Well the results from yesterday's test reminded us that this disease is like a roller coaster. There are going to be some serious ups and downs. After last week's relatively good results, yesterday's number were not very encouraging.
The Red Blood Cells and Hemoglobin were about the same from week to week. This is good because with the Hemoglobin above 10, the fatigue is greatly diminished as there is more oxygen in the blood.
The disturbing numbers were the White Blood Cells and Absolute Neutrophils. The WBCs were down to 1.3 and the Abs Neutrophils went down to .7. These are considerably below normal and increase the risk of infections, etc.... So we're basically back to the same numbers as early July.
It also means that I'm back under house arrest and not allowed to interact face to face with other people. The warden (aka Carol) will make sure that I don't stray from these instructions.
The game plan for right now is to continue with the weekly Procrit and Neupogen injections and the weekly blood count tests. We'll do this for another 8 weeks and if the WBCs do not show improvement we'll start looking at other treatment options.
So to try to sum up all of this, while I'm feeling better the numbers are not indicating improvement. Like I said it's a roller coaster and we just have to take the bad with the good.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
Fred
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
August 21, 2013
Good news this week. All of the Blood Counts moved in the right direction.
Here are the results:
White Blood Cells 2.2 Still below normal, but improving.
Abs Neutrophils 1.5 At the low end of normal.
Red Blood Cells 3.1 Still below normal, but improving
Hemoglobin 10.5 Still below normal, but improving
Platelets 72 Still below normal, but improving
So it looks like the weekly Procrit & Neupogen injections are beginning to kick in.
Next Tuesday will be a day at Mayo Clinic for more extensive testing and consultation with the Dr.
Thank you for your well wishes and prayers.
Fred
Here are the results:
White Blood Cells 2.2 Still below normal, but improving.
Abs Neutrophils 1.5 At the low end of normal.
Red Blood Cells 3.1 Still below normal, but improving
Hemoglobin 10.5 Still below normal, but improving
Platelets 72 Still below normal, but improving
So it looks like the weekly Procrit & Neupogen injections are beginning to kick in.
Next Tuesday will be a day at Mayo Clinic for more extensive testing and consultation with the Dr.
Thank you for your well wishes and prayers.
Fred
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
update
The Blood counts this week are kind of a mixed bag.
The White Blood Cells improved to 1.2 and the Abs Neutrophils improved to .8
The Red Blood Cells dropped to 2.8 and the Hemoglobin dropped to 9.6
The Platelets improved to 60.
In talking with Mayo, I expressed my concerns with the RBCs and questioned if the Procrit was working. The response was that it takes multiple injections to see improvement. They cannot give me an exact number on how many injections it will take to see improvement, but I would have thought 4 injections over the last month would have been enough to start kicking in. They did say that without the injections in all probability the numbers would even be lower and that's how it should be looked at. On a positive note, at least the counts are not near the danger zone of requiring another hospital stay & transfusion.
I guess I'm just looking for the quick fix and a return to some sort of normalcy. I did ask if I started
drinking Red Wine on a regular basis if that would help. They just laughed and never did answer the question. I'll be reviewing the Red Wine subject in 2 weeks when I'm up there for my day of testing.
That's the update for this week. The injections of Procrit and Neupogen will take place on Thursday.
Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.
Fred
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Recent update
The weekly Blood Tests showed a slight improvement over the previous week.
The White Blood Cells came in at 1.1 Normal is 4-10
The Absolute Neutrophils were .6 Normal is 1.5 - 6.5
The Red Blood Cells were 2.9 Normal is 4- 6
The Hemoglobin was 9.7 Normal 12-18
Platelets were 56 Normal 150 - 450
The WBCs and Abs Neutrophils will never make it back into the normal range, but if the numbers could be doubled, it would provide a little bit of an Immune System.
So here's hoping and praying that the Procrit (Boosts RBCs & Hemoglobin) and the Neupogen (Boosts WBCs and Abs Neutrophils) weekly injections will really start kicking in and help the Bone Marrow generate new Blood Cells.
