Nadir

I saw on Beth's site that today, at Day + 7, she has hit nadir. We're all rooting for you Beth! Hang in there!

Just in case you've forgotten, the nadir is the lowest point of your immune system function during the SCT treatment, when virtually all of your white cells have been destroyed. Growth factor shots are given, and the cells start growing again after a few days. Typically a person reaches nadir around 7-10 days after the last chemotherapy is administered.

I can recall my nadir. It was the only time that I wasn't feeling well enough to post here on the blog. Between the drugginess and the fatigue, those days I really, really didn't feel like doing much. I think that the drugs I was on were really the worst part, as they really messed with your mind. It was awful.

One drug that I was on during the rebuilding, Decadron, was on my special hate list. It acted as a stimulant, which forced my mind to always race, 24 hours a day. This could pose a problem when you were really tired and wanted to rest. I remember that it made me walk back and forth in the apartment. One day I recall pacing the floors for 14 hours straight. No kidding.

I had hit my nadir by Day + 6, but three days later I was out of the basement and my system was back on track. I got off most of the evil drugs less than a week later, and by Day + 14 my body was starting to rebuild in earnest.

It's rather amazing that your immune system can be destroyed and reseeded within weeks, but when you are patient, it feels like an eternity.