Getting chemo in Moab

Phil is the most optimistic person I know. Even cancer can't discourage him. But day 3 or 4 of each chemo treatment always gets him down. Phil described it as the "cumulative effect of the chemo kicking in." He just doesn't feel right and that sends him into depression--so today's been a tough one. But if you hear him on the radio, or meet him in person, you'd never know it.

Chemo was a little touch-and-go this time. Phil barely met the required White Blood Cell (WBC) count of 1500. His count was 1510. (At 1500, nurses are instructed to call the doctor.) It's not just the WBC that results in this equation. For chemo patients, their neutrophil count makes the difference. Neutrophils are immature white blood cells and their level is called an Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC). The WBC and ANC are factored together to determine if there's enough neutrophils to mature and make up for the loss of WBCs.

Despite this near miss, Phil got his infusion on Tuesday and was disconnected from the portable pump on Thursday. Losing that encumbrance is always a celebration! Actually, this has been a stellar week! Phil has worked every day, long days, with brief naps at Shon's in the afternoon. These siestas are enough to rejuvenate him. Those of you who know Phil, know that he eats, breathes, and sleeps radio, and that has made a big difference in his ability to keep going this week--being in Moab so he can work. We SO appreciate Shon and Roseanna for opening their home and their hearts to us!

Tonight Phil is in Moab broadcasting live from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the April Action Car Show. This guy knows no mercy when it comes to radio! I'm surprised there was any WBC or ANC count at all--I thought he had 100% proof radio waves flowing in his veins!

Cycle 4, Day 1

We're off track! Ordinarily Day 1 would have been yesterday at Huntsman. But Phil wanted to be infused in Moab at the new Moab Regional Hospital, so we're off a day.

The first step is always a blood test to check Phil's white blood cell count, among other things. If all's good, the doctor decides how much chemo Phil can tolerate and writes a prescription, which the lab fills and sends to the infusion center. Because Phil will have this treatment in Moab, the blood work was done yesterday and sent out to be read. Then Huntsman is notified and sends a prescription to the hospital in Grand Junction, CO, where the chemicals are prepared and sent to Moab. Consequently, we wait! Which doesn't bother Phil, but it's really bugging me!

I have my biannual Regional Staff Meeting in Richfield tomorrow and since I've missed all training this year, I can't really afford to miss this one. If Phil had finished his 7 hour infusion yesterday, I would feel a lot better about leaving him on a portable pump today and tomorrow. But Phil insists that I go anyway, and that he will be OK. Yikes, this is really, really hard, but I know he can do it and I have to let him.

So the chemo is on it's way to Moab and Phil will leave work and report to the infusion lab at 12:30 p.m. I'm about to leave Blanding and will see Phil briefly in Moab, on my way to Richfield! I don't like this at all, but life goes on and sometimes we have to do the responsible thing, whether we like it or not.

Thank Heaven Phil has such a strong support system in Moab. While I'm gone, Shon Walter and his family will be watching over my sweetheart till I get back. Phil and I are so thankful for these angels on earth!

More later . . .