Thrush <- Nope, that's not the name of my new band...

Of all of the side effects I was expecting, thrush was not one of them. It just never crossed my mind. Not until I woke up a few days back with a hell of a sore throat and fire in my belly. At least it's an easy fix and I'm already recovering from that little setback.

Today was interesting. After going off of the Tigercycline on Friday I had been IV free. Today we decided that I would start IV Cefoxitin. I guess since I am allergic to Penicillin I had a 30% chance of being allergic to Cefoxitin also. Therefore, I has to be observed while getting the first dose today. Off to the Dialysis Center I went, where I was by far the youngest person receiving treatment by at least 40 years. This process took FOREVER! When they tried to order my drug from the pharmacy, the pharmacist refused to fill it. She said that 3 grams was way too high of a dose and she did not feel comfortable releasing it. Dr. Dazzle stepped in and saved the day, as he always does. He's Dr. Dazzle after all! That just got me to thinking that I really must be getting some powerful stuff injected into my veins if the pharmacist is concerned...huh...

The bummer about Cefoxitin is that it will likely cause bone marrow suppression. This is concerning in my case, because I chronically have a low white blood count. The doctors have often wondered if this low white count was responsible for my lungs being scar-free for so many years even after enduring many lung infections. The by-product of the white cells is elastase, which is what causes the scarring. Without many white cells, there's not a lot of elastase and in turn there is less scarring. Interesting stuff, but it's just a theory. In the situation I now find myself, my low white blood count may be a hindrance. Having worked with cancer patients for 12 years I know that they are often given Nuepogen injections to boost their white counts after chemo. Therefore, I asked Dr. Dazzle if he could look into this option for me if the need presents itself. I just hate the idea that I keep failing on all of these medications. I really want this one to work-out. The only other crappy thing about this antibiotic is that I will have to infuse 4 times a day, which means I have to wake myself every day to infuse.

Soooooooo, I tolerated the Ceftoxin very well today and we're off on a new, different adventure!

In fun news, I finished "The Hunger Games" a couple weeks ago. I am almost finished with the second book in the series, "Catching Fire". By next week I should be able to finish the last in the series, "Mockingjay". These are amazing reads! Tons of action, a bit of love and some politics thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend this series!