June 10th, 2005: Starting yesterday Leela received her fourth cycle of chemotherapy over two days. Two more and barring something unexpected her treatment will be complete. We got another blood test curve ball on Thursday. A week before her ANC (a measure of the bodies ability to fight off an infection) was 2150, which is pretty much normal. But yesterday, four weeks after her previous cycle of chemo, her ANC was back down to 960. Dr. Lawlor, the Oncologist, had an explanation. We are just hoping that going into chemo with a weakened immune system is not a predictor of a bad reaction.

Assuming that Leela was well past having a suppressed immune system, we went swimming on Wednesday. It was a very hot day. In order to go Leela volunteered that she wanted a dressing change. The dressing that covers the small hole where her catheter enters her chest needs to be changed at least once a week but also whenever it gets dirty or wet. It is the one regular “procedure” that she is not used to yet. Every time we have changed her dressing it has required one of us to pin her down, and it is usually preceded by a good 15 to 20 minutes of crying “I don’t want a dressing change.” So I was very surprised to hear that she wanted it changed, but what she really wanted was to go swimming. She had a great time. I had to watch her like a hawk to make sure her chest did not get dunked. After getting home, when it was time for the dressing change, there was not even a whimper from Leela. The next day at the hospital she told all of the doctors and nurses that she had her dressing changed and didn’t even cry.

Yesterday evening at home Leela had more nausea than she has had in previous cycles, but today she seems OK. At this point she seems fine, but this is how it was last cycle only to end up in the hospital for six days. We are keeping our fingers crossed that things will turn out better this time.