I just got back from having my monthly (every 5 weeks) blood test. Since my Velcade chemo ended for Multiple Myeloma in mid-November, it is necessary to have ongoing blood tests so that my specialist can monitor my ongoing cancer levels. I should know tomorrow what the full results are.
I have had so many blood test since my cancer diagnosis. It is always weird for me the day of a blood test, I always do it in the morning, so I can get it over with. I just had a piece of toast for breakfast and a little bit of water before heading to the lab. When I got to the lab, I waited a bit before my name was called. This experience wasn’t the greatest today.
As is the norm, he first tried to draw blood from my left arm. I really hate needles, so I always look away and try and take my mind to a happy place. I need 5 vials of blood for the multitude of tests done, but only one was able to be drawn from the left arm. I never use my right arm for blood tests, because it is pretty tapped dry from previous use, but I had to make an exception this time. It took longer to get out the blood, but eventually we had 5 vials in total. However, I’m going to be sticking to my left arm for the future, unless absolutely necessary.
I made a soundcloud about my experience today.
Just to give a recap, I’m living with a rare blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. From February to November 2013, I was on my 4th chemo treatment called Velcade, where I had weekly in-hospital injections, in addition to a variety of other pills taken to supplement my chemo treatment. You can read the background on my diagnosis and previous treatments on an earlier blogpost. You can also follow me on twitter.
Photos from my most recent self-portrait project are on flickr
Watching a summer sunset
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