Cliff,

I guess i must be having chemo brain LOL... ive kept posting about taking bactrim... Actually im taking Diflucin for the thrush and the swish and swallow/spit meds.. sorry..

Phil,

I hate to be a pest, but what is actually visible in your throat that has you on two different antifungals? When your white count comes back up, pre-transplant, any fungal issue should resolve. Sometimes the thrush (if that is truly what it is) comes from being immunocompromised. Sometimes it happens because you are given so many broad spectrum antibiotics that it kills off the bacteria that would have kept the candida (yeast) in check.

With regard to the nose bleed (and that is not gross to me), there are two contributing factors. First, is the weather change to colder temperatures, which dry the mucus membranes, especially when heat is on in the house. The second is that after chemo, your platelets will be low. Actually, they have to be below 20 thousand and sometimes even 10 thousand to bleed. You might try lubricating your nostrils with a bit of NEW vaseline on a Q-tip. It will make your nostril more comfortable and will protect the lining. I had two hemorrhagic nose bleeds when I was in the hospital for my transplant when my platelet counts got very low. You don't want any of that.

So when is the transplant? I need to mark it on my calendar for some special prayers. You are going to be thinking, when they actually do the deed, that "this is all it is?" If your wife is not there during the 15 minutes that you get the cells, she will miss the whole thing.

You are on the last lap! Soon you will be a healthy dude again!!!

Cliff

Well... BACK IN THE HOSPITAL ... Urghhh.... i started feeling weak, dizzy, nascious, called the doc on call and he said go to the ER. They checkex my CBC's and my WBC is 0.2, HBG 8.9, and basically 0 platelets. I seen my Onc this past monday and he expected my numbers to be up by now and i guess theyve kinda bottomed out. They have to admit me to give me platelets (silly to me ). I started getting the red spots on my arms and legs and ofcourse the nose bleed im sure all due to platelets? This is a bummer. I guess its for the good.

An internal med doc just came in and examined me and said i have a large lymphnode under my right arm? Now im a lil worried..

Cliff... the only meds im taking is the Diflucin, chlorhexadine, and another swish and swallow stuff. The ER doc thinks my throat is more irritated from the chemo than the thrush.

I think there shooting for the 10th of Dec. formy

Phil,

Please do not feel bad about being in the hospital again. All places work differently. When I had counts like that, especially an ANC of 200, I was in the HOSPITAL, not home. As I said, a 10,000 + platelet count is okay as long as you don't get into situations where you could be hurt. A count of zero is not compatible with being out of the hospital. The red spots are called petechiae. They go along with your non-existent platelet counts. Sometimes it just takes a while for the marrow to recover. The more you keep killing it, the longer it takes to return. My guess is that the platelets should hold, or you might need one more transfusion until you start making your own. They try to limit transfusions of RBCs and platelets for a variety of reasons, but will not let you stay at a zero level. The nose bleed is from dryness, but exacerbated by the low platelet count. I would bet they will give you some nupogen or neulasta to stimulate your marrow.

Do not feel bad, Phil. It is safer for you to be in the hospital than at home under the circumstances.

Be strong and eat well,

Cliff

Oh yes,

I forgot the lymph node. Some doctors are more careful about their exams than others and it might have already been there. Don't forget, you are a mechanic and there were numerous opportunities over the years for bacteria to enter the system from your hands, getting filtered by the lymph nodes under the arms. Is it tender? I discovered a big node under my 93 year old father in law's arm. Biopsies showed it just to be scar tissue. Not of concern.

Not even examining you, I have thought all along that the throat issue is due to the chemo (mucositis) and not thrush. So it will get better. Have your nurses make you up a gargle with sterile water or saline and bicarbonate. They all know what that means, and you can use it as often as you like. It really soothes the throat.

Keep us informed about what is happening Phil and try to distract yourself from thinking too much about this. It goes with the territory. It's amazing how the memory of all that is fading in my mind. It will fade in yours too when this saga is over and you are on the mend.

