postponement - a mixed blessing

Well, it's Thursday afternoon now and I've been on an emotional roller coaster the past couple of days.

Yesterday morning as I was just about to leave the house to go for the next round of chemo, the nurse called to say that the previous day's blood test had revealed that platelets and white cell counts were too low and they wouldn't administer chemo this week. I was told to have a quiet week and a blood test again next week and if readings had improved they will do the chemo. My instant thought was "I hope the chemo is having the same destructive effect on the cancer".

The only good news I could take out of that is that I would have another week of feeling human, without the dreaded poisons being pumped into my body. So this morning I rode my bike out along the beach path. It was marvellous.

This afternoon I went for my weekly visit to Dr Chen, my herbal and acupuncture practitioner. He also received the blood test results and was kind enough to give me the good news from the report. The liver function is continuing to improve and the cancer activity is decreasing. Yeah!

So yesterday I was down, today my spirits are way up again. Dr Chen says that if I eat black pudding every day my platelet reading will improve. I've never had it. I do know what it's made of. Dad has gone out to buy me some - he loves it.

Next time I see the nurse I intend to use all my assertive communication practices to suggest that she gives her patients some good news from the test results (if there is any), and not just the bad news.

So, until next week's blood test I'll be eating black pudding (and lots of other good food) and riding my bike out as far as I can each day.