Waiting For A Call

doctor’s waiting room
waiting for life to go on
as before

Don’t you find that there’s always a kind of anxiety while you wait for a doctor’s call or visit? Where am I at now? Where to from here? I had a blood test last Wednesday, the report went to my oncologist and she was to call me today with the results. She isn’t the wise old Marcus Welby-type as pictured above; rather, Dr McKay is a younger woman who’s taken time out from my case twice to have babies. But she’s soft-spoken, easy to talk to–and she finally called half an hour ago.

The Bible says “we are fearfully and wonderfully made” and our blood is one example of that. An amazing conductor made up of different types of cells, each with a job to do, healthy blood keeps the whole body nourished and in good working order.

Google tells me that a normal white blood cell count is 4.5-11. With leukemia the white cells over-produce big time; in my case it’s mainly the lymphocytes. The blood test I had Nov 10th showed my white cell count up to 89; the test last week shows it’s now up to 109. Twenty points is a significant jump in one month, but I’m not surprised. I’ve been feeling the primary symptom: fatigue. (Secondary signs would be night sweats; infections, swollen lymph nodes.) Still, a certain shock hits you when you find out the results show you really are worse than before.

We discussed the two options for treatment: just a pill taken daily for the rest of my life or a pill plus weekly chemo for a month…then every few weeks…then once a month for a year…then done until things get bad again. I decided I’m okay for awhile, no secondary signs yet, so I’ll hold off for a few months. Get on with life, get through winter before I think of taking treatments.