Looks like I’m going to avoid the hospital this round . . .

Great news! I believe that my body is now producing new white blood cells and that I’m finally on the upswing for Round #6. And just in the nick of time too, as my white count was very low Wednesday morning.

So how do I know I’m producing new white blood cells? For me, the signal is night sweats. (Yes, I know we’ve had a bit of a warm spell here in Atlanta, but that’s not it I assure you.) I noticed several months ago that I experience night sweats about 1 week out from having chemo and it lasts for about a week. This is the exact timeframe when new white blood cells would be produced. In fact, after Round #4 when I was hospitalized with critically low white counts, I knew I was going to be OK when on my second night I experienced night sweats. That morning, blood tests confirmed that my white count had jumped significantly overnight.

The doctors too have validated my theory, stating that “everyone’s body signals them in a different way. For you it is night sweats; for someone else it could be something completely different.”

I mention this mainly for the benefit of other cancer patients: learn and know your body’s signals. For me, it’s really encouraging to know that I’m on the mend without having to wait for the doctor to tell me that.