The White Blood Cells came in at 1.1 Normal is 4-10
The Absolute Neutrophils were .6 Normal is 1.5 - 6.5
The Red Blood Cells were 2.9 Normal is 4- 6
The Hemoglobin was 9.7 Normal 12-18
Platelets were 56 Normal 150 - 450
The WBCs and Abs Neutrophils will never make it back into the normal range, but if the numbers could be doubled, it would provide a little bit of an Immune System.
So here's hoping and praying that the Procrit (Boosts RBCs & Hemoglobin) and the Neupogen (Boosts WBCs and Abs Neutrophils) weekly injections will really start kicking in and help the Bone Marrow generate new Blood Cells.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Update
Here's an update from this week's CBC Blood Tests.
The Hemoglobin and Red Blood Cells were down slightly. This surprised us since Thursday's Procrit injection was the 3rd week of injections to help the Bone Marrow generate more RBCs. We were expecting a break even at worst like the previous week. The Dr. said the drop in the counts were not significant and it will take a few more Procrit injections to see a positive result.
Of Major concern is that the White Blood Cells dropped to .9 and the Absolute Neutrophil Count dropped to .575. These are very low and is an indication that not only is the Bone Marrow not generating RBCs, it's also not creating WBC's. This means the immune system is virtually non existent and contact with others needs to be avoided. This will be treated with weekly injections of a drug called Neupogen.
So now, the treatment will be weekly injections of Procrit and Neupogen. Very expensive medication, but let's hope these injections start boosting the counts and the talk of a Bone Marrow Transplant can be put on hold for a few years.
The injections will be done on Thursdays and then on the following Monday, another CBC will be performed to measure the counts and see the progress.
The Hemoglobin and Red Blood Cells were down slightly. This surprised us since Thursday's Procrit injection was the 3rd week of injections to help the Bone Marrow generate more RBCs. We were expecting a break even at worst like the previous week. The Dr. said the drop in the counts were not significant and it will take a few more Procrit injections to see a positive result.
Of Major concern is that the White Blood Cells dropped to .9 and the Absolute Neutrophil Count dropped to .575. These are very low and is an indication that not only is the Bone Marrow not generating RBCs, it's also not creating WBC's. This means the immune system is virtually non existent and contact with others needs to be avoided. This will be treated with weekly injections of a drug called Neupogen.
So now, the treatment will be weekly injections of Procrit and Neupogen. Very expensive medication, but let's hope these injections start boosting the counts and the talk of a Bone Marrow Transplant can be put on hold for a few years.
The injections will be done on Thursdays and then on the following Monday, another CBC will be performed to measure the counts and see the progress.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Update July 23rd
This is Fred with a recap of yesterday's visit at Mayo. My blood counts remain below normal, but are better than before the recent hospitalization.
First for the little good news there was : The Leukemia is in Clinical Remission.
As a serious side effect of the Chemotherapy, I have now developed Myelodysplastic Syndrome. This is another Blood Disorder and is just as serious/deadly as the Leukemia. This is the same disease that Robin Roberts from ABC TV developed after her treatment for Breast Cancer. Google her name & you can read about MDS and her struggles.
The MDS is suppressing my Bone Marrow from creating enough new Blood Cells. This is the cause of my Anemia. The plan is to treat this with weekly injections of Procrit to boost the Blood Cell production with the hopes that within 3-6 months the Red Blood Cells & Hemoglobin will show improvement. If the Procrit does not work, we will start serious talks about a Bone Marrow Transplant.
Procrit does not boost the White Blood Cells and they are also a concern. The Dr. wants to wait another month or two to see if they can improve on their own. If there is no improvement, then we will try weekly injections of Neupogen to try and boost them to normal.
I'll be getting weekly Blood Tests so the progress or lack there of can be measured.
First for the little good news there was : The Leukemia is in Clinical Remission.
