In brief... nevermind, I'm terrible at 'brief'. I'll post the highlights (not necessarily high points.) This post just isn't going to be as smoooove as my usual prose.

- Spouse talked me into calling the CTC Friday afternoon, after the chills-while-sleeping event. That with the others made the fever/chills events seemed to be increasing in frequency and severity. Definitely not good and still mysterious as to cause. The CTC made an appoinment for me for Monday afternoon to investigate further without the disraction of a chemo treatment.

- THANKFULLY, I felt really good all day Saturday (when Mom & Dad arrived) and Sunday when we went to old Mesilla so I could show them a taste of this region's history (lots of adobe houses and an old church preserved from the 1800's). We had lunch at a really cool restaurant there, full of eclectic antique decor, each of the many rooms being totally unique, and serving good food, then we did a once-around in the little tourist/shopping Plaza even in 100 degree weather. After that, Mom & Dad (whom you shall remember are Walmart King and Queen ;) went grocery shopping with me. Very helpful. I would bet money that Mom & Dad's presence not only made me happy in a literal sense but lent me energy on a spirit level. *nod* They're just so positive and energetic, it's hard not to be bouyed by them.

- Thankfully, I only had a fever (sans chills) Saturday evening and one on Sunday evening. Ironically, I had one with the chills on Monday just a couple of hours before my appointment. I was shivering uncontrollably and Dad was sweating. I told him we needed to work out some kind of exchange. :)

- Mom & Dad also went with me for my Monday appointment at the CTC. It was cool to be able to show them the chemo suite where I spend every other Wednesday afternoon. Also cool to introduce them to my chemo nurses/techs and visa versa.

And now for the... um... whatever. Recall that my RBC count had fallen to 8, postponing chemo treatment #4 and prompting an IV megadose of iron. The next week, it was up to 9+ which still isn't at minimum on the normal range (11-14), but was deemed okay to do #4.

Monday, it was 7... despite a shot during the last visit to boost my marrow's RBC production, despite my hips torturing me which is now presumed to be caused by the increased production and requiring over-the-top use of ibuprofen, despite the fact that I have felt much better than the ass-dragging exhaustion I felt when the count was 8, fevers with chills being the only fly in that ointment as that is very draining.

So from Monday's discussions and blood workup...
- the concensus was that the hip pain is surely all about bone marrow making RBCs
- I got a shot to increase production of white blood cells (WBC) even though that count is okay, but if I am fighting some infection I could use that boost
- the 7 count obviously means I am headed in the wrong direction, despite all efforts to the contrary, and everyone at the CTC seemed surprised that I am ambulatory; lower than 7 we did not discuss specifically but I could tell it gets bad, very bad
- the current guess on the RBC drop is that I'm losing blood, probably through my gastric system and it's being eliminated with solid waste (that's as subtle as I could put it and imo it's still TMI). It doesn't make sense to me because I do not see evidence of that but the doctor said I might not if it's a fairly gradual albeit continuous thing

** going for a tranfusion today to get some more blood in me, 2 units I think **
** going for CT scans tomorrow, with contrast (ie, drinking yucky stuff to make ye olde digestive system show up better) to see if we can determine if/where I might have a trouble spot that may be bleeding or may be an infection or some other clue; having scans of chest, abdomen and pelvis to pretty much cover my whole bod **

- Obviously, because of the 7 count, another chemo treatment (#5) is postponed. With lots of luck (if transfusion elevates RBCs to maybe 9 or better) I might be allowed to do #5 on Friday, thus preventing the further shuffling of my ultimate schedule.
- The shuffling of the schedule, ie extending it, disturbs me on two fronts: taking longer to finish up this last (damned well better be the last!) phase of deleting the cancer, and 2) Grandma's reunion on Labor day weekend. I was already pushing it to make a trip home for that --- and being well enough to enjoy it --- but each chemo postponement pushes me closer to making that trip imprudent or in fact impossible.

I am highly annoyed. I certainly did not expect nor sign up for these complications. In some ways it harkens back to when I was so frustrated trying to get all the complications and delays out of the way so I could get the takedown done and start this chemo. grrrr

Have I mentioned that I'm impatient? Yeah, I thought so.

Note: New term - FUO - Fever of Unknown Origin... But those letters are just too juicy. I'm sure I'll eventually come up with something more...um... meaningful. *grin*