11 is better than 1, but not by that much!

My platelet count today was 11. That is an improvement over last Friday's count of 1, but not good enough to go through the weekend without a platelet transfusion, as it should be 150-450. This is getting old fast. Also, my doc is on vacation next week, when I'm supposedly due for my next round of the whole R+CVP chemo. That will only happen if my platelet count is 50 or above. How likely is that???

I think the big chemo will be delayed for a week to allow my counts more time to recover. My HgB is 8.6, which means that I would probably also need a blood transfusion sometime if I got the full chemo at that level. It would drop below the acceptable limit of 8.0 almost for sure.

My WBC is 3.6, which means the Neulasta shot has been holding out pretty well. The trick is to get the next treatment before my WBC drops too far because of the Neulasta wearing off. I can't get Neualsta again until 24 hours after I get the next big treatment. It's a balancing act--waiting long enough for the platelets and HgB to recover, but not too long or the WBC will drop too low with the Neulasta wearing off.

Just think of me as a tightrope walker... and I've ALWAYS been so graceful. :-)

Since Our Last Episode...

I got a good boost from my second platelet transfusion on Friday, after the one last Monday not doing much good. After the transfusion Friday my platelet count went up to 82, so I got the okay to do whatever I wanted on the weekend. Jack and I went hiking twice, along with other fun activities that had been avoided while my platelets were low enough I could get in serious bleeding trouble by "having fun."

Now I'm back at my apartment, trying to remember all the things I need to get accomplished and instead remembering how much I like to lie on my bed and read a good book...

I'm a little nervous about going in to the Cancer Care Center tomorrow to get my counts done again. I don't want them to be low enough that I need another transfusion or that I need to be constantly vigilant about safety. I don't like being back in this place of living intensely in between waiting periods of blood count checks and transfusions and wondering whether my counts will be high enough to get treatment again before the lymphoma gets out of control.

Tune in again tomorrow (or whenever I get around to posting it) for our next episode...