Cycle 4 Week 2 Day 1 Carfilzomib/Dex and Day 8/21 Revlimid 10 mg - February 6 2013

Woke to my alarm this morning...so unusual for me that I took my picture!

Drove to Twin Falls in a heavy fog with visibility just 2/10ths of a mile for the most part...not very relaxing, especially since I passed at least 2 trucks with limited oncoming visibility.

The nurses had trouble getting my Bard Power Port accessed today. Part of the issue is the Huber needles they ordered JUST FOR ME are DIFFERENT than St. Luke's Hospital Huber needles. Had to have 3 pokes and at least one of those pokes was probably on the outside of the port vs in the port. My port is tilted at an angle under the skin and difficult to access. Plus, I have underlying breast tissue under the port which hurts when they mash down on the port with the Huber needle. Despite EMLA cream which I put on at home - it really hurt me...but, I am so weanie. It immediately bruised. Prior to today, I had no redness or bruising over the Bard Power Port site in my right chest. 

My white blood cell count is down some from last week to 1.9 (norms 4.5-11); hemoglobin up nicely to 9.7, but still too low (norms 12-16); platelets okay, but low at 92 (norms 140-440) and my Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is up, but low at 1.23 (norm 1.9-8.8). My LDH went down from 529 to 459 in a weeks time (norms 313-618). Decreases in the LDH are good, increases NOT SO MUCH.

My kidney function tests are all normal except for the GFR which is abnormal at >60.

Results from last week blood tests done because my MCV (means average size of a red blood cell) was high.

sTSH (thyroid study) was normal at 1.66 (norms 0.47-4.68), so I'll continue to take levothyroxin 25 each morning at 4 AM on an empty stomach.

Vit B12 normal at 368 (norms 239-931); Folate normal at 7.5 ( norms > 3)

Methylmlon Acid normal at 251 (norms 87-31)

Vit D, 25-OH LOW at 21 (norms 30-100). Will take Vitamin D3 2000 mg per day (this is an increase of 1000 mg per day for me).

Vit D, 25-OH, D2 was 7 (no reference range)

Vit D, 25-OH, D3  was 14 (no reference range)

X-ray Results from 30 Jan 2013:
Skull: Done for palpable mass right forehead
Results: no identifiable bony erosive changes or destruction.

L Hip: Done for pain when lying on left side
Results: No bony destructive changes or expansile lesions, fractures or dislocation demonstrated. Clips noted both left and right inguinal regions. Mild dextroconvex curvature of lumbar spine with multilevel osteophytes. Pattern that may be reflect metallic coils over the lower abdominal wall from hernia repair (yep, I had 2 different hernia operations in the late 1970's and early 1980's).

Left St. Luke's Hospital Infusion Center just before 2 PM. They gave me a tuna sandwich for a late lunch - so nice. Went to Walmart (wearing a mask); Target (wearing a mask); and to a car wash to get Bart cleaned up.

Checked in to the motel for the night.