Chemo 3 .... Then Again Not Today.

Today was supposed to be chemo treatment number 3. I was scheduled to be at the hospital for this chemo treatment and Sue dropped me off right at 8:00. Being at the hospital is much more convenient with radiation treatment and the WIFI access that they have.

I got checked in and the first thing they do is start an IV with fluids. They also draw blood to check your cell counts. They got the IV in, took the blood sample and started the fluids. The reason for the fluids is that you need to urinate a certain amount before you get the main chemo drug. A bit before 10:00 I went over to radiation and got my treatment. BTW the new treatment plan only takes about 10 minutes. Hopefully with the smaller number of fields and smaller field sizes some of the side effects will be mitigated. Also now there are only 6 radiation treatments left!!! :-)

After radiation I got back to the chemo room and and it was time for a feeding so I started on that. That was when the nurse came over and said that my blood count, in particular my white blood cells, had dropped to a level that meant I had Neutropenia. They had to put a call into the medical oncologist to see how they wanted to proceed. There is a drug that they can give you to up the white blood cell count but unfortunately they can't give it to you while you are under going radiation treatment. :-(. To make a long story short they decided to cancel the chemo treatment for today. The concern was that this next round of chemo would drop my white blood cell count through the floor. I am already susceptible to infection and this would have made that much worse. The plan now is to try again for the third chemo treatment on Monday. They seem to feel that my white blood cell count should recover enough by then.

This is a disappointing set back. Its not that I am looking forward to chemo but there I was all hooked up and ready to go. On the other hand it is better to be cautious. They reminded me again today that this particular treatment plan with 35 radiation treatments and the 3 strong chemo treatments is one of the rougher ones available. The key is being able to complete it in one piece.

So what is Neutropenia? It is defined by having a white blood cell count of less than 1,000 per mm. The normal count is 4,000 - 11,000. It means that it is easier to get an infection and harder to fight them off. They key is to be vigilant in trying to prevent infections. Also be aware of any signs of infections. This includes things like fever, chills or night sweats. To help prevent infections there is a long list of foods to avoid. Not a problem as everything I intake now is done through the canned nutrition provided for the PEG tube. (I knew that tube would come in handy.) Also avoid groups of people, avoid public places and anyone that is sick. They also gave me some of those surgical masks to wear if I do end up having to go out at all.

The only real effect that I am feeling from the reduced blood counts is due to the drop in red blood cells. I tend to be tired more often and need to take naps during the day. Fortunately the radiation treatments will be completed by a week from Wednesday and more options should open up. Also the daily collateral damage that comes from radiation treatments will be over and I can start recovering from those side effects.