As a serious side effect of the Chemotherapy, I have now developed Myelodysplastic Syndrome. This is another Blood Disorder and is just as serious/deadly as the Leukemia. This is the same disease that Robin Roberts from ABC TV developed after her treatment for Breast Cancer. Google her name & you can read about MDS and her struggles.
The MDS is suppressing my Bone Marrow from creating enough new Blood Cells. This is the cause of my Anemia. The plan is to treat this with weekly injections of Procrit to boost the Blood Cell production with the hopes that within 3-6 months the Red Blood Cells & Hemoglobin will show improvement. If the Procrit does not work, we will start serious talks about a Bone Marrow Transplant.
Procrit does not boost the White Blood Cells and they are also a concern. The Dr. wants to wait another month or two to see if they can improve on their own. If there is no improvement, then we will try weekly injections of Neupogen to try and boost them to normal.
I'll be getting weekly Blood Tests so the progress or lack there of can be measured.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Yesterday's blood work
Fred's blood work yesterday showed improvement. His hemoglobin was up to 10 (normal 11-18) and his platelets came up to 45,000 (normal is 150,000 to 450,000), but better than 36,000. His white blood cells are at 2.4 (normal is 4.5 to 10.5) and his red blood cells are at 3.02 (normal 4 - 6).
We were elated that his numbers were up, we were just hoping they were the same as Saturday's numbers when we left the hospital. Praying they keep going up.
Thank you blood donor!
We were elated that his numbers were up, we were just hoping they were the same as Saturday's numbers when we left the hospital. Praying they keep going up.
Thank you blood donor!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Saturday
Sorry I did not post yesterday, it was kind of a busy day. Fred's hemoglobin came back Saturday morning at 8.3. He was released from the hospital and we are now home.
We go tomorrow morning for blood work at are local doctor and pray that his hemoglobin in still in the 8 or higher range.
Platelets were 36,000 as of Saturday morning and definitely hope they go higher also.
We go tomorrow morning for blood work at are local doctor and pray that his hemoglobin in still in the 8 or higher range.
Platelets were 36,000 as of Saturday morning and definitely hope they go higher also.
Friday, July 12, 2013
day 3
Fred received 2 units of blood last night. His hemoglobin rose to 8.3 this morning. He did not have a temperature all night and handled the transfusion fine.
He felt great this morning and even had color in his face (he was very pale). He was allowed to go outside and walk around which he handled well and was not short of breath.
This afternoon his temperature spiked at 102.4. Antibiotics and Tylenol brought his temperature back down to normal. More blood work was ordered.
I will let you know what tomorrow brings!
He felt great this morning and even had color in his face (he was very pale). He was allowed to go outside and walk around which he handled well and was not short of breath.
This afternoon his temperature spiked at 102.4. Antibiotics and Tylenol brought his temperature back down to normal. More blood work was ordered.
I will let you know what tomorrow brings!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
day 2 in hospital
Fred was fever free all day while we waited for them to find blood for his transfusion. He has antibodies that make his blood very "special" as one nurse told us.
They finally got blood and of course he started to run a fever. They gave him antibiotics and by 8:30 tonight his fever was normal again. They started the transfusion at 9:00 pm. It will be a long night cause they are giving it to him very slowly to avoid any reaction to the blood.
I will post tomorrow how the first bag of blood went and see when and if they will give him the second bag. They are trying to figure out where his blood is going that his number drop so drastically.
They finally got blood and of course he started to run a fever. They gave him antibiotics and by 8:30 tonight his fever was normal again. They started the transfusion at 9:00 pm. It will be a long night cause they are giving it to him very slowly to avoid any reaction to the blood.
I will post tomorrow how the first bag of blood went and see when and if they will give him the second bag. They are trying to figure out where his blood is going that his number drop so drastically.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Blood
Fred was admitted into Mayo Hospital today. His hemoglobin is down to 5.7, normal is 13.5-17.5. He needs a blood transfusion which they were going to do about 5 pm, but of course since Fred does nothing normal, they have not been able to find any blood because of the antibodies in his blood. So as of 9 pm tonight, no blood transfusion yet.
