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Blood Counts and Pic Lines

By Pamela
Today was the first time since I have started Chemo that I had blood taken. My white blood count is 2,100 and considered too low to do treatment. A normal blood count should be 4,600 to 10,000. So after only one round I am way below the norm. The rest of the counts were all good. A low white blood count puts me at risk for an infection. So, I am on high alert. I have to avoid large public places as well as people who are ill.
For the next four days I have to go to the doctors office to get a shot of a drug that will boost my white blood count. The hope is I will be at healthy level by next week and continue on with treatments.

The lack of a catheter was also a concern today. Even if my blood count had not been below the bottom of the barrel, I am not sure how I would have been given the chemo. The doctor was not in the office today, he was treating patients out of town, so everything I got was translated from the nurses. The new plan for delivering the chemo is through a pic line. As I understand it, I would go to the hospital before treatment, get a pic line put in, then go for treatment. I would use the pic line for 2 days and then the nurses would remove it until the next session of chemo. Then, the next time I am due for treatment, I would need to repeat this process.

The injection is suppose to make me feel like I have the flu. Within minutes of getting the first shot, I felt it in my right hip. My hip ached!! Within hours both right and left sides of my hips ached! Thankfully Tylenol has really helped with the pain and I am actually able to walk around the house without too much pain.

The nurse summed up my experience so far.... she said, "Girl, you have had nothing but bad luck!"
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  1. a day in the life of meSeptember 8, 2010 at 12:01 AM

    ahhh I beg to differ. Some bumps in the road but you have been amazing and we are all fortunate that things are the way they are with you. Hang in there Pam!!!

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