Cycle Two, Day One - COMPLETE!
(Or, "It was too much math for me to figure out how many day's it's REALLY been *GRIN*")

WHAM! That's the sound of the door closing on Day One of Cycle Two - Woohoo!

This was a longer day than most - I got over to the Nevada Cancer Institute around 8 a.m. this morning, and for some reason (certainly the first time I'VE ever experienced this, and it seemed everyone around me as well!) the laboratory that draws the blood on floor 3 was either A.) Understaffed OR B.) Something else ominous was going on. I choose door B.)

They finally got me back there for my CBC (No, I have NO idea what the heck it stands for - I know it wasn't a PVC, or a DVD, so I am at a loss - I know they had to poke me with a needle and draw blood out of my arm, so that's as far as I go with the abbreviations...) ... not to the laboratory, but to the INFUSION room where I get my treatments! They wanted to get me done, because it would take an hour to see if my white blood cell counts were up high enough so I could get treatment this week - period! SO my nurse (I never know if that's a true term - it feels disrespectful to me, as they do SO much more, etc.) Joyce drew my blood for me, and then I sat out in the lobby for an hour while they ran the tests...

A smiling Emily (the receptionist) called me back, and opened the door back to the infusion room, where my Doctor (Goodman) was standing, saying 'come on down' with a big smile on his face.

So, as I walked in he stood with me and filled me in that my counts were AWESOME, and that my body responded really well to the injections I had over the weekend... my red blood and white blood counts were both WELL over where they needed to be good, because HECK - they're gonna pump me full of stuff that's going to kick my ass again and drive 'em back down... but that's the game we play here with chemotherapy, we kill the good along with the bad, and the good has to regenerate itself (at least that's the idea!)

So they didn't waste anymore time, and plugged me right in (when they drew blood, they put the port in so they would save time if I could be treated later)... so Joyce put the IV in, and hooked me right up to the first bag, and AWAY WE WENT! About 2.5 hours later than usual, but I was grateful for the fact that I was able to be treated at all this week... that's a great thing! I finally got out of there just after 3pm or so...

THANK YOU! to everyone who has sent me great emails and comments in the guest book about my baldness... makes me smile, and you'll all be getting signed "We love Pittle because he's BALD" or the "WLPBHB" fan club photos and pins, personally signed by me in 6-8 weeks in the mail, only $2.95 S&H (this is a parody, I'm only sending out signed photos to the LADIES who've responded positively - guys you're OUT OF LUCK! LOL!)

Anyway, I am doing well, sorry no photo... until I grow in the mohawk or do something really funny, or stand on my head, etc... I have NO idea what photo to put up, as I look mostly the same until I get my full head tribal tattoo (WAIT - was that the sound of my Mom fainting? GRIN) JUST KIDDING! Maybe a temporary one... why not have fun with this right? Hey, she's the one who said I should get a big diamond earring now... hmmmm... another good idea! We'll see.... Send in your photo suggestions, and I'll see if they're legal (or sane) enough for me to consider....

Thanks again for all the good wishes... I understand there are at least 10-15 rabbis around the country (and a few pastors I have been informed) saying awesome prayers on my behalf, as well as most of you who read this - It means a lot as I always say, and I am feeling good.... I know we're all going to beat this thing together, and I am working hard to make sure of that... keep writing - I love to hear from you.... remember, if you don't feel like/want to post publically in the guest book or blog, you can alway email me HERE.

Another day down, four more to go (this round!) - Pittle OUT!