...and so the hair goes

Good news and; not so good news. As of this morning I am officially out of "Isolation". The rash was nothing more than a reaction to one of the med's I am on. Visitors no longer need to suit-up in gown and gloves before entering my room. This also means I can again leave my room to walk laps around the 8th floor unit (geez, just 2 wks ago I climbed up to 4000 ft ). Because the floor is full with patients I may not be able to move rooms again. Regardless, being mobile is a good thing, I was beginning to sink into cabin-fever.


Today's blood levels are:
           WBC                   .29
            ANC                    0
            HCT                    28
            Platelets              44


On Sunday I received my 4th blood transfusion. My HCT didn't bounce back after Saturday's RBC transfusion so they gave me another. I also found an interactive calendar that we will use when the time comes. Please see right-side column under "Critical Links". We will need to set-up a plan sometime in Sept for post-transplant care in possibly Dec, Jan and Feb.


On a different note: my hair is finally starting to fall out. As I run my hand thru it I am left with strands draped between my fingers. This makes me sad. So unbelievably Sad. There's no denying now. I've reach that definitive point of no return. And it's hard to swallow. By Thurs/Friday it will be coming out in clumps, just like last time. What a surreal phase in this journey.


I don't really know why I decided to attach the below photo, but I did (my original is in focus). Maybe because this is one of the last things in my cancer diagnosis that I hoped to hold on to, to look like a healthy real person instead of a ghost of myself. As I let this image slide away I need to focus on what comes next, no matter how much I dread it.