Labs

"So, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked as she stuck the long needle into my port.

"Tired," I answered. "And my mouth is dry all the time."

"Ah, the two most common complaints of Bexxar," she replied.

It is a far cry from what I had been led to believe, that I would not feel any side effects from the Bexxar and that my biggest complaint would be that I have to keep coming in for lab work to make sure my immune system levels don't dip too low. Sigh.

How much longer do I need to be concerned about my immune system? When will the tiredness lift? When will my mouth stop being a desert? The nurse does not know. I should call my oncologist to ask, especially since I do not see her again until January! I feel abandoned.

The nurse fills her three vials and removes the needle. My port does not even bleed a drop extra. I wander back to the car, huffing like an old woman with raggedy heart issues. Stay grateful. This will lift. After all, it took six months to get this battered. It will take at least six months to recover. After all, I am on the upswing.