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.
Hello all,
Julian has been home for about a month now and has been doing well. He has had weekly blood work since we left Minneapolis. While we were in MN, all of his counts were awesome and mid-range. WBCs were 7-9 range most of the time, ANC 3,000-5,000 range, Hem was coming up at around 11, and platelets in the 300s. Over the past four weeks, his WBCs were slowly dropping (6.6, 6.4, 6.1) and his ANC was holding steady around 3,000. Everything else was the same. This week, I found out that his WBC is now down to 4.9 (5.5 is the low end of normal for his age), ANC is now 2.3, platelets are 272 (down from 316 just last week), and Hem has held steady at this point. I know these are not terrible numbers, but this is exactly where his counts were about one month before we learned that he had relapsed, and I am panicking! Plus, his WBCs and ANC have not dipped this low since early December. His doctor says these are normal fluctuations, but in my mind, "fluctuations" include some up and down, not just down. I am so worried. Is there any possible explanation for this besides early relapse? He has not been sick at all. He looks so good, and now I just don't know what to think. Has this happened to anyone else?
Jacki
Julian has been home for about a month now and has been doing well. He has had weekly blood work since we left Minneapolis. While we were in MN, all of his counts were awesome and mid-range. WBCs were 7-9 range most of the time, ANC 3,000-5,000 range, Hem was coming up at around 11, and platelets in the 300s. Over the past four weeks, his WBCs were slowly dropping (6.6, 6.4, 6.1) and his ANC was holding steady around 3,000. Everything else was the same. This week, I found out that his WBC is now down to 4.9 (5.5 is the low end of normal for his age), ANC is now 2.3, platelets are 272 (down from 316 just last week), and Hem has held steady at this point. I know these are not terrible numbers, but this is exactly where his counts were about one month before we learned that he had relapsed, and I am panicking! Plus, his WBCs and ANC have not dipped this low since early December. His doctor says these are normal fluctuations, but in my mind, "fluctuations" include some up and down, not just down. I am so worried. Is there any possible explanation for this besides early relapse? He has not been sick at all. He looks so good, and now I just don't know what to think. Has this happened to anyone else?
Jacki
I thank you all for your prayers. I have to say, this has been the most humbling experience of my life...twice. Actually Dave, worrying is not really characteristic of me...not that I never worried before this, but it was never really an issue. I am actually a mental health counselor, and I know many many tools to cope with anxiety. The problem with the worries that I experience now (in my opinion) is that they are trauma-based. Having a son with AML is a medical trauma in my book! Traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain, and they are harder to deal with. My husband and I both feel sick when our son watches some of the movies that he used to watch in the hospital when he was first ill. I believe my anxiety over Julian's recent blood counts was primarily due to the fact that the numbers were so close to those that we saw at his appointment the month before he relapsed. I don't worry as much as I pray and focus on today. In the moments when worries do overwhelm me, I pray, meditate, and get support from all of you. Ultimately, if I have concerns, I ask Julian's doctor. I know that she is the expert, and I have a lot of respect for her. I am very methodical in my thinking, so when things do not follow the pattern that I think they should, I want to understand why. I believe that recovery from BMT may be one of the things that falls into that category. *Sigh* I am glad to have the benefit of all of your experiences. It really does mean so much to me. Thank you all! God Bless!
Jacki