Capecitabine

Boooo, no fun. I’ve had two of the six to eight cycles of capecitabine. I’ve developed a rash, hand and foot syndrome, where the skin gets dry and begins to peel, diarrhea, and then the fun really began.

I had begun my next cycle of capecitabine on Tuesday morning, March 12. I also had a visit with my oncologist who decided I needed a break from the capecitabine. After visiting with her, I had an immunotherapy infusion.

Over Wednesday, March 13 I felt chilled but better in the morning. After working for about a half day the chills came back and it dawned on me that I had a fever. It was 100.5° fever that I thought a little rest would ease. It stayed high so Matt came home and took me to our local clinic. The doctor there had me speak with an oncology colleague of my oncologist. She said that I needed to go to the ER. By then my temperature was at 103.8 and I agreed 100 percent!

We decided to take the ferry to the hospital affiliated with my oncologist’s department. Over a course of a few hours, I had an EKG, chest X-ray, a blood draw, and an IV inserted into my right arm. The ER doctor said I’d be staying in the hospital. I was diagnosed with fibril neutropenia. In other words, a fever with a very low white neutrophil blood cell count. I was highly immunocompromised. It took some time for them to find a bed for me on the particular floor for immunocompromised people.

It was the wee hours on Friday, March15 when I was moved to my very own room. It had a fantastic view and its own bathroom. They tried to pinpoint if I had an infection. The bloodwork showed nothing, nor did the urine and stool samples. That part is a mystery.

It took about a day or so of antibiotics, fluids, potassium drips, and other meds for the fever to break. They wanted some sign of improvement in the diarrhea which was depleting my potassium levels, before releasing me.

In the meantime, by Saturday night, the vein with the IV had become permeable and edema puffed up my hand and fingers. A nurse tried a vein on the outside of my left arm for a new IV placement. That did not work and I rued allowed that it would be nice if my port could be used instead. She asked and my wish was granted. A nurse from another the oncology unit came up to remove the IV from my arm and access my port. Yay! He explained each step and made sure that I was aware of some important aspects of what needs to happen when a port is accessed and de-accessed.

On Monday I got the good news that I could go home. I still have diarrhea, and so am on a low-fiber diet and a neutropenic diet of no raw vegetables, washed fruits, no raw fish or anything that could cause an infection.

I look forward to when I may visit a local sushi place! May it be soon! 🎏 Thank you fishes of the sea, for benefiting my health (soon).

Much Love,
D’Arcy

The view from my ninth floor hospital room.