Post #65: Rituxan Postponement

Dear Everyone,

I jumped a number with the previous posting (which I've now relabeled #64).

Anita did have her chemo on on Thursday but started running a fever of 100.9 for the rest of the day. No nausea, but she "felt like something that had crawled out from under a rock." She was feeling too ill for the Rituxan treatment on Friday, so she called the oncologist to reschedule the treatment to this coming Monday which it has been. She asked for him to call her back with the cat scan results.

He finally called her and when she asked about the cat scan, he said: "Much improved." To which she responded, "What does MUCH mean if you translate that to an estimated percentage?" After his usual careful pause, he said, "I'd say about 50%." So Anita figures that since she is halfway through the treatment program, if we get the same results at the end of the second half, she'll be in remission! I must say, I like her math!!

Her appetite yesterday was not good, but today she says she is "hungry." Despite feeling lousy yesterday, she was up today at the usual 5:30 a.m. with Tristan whose apparent understanding of a waved fly swatter and the word "NO" said in a "thunderous" voice has improved dramatically. It sends him running for the security of either his bed (when he's inside the house) or the reassurance of Anita's lap if he's outside. He's stopped the puppy nipping - after a few artful fly swatter lessons - and is trying licking instead. However, he is "about to realize" (as Anita says) that digging up sprinklers and biting off the tops of the drip system means return of the dreaded fly swatter and thunderous voice!

I will keep you all posted on the status of her fever and how she does during the rest of the weekend. Certainly, from her tone and attitude she's bound to improve!

Melissa