Doxil #3, and walking

Yesterday, Magee sent me to chemo in an ambulance with a very kind elderly man as my escort. He told me about his chemo experiences and his certainty that I would be getting better soon. As we waited, he talked about growing up in Philly.

Nurse Jamie accessed my port and took blood. It turned out that my white blood count was low. It was 2.2 and should be at least 5. I waited almost 2 hours before Dr. Rubin told the nurses that I could have chemo, just a smaller amount than usual. Chemo was pretty ordinary. Then, I met with Dr. Rubin. I told her that I have still been coughing up blood.

I asked about the genetic testing that she did when I was in the hospital in December. It turns out I have Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
which basically means that I am prone to developing cancer. Well, duh! Only about 400 people in the United States have this disorder, according to the National Institute of Health. Approximately 100% of women with the disorder develop cancer over their lifetimes. People with it are prone to developing adrenal corticocarcinoma, sarcomas, breast cancer, and leukemia. I have had 3 of those. That's enough for me. It can run in families, though I don't have the typical constellation of family members who have fought cancer. If you are related to me, you may want to get tested, though it is likely that the syndrome is a random genetic mutation for me. I plan to go to Dana- Farber Hospital in Boston when I am more mobile to be seen by specialists.

After treatment, I practiced walking with my physical therapist and my occupational therapist. I also practiced today. This afternoon, I found that I could continuously move the walker as I walked. This morning, I had to pause the walker every time I stepped with my prosthetic foot. I feel so proud of this improvement. I also walked between the parallel bars while holding on to the rail with only one hand. These skills were hard won. I thought walking would be easier, but I might be here for another week. I can't wait to see what I will be able to do next Friday. My occupational therapist said that only about 30% of above-the-knee amputees use their prostheses a year after receiving them, but that he had every confidence that I would adjust to mine well. It might take me a year or so before using it becomes instinctive.