Will keep you informed!
Will keep you informed!
Friday, July 5, 2013
finally posting...
I know it has been a long time since I posted anything on here, but Fred has been having some rough days.
We went to Mayo on Tuesday, July 2nd and presented to the doctor all the problems Fred has been experiencing. In total 18 vials of blood was taken and a chest x-ray.
Fred tested positive to a test that I had to look up to understand completely. Fred has autoimmune hemolytic anemia which is rare and causes antibodies to be made against a person's own red blood cells. In other words, he has antibodies attacking his red blood cells. He received an injection of Procrit, which he will have to receive weekly to boost his red blood cells. If this does not work it will probably mean a blood transfusion.
He is also running continuous fevers in the 100 range. He has 2 antibiotics for this, which yet have not helped.
We are just taking one day at a time. He has to have weekly blood work done, so we will see how well his blood work is next week.
We went to Mayo on Tuesday, July 2nd and presented to the doctor all the problems Fred has been experiencing. In total 18 vials of blood was taken and a chest x-ray.
Fred tested positive to a test that I had to look up to understand completely. Fred has autoimmune hemolytic anemia which is rare and causes antibodies to be made against a person's own red blood cells. In other words, he has antibodies attacking his red blood cells. He received an injection of Procrit, which he will have to receive weekly to boost his red blood cells. If this does not work it will probably mean a blood transfusion.
He is also running continuous fevers in the 100 range. He has 2 antibiotics for this, which yet have not helped.
We are just taking one day at a time. He has to have weekly blood work done, so we will see how well his blood work is next week.
Monday, April 29, 2013
It was another up and down for Fred and I. We went to Jacksonville for Fred to have blood work done, see the doctor and then his round of chemo.
Plans changed...he had the blood work and we saw the doctor. His blood counts were to low for chemo once again.
New plan...no chemo until we go back May 28th in which time he will have a bone marrow biopsy and CAT scan to see where he stands. We will meet with the doctor the following week for the results and go from there.
Plans changed...he had the blood work and we saw the doctor. His blood counts were to low for chemo once again.
New plan...no chemo until we go back May 28th in which time he will have a bone marrow biopsy and CAT scan to see where he stands. We will meet with the doctor the following week for the results and go from there.
Monday, April 1, 2013
We are back in Jacksonville and I never saw Fred so happy when he was told they were going ahead with his chemo today after two failed attempts. His numbers did not go up much from last week so they have modified his chemo this week. He will only have chemo two days and then the Neulasta injection on Wednesday.
This round they are cutting out the Fludarabine and Cytoxin on Wednesday due to his counts.
Thank you for your continued prayers and good thoughts. We appreciate it as we get through this bump in the road.
This round they are cutting out the Fludarabine and Cytoxin on Wednesday due to his counts.
Thank you for your continued prayers and good thoughts. We appreciate it as we get through this bump in the road.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Well this week hasn't gone as planned. Fred was suppose to receive his 3rd round of chemo, but after having his blood work done and seeing the doctor, it was decided that his blood counts were to low to receive chemo. We are now back home and are scheduled for next week. Hopefully his numbers will come up enough for chemo.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Round 2; day 4:
Fred is very tired, queasy, and his muscles are achy. He received his Neulasta injection this morning. He has been running a low grade temperature, but nothing Tylenol won't help.
Tomorrow is his nebulizer treatment and then we can head home.
Hopefully the rest of the day will be uneventful.
Fred is very tired, queasy, and his muscles are achy. He received his Neulasta injection this morning. He has been running a low grade temperature, but nothing Tylenol won't help.
Tomorrow is his nebulizer treatment and then we can head home.
