5 more days to go

Hi Everyone

We are gearing up now for the final chemo, and looking at the bloodwork. 

I had bloodwork done on wednesday that the white blood count was low and the concern to the clinic. So because I was working today I had another cbc done, and this time my blood count is lower than it has ever been.

The blood count CBC, has different parts to it, and each affected by chemo, at different times.

The White blood cells are the ones that deal with infection, the platelets are responsible for healing of blood vessels to control bleeding. The Redblood cells carry the hemoglobin which is responsible for getting deoxygenated blood to the lungs to be breathed out as CO2 and then we breath in the O2 and the hemoglobin then carries the oxygen to the tissues.

The white blood count has different "sub" categories,  the neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. The most important group here is the neutrophils, as that is the group that fights bacterial infections, and this is the group that drops with the chemo.

A person who has AIDS has a problem with the lymphocyte count, which is the subgroup that fights virises. Eosinophils more often go up with allergic reactions.

My total white blood count today is 1.6  (normal 4-11),  but the absolute neutrophil count is only 880. In order to give chemo it must be over 1500, and below 500 they start you on prophylactic antibiotics. So I will be rechecking on Sunday, then on Monday, and if still very low, they will give me  a neupogen shot to bump up my WBC so that they can give me my next chemo.  The shot I have gotten a day after each chemo has been neulasta, which is a longer acting "colonly stimulating factor" than is neupogen. So it seems that this last time around, perhaps the bone marrow is getting worn out.

I really hope I will be able to have my chemo next wednesday (the 26th) as planned, as we have planned our fall trip around me being feeling better by mid September.

SO it will be an interesting week, seeing how all this goes. 

Love and peace

Janet Bates

jankenb @ gmail.com