Day 76
I went in to the clinic on Monday just to get blood drawn, some of which was being sent out to be tested for antibodies. My counts then were:
WBC – 1.3
Hgb – 12.2
Plt – 203
ANC – 0.2
Since my white blood count was so low, I got another shot of Neupogen to stimulate production of white blood cells. I went in again today for my weekly visit and the counts were:
WBC – 1.3
Hgb – 11.6
Plt – 187
ANC – 0.3
I got another shot of Neupogen plus two syringes for me to administer myself on Sunday and Tuesday. The white blood count and absolute neutrophil count are still a bit of a concern, but the results of the antibody test are not in yet. The doctor said that even if the antibody test came back positive, he’s not sure what he would do, if anything. His inclination still seems to be to wait it out and hope my systems work themselves out and the white blood count goes back up. He also said boosting one blood cell line (like with Neupogen for white blood cells) can somewhat depress the other lines and that may be why my platelets and hemoglobin are down a bit.
I got a little better explanation of how the WBC problem could be a form of GvHD. I was confused because the graft is producing the white blood cells, so I didn’t think it would also attack them. The doctor explained that there are T-cells that tell B-cells (T-cells and B-cells are a big part of the immune system and are a kind of white blood cell called lymphocytes) what to do and sometimes the T-cells are suppressed for various reasons (including medication) and it allows the B-cells to go a bit wild and sometimes they attack things they shouldn’t. I’ve done enough studying of lymphocytes which are one of five types of white blood cells to start to get an appreciation of how terribly interesting they are. It also increases my appreciation for what a complex system the human body is.
So, I guess I’m technically neutropenic again, although I still feel quite good. I still have a good appetite and decent amount of energy. I guess being neutropenic also means I should be extra careful to avoid crowds and sick people, wash my hands frequently, and try to avoid potential food problems.
My hair is definitely starting to grow back. I have a real mustache and am most of the way to having a full beard which seems to be coming in quite well, although it seems to be more “salt” than “pepper” these days. The hair on the top of my head is behind my facial hair in making a comeback, but it has definitely started growing again.
The current problems also remind me once again that while I feel pretty good, I still have a long way to go, and we don’t know what that path holds in store.
Love,
Justin
WBC – 1.3
Hgb – 12.2
Plt – 203
ANC – 0.2
Since my white blood count was so low, I got another shot of Neupogen to stimulate production of white blood cells. I went in again today for my weekly visit and the counts were:
WBC – 1.3
Hgb – 11.6
Plt – 187
ANC – 0.3
I got another shot of Neupogen plus two syringes for me to administer myself on Sunday and Tuesday. The white blood count and absolute neutrophil count are still a bit of a concern, but the results of the antibody test are not in yet. The doctor said that even if the antibody test came back positive, he’s not sure what he would do, if anything. His inclination still seems to be to wait it out and hope my systems work themselves out and the white blood count goes back up. He also said boosting one blood cell line (like with Neupogen for white blood cells) can somewhat depress the other lines and that may be why my platelets and hemoglobin are down a bit.
I got a little better explanation of how the WBC problem could be a form of GvHD. I was confused because the graft is producing the white blood cells, so I didn’t think it would also attack them. The doctor explained that there are T-cells that tell B-cells (T-cells and B-cells are a big part of the immune system and are a kind of white blood cell called lymphocytes) what to do and sometimes the T-cells are suppressed for various reasons (including medication) and it allows the B-cells to go a bit wild and sometimes they attack things they shouldn’t. I’ve done enough studying of lymphocytes which are one of five types of white blood cells to start to get an appreciation of how terribly interesting they are. It also increases my appreciation for what a complex system the human body is.
So, I guess I’m technically neutropenic again, although I still feel quite good. I still have a good appetite and decent amount of energy. I guess being neutropenic also means I should be extra careful to avoid crowds and sick people, wash my hands frequently, and try to avoid potential food problems.
My hair is definitely starting to grow back. I have a real mustache and am most of the way to having a full beard which seems to be coming in quite well, although it seems to be more “salt” than “pepper” these days. The hair on the top of my head is behind my facial hair in making a comeback, but it has definitely started growing again.
The current problems also remind me once again that while I feel pretty good, I still have a long way to go, and we don’t know what that path holds in store.
Love,
Justin
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home