Hopefully the rest of the day will be uneventful.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Round 2, day 3 done. Fred received the same cocktail as yesterday. Yesterday he felt good after his treatment, but today not so. He is very tired, which I keep telling him the drugs build up in his system over the 3 days which makes him feel worse as the days go on.
He is sleeping now and we will monitor his temperature throughout the day. Tomorrow is his Neulasta injection and Friday is a new treatment, a nebulizer treatment, since he is allergic to Bactrim.
He is sleeping now and we will monitor his temperature throughout the day. Tomorrow is his Neulasta injection and Friday is a new treatment, a nebulizer treatment, since he is allergic to Bactrim.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Round 2, day 2:
Today was only the fludarbine and cytoxin. Took 2 hours. Fred was feeling good afterwards and wanted to go have lunch so we went to the Town Center and walk a little then had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Towards the end he just started to fade. He has been sleeping since we returned to the hotel (4 hours ago).
Good day!
Today was only the fludarbine and cytoxin. Took 2 hours. Fred was feeling good afterwards and wanted to go have lunch so we went to the Town Center and walk a little then had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Towards the end he just started to fade. He has been sleeping since we returned to the hotel (4 hours ago).
Good day!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Round 2, day 1....a very long day.
The day started with blood work at 7:45 am
Red blood count: 2.81 (normal 4.32-5.72)
White blood count: 3.4 (normal 3.5-10.5)
Hemoglobin: 10.1 (normal 13.5-17.5)
Hemocrit: 30.1 (normal 38.8-50.0)
Platelets: 97 (normal 150-450)
Absolute lymphocytes 1.0 (normal 0.9-2.9)
Overall, not too bad.
Doctor at 9:30 am, then chemo at 10:30 am.
This time around Fred received Rituxan (which took 4 hours to run), than Fludarabine and finally Cytoxin. Got out of chemo at 5:00 pm. As I said a very long day. Fred slept through most of it and woke up around 4:15 pm. Then he was very "chatty".
He is resting now and we start again tomorrow at 8:30 am.
Thanks for all the prayers, it means so much to us.
The day started with blood work at 7:45 am
Red blood count: 2.81 (normal 4.32-5.72)
White blood count: 3.4 (normal 3.5-10.5)
Hemoglobin: 10.1 (normal 13.5-17.5)
Hemocrit: 30.1 (normal 38.8-50.0)
Platelets: 97 (normal 150-450)
Absolute lymphocytes 1.0 (normal 0.9-2.9)
Overall, not too bad.
Doctor at 9:30 am, then chemo at 10:30 am.
This time around Fred received Rituxan (which took 4 hours to run), than Fludarabine and finally Cytoxin. Got out of chemo at 5:00 pm. As I said a very long day. Fred slept through most of it and woke up around 4:15 pm. Then he was very "chatty".
He is resting now and we start again tomorrow at 8:30 am.
Thanks for all the prayers, it means so much to us.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Sorry it has been a while since I posted, but after being off work for a week, I was backed up at work and too tired when I got home to do any posting.
Last weekend was rough for Fred. Between throwing up and high temperatures he really did not feel well at all. Late last Saturday his temperature got to 100.5 (we have to call Mayo if his temperature gets to 100.4). I called Mayo and they had him start his antibiotic Levaquin which he promptly threw up after taking. We waited about 1/2 hour and his temperature got to 100.9 so Fred took another Levaquin an hour and a half later since we figured he threw up after taking the first one that it did not get into his system. Two hours later his temperature was down to 98.9. Sunday we watched his temperature closely and between Tylenol and another Levaquin it did not get over 99.0.
Tuesday afternoon Fred finally started feeling better. On Tuesday he had a CBC done at our doctor here. Here are the results:
White blood count: 1.9 (low, which is normal after chemo) Normal is between 4.5 - 10.5
Red blood count: 2.26 (low) Normal 4.00-6.00
Platelets: 83 (low) 150 - 450
Hemoglobin: 8.3 (low) Normal 11.0 - 18.0
The CBC was faxed to Dr. Solberg at Mayo. He was fine with the results, perfectly normal after chemo. His resistance is low, which means crowds are a definite NO. He is feeling better cause he is not liking "house arrest" as he calls it.
