Good ole spinal tap

This series of images are from when I had to have a bone marrow biopsy and a spinal tap. Didn't feel as bad as it sounds, both were painless (well not painless, they knocked me out before the bone biopsy). My protocol calls for a bone biopsy every 3 weeks to check my levels. The spinal tap was just to make sure my Leukemia didn't travel there as well. A quick breakdown of the numbers on the board...
WBC = White blood cell count, normal is 3.5
HGB = Hemoglobin, normal is 15
PLT = Platelets, normal is 100
The day before my platelets were 11 (once you go below 10 you get a transfusion) but was given a transfusion so that my platelets would be high enough so that I wouldn't bleed out after the biopsy. Dropping a little knowledge on ya... the more you know.

Breakfast cocktail

To combat the effects of chemo I have to down a assortment of drugs,

Anti viral

Anti Bacterial

Anti fungal

Anti nausea

Methyl-Prednisone

Pepsin

I've never taken this much medication before but I must say that it is doing it's job! besides a couple day of being extremely tired I haven't had any real bad days... yet.

12:00am

Two vials of blood every night between the times of 12:00 - 12:45am. They do this for labs so that they can monitor your blood levels everyday to see if you might need a blood infusion or platelet infusion. Waking up at 12am or so isn't as irritating as you'd think it would be when your life depends on it. I just learned not to go to bed until after labs are drawn.

Chemo jammies

One thing I've learned during my first round of chemo is that there are a multitude of different chemo therapies and they all vary in toxicity. I also learned that chemotherapy isn't just for cancer! Whaaaaa... (answering myself) I know! Hospitals use it for a lot of auto immune dieases as well. Either way, no matter what type of chemo... the nurses have to wear what I call a "chemo jammie". Basically a big blue sheet with sleeves, extra precaution in case the IV bag burst or spills. I know it is about that time when I see then getting ready.

Septua

7 months... I have to wear this hospital band, 7 months of intermittent hospital stays. 7 weeks of chemo. A total of 24 weeks away from my daughter... I'm not looking for pity. Quite the opposite, I'm not mad I have Leukemia. Truthfully who am I NOT to get it, I am not special. Cancer is a anyone disease, anyone from any walk of life can get it... no one is immune.
I feel it is my job to show others that having Leukemia, it isn't what the tv shows and movies says it is.

"Septua" is a documentation of everything I'll be going through for my 7 month chemo protocal (including peeing in containers on the side of my bed).. Some images might be hard to look at, but reality isn't always nice and neat. Hopefully I can truly convey through my images what cancer is and what it can mean to one's life.