Platelets down

mp327

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

CBC today.

My platelets today are 74,000, much improved after the 5 days of Prednisone 50mg, though it made my B/P shoot up.

The oncologist doesn't think I have TTP, as she said I wouldn't be able to walk if I did because I'd be too sick. She thinks it's ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura). She also said that she thinks it's from the Zantac I was put on for epigastric pain, but I realized on my way home that that would mean it's DITP (Drug-induced Thrombocytopenia Purpura). And just a week and a half ago, I only knew about one kind of thrombocytopenia!

She doesn't think I need a bone marrow aspiration yet (THANK GOODNESS!!!). But I could kick myself for forgetting to ask for a blood smear.

Plan:

Stop Zantac.

Continue on Prednisone (40mg x 1 week, then 30mg x 1 week, then 20mg x 1 week, then "we'll see").

Weekly CBCs for the next month or so.

Call ASAP if I bruise or bleed.

Also, I'm sending myself to the allergist on Friday to be re-tested for soil fungi to see if I have a sensitivity to mitomycin's fungi source.

I freely admit to confusion and trepidation.

Ouch

I'm glad your platelets are up!  It sounds like you are going to be monitored closely--that's good.  Take care and please keep us posted.

Martha

RoseC

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

CBC today.

My platelets today are 74,000, much improved after the 5 days of Prednisone 50mg, though it made my B/P shoot up.

The oncologist doesn't think I have TTP, as she said I wouldn't be able to walk if I did because I'd be too sick. She thinks it's ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura). She also said that she thinks it's from the Zantac I was put on for epigastric pain, but I realized on my way home that that would mean it's DITP (Drug-induced Thrombocytopenia Purpura). And just a week and a half ago, I only knew about one kind of thrombocytopenia!

She doesn't think I need a bone marrow aspiration yet (THANK GOODNESS!!!). But I could kick myself for forgetting to ask for a blood smear.

Plan:

Stop Zantac.

Continue on Prednisone (40mg x 1 week, then 30mg x 1 week, then 20mg x 1 week, then "we'll see").

Weekly CBCs for the next month or so.

Call ASAP if I bruise or bleed.

Also, I'm sending myself to the allergist on Friday to be re-tested for soil fungi to see if I have a sensitivity to mitomycin's fungi source.

I freely admit to confusion and trepidation.

Ouch

Glad to hear it's not TTP!!! Very glad to hear it!!!

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch

RoseC said:

Ouch

Glad to hear it's not TTP!!! Very glad to hear it!!!

Thanks....

I am sorry that you DID have it, RoseC. The illness and getting those plasmaphoresis treatments must have been awful and terrifying.

I read yesterday that another rare effect of mitomycin is leukemia due to its effect on bone marrow. (And I thought getting through 5-fu was bad.) It's tough stuff. We are warriors!

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch

Creepy!

In spite of the high doses of Prednisone, my platelets have not gone above 71,000, then bounces down to 58,000, up/down. So, a bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for December 17th. Hooray for sedation!

mp327

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

Creepy!

In spite of the high doses of Prednisone, my platelets have not gone above 71,000, then bounces down to 58,000, up/down. So, a bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for December 17th. Hooray for sedation!

Ouch

A bone marrow biopsy does not sound like much fun and I'm sorry you have to go through this.  I often worry about the possibility of leukemia in my own case, but so far so good.  I hope your biopsy will go well and that the results will show all is well. 

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch

mp327 said:

Ouch

A bone marrow biopsy does not sound like much fun and I'm sorry you have to go through this.  I often worry about the possibility of leukemia in my own case, but so far so good.  I hope your biopsy will go well and that the results will show all is well. 

Thank you.

Thanks for the empathy, mp327; I truly appreciate it.

So far, all the other blood values are smack in the middle of the normal ranges, including the WBC. Platelets are the only value that's abnormal. So, leukemia doesn't seem to be the problem at this point. The oncologist said that normal bone marrow cells would help confirm an immune thrombocytopenia purpura diagnosis caused by a confused spleen. She was much less commital about what a finding of abnormal bone marrow cells might mean, drat her. >_<

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

Thank you.

Thanks for the empathy, mp327; I truly appreciate it.

So far, all the other blood values are smack in the middle of the normal ranges, including the WBC. Platelets are the only value that's abnormal. So, leukemia doesn't seem to be the problem at this point. The oncologist said that normal bone marrow cells would help confirm an immune thrombocytopenia purpura diagnosis caused by a confused spleen. She was much less commital about what a finding of abnormal bone marrow cells might mean, drat her. >_<

No bone marrow biopsy done.

I went for the bone marrow biopsy today. Although the Prednisone dose has dropped to 10mg/day, the stat CBC showed that my platelets went up to 87,000. It's not yet near normal, but it's improving. So I left. The same-day surgery people were quite surprised. They called the oncologist who wanted to procede anyhow. It's my bone marrow and potential pain, though! If it goes back down, I can always reschedule. For a while, I started to feel guilty about putting everybody out, but happily, my husband was there to talk me back down.

I felt like I broke out of prison!  .^_^.

mp327

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

No bone marrow biopsy done.

I went for the bone marrow biopsy today. Although the Prednisone dose has dropped to 10mg/day, the stat CBC showed that my platelets went up to 87,000. It's not yet near normal, but it's improving. So I left. The same-day surgery people were quite surprised. They called the oncologist who wanted to procede anyhow. It's my bone marrow and potential pain, though! If it goes back down, I can always reschedule. For a while, I started to feel guilty about putting everybody out, but happily, my husband was there to talk me back down.

I felt like I broke out of prison!  .^_^.

Ouch

I don't blame you for turning around and walking out on that biopsy, given that your platelet count is going up.  No need to feel guilty, IMO!  As long as your count continues to be monitored, I say see what happens.  As you say, the procedure can always be done at some point down the road if things don't continue to improve.  However, I hope they will!