Platelets, and Nosebleeds, and Lumps: OH MY!

William got kicked out of chemo again, today. He was supposed to get his last dose of the easy drug, Gemzar, but he turned out to have so many bizarre new glitches that they said he couldn't have treatment until next week.

First: His Nose (Grossness factor in this paragraph: Very High)

His nose has gone wild, and he has to see a specialist on Monday. (As in some earlier blogs, I warn you that if you are eating or drinking anything red, stop reading NOW.) In Beth Parlance, a nose has "gone wild" when it has begun to emit HUGE amounts of blood (description about to get really gross now) and big blood clots. These are not nosebleeds. This is something different. This is constant vast amounts of blood pouring out of his sinuses so that he has to blow it constantly and nothing comes out but tons of blood. REEEEEEEALLY weird! He is not using nosedrops, so that's not the cause. He rinses his sinuses with gentle saline solution, but it's not getting better. In fact, if he doesn't blow his nose all night, his sinuses fill up, until he completely can't breathe through his nose.

So Monday, he will be seen by a specialist to figure this out.

Second: His New Lump

He has discovered a weird lump on the inside of his left elbow. At first, it was suspected of being a blood clot, but they ruled that out. Now they are going to have to do a sonogram to see what it is.

Finally: Platelets

Nothing new here, but there IS a new treatment. His blood platelets were too low again, so his new treatment is that he has to have a transfusion! Crikey! I asked if I could donate platelets for him. I would love to think he had my platelets in there, helping him fight the good fight. But my platelets would want to watch reruns of Dexter while his would want to watch ESPN, and it would never work. (Real reason is that it would take too long to process my platelets, and he needs them right away).

So some unknown generous soul, somewhere in the lowlands, who, sometime recently, generously donated their platelets to the world at large, will have their platelets shipped up to the mountains in a truck tomorrow and infused into Bill's veins, helping him fight.

I wish that person could know that their platelets went into the sweetest veins in the world. Thank you, anonymous person, who helped save my husband.

I'll write more tomorrow after the transfusion.

Love and Happy New Year and Happy Editing of Last Year's Memories!

Bethie