BLOOD WORKS NOT GOOD

Gavin63
Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello Friends,

I was scheduled to start my 3rd Cycle of Chemo on last Thursday & I went for my pre chemo blood test on last Tuesday. Wednesday morning my Onc called me & said that my counts are slightly low & he will differ the Chemo by 1 week & do another blood test on this Wednesday. If my blood count has improved he will go ahead with the 3rd cycle on Thursday.

I know it is normal for your blood count to go down during Chemo. But my concern is that why it had happen so early as I have completed only 2 cycles out of my planned 8 cycles. I don’t have any symptoms arising out of low blood count & feeling normal. I eat well too. But the lab result is the reality. Is it common to have low blood count in early stages of Chemo ? Would love to hear from friends who had to differ the chemo due to low blood count.  

Gavin   

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #2
    I would say 'I think so'

    I don't really know if its normal, but my low blood counts started early in my chemo regime too. First it was low white, then low platletts then low red.

    I did the Neupogen shots for the low white, and had a blood infusion for the low red. It didn't seem to hurt the treatments, just put them back  week, which was hard, as I had a 300 mile round trip to get treatment. Long way to go for nothing. 

    Oh well! Its all behind me, and soon, it will be all behind you too.

    Just keep yourself as healthy as you can, and go with the flow. 

    Good luck.

  • fatbob2010
    fatbob2010 Member Posts: 467 Member
    #3
    Don't Know

    My counts stayed viable except for platelets which tanked early.  Ultimately, this caused an end to post surgery infusions.  Still low to this day.

    Good luck,

    Art

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #4
    I had to have blood transfusions

    twice during chemo.  I can't remember now exactly how far along I was...maybe third or fourth cycle?    I had to delay chemo until the counts improved.  It seems like with chemo that the only thing that you can count on for sure is that anything can happen, at any time!

    Good luck, keep us posted on how things go.

    AA

  • Gavin63
    Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
    #5
    annalexandria said:

    I had to have blood transfusions

    twice during chemo.  I can't remember now exactly how far along I was...maybe third or fourth cycle?    I had to delay chemo until the counts improved.  It seems like with chemo that the only thing that you can count on for sure is that anything can happen, at any time!

    Good luck, keep us posted on how things go.

    AA

    Thank you all for your

    Thank you all for your valuble comments. Happy to have found the CSN Smile

    Gavin.

  • Coloncancerblows
    Coloncancerblows Member Posts: 296 Member
    #6
    Gavin,
    The same thing

    Gavin,

    The same thing happened to me around my 3rd session and I had to get the shoots to boost my levels up.  I asked my onc if there was anything I could do or eat to bring my counts up and he said no.  Guess it's just a luck of the draw but it's frustrating when you plan on having it and then it gets cancelled.  You'll get there.

    Cynthia

  • Gavin63
    Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
    #7
    Coloncancerblows said:

    Gavin,
    The same thing

    Gavin,

    The same thing happened to me around my 3rd session and I had to get the shoots to boost my levels up.  I asked my onc if there was anything I could do or eat to bring my counts up and he said no.  Guess it's just a luck of the draw but it's frustrating when you plan on having it and then it gets cancelled.  You'll get there.

    Cynthia

    Hello Cynthia,
    Thanks for

    Hello Cynthia,

    Thanks for sharing your experience. Answer from my Onc was also the same when I asked him whether I could eat any specific food to boost the count. As you say it's just luck of the draw. It's behind me now as I am having only 4 days left to gulp the poison down my throat before I start enjoying my 1 week of poison free holiday. But without the poison we are vulnerable for recurrence. So I am not left with any choice rather than continuing with it.

    I took 3 shots of Neupogen last week.  So hopefully it would have done some good to boost my white cell count & look forward to go through the 4th Cycle as planned without having to postpone(fingers crossed)

    Gavin 

     

  • Coloncancerblows
    Coloncancerblows Member Posts: 296 Member
    #8
    Gavin63 said:

    Hello Cynthia,
    Thanks for

    Hello Cynthia,

    Thanks for sharing your experience. Answer from my Onc was also the same when I asked him whether I could eat any specific food to boost the count. As you say it's just luck of the draw. It's behind me now as I am having only 4 days left to gulp the poison down my throat before I start enjoying my 1 week of poison free holiday. But without the poison we are vulnerable for recurrence. So I am not left with any choice rather than continuing with it.

    I took 3 shots of Neupogen last week.  So hopefully it would have done some good to boost my white cell count & look forward to go through the 4th Cycle as planned without having to postpone(fingers crossed)

    Gavin 

     

    Good luck with the future

    Good luck with the future sessions.  It was like a roller coaster never knowing if it was going to be a good session or a bad session.  My 11th was my worse and the last session was the easiest.  Go figure.

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