Day -6

Hemoglobin 9.0
Platelets 110
WBC 2.6
|Neutrophils| 1.3
Creatinine 1.33

Today I started two chemotherapy drugs.  The first, Fludarabine, I've taken before as part of my previous FLAG treatments.  I responded well then, so the doctors expect that I should do well on it again, even though I believe it is a stronger dose.  My first dose was today and I'll receive four more doses over the next four days.  The second drug is called Cytoxan.  This is my first time taking this drug and I only take one dose, which was today.  This drugs' major side effect is bladder irritation.  It can cause the lining to sluff off, making for painful urination as you pee out the sluffed tissue and, of course, blood that goes with it.  I'm on another drug to help prevent any bladder trouble, plus they're pushing fluids and making me pee every two hours for all of today and tomorrow.  Continually voiding my bladder should help prevent the drug from accumulating in the bladder and, thus, help prevent irritation.

Fludarabine also means I'm back on Decadron (the anti-nausea steroids), and that means I'm back on an insulin drip.  My glucose has been bouncing up and down all day, it seems anytime I eat the Insulin I bolus is ineffective at adequately covering the carbs I ate.

I've also been nauseous from one of the drugs I'm on.  My line has been hurting today still, not worse than yesterday but it is still very sore.  Hopefully tomorrow it will begin to feel better.