Hello! It's been a while. I really appreciate all the kind words and people constantly looking out for another blog post. I love to write and I love it even more that people actually read it. I've been laying low - trying to stay under the radar. There isn't a whole lot going on in my world and that's a very fabulous thing to be able to say in the cancer world.
I visited my Dr. Nand a couple weeks ago. Got poked a few times, chit chatted, cracked some jokes and patiently waited for that Maywood number to ring my phone with the results of my bloodwork, and, most importantly, another gene test. Remember, these gene tests are my tell all...
My bloodwork showed my white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin are now low. Out of range on the low side now. He tells me this is all ok and normal for this stage of treatment. The gene test shows 5% leukemia cells!!! This is down from 100%, then 17%!!! I can only keep praying that in another two months that gene test shows NADA. He did mention this is taking a bit longer than he'd like to see, but nothing to worry about. "You are doing excellent, Ms. Dixon" PRAISE THE LORD!
I suppose taking a bit longer is better than not taking at all. That's how I'm looking at it, at least. Those words ("This is taking longer than I'd like to see") kind of resonates through my head and I find myself discouraged. Chin up, buttercup! While it feels like 5 years, I remind myself it's been 5 months and I feel like a whole new Rhonda in those 5 months compared to the past year. Yikes! I was VERY sick and living like a zombie for so long. I visited my OBGYN for my yearly last month and in talking with him and going over my initial "get to the ER numbers" he just looked at me and shook his head. After a brief silence, he looked up at me and said, "Im not sure how you did it. I'm not sure how you were getting up every day." As I wiped away some tears and shrugged my shoulders he said, "you are so lucky to even be here today." I've heard those few lines so many times in the past few months.
Slowly, I am trying to find the motivation to get back into running! Some of those pounds I so proudly lost (with the help of my secret weapon - leukemia- ha!) have found their way back onto my thunder thighs. But, today I actually ran... Ok jogged... SLOWLY jogged 2.5 miles!!! I've come a long way from "I just need to lay down for a bit", to that turning into 4 hour naps, to apologizing to my husband for "not having it in me to make dinner", and in bed at 7:30 for the night. How I never thought I was sick was beyond me. I tried to keep a smile on my face and tell myself to "snap out of it, what's your problem?! You're fine!!" Little did I know I had a reason for being miserable.
Enough about me! Happy Spring! The trees are budding, my daffodils are growing and the grass is green! New life in so many ways. The sunshine and warmer temps are giving me that bounce to my step. I hope for you too. Until next time! Thanks for checking in.
Be well!
Love,
Rhonda Kay
