What Low Counts Look Like...

We've been doing chemo for almost a year now and have gotten used to the routine:  

Chemo on Fridays

Feel Good Saturday

Feel Like Crap Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Start Feeling Better on Thursday

Then...

Start it ALL OVER AGAIN....

Low Blood Counts or "Neutropenia" - Means the neurtrophils or white blood cells are abnormally low.   Neutrophils are white blood cells produced in the bone marrow and comprise approximately 60% of the blood.

When receiving chemo, these levels are checked constantly.

I can tell when Bailey's counts are getting really low...

And sure enough, the blood test showed this on Friday.

Signs of Low Counts

*Extreme Fatigue

*Weak and Short of Breath

*Dizziness

*Sometimes Fever

*Pale Look to the Face

When Bailey got her blood taken, it was very "runny" and thin...She bled A LOT during accessing...It was then that I knew, even before the results came back, that her counts were going to be low.

But...They weren't low enough to cancel chemo.  There is a range the doctors follow and Bailey didn't quite fall below that line.  (I almost wish she had...just so she can get a chance to recover from this nasty stuff)

We have another month round of chemo...Then we will stop, and monitor Bailey's tumors every 3 months.  

Bailey says she's excited to get her port removed and not have to deal with all these appnts.  I have to admit, I'm excited about that part too.

Even When We're Tired....Even When We Don't Feel Well....

THRIVE ON!