Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Support Group

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), also known as acute myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. Patients with AML usually present with symptoms such as fatigue, bleeding, infection, prompting medical attention. An abnormal blood test reading will then result in further testing in a hospital with a hematologist to determine AML.

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LaurenH110 06/09/2014

Question for you all, has anyone had their counts start to recover after a consolidation round to have them drop off again?

They are doing a bone marrow aspirate tomorrow, but I am so worried as the doctors have no answer other than it could be another genetic mutation or just nothing.

CajunGirl2015 06/10/2014

My sister's did that. It took her 85 days for her counts to come up enough for her second round of consolidation. They did a marrow biopsy also to check to see what was going on and she was fine. Just taking a while.

Try not to worry. It could just be slow recovery. Praying that your numbers make it up soon.

amesch1 06/10/2014

I have that issue with my WBCs. They'll jump up to a lower end acceptable range around Day 18, plateau for a week and then drop off again around day 28. However, I've recently discovered that around day 31 they begin to come up again. It's frustrating because it delayed my 3rd treatment a day because my ANC wasn't acceptable.

Noodle65 06/10/2014

I experienced slow count recovery throughout my four consolidation treatments. My platelets would take 60 days to reach 80s to 90s (100 was required for the next chemo) and then they would drop 10 to 15. This would force a BMB to ensure that I had not relapsed and then I'd get chemo.

It is good that your husband's med team is proactive and ensuring that nothing more is going on. I found comfort in getting the BMB as this is the only definitive way to know remission is still in place.

Julie

dbrowncsuaedu 06/10/2014

I am not really too sure of the accuracy of the machines that do these counts. If it was just a little drop it might have just been random variation. I would think the probability of ANOTHER mutation in next to nothing -- could be the same one that the chemo did not kill, but that too is unlikely if you are in remission. The goal is to somehow disable the stem cell or cells that are producing the mutant blasts -- if they are not finding blasts in your blood I would not worry about that. I expect your numbers will gradually increase, and I am sure your med team is on top of it. I was late having my numbers come back just like about everyone else here -- I do not know why the doctors tell you they will come up at a given time when it could well be several weeks later when it actually happens. But it WILL happen. Lots of stories about this, but I know of no one here whose numbers did not come back eventually. Keep the faith -- dave

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