Day 11 – Update

*NOTE: Just a friendly PSA, I have my fathers sense of humor and so when I say some things below, I am smiling and you should laugh (cause I’m funny right?). Like when I say I’m dying, technically we are all dying so lighten’ up and laugh a little yeah? Cue Aaron coming in here with his manly voice saying, “She’s not going to die” (bless his heart). But he’s right. I’ll be fine, Dr.’s think I’ll be fine and live on to have a million Kayla babies, so just laugh with me along this crazy journey and don’t take life for granted kids, every day is precious.

Since our last video, I have been able to continue on the fertility route prescribed by the Dr.’s, thankfully! Every day, I wake up and am seen at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) to have an ultrasound measuring the growth/development of my eggs in each ovary followed by a blood draw. I have been very fortunate and it appears I will have numerous healthy eggs post retrieval (A HUGE BLESSING, CAN I GET AN AMEN). I also asked the Dr. about the effect Leukemia would have on my eggs (I know we are all thinking it but no one wanted to ask because that’s rude I guess hahaha). Luckily, Leukemia doesn’t have any effect/genetic markings that can be passed through to my eggs (i.e. mini baby Kayla’s). So strange, and goes back to the why do I have Leukemia in the first place … the nurses/Dr.’s literally say it’s just dumb luck (hahaha great… I should maybe buy a lotto ticket at this rate yeah?). Anyways, once the egg retrieval happens (within the next week or so) I will be admitted into the hospital to start my 28 days of killing off this cancer. Kissing blood cancer goodbye folks, let’s get itttttttt! It won’t be 28 “rounds of chemo” but rather 4-5 cycles of chemo during my 28 day stay in the hospital. In the meantime, I’m still monitored in the Blood Infusion Center (BIC) at UCHealth daily. For those of you curious what that looks like, I walk past a lot of sick, tough, inspiring and amazing people receiving chemo in the “Chemo Wing” down to the BIC. When I walk in, I get a wrist band and a sheet of stickers with barcodes, my name and birthday everywhere. A nurse calls me back, I stand on a scale and we talk about my appetite. For all of you worried about your weight, get Leukemia… they tell you to gain weight and that all calories are great haha. LITERALLY, my nurse today goes, “Kayla if you want to eat ice cream every day until you get through this we are fine with that because you need all the calories you can get.” Soooooo I mean that’s cool I guess?? But then you sit down, they take your temperature, draw your blood and take your vitals to make sure you’re not dying (again my sarcasm and sense of humor is coming into play here, don’t panic). Luckily, my vitals have been all perfect except my heart rate has been slightly elevated (due to the 1938373 medicines I’m currently on). Oh, and my blood is jacked up Hahahah. Go figure. So after that, they take you back to an infusion room where you wait an hour to see what your blood counts are sitting out. During this two week span I’ve had to get red blood cells twice and platelets about every other day. Fun fact, red blood cells come in a bag looking like they’re straight out of Grey’s Anatomy. Platelets looks like thick yellow pee getting shot straight into your arm. Oh they also give you an emergency button to push once they start the transfusion because sometimes your body can reject the blood products and send you into anaphylactic shock (which, fun fact, can also kill you). But they give you juice and ice cream and snacks for you AND your “buddy“ who drove you to the appointment that day so I mean should we make a sign-up sheet for this or? I know you all want in on the free snacks, it’s like Costco but more exciting. 10/10 recommend.

Anyways, not too much more to report. Just CCRMing and BICing every dang day until we can get this chemo show on the road. I’m currently putting together a “packing list” for my super exciting 28 day hospital stay so if anyone has any good ideas text them my way. The Dr.’s and nurses won’t know what’s coming when I show up with 6 suitcases and a big ol’ personality ready to take on this adventure.

XOXO

Kayla