Unexpected News! Down for the Count

After the rigors of last week followed by a less intense weekend, Paul and I made our way back to the good doctor’s office to start week two.  Or so we thought.  We were curious to find out how much this first week of Campath affected my counts.  The answer…drastically!  In fact, my white blood count is currently just over 0 at .76.  Yes, you read that correctly.  My neutrophil count (which are the white blood cells that fight infection) is just over 0 at .54.  We were all in shock!  My disease has been a bit of an anomaly since the start.  This only adds to it.

So what does that mean?  Well, first, it means that I didn’t get a shot today.  They couldn’t take the chance of infection.  Next, it means that I am “down for the count”…literally!  I now have no immune system.  I will be susceptible to viral, bacterial, as well as fungal infections.   That means no fresh uncooked produce, no medium rare steaks, no grocery stores or movie theaters, no gardening, no kids, no kissing, no nothing.  And if I do go somewhere or if someone comes over, I will be donning a mask.  (We have tried to find pretty ones but to little avail.) 

I had already planned on asking the good doctor how it is that a little lady, now weighing in under 120, and a manly man, weighing 220 pounds or more, can handle the same 30mg of Campath?  He thought that was quite an astute question, thank you!  :)  I don’t quite remember the entire answer other than the dosages are calculated generically, like Tylenol, etc., rather than by weight.  But it does give way to thought.  So he is going to contact Dr. O’Brien at MD Anderson and discuss the option of a reduced dosage.  We will know Wednesday when we go back to have my numbers checked again.

You would think that at this point they could just move on to transplant.  But the counts in my peripheral blood do not necessarily equate with the counts in my bone marrow.  They will discover that when they do my next bone marrow biopsy. 

We assume (which is not something we like to do, you know) that my counts will go up a little between today and Wednesday since I did not get another injection.  Other than waking up with another headache, which has since mellowed out, I feel better today.  Still very tired and not especially receptive to food, but better nonetheless.  For that I am very thankful.  I have heard of your faithful prayers and appreciate you all so much!

What else might this mean?  We will probably not need the second round.  That would probably put the transplant in April rather than May.  Deep breath.  

I never said that this was going to be a boring ride.