Lymphopenia, New Rules, and So Many OB GYN Questions

On Monday I saw my neuro oncologist (A.K.A. Dr. No Naps) for a very quick check up. There was no scan so no news on the tumor bed and he has no reason to think there is an issue there. The blood work, on the other hand, continues to show extremely low lymphocyte counts, which means I have a severely compromised immune system. Now I'm a bit paranoid and although it would not suit me to be on house arrest, I've struggled with the stress of leaving the house this week. It would just suck to survive brain surgery, to have fought and won insurance payment for proton therapy, and have struggled with the food issues just to die of pneumonia because I caught a cold. Therefore, I will not engage in the following activities, effective immediately:

1) I will no longer make out with friends or strangers (sorry).

2) I will avoid children and college students if possible (the snottiest humans on the planet).

4) I will not eat after others (just kidding, anyone who knows me knows that I have never eaten after another human in my life- even my own family).

5) I probably will avoid shaking hands, touching door knobs, and am considering a full body condom (shout out to Katy Thelon for that suggestion).

6) I am asking those who are close to me or who are frequently with me to avoid me when sick and to please consider getting a flu shot. The good news for you guys is that you now have an excuse to avoid me altogether! 

I also had a consult with an OB GYN to discuss the possibility of encouraging menopause. Warning: if you are squeamish about OB GYN issues, anatomically correct names for women's body parts, or women's reproductive issues, you should stop reading now. For the rest of you, have I got some interesting trivia for you! Intrigued yet?

I went in and the doc didn't fully understand why I was there. I explained that the chemo is thought to possibly throw me into menopause, however, I have frequently had to deal with "Aunt Flo" during chemo weeks and this is just more than any woman should have to deal with. She agreed and went through various options. Basically she wants to try a birth control option where I take it for 12 months straight (not allowing the monthly cycle) and after the 12 months is over I will stop the birth control to see if menopause is in full swing. Sounds easy enough, but deciding on a method was hard. We ultimately decided on the NuvaRing for various reasons. While discussing the various aspects of the NuvaRing, the doctor stated that a woman can get the same effect of the NuvaRing by "inserting birth control pills close to the cervix through the vagina." I can only imagine what my face must have looked like at that moment. I've never ever heard of anything like this. And, of course, as an academic I had so many questions! I somehow refrained from asking the doctor, but I'll share them with you in case any of you know. First off, how would the pill stay in there? Also, how long would it take to dissolve? If you can use birth control pills in place of Plan B, would using lots of pills at the cervix cause a miscarriage or abortion? So many unanswered questions that I'm scared to Google! Can you imagine what might come up on the Google search? Well, anyway, that's what I learned this time.

Next trip to Houston is October 9-11. At that visit I will have a scan and see both the oncologist and the radiologist.