Hi Lauren,
Transfusions often are very normal. While every case is different, 3 weeks in the hospital is not long at all, from what I've seen. My father was in the hospital for 2 months when he was first treated.
Healing takes time. His counts will start to rise in time, and once they start to rise, they do so rather quickly. It can take weeks. Hang in there. Best to your husband.

Hi Lauren,
I know when my counts were down I had terrible abdominal issues, I think it is the lack of blood flow to the gut. I never knew it could hurt so bad, it felt like my gut had just stopped. They gave me lots of laxitives and I used a lot of heat pads to my stomach. They also put me on an air mattress which helped with comfort. Once my counts came back up I felt much better. Lack of mobility also can cause a lot of discomfort, make sure they are turning him every 2 hours and getting out of bed to a chair because sitting up will help him breath better and will help with gastric motility. They should have a chair that can lay flat so he can be transferred onto it then sat up. I am so sorry he and you are going through this. Praying for complete remission, and treatment plan.
Take Care,
Suzanne

Hi Lauren, We were explained that the cycles were an approx 28 days.... day 1-5 was chemo day 10-21 you should be neutrophenic and have bloods or platelets every day or most of the time depending on the hospital policy (ours was under 10 for platelets and under 70 for blood)

Then day 21 they should start to rise and then about day 28 we could leave hospital for a 2 week break and then back for it all again.

The first time the waiting was the hardest as being a new experience you just didn't know if everything was going to kick start.

Whilst he is neutropenic just make sure that visits are limits from lots of different people and wash your hands every time you do something outside his room :)

Lauren,

Please, please keep in mind that everyone is different. I am a great example of very slow count recovery-specifically platelets.I was told my four consolidation chemo sessions would take approximately 30 days-well double that.

Chemo was day 0 to 6

I went home and on day 10 had my first labs

Parameter for transfusion of platelets was 15, hematocrits was 24

I started neupagen shots for neutrophils on day 10 until about day 28ish or until three consecutive CBCs ANCs at 1.0

From day 11 to day 38 I needed platelets and red blood. I averaged six bags of platelets and six bags of red understanding that when I received red I got two bags at a time so three transfusions-I hope that makes sense???

My platelets had to get to 100 before I could have my next consolidation; however, I never made it there. My team required a BMB before every consolidation to ensure the leukemia had not returned and then allow me to have chemo. My average span between sessions was 60 days-twice what was advertised.

The god part is after 10 full months of treatment, I have just been deemed in full remission with no sign of leukemia or the original Inversion 16 cryogenics present at diagnosis.

Lauren,

I have come across AML with ALL in our unit but not your husbands type. That said I spent 35 days in hospital my counts took forever to recover I was getting blood products almost every day. Just to give you some guide how everyone is different a lady on our unit diagnosed with MDS started induction, counts recovered enough to be released in 19 days from start to finish, I have also known people to spend in excess of 60 days on the unit. Everyone is different and considering we all meet each other regularly on the unit I don't think the duration makes any difference to the overall outcome. So keep plugging away these counts will recover

Planxty

sorry I should have added, that yes everyone is different ... .was just mentioning what they said we should expect approx.

We were lucky as all three times the counts did come back up or we could see movements around day 20 :)

That said the first cycle we were in hospital for 5 weeks from first diagnose :) x