Neutropenia with Chemotherapy

CaliforniaPatricia

I was about to begin my 8th (final) cycle of chemotherapy. However, on what should have been Cycle 8, Day 1, my white blood cell count and, specifically, my neutrophil count were too low to proceed. The protocol is to wait a week to give the bone marrow a chance to recover. However, one week later, the numbers were still too low. My oncologist is confident that the numbers will be within range in another week. Because there are no chemotherapy infusions from Day 9 of one cycle to Day 1 of the next, I go at least 14 days without an infusion--giving the cancer drives time to work after the Day 1 & 8 infusions while also giving the cancer-free, fast-cell-producing areas of my body a chance to recover.

When I return to the infusion facility this coming week, it will have been 4 weeks since my last infusion. First, I will have more lab work. I have read about patients whose bodies shut down due to neutropenia. They receive daily infusions to help their body recover, but that can go on indefinitely. So, while I'm eager to be done with chemotherapy, I'm trying to be patient.

#neutropenia #lowneutrophils #gallbladdercancer #chemotherapy #gemcitabine #cisplatin