Over the past few months the treatment for my Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia
has been a double edged sword. The Chemotherapy has the desired effect
of decreasing my White Blood Cells and Lymphocytes. However, it also has
the undesired effect of lowering my Hemoglobin (Oxygen carrying blood
cells). My Hemoglobin has gone as low as 8.6 (well below normal). The
fix for this is steroids (Prednisone) which increases the Hemoglobin but
unfortunately also increase the White Cell count and Lymphocytes.
A week ago, at an appointment my Hemoglobin was up to 10.6 which is still
below the normal range (14-17), but my Hematologist said in her opinion
this was "good." There was also, a 10% drop in white cell and lymphocytes
which was also good.
The doctor decided to start me on intravenous Immune Globulin once a
month to help boost my immune system and hopefully avoid infections like
the one I had a few weeks back. The first treatment was July 14.
My next chemotherapy treatment is tomorrow (7/22/05). For that treatment
the doctor is decreasing the Cytoxin dose and maintaining the Pentostatin
dose in an attempt to break the cycle of decreases in my Hemoglobin
following treatment.
Thanks for allowing me the bandwidth. I now return the reflector to the
use it is intended for.
73 Larry
W0ETC in IA
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