Today I said goodbye to the thick, tight blue mask for patients with the lowest white blood cell (WBC) counts. I may now leave the room with a soft, loose yellow mask, the accessory of choice for patients who have broken the 700 (.7) mark.
That's right - I'm finally responding to Neupogen, the WBC booster I've received for six days in a row. I was discouraged on Thanksgiving morning when I discovered that my count had plummeted to .3. Then I remembered that WBCs are a lot like a bad drunk - they have to hit bottom before they can pull themselves up. After falling to their nadir, my WBCs have now risen to an impressive 1.3.
My red cells and hemoglobin are also holding their own. I received a transfusion on Thanksgiving Day, and instead of a one day boost followed by a fall, the reds have continued to slowly multiply.
The platelets are a different story. I had a transfusion on Friday, but it looks like I'll need another one tomorrow.
What is it with me and little plates? You may recall that my platelets had the most difficulty recovering after previous chemo sessions, taking four to five weeks instead of the requisite two.
At least while my platelets are recovering, the yellow mask will allow my world to expand slightly. I'll be able to participate in the hematology patient exercise class and will be allowed to attend the repeat performance at the Comedy Center on Wednesday.
Day 10
11-25-07 Counts:
(Numbers in parentheses are normal ranges.)
WBC 1.3 (4.0-11)
RBC 3.06 (3.8-5.2)
HGB 10.2 (11.5-15.5)
PLT 23 (150-350)
CALL FOR ASSISTANCE: Does anyone know if it's possible to attach a spreadsheet to a blog post?
No comments:
Post a Comment