. I'm ready to tell him that I too will be there to support him now and forever as his wife. I'm ready to throw an amazing party and celebrate this time with some of our closest friends and family. and I'm ready to not have to plan this wedding anymore :o) hahaha....
In my next post I will be Mrs. Dani Strait.... won't that be different? At least my initials stayed the same FTW!!
