Catching a Cold from Cats and Cataract Surgery

I am told my Leukemia is technically in remission as long as I keep taking the Dasatinib.

I have issues with the chemo in that it keeps me nauseated much of the time. That can be quite debilitating and annoying.  It is hard to get adequate balanced nutrition when all I can eat is crackers. Though at least I do have some good days.

This is Ozzie who lives in Lee Vining, California
I met him the week I was diagnosed with CML in 2011.

Recently I have caught a cold from my five cats. Yes, according to the Vet it is not only quite possible but now proven. We can also give our cats the flu, too! The cats are all well now, but I keep dragging on with exhaustion and needing frequent time out's from daily activities to lie down. I don't know if it is residual from the cold alone though.

I also have a mild form of anemia, low lymphocytes (white blood cells) and not enough protein in my blood, as well as a chronic pancreatitis flare up, all of which could be related to my extreme fatigue. Urgh!!!

On Wednesday, I'm scheduled for a cataract removal surgery and lens implant. The lens will be for distance in one eye. Later, the other lens will be for close up. I'm very apprehensive about the idea of someone messing with my eye! Thank heavens I will be sedated for this procedure.

Though I am told there is no contraindication to having the surgery while I have leukemia, (and getting over a cold) it still concerns me. But, I will chalk that up to being overly cautious and maybe a tiny bit of fear.

My boy friend will be taking me for the surgery, bringing me back and staying with me a couple days. A friend will come on Friday. Then my son will be here for Mother's day. So I won't be alone in my healing process. And.... so that I wont bend over or pick up items weighing more than ten pounds.

Four out of my five cats are at least that weight so it will be a good idea that others will be here to "hoist" them about for me and do the bending over to feed them!

Losing Weight is Good?

Skinny me, a long time ago

Today I learned that I have lost twenty four pounds since I started on Chemo.

Of course, the good thing is that I lost weight.

The not so good thing is what caused me to lose weight.

Not  being able to take my stomach medicine because it interferes with the absorbtion of  Dasatinib ( Sprycel ) by sixty percent made it necessary to go cold turkey with my tummy meds. I'm sure I have mentioned this before. Yes?

So the results were instantaneous. Tummy problems full force. It's taken these many months to get to the point where it's not so terrible to live with, though I often question quality of life. Do I want to be sick the rest of my life by not treating tummy problems? Or do I want to be sick with the long term results of untreated leukemia

I haven't even mentioned the meds I cant use anymore for pain. Have I? We wont go there right now. Tummy is the biggest problem.

Needless to say, it has gotten down to experimenting with various foods to learn what my tummy can handle and what is no longer my friend. Right now I can eat apple, banana, asparagus, oatmeal, white meat turkey and occasionally, a little bit of red meat. I'm sorry my vegetarian friends. I cannot eat soy products either. My favorite food, a good salad is a touch and go situation. One day I can have a little, another day it will sit in my tummy heavy and nauseating.

This really bothers me. Losing twenty four pounds without an adequately balanced diet is concerning. I've got to look at the contraindications on the Dasatinib labeling sheet again. I hadn't given it much thought in the beginning, but there are several nutritional supplements that are not to be taken.

Well.... Who knows? At the rate I am going, perhaps I will look like the skinny wench in the picture again!