Day 17: Bloods out for the count.

I did have some warning that the counts were low, I have to admit that. But you know it's getting scary when the doctor comes into your room wearing a mask.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry" Was pretty much the first thing he said. "Your white cell count is very, very low" "
How low" I ask.. He hands me the printout. Hmm 0.4.
That's more than low. That's almost non-existent!
4.3-10.8 is the normal range. My count is over tens times lower than the lower limit of the normal range.
Platelets counts are now 16, more than half what they were after yesterdays count and also a tenth of the lower limit for the normal range.
However there is still no scary bleeding from the eyes. :)

All of this has happened before, back in October 2005. The difference this time is that unlike last time where I was sent away from the hospital only to find out 2 weeks later that my counts were massively low. This time The German doctors are doing several tests a day and treating accordingly.

I've asked Dr K for both Neumega and GCSF. He said that he cannot give me Neumega to stimulate the platelets because this can cause an overabundance of megakaryocytes in the marrow which may in turn adversely affect white cell production. His first job is to get my white counts back into a safe range, and then see where the platelets are at and treat them later.

Today I've already had another shot of GCSF into the skin of my stomach. It's something I'm used to, as I was given a 5 day course to inject myself with, after each chemo cycle last year.
Next they plan to give me a blood transfusion and another 2 units of platelets this afternoon or evening. I should add that I'm feeling completely normal at the moment, not sick in anyway.

The infection (if that is what it is) at the site of my last cannula, seems to be OK and they are putting a special local anti-biotic on it every three hours.

I'm stuck here in my room under isolation conditions. Everyone that enters must wear a mask.
So I'm dead bored and the TV won't accept my Arcos DVR player, so I can't even watch movies.
They said they would upgrade the TV but that was before the isolation came into effect.
So I've taken to reading my book "Where Underpants come from". It's a fascinating and humorous tale of author Joe Bennett's travels through China and Thailand as he attempts to trace the origins of a pair of Warehouse Underpants right back to their component source in the cotton fields of China.

I've given Sarah directions to the grocery store, less than 1/2 a Km from here. So she is off doing a bit of shopping.

..an hour and a half pass.
Sarah, despite being told that it's just a case of walking down the hill and turning right at the main road, managed to get lost. She turned right into a farmer's field and proceeded to walk about 5km's in a circle, finally ending up where she was supposed to be, purely, I believe, by chance.
She returned hot and flustered but seemingly proud of herself for finding somewhere she could run for exercise without getting lost. Her circuitous logic and navigation skills, never ceases to amuse me.

...Just getting some IV Antibiotics as I post this.


Update: 9 PM.
Blood and platelet transfusions have arrived, pic below shows me hooked up and taking them in. Wonder if the doc can be convinced to follow them up with an IV whisky chaser? :)