Lost: Extra Credit Points

I got to see Jerry yesterday.

It had been seven weeks (!) since the last appointment. That means, I think, that it has been 8 weeks since my last chemo treatment.

How time flies.

Even though I was the first appointment of his day (10:30 a.m. -- pretty sweet time to start work), Jerry made me wait 30 minutes. I realize that doctors do other things than see patients. Perhaps he had to go to the hospital? Or just got a late start after relaxing with his cup of coffee and the newspaper?

All is well.

My white blood counts are still low, but not lower than to be expected.

I have lost some of my extra credit points with Jerry. For all of his earlier praise, I really messed up.

I did not live up to my reputation as 'the perfect patient'.

Because I was not so intelligent.

For some strange reason, I did not read the label on the bottles of lapatinib, the clinical trial drug, before I started taking it. I did wonder, when Don brought home the package from the Post Office, why the research department sent me so darn many pills. Four bottles of 90 pills each.

I dutifully began taking the lapatinib on Thursday, July 9th.

But I didn't read the label.

At all.

I took one 250 mg pill at bedtime every night for a week.

And then I saw Jerry.

Normal dosage of lapatinib is 1500 mg daily. I need to be taking 6 pills every night.

OH MY GOODNESS!

Jerry said "Drenda, what did the label on the bottle say?"

"Well, I can't say that I read the label."

"Really?"

At that moment, I felt incredibly stupid. Careless. Unsafe.

How could I not read the label? (Note to Legacy Research: In the future, please say, over and over if necessary, how many pills a patient should be ingesting...) I AM smart. I AM! Usually. Not this week.

But Jerry, bless his beating heart, did not say anymore.

I love a man that knows when to keep his mouth closed.

Especially when I am really stupid.