Cliff

Thank you sooo much Cliff! The APRN csme in and examined my arm and said she didnt feel anything? That internal med doc freaks me out he always finds stuff, he tried to make an issue with me last time. I think there game plan is to give me anti-biotics and platelets, there trying to draw some more blood for more cultures but my veins are being difficult to stick. I guess it was good i came in but it would be nice to kept my mouth shut and stayed home lol.

Oh yeah i forgot to mention, no im not having any tenderness under the arm or anything? The internal med doc was poking wayy up in there so i dont know?

Phil,

Do you have fever? I am not sure why you are getting antibiotics in the absence of fever, unless they are prophylactic. I got a little itchy when I got my platelets, so they gave me some benadryl the subsequent times.

It is funny about the internal medicine doctor. Are you sure it wasn't an intern or somebody like that. When I spiked a fever and the combination of a fast heart rate and anemia gave me what is called a "flow murmur" in my heart, the intern that came in was setting me up for a cardiac ultrasound in the middle of the night. I explained to him that I hardly thought it was urgent, and the next morning, the senior doctor canceled it. LOL

Hope there is something good to eat. My wife made a mushroom tart and we will have that with a nice salad tonight. My eating is out of control. I hope yours is to in preparation for the transplant. Keep me closely informed Phil.
Cliff

I had a very mild one.. 98.9, my blood press. Is up.. 140/102.. its funny i just dont feel very good, my wife said my skin feels hot to the touch, ive got a bit of a headache im guessing the blood pressure? Just feel kinda sickly today. My step son gas been with us and hes sick but wears a mask in the house im hopeing i didnt catch anything from him.

Yeah ive been eating like crazy! My wife brought me some dairy queen just now :). Im sorry to sound like such a wuss everybody and those of you thats dealt with a lot worse you have my upmost respect! .. this gets tiresome but i know itll all be worth it when done. God is with us all!

Phil -- the low level fever is fairly normal -- just make sure they keep a close eye on it and figure out what it might be if it goes up. They probablhy wanted you in the hospital for the transfusion ... some will not do that on an outpatient basis. Yes, checking for swolen lympth nodes is standard, but I would not jump to any conclusions until your regular onc examines you. I would not be overly concerned -- your numbers will come up soon, especially if you are eating well. Hang in and stay positive. Take care, we are praying for you -- dave

Phil,

I am sure there is nothing serious going on. I always felt poorly when I was severely neutropenic. When the white count comes back up, you will feel completely different. Let me know if you get any bone marrow stimulants, like neupogen to get the WBC up. Your platelets should start coming back on their own very soon.

*I appreciate hearing from you frequently. I am worrying about Ollie and I don't need to worry about you too. You will be fine!

Cliff

Im sorry to make anyone worry, i truly appreciate everyones concern.
There trying to decide to stick another picc line in me, id rather them just put a port in my chest and be done with it. I dont have good luck with picc lines. There gonna give me platelets first, then anti biotics after they decide on a picc or not. Ill prob be stuck in here til monday :(. Oh well i guess its for the best. Yeah cliff ive noticed a lot of times after they give me platelets for some reason i feel a lot better and im sure once my WBC comes back. Thanks for everyones help :)and Phil

Phil,

What is their aversion to a Hickman catheter insertion. I had mine in the internal jugular without any problems whatsoever. They used to use the subclavian artery a lot, but that vessel tended to get scarred after a while. They generally sedate for a Hickman, but I just got the local anesthetic and imagined myself on the beach for the few moments that it hurt. I don't know why so many Picc lines are done, because they are always clotting or falling out. True, the Hickman has to be done in the X-ray dept, but so what. I didn't mind mine at all. Ask them why that is not an option.

Use the hospital time to relax and catch up on stupid programs. I did!

Cliff

I dont know why they havent done a port yet? Id rather them do that then go back and forth with picc lines. My nose is starting to bleed worse, there getting ready to start giving me platelets so hopefully thatll help my nose. Im gonna talk to the doc about a port so i can get it done and over with...

Phil,

Sorry about your nose. As I said, I had two horrendous nose bleeds while in the hospital. And the air in the hospital is so dry that it doesn't help the situation. Things will settle down with the platelets. DO NOT WORRY. Ask about the port. Clearly your arm veins are already compromised and you don't need more of that. Tell them what you want.

Cliff