On the knife edge

I have just passed through the critical days at the end of the cycle when my bowel collapses. Well, it certainly collapsed on two out of the last four cycles, and sent me to hospital.

This cycle we tried a new strategy, namely, stopping the oral chemotherapy medication the moment the diarrhea began, in this case, on schedule at last Thursday. Since then I have been fighting the battle with the usual anti-diarrhea drugs, and a couple more. On Monday night my temperature started to rise close to the danger zone above 38.0 C. It hovered at 37.7 for an hour then slowly drifted back to the low 37s. The same happened on Tuesday night.

Today, Wednesday, the temperature was normal and my colitis pain was receding. The diarrhea seemed to have stopped. But this evening, I am again hovering at 37.7 C, occasionally hitting 37.8 C.

This teetering on the knife edge is becoming tedious. My prediction is that by tomorrow I will be back to the safe zone and ready to start cycle 6, albeit delayed somewhat. My poor bowel won't take capecitabine until several more days of recovery.

Given a successful navigation of tonight, this would make the score 3-2. To Batman.


PS: Thursday has passed, calm has returned, I am on the mend!