His temperature during the rest of the week has been good, but we must monitor it at least 3 - 4 times a day.
Fred went for a walk this morning and realized he does not have the energy to walk very far. At least he got outside.
Last weekend was rough for Fred. Between throwing up and high temperatures he really did not feel well at all. Late last Saturday his temperature got to 100.5 (we have to call Mayo if his temperature gets to 100.4). I called Mayo and they had him start his antibiotic Levaquin which he promptly threw up after taking. We waited about 1/2 hour and his temperature got to 100.9 so Fred took another Levaquin an hour and a half later since we figured he threw up after taking the first one that it did not get into his system. Two hours later his temperature was down to 98.9. Sunday we watched his temperature closely and between Tylenol and another Levaquin it did not get over 99.0.
Tuesday afternoon Fred finally started feeling better. On Tuesday he had a CBC done at our doctor here. Here are the results:
White blood count: 1.9 (low, which is normal after chemo) Normal is between 4.5 - 10.5
Red blood count: 2.26 (low) Normal 4.00-6.00
Platelets: 83 (low) 150 - 450
Hemoglobin: 8.3 (low) Normal 11.0 - 18.0
The CBC was faxed to Dr. Solberg at Mayo. He was fine with the results, perfectly normal after chemo. His resistance is low, which means crowds are a definite NO. He is feeling better cause he is not liking "house arrest" as he calls it.
His temperature during the rest of the week has been good, but we must monitor it at least 3 - 4 times a day.
Fred went for a walk this morning and realized he does not have the energy to walk very far. At least he got outside.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sorry I did not post yesterday but it was a busy day.
Fred received his Neulasta injection yesterday. Neulasta is prescribed to reduce the risk of infection in patients receiving strong chemotherapy that decreases the number of infection fighting white blood cells.
We had the 3 hour drive home and for someone who is feeling nauseous, isn't always fun, but Fred did well.
We are taking his temperature to make sure he does not spike a fever of 100.4, cause that means a call to Mayo. The highest he has gotten is 100.2, but thankfully his temperature went down.
One of the things I hate the most is the hallucinations Fred gets from the chemotherapy. He thinks something is always on fire and it takes a lot to calm him and reassure him that everything is all right.
Let us hope things go smoothly and we DO NOT have to go back to Mayo until our next scheduled appointment on February 18th.
Fred received his Neulasta injection yesterday. Neulasta is prescribed to reduce the risk of infection in patients receiving strong chemotherapy that decreases the number of infection fighting white blood cells.
We had the 3 hour drive home and for someone who is feeling nauseous, isn't always fun, but Fred did well.
We are taking his temperature to make sure he does not spike a fever of 100.4, cause that means a call to Mayo. The highest he has gotten is 100.2, but thankfully his temperature went down.
One of the things I hate the most is the hallucinations Fred gets from the chemotherapy. He thinks something is always on fire and it takes a lot to calm him and reassure him that everything is all right.
Let us hope things go smoothly and we DO NOT have to go back to Mayo until our next scheduled appointment on February 18th.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Day 3 of Round 1 done. Fred in typical fashion is sleeping, which is good cause otherwise he just babbles. Blood pressure was good again today after his chemo. He got the IV taken out today (which has been in since Tuesday) and he is so happy about that.
We are going to discuss with the doctor about putting in a port since they could not find a good vein in his arm to put the IV and had to put it in his hand, which really hurt having it in for 3 days.
Tomorrow is the injection and we can head home.
So far this week has gone quite well. He did experience some nausea yesterday afternoon, but thank God for Zofran pills. One of those and he did not complain anymore.
I have noticed a difference in his behavior post chemo and that is mainly attributed to his not getting the pre-chemo medicine Benadryl. Benadryl makes him totally loopy. Let's hope they continue can continue not giving him this.
