I’m feeling better than I have in weeks! After being released from the hospital on Monday, I took Tuesday to rest, and then I was back at work on Wednesday and Thursday.

Upon returning to class this week, a student gave me this “pocket angel.” She carried this coin around with her for the last four years as she battled leukemia. “I believe these things should be passed on to those who need them,” she said. “You should carry this around with you until you’re better, then pass it on to someone who needs it more.”

The official diagnosis: pneumonia (viral) and hypoxemia (abnormally low blood oxygen level). With that diagnosis, I had my first “insurance sucks” moment when my insurance company denied the doc’s request for at-home oxygen. Low oxygen levels apparently does not mean I qualify for… oxygen? Makes total sense, right?!

I’ve managed without the oxygen just fine. I use an at-home pulseox (little device I put my finger in to determine my blood oxygen level) when I start to feel funny. From there, I can figure out what to do if my levels are too low (inhaler, deep breathing, sit down/relax, etc.) or too high. Since my levels were SO low, the docs think my oxygen levels have been low for a long time (probably since my GI problems last month) and my body has adapted to less-than-normal levels. Not good. So I feel funny when my oxygen is in the low 80s, and I feel just as funny when my oxygen is in the high 90s.

Treatment started again today. It’s the second phase of chemo. This one is supposed to be 12 weeks of “easy.” Since I’m still recovering from the fever and pneumonia, the oncologist only started one of two of the drugs for this phase (taxol), with the second one being added in a future treatment (carboplatin, which is only administered every three weeks). Some people can’t tolerate carboplatin, so it’s not a HUGE deal if I don’t get it. As the oncologist said, “The carbo is just the icing on the cake.”

Goal for this week: STAY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!