Chemo - Take Six

(Photo of Harry S. Truman - whenever we visit the oncologist, we get both a dose of medicine and a dose of Missouri history, which usually centers around President Harry S. Truman. Dad's oncologist is a history buff and lived in St. Louis for many years.)

Last Thursday, we had Dad's sixth chemotherapy treatment or his second weekly treatment. The treatment is actually a shorter therapy, so he is the hospital for a shorter amount of time which is a nice change for Dad. He also saw his surgeon for a follow up appointment.

Today, we saw Dad's oncologist and we were scheduled for our seventh chemo. However, it was determined that Dad's body was not "up for" chemo today. His white blood count is extremely low, which means that he is susceptible for infections. Giving him another dose of chemo before we bump up his counts could be possibly dangerous.

So, today instead of chemo, Dad got an immune booster shot. He will also be taking a antibiotic as a precaution for fevers and infections. He will also begin taking a stronger pain killer, which we hope will begin to help with his leg/hip pain.

We meet again with the doctor in one week. At that time, we will have new tests and possibly do our next round of chemotherapy.