Booked to have 2nd chemo on Tues and thought had come through first all OK. Felt sick the first night then 2 days of feeling tired and then fine and my hair is so far (cold capped) hanging in there. So went for bloods yesterday on my own (big mistake) thinking all fine to find out my neutrophils have gone from 3.66 to 0.10 they couldn’t believe i felt to well. Admitted straight away , bloods taken for culture AB and a injection of neutro-something to kick start white blood cells.
Anyways back home now as count back up to 1.46 and determined not to stay in as little boys at home but has anyone else had that and felt OK and do any of you know what i can do to keep it from happening again? They said I would have and inj 24hrs post chemo next time but what can i do for myself.
First things first - dont apologise for waffling, waffle as much as you like!!!
I had the same problem went for my bloods all geared up for my secound chemo and mine was 0.25 but they sent me home for bed rest! Could not understand why as I felt fine, I had no side effects at all from the first one not even that tired!! I rested up as told to (hated it as Im an active person) and a week later bloods up above my base line. I was told that there was not much that I could do but did some surfin on the good old web and rest is the best!! some say vit C & D but from other peoples accounts totally rest a couple of days before bloods!!! I’m gearing up for number 4 and that was my only delay! I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Sorry girls, due for chemo in a couple of weeks so swotting up! Any chance you can tell me what neutrophils are and what level they should be (before and during chemo)?
Thanks a lot, A xx
In my experience there is no sense to it. Was hospitalised in isolation for a week while on FEC having had a very high temperature .Neutropils plummeted whilst in hospital. But it hasn’t happened since, and if I hadn’t been stuck in hospital I probably would never have known! Weird! Neutropils are to do with your blood count (white cells I think)
A week after my 4th FEC, I started to feel ill with a temperature. I was admitted to hospital and the blood tests showed my neutrophils were zero. This was in spite of having had the Neulasta injection the day after the chemo! I had been feeling better after this chemo than after previous ones until the infection started. I think that I really puzzled the staff because it is so unusual if you have Neulasta for this to happen. My infection responded well to the IV antibiotics I was given and I was able to come home after 5 days. But the risk of me continuing to have chemo was considered too high after this (and the benefits were fairly marginal anyway).
Hopefully you will be ok in the future and the injection will work for you.
Hi ladies,
I just wanted to make people aware of an issue about bloods.
I’m on Taxol and herceptin for liver mets. I’ve had loads of trouble with my blood count and at first had neulasta injections. Than the Health Trust took the decision that they would only give neulasta to primary patients (it’s v expensive), not those with secondaries.The reason is that somebody has done research to prove that getting neulasta and therefore chemo within a certain timeframe affects the outcome in primary BC. Nobody has done such research on secondaries so they have no ‘evidence’ to oblige them to provide it!!! It is utterly immoral. I had a couple of weeks of panic, and friends being outraged and offering to do parachute jumps etc to pay for it. Now I’m receiving it again, I think because my treatment got delayed to such a ridiculous extent, so they could make a special case. (I’ve been having Chemo since April and still haven’t finished!)
Forewarned is forearmed, and it may not apply to you, but I would just be a bit wary if your bloods go low and you think you should be having these injections. It seems to be a postcode lottery. Just don’t take no for an answer, your health is too important.
Thanks for letting me rant. Hope all goes well for you and without hitches…
Jacquie x