Emergency

Day 91

Today is the day that I have been hoping and praying would not arrive. I had to rush Ann to the emergency room tonight because her temperature registered between 101.2 F and 102.4 F. That means that some microscopic marauder has found its way into Ann's body while her white blood cell counts were dropped after the end of round 5 of chemo.

102.4 F may not seem like a lot but imagine it if you didn't have a functioning immune system. The rise in temperature is her body's last line of defense now that her white blood cells have all been exterminated by the chemotherapy. In absence of antibodies to fight off infections, her temperature will continue to rise until the invaders are dealt with or she shuts down permanently.

Cancer patients die all the time from secondary infections, just like the one Ann has contracted today. The formula is really quite simple, so simple in fact that even the dullest among us can understand it: More Chemo = Less White Blood Cells = Higher Chance of Infection = Higher Chance of Death. This little formula is of critical importance to people like Ann who have a disease that can be halted but not cured by chemo. In the final analysis the less time spent on chemo means less infections and a better chance of surviving a transplant!

Devotees of our little blog will remember chemo round 5. However, for those of you who are new or need you memories jogged; Round 5 is the round of chemo that we would not have had to do if the CBT had been approved. Yes that one.

Who do we blame? The companies that control her insurance. Harolds and EPOCH.

Are we going to do something about it? Yes we already have.

Are we finished? Not even close.