Another day at the bottom of the world.
Platelets 10, and all other counts are statistically much the same as the previous two blood samples.
What does this mean? Well I'm guessing that I'm producing a tiny amount of platelets, about the same as is being naturally destroyed each day. The fact that the counts aren't getting any lower is a good thing but not conclusive proof that I actually have any marrow to speak of. It is possible for them to be produced elsewhere in the body, such as in the liver. Platelet destruction is carried out by the spleen. It's a very fine balancing act that seems to have settled at around 10, right on the point that a transfusion is recommended here in NZ. In Europe it's 20.
I had a new nurse take my bloods today, she came back with the results and said I should be transfused. I said I didn't agree, she said she would speak to Dr Helen. She phoned Helen and seemed surprised when Helen told her to ask me what I wanted to do.
I replied "I think we should leave it for another two days. The counts are stable and a transfusion would obfuscate the readings" She relayed my opinion to Helen who didn't object.
I was given the standard warning about watching for signs of bleeding and sent on my way.
There is one other reason I didn't want to transfuse now. That is that I am wanting to race at Mount Victoria Hillclimb on Sunday and by holding off to Saturday for any possible transfusion it means I can enter the event with a safer blood count. I didn't tell them that though.
I'll make my final decision after my blood tests on Saturday. It may just be a case of me doing one timed run up the hill at a sedate pace in order to stay at the top of the points table.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Nadir ?
The doctor had wanted to give me platelets yesterday, I thought it best we hold off another 24 hours and see if today saw any change. The logic being that if we transfused, the blood counts would be meaningless until we had at least another two more samples taken over as many days.
So with that in mind I arranged to come in today and get another test. Yesterdays counts were all lower than Saturday's sample. The platelet count being just 11.
The counts came back in a record time today, just fifteen minutes! There's now a system installed in the new hospital whereby the samples are placed in a vacuum tube and whizzed through 400metres of piping to the blood lab in the blink of an eye.
Lisa, the nurse who see's me each visit came back to me with a piece of paper in her hand. "Guess what today's count is?" she asked. I said that I was so stressed over the whole count situation I dared to guess. She insisted. I said "anything over 11 would be great, even 12 would be fantastic" She passed the paper to me... Platelets 12.
All other counts were also slightly improved over yesterday.
I don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but it does look like I've finally reached the Nadir (The lowest or turning point) in my blood counts. The doctor asked me what I wanted to do. (It's fantastic that my opinion is respected in these matters). I suggested that we don't give GCSF today or transfuse and that I return on Thursday for another full blood count. At that point all will be apparent. She agreed.
Roll on Thursday and another increase in my blood counts!
So with that in mind I arranged to come in today and get another test. Yesterdays counts were all lower than Saturday's sample. The platelet count being just 11.
The counts came back in a record time today, just fifteen minutes! There's now a system installed in the new hospital whereby the samples are placed in a vacuum tube and whizzed through 400metres of piping to the blood lab in the blink of an eye.
Lisa, the nurse who see's me each visit came back to me with a piece of paper in her hand. "Guess what today's count is?" she asked. I said that I was so stressed over the whole count situation I dared to guess. She insisted. I said "anything over 11 would be great, even 12 would be fantastic" She passed the paper to me... Platelets 12.
All other counts were also slightly improved over yesterday.
I don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but it does look like I've finally reached the Nadir (The lowest or turning point) in my blood counts. The doctor asked me what I wanted to do. (It's fantastic that my opinion is respected in these matters). I suggested that we don't give GCSF today or transfuse and that I return on Thursday for another full blood count. At that point all will be apparent. She agreed.
Roll on Thursday and another increase in my blood counts!
Monday, March 9, 2009
and still dropping
Platelets today were 11 and that's after Saturday's transfusion. White cell count was a low 1.83. It would be a fair comment to say that I am extremely anxious. Tomorrow I'm back in for another transfusion and a shot of GCSF.
I did some reading today on Stem cell transplant recovery times.
It put me in a better frame of mind. It said that patients can be in hospital for as long as 1-3 months post transplant. I left the same day (but did come back for a week with an infection). Recovery can take up to six months. I'm just waiting for my bloods to recover and I'll be raring to go!
Some patients report that they are still not back to pre-treatment health 1-5 years after transplant. So since it's only been 19 days and I feel pretty darn good, I don't think I'll complain too much... some higher blood counts would be nice however :)
I did some reading today on Stem cell transplant recovery times.
It put me in a better frame of mind. It said that patients can be in hospital for as long as 1-3 months post transplant. I left the same day (but did come back for a week with an infection). Recovery can take up to six months. I'm just waiting for my bloods to recover and I'll be raring to go!
Some patients report that they are still not back to pre-treatment health 1-5 years after transplant. So since it's only been 19 days and I feel pretty darn good, I don't think I'll complain too much... some higher blood counts would be nice however :)
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