More falling, this time all my blood counts, white cells have all but disappeared, haemoglobin has dropped to 8.8 which explains my increasing breathlessness with minor exertion. Platelets too have taken a tumble. So two units of blood and one unit of platelets should sort out two of these problems - temporarily. For the white cells it is back to G-CSF (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor) which my sister had prior to stem cell donation and which I had after chemotherapy and after the transplant to kick start neutrophil production.
So for the moment it is back to the wonderful neutropenic lifestyle, wah hey, avoid crowds (no shopping -yippee, no eating out - boo), avoid public transport, a neutropenic diet, no soft boiled egg or smoked salmon, no unpasteurised dairy products and a long list of other foods banned! Infection is the big danger, I'm to measure my temperature twice daily whilst my neutrophils have gone off galavanting.
The next cycle of chemotherapy starts on December 12th in theory but only if my bloods are 'OK. Otherwise it is delayed till the neutrophils stop feeling quite so shy.
The cause of all this kerfuffle is mainly the Azacitadine. In clinic yesterday the consultant said the pancytopenia (all blood counts down) was entirely to be expected, this will get worse before it gets better. Whilst it is clobbering the leukaemia (hopefully) it is also hitting my bone marrow. I'm the collateral damage. However the chemotherapy has a rather nasty sidekick who is trying to put the boot in, namely my old nemesis Lou Kemia. So far it has taken over quite a lot of the marrow space and the Azacitidine is there to roll back this crimson tide.
On the good news front the steroids have now finished completely which means I can come off the osteoporosis prevention stuff as well - now down to ten tablets daily - a doddle compared with the 25-30 I was on last spring.
The biggest problem is the almost overwhelming fatigue which is much more profound then when I had a similar haemoglobin at first diagnosis. The reason is my level of fitness which was quite good in the spring of last year and is now nowhere to be seen. Two pints of blood and a foaming pint of platelets should make quite a difference. Its back to hospital in three days to do a repeat blood test to see if this lot and the G-CSF are working, wish me luck!
* Coldplay album from 2002
3 comments:
Can I quote a poem?
The leaves are falling, falling as from far,
as though above were withering, farthest gardens;
they fall with a denying attitude.
And night by night, down into solitude,
the heavy earth falls far from every star.
We are all falling. This hand's falling too -
all have this falling sickness, none withstands.
And yet there's One whose gently-folding hands
this universal falling can't fall through.
('Herbst' - Rainer Maria Rilke)
Wishing you loads of luck and a big hug for K too. x
Thanks for the poem,Mike,I don't know any of Rilke's work at all so it was a lovely discovery.
Incidentally 'In Our Time' next Thursday morning - 22nd - is about the Four Quartets.
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