Day Four

Today hasn't been a good one. Mark is very nauseous and sick, and has started on an additional nausea pill. He is borderline neutropenic, so by tomorrow, his white blood cell count will be down to a level where he'll need to be very careful about everything he eats and does. Neutropenia is a hematological disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of white blood cells called a neutrophil. Neutrophils usually make up 50-70% of circulating white blood cells and serve as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria in the blood. Patients with neutropenia are more susceptible to bacterial infections.

It will take a couple of days for the nausea to go away once Mark is disconnected from the chemo, however the lethargy will continue for awhile. He will be disconnected tomorrow around noon and then will receive a white blood cell booster shot called Neulasta.

Dianna is hoping that things will be stable enough that she can run home tomorrow afternoon to do laundry and then bring Shane back with her to see his dad and stay for the night. Dixie will stay with Mark while Dianna is gone.