We are going to discuss with the doctor about putting in a port since they could not find a good vein in his arm to put the IV and had to put it in his hand, which really hurt having it in for 3 days.
Tomorrow is the injection and we can head home.
So far this week has gone quite well. He did experience some nausea yesterday afternoon, but thank God for Zofran pills. One of those and he did not complain anymore.
I have noticed a difference in his behavior post chemo and that is mainly attributed to his not getting the pre-chemo medicine Benadryl. Benadryl makes him totally loopy. Let's hope they continue can continue not giving him this.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Day 2 of Round 1 is done. Everything went well today. Fred's blood pressure was much better today following his chemo of Zofran, Fludarabine and Cytoxin. Blood pressure 92/61. Fred is resting now. One side effect of the Zofran (nausea medicine) is drowsiness so he does sleep a lot, but sleep is good right?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
January 22, 2013
Well day 1 of Round 1 has been completed. Today was Fludarabine and Cytoxan. We got a slow start this morning because Fred's platelets were low. Platelets were 92,000 (normal 150,000-450,000), so we had to wait to have the doctor sign off to go ahead with the chemo today.
After chemo his blood pressure was extremely low 66/41, so they pushed saline through his IV for a while which brought it up to 90/58. He is resting now and so far so good.
Well day 1 of Round 1 has been completed. Today was Fludarabine and Cytoxan. We got a slow start this morning because Fred's platelets were low. Platelets were 92,000 (normal 150,000-450,000), so we had to wait to have the doctor sign off to go ahead with the chemo today.
After chemo his blood pressure was extremely low 66/41, so they pushed saline through his IV for a while which brought it up to 90/58. He is resting now and so far so good.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
January 13, 2013
Since you have accessed this blog you obviously have heard that my Leukemia has returned. This was not unexpected and pretty much in line with the time table of 3-5 years the Medical Team at Mayo told me to expect. So while I am thankful for the time I was disease free, I have to admit another couple of years would have been nice.
The most recent tests had the White Blood Cells at 28 (normal is in the 4-10 range) and there are several lymph nodes that have grown to 2 -3 times the normal size.
The plan is to start treatment the week of 1/21. The treatments will be for four days, with a Neulasta injection on day 5. The treatments will be a minimum of 6 times with 3 weeks off between treatments.
The drugs will be the same as last time, a cocktail of Flurdara, Cytoxan and Rituxan (FCR). Based on what I've learned about 90% of the people who reacted favorably to this cocktail initially, will have a favorable reaction the second time around. So let's hope I'm in that 90% group.
Looking back, I'm so very thankful for the last couple of years of remission. During this time I've been blessed with 2 beautiful grandchildren. Now I need to get by this newest obstacle so with Carol's help we can continue to spoil the heck out of them.
Carol will be updating the website as we tackle this next stage of this journey.
Since you have accessed this blog you obviously have heard that my Leukemia has returned. This was not unexpected and pretty much in line with the time table of 3-5 years the Medical Team at Mayo told me to expect. So while I am thankful for the time I was disease free, I have to admit another couple of years would have been nice.
The most recent tests had the White Blood Cells at 28 (normal is in the 4-10 range) and there are several lymph nodes that have grown to 2 -3 times the normal size.
The plan is to start treatment the week of 1/21. The treatments will be for four days, with a Neulasta injection on day 5. The treatments will be a minimum of 6 times with 3 weeks off between treatments.
The drugs will be the same as last time, a cocktail of Flurdara, Cytoxan and Rituxan (FCR). Based on what I've learned about 90% of the people who reacted favorably to this cocktail initially, will have a favorable reaction the second time around. So let's hope I'm in that 90% group.
Looking back, I'm so very thankful for the last couple of years of remission. During this time I've been blessed with 2 beautiful grandchildren. Now I need to get by this newest obstacle so with Carol's help we can continue to spoil the heck out of them.
Carol will be updating the website as we tackle this next stage of this journey.
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