Visit and Transfusions

Today's doctor visit was as usual - things are pretty much the same.

The white blood count hasn't changed the last 5 visits - WBC = 0.2(LL), normal is 3.6-11.3

Reds are still low, but the transfusions bring those numbers up a bit - RBC = 2.31(L), and he had two days of transfusions last week. normal is 3.72-5.85

HCT = 20.1(LL), normal is 36.9-49.9

Platelets this week surprised me at a whoppin' 2.  Platelets have been 3 and 4 the last 5 visits and he had two transfusions last week to help the numbers but it's still at it's lowest. 

Absolute neutrophil count remains the same for four weeks in a row. ANC = 0.0(LL), can't go down from there, so things can only look better for this, even if it returns to highest count on record for the last 6 weeks, and that is only 0.1(LL).  normal ANC is 1.2-8.0

Terry has more color in his face due to the red blood cell transfusions.  He's getting 3 units/bags of reds twice a week.  He receives one bag of platelets twice a week, but the platelets are still so low that he bruises easily and we need to remain vigilant in making sure he doesn't fall or otherwise get hurt and have internal bleeding. 

Our wait for blood products this day was maybe an hour and a half, and once we got started they kept coming, so things went pretty well.  We entered the room a little before 10:00am and left a little after 5:30pm, getting home about 7:00pm.  It was still a long day because our first appointment was at 8:30am, but we've had longer, so this was a good day.

We will do it all again on Friday and then start chemo next week.

image from here

I think we missed this exit somewhere, years ago.

but even then, we are happy

 

image from here