white blood count

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kit45
kit45 Member Posts: 89
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had my 1st A/C treatment a week ago today. Went for blood work today and my white count is 2100. ONC said to avoid crowds, runny nose kids and it should go back up by next treatment on 7/28. Whats weird is I feel ok. Is this normal? Got some answers in chat but thought I'd post. Is there anything i can do to boost? I don't want to prolong the treatment. Thanks, Kit

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
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    Kit, don't worry your count should be back up enough for your next treatment. I only had to postphone treatment once due to low counts. I never got sick during chemo and I teach(lots of runny noses!). It took 1 1/2 yrs. after chemo for my white count to get back up to normal range and its still at low end of normal. But onc. said that is not common and most people's counts go back to normal within 2-3 months after last treatment. Just remember everyone is different and they are watching your bloodwork carefully. I'm sure that there are lots of foods and vitamins out there to boost immune system BUT ASK YOUR ONCOLOGIST FIRST before taking anything because some foods/herbs can interfere with the chemo's effectiveness. Good luck, Eil
  • tan39
    tan39 Member Posts: 49
    #3
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    Hi Kit
    like you i felt good first few treatments, just toward the end you feel tired, but personally for me to keep the immune system healthy, plenty fruit and veg, especially vitamin c, vigilant on the hygeine, i must wash my hands 100 times a day and i carry the instant hand sanitiser with me all of the time. I am nearly finished treatment, but i have more or less kept myself hidden away, only go to the shop early to avoid crowds, also rest up when your body tells you, a good nights sleep is always good for your body. good luck , tan x
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398
    #4
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    Just on a normal basis I think I am healthier staying away from people especially crowds. I had problems with my white cell count but seems to me that when I was ill there were no white cells hence the raging staph infection into blood. The staph had been there since surgery which was 4 or more Months prior to infection. There are shots one takes now to help keep your white cell production up if there was a problem. It truly is amazing what they have found to help us get through the treatment phase of things. Doing as much as you can to boost immunde system and that means getting nutrition and I got it anyway I could so drank nutrition drinks to make sure I got what I neede since eating was chore, drinking was better. Best of luck with the remainder of treatments things do get better. I am 10.5 years survivor of stage 3 breast cancer and Invasive carsinoma with 11 out of 21 positive nodes. I consider myself very fortunate and I come here to let others know that it is possible to survive for long periods of time and everyday, one at a time is good for this cat. I will also tell you it has been hard work but what I was doing wasn't working prior to the big C so one can easily find another way.
    Be good to yourself always
    Tara
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #5
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    I could never tell a difference in how I felt when my white counts were low. I did not avoid crowds, kept working full time, just took naps after school and did fewer after school activities. I am a Speech Pathologist at an elementary school and work a lot with runny noses. One of my kids has sensory issues and frequent respiratory infections, so he has a runny nose almost constantly and refuses to allow a tissue within 10 feet of his body. We just developed a policy that everyone who enters or leaves my room uses hand sanitizer on the way in or out, and we have random group handwashings whenever the teacher feels the need in the middle of class (so as not to single one person out). Also, I made sure I had clorox wipes to wipe down anything I thought needed wiping in between classes. I got one respiatory infection during the school year which was taken care of by regular antibiotics after about 3 days. There is not much you can do nutritionally for WBC (unlike Red BC where protein and iron can help). They did give me neupogen shots at the same time as my chemo infusions. Some people have a lot of pain in their bones from neupogen because it prompts the bone marrow to produce WBC in overdrive. I was one of the lucky ones that did not have that problem. Just eat healthy...fruits and veggies. If you get where you feel bad and can't eat, you need to talk to your Dr.

    best wishes, seof
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #6
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    My white blood count dropped lower than yours, I did stay away from crowds, and still I developed neutrpenic fever which landed me in the hosptial. After that, my doctor had me take a shot of Neulasta within 48 hours of my infusion. And it worked. My white counts stayed in the normal range and I finished all of my chemo treatments with no more blood count problems. You may want to ask your doctor about Neulasta. Hope this helps. Marilynn
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #7
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    Your oncologist is rightly so playing"better safe than sorry"~ when our white counts drop during chemo ( and they always do!) that means we have NO infection fighting capabilities. They oftentimes elevate back to a chemo-do-able level, but like mgm, I too had Neulasta shots every 3 weeks, the day after my chemo. It is a white cell booster, btw.

    It is a really good idea to keep ones work area as germ-free as possible; not sterile or hermetically sealed, but take precautions. The hand sanitizers are a great idea, especially on shopping carts and the like. We generally don't get sick from our families; it is more likely we would pick something up outside. If you don't have a good thermometer, get one! All bets are off during chemo, and if you feel at all sick, take your temperature. If it is even 99, call your Dr. Again, there is limited infection fighting going on when our white cells are depleted, and 9 out of 10 times, our Dr's will give us an antibiotic if our temperature is elevated.

    My Dr said there is a lot we can do to raise our RED count, but sadly nothing for whites. So, keep healthy and by all means, if you are thinking of taking any supplements, ask your Dr first! Just because things are found in health food stores doesn't mean they cannot react negatively with chemotherapy.

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • kit45
    kit45 Member Posts: 89
    #8
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    chenheart said:

    Your oncologist is rightly so playing"better safe than sorry"~ when our white counts drop during chemo ( and they always do!) that means we have NO infection fighting capabilities. They oftentimes elevate back to a chemo-do-able level, but like mgm, I too had Neulasta shots every 3 weeks, the day after my chemo. It is a white cell booster, btw.

    It is a really good idea to keep ones work area as germ-free as possible; not sterile or hermetically sealed, but take precautions. The hand sanitizers are a great idea, especially on shopping carts and the like. We generally don't get sick from our families; it is more likely we would pick something up outside. If you don't have a good thermometer, get one! All bets are off during chemo, and if you feel at all sick, take your temperature. If it is even 99, call your Dr. Again, there is limited infection fighting going on when our white cells are depleted, and 9 out of 10 times, our Dr's will give us an antibiotic if our temperature is elevated.

    My Dr said there is a lot we can do to raise our RED count, but sadly nothing for whites. So, keep healthy and by all means, if you are thinking of taking any supplements, ask your Dr first! Just because things are found in health food stores doesn't mean they cannot react negatively with chemotherapy.

    Hugs,
    Claudia

    Thanks so very very much for all your support and recommendations. I have been staying close to home just hoping the white count elevates. It is so comforting to ask and receive such compassion from this group. Kit

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