Blood Crashed.....what a mess!

WOW those numbers are
WOW those numbers are amazing.. you must have been low prior to the first infussion.. my numbers never dropped too low for a treatment. but after my surgeries during the waiting period my number were so low. .. I had 9 blood transfusions.. .

Could the massive heat and humidity taking over the country be to blame..

Rest and Recoup dear..
Get strong for sugery..

Hugs, Donna

Phil64 said:

Jennie,

I'm going to be resting and relaxing along with you. Treatment 2 is on Thursday. These last couple days have been rough for me. I've been constipated and I felt like I'm getting the flu (cold chills, muscle aches, tired). I'll be saying some prayers for you and me! Praying for the best Rest and Relaxation we can manage and some mega-recouperation results as well!

God Bless,
Phil

I don't understand the
I don't understand the numbers....but I sure hope you start to feel better.

Hey Jen:
When George crashed this last time his WBC was .09, his HGB was 6.8 and Platelets was 122, RBC was 2.28, so we know what you are going thru. Has doc mentioned a blood transfusion(s) to help get you back on track? Have they mentioned Neuprogen shots and Procrit? Now George is not fond of Procrit but it does do its job. With the severe diarrhea like you (and George) had, when it continues things just spiral down until they get out of control which unfortunately you are now experiencing. We know full well how horrible the diarrhea is, especially when it just leaks out with zero control. George was also very, very weak and extremely fatigued.


If you remember, let me know what kind of shot they give you for the diarrhea. No one ever mentioned anything like that to us and I would find it interesting if there is anything out there.

You take care - Hugs - Tina

Jen
WBC of 1.3 ---> that's a low number...I've been as low as 2.7 and still had chemo...Neulasta shots or Neupogen shots will help the wbc...I'd opt for Neulasta...one shot and done. You can get headaches when taking this...at least I thought they were headaches. The onc told me that the skull is the major producer of bone marrow, which is what you're trying to squeeze out...and thus the pain...some Tramadol will help...and to help put you to sleep...repeated shots will force the body to become accustomed to where you won't feel it as badly.

Platelets at 123K ---> yes, that's low...oxy forever ruined my ability to produce platelets at the rate of a normal person....even 8-years post Oxy...my latest platelet reading was just 85K....and has hovered down in the 70's for years....you'll have to watch it here...if your numbers don't bounce back between 2-3 weeks and the treatments continue to extend out, you will lose the effectiveness of that drug....happened to me and we discontinued.

RBC of 2.7 ---> yes, that's low...I've been around 3.7 or 3.8...just slightly off the low end at times....now about a 4.0

Oxy is a tough drug, Jennie....it will whip your numbers...good you're getting a break off of it...once you start again, keep in mind about your platelets....with Oxy, it is more relevant than with Irinotecan.....the drops are much steeper.

Get well soon.

-Craig

dmj101 said:

procrit
Procrit is an amazing drug.. I had 2 shots of it while in the hospital and it really helped.. but i understand it needs special approval to get it.. as my primaray ordered it and when the hemo heard i had gotten it .. he said wow.. how did you get approved for it..

Hi Jennie
Just wanted you to know that I have been thinking of you. I was hoping your "runs" to the potty had slowed down after the ER visit. But now, this latest news! If only your darn blood would cooperate. I'm sorry, I have forgotten, when is the cyberknife being done?

Just remember, I have a lot of boots to help kick cancer's a$$.

Luv,

Wolfen

Hey Jennie,
I'm in same predictament as you. I have shown up twice for Folfox #2 and my wbc was lower this last Friday than the Friday before. It wiped me out as well. I looked at my 5-FU bag that I took home for the weekend and it showed 3,250 miligrams. I forgot to ask my Onc what that meant compared to what I had last year. I'm scheduled to go back in this Friday and try again. I also am going to the Neulasta shots again. That was the only thing that kept my wbc up last year so I could continue with treatments. I was so weak and shaky this 1st treatment. I couldn't even go to work for 3 days and then when I finally did that Thursday following treatment, I didn't really feel good again until the Tuesday following. I am going to have them give me a printout on my numbers this last 3 visits so I can see what they were compared to yours. Please get plenty of rest and I will keep you in my prayers. I'll pray that both of us are able to move forward and keep fighting this ugly intruder that has come into our lives.

P.S I just read Craig's post about the Oxy; my Onc is taking that out of my cocktail. He said he believes it is the Oxy that is causing most of my side effects. Last year he ended up discontinuing Oxy and the Leucovorin. I did get some half decent news today. Before I started my 1st treatment, CEA was 13.8, 2 weeks ago it was up to 23.7 and today they told me that Friday it was 16.5. I am hopeful that if I can get back on treatment that it will get back down to 1.0 where it was before I took my 4 month break from everything. Hang in there and stay out of the heat...my Onc said that the heat mixed with chemo can cause us to pass out without warning. Stay cool!

Hugs,

Pam

lesvanb said:

Oh Jennie
lots of hugs to you; what a stinking situation you are dealing with. I agree with comments on Oxi. My RBC still hovers around 3.7 three years later even with organ meats and bone marrow soup. But I'm pretty functional with the RBC number there.

all the best, Leslie

hey girl
just try to stay positive but just want to say that your current cocktail really kicked my butt and also did permenant damage with neuropathy.stay strong i know you can do this(((HUGS)))...Godbless...johnnybegood

One step forward...
and a cautious shuffle backwards. This journey always seems a bit like that to me. We try things to get moving forward but sometimes that don't work that well and we have to accept that and move on. in truth chemo for the brain mets is not likely to have huge effects due to the low levels that cross the blood brain barrier. Its main role is to try and make teh tumour more sensitive to the cyberknife which is the main treatment to really try and blast that damn thing. It really doesn't sound like the side effects and effects on your body in general are worth the small gains you may have got from the chemo so I wouldn't feel too bad about letting that one pass.

Rest, recoup and relax as best you can- that really is the best way you can fight this for now. One good thing about horrendous diarrhoea I remember is how great it feels when it stops!

steve