Monday, September 24, 2007
| Still no chemo..........yep I’m too ill to be poisoned AGAIN! Dragged myself out of bed after very little sleep and a lot of stress (see previous blog). Made it to the path lab before 11 and then back to chemo suite to wait for results. I had a nice little chat to the red cross lady (whilst drinking the tea she made me) and then my chemo buddy Richard arrived back - we'd passed outside the path lab. I was kind of hoping not to have chemo this week because of my weekend away, but also wanted my little neutrophils to have multiplied a bit! They haven't! They've gone from 1.3, to 1.1, stayed at 1.1 all last week and today were 0.9. I've gone from mild neutropenia to moderate. Trying to avoid severe which is less than 0.5. I need 1.5 to have chemo. The whole point of missing a week is to give them chance to recover, not for them to reduce!!! Stress is a well known factor in affecting the immune system. Let's face it being called a "nasty, vile poisonous little bitch" by some illiterate idiot you have never met isn't the best way to start the day. There is no ideal therapy for neutropenia, but recombinant G-CSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) can be effective in chemotherapy patients. Dr Tom has prescribed some for me! A daily stinging jab for three days should help (we hope), Possible side effectsWhen G-CSF injections are given, the amount in the body increases greatly, becoming much higher than that which occurs naturally. For this reason, it causes side effects even though it is a naturally occurring substance. The side effects are not usually severe, however. People react to drugs in different ways, so it is not possible to predict who is going to have side effects or which they will have. The most common side effects are listed below. Bone pain Some people have a dull ache or discomfort in the bones of the back, pelvis, arms or legs. This is usually mild and goes away when the growth-factor injections stop. Red, itchy skin Your skin may become red and itchy around the area in which the injection is given. This will disappear once the course of injections is over. Fever, chills and fluid retention G-CSF may cause fever, chills and fluid retention. Fluid retention may lead to swelling of the ankles or breathlessness. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea Occasionally you may experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Let your doctor or nurse know if you have any side effects. Your doctor may prescribe painkillers such as paracetamol to help reduce your temperature and prevent chills. Well it sounds nicer than chemotherapy! 17:42 - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove |
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