2nd Chemo postponed :(

Second Chemo treatment has been postponed a week. My white cell count is too low to risk another round of poison at this time. This also means my trip to Utah is postponed by a week. Very frustrating.  Yesterday I actually began to lose my hair. By the time I finished showering and getting ready for the rest of the day, I had accumulated a large pile of lost hair. I had to vacuum the bathroom to clean up what made it to the floor. I don't look silly from hair loss yet, but it certainly is thin. I anticipate I will have lost a significant amount by the time I travel to Utah. Brytnee and I will be making a trip to the wig shop and explore the many different styles I can come home with. The hair loss is what I dread the most.

I have listed below my current test results and what each test reflects. It certainly has helped me understand what is going on in my body after the first round of poison. Although my counts are currently too low, my white bloods cells are fighting like they should and are in recovery. Next Monday I should be back within a good range.

	5/28/2014	6/14/2014
ANC - Absolute neutrophil count	9.1	0.7
2.1 - 7.7 K/uL
BASO'S - Basophils are a type of white blood cell (WBC)	0	3
0 - 1 %
EOS - Eosinophil are a type of WBC	1	8
0 - 4 %
Lymphocytes - a type of WBC	11	49
13 - 46 %
Monocytes - a type of WBC	5	8
4 - 12 %
NEUTROPHILS - the soldier WBC	83	33
41 - 81 %

Absolute neutrophil count: The real number of white blood cells (WBCs) that are neutrophils. The absolute neutrophil count is commonly called the ANC. The ANC is not measured directly. It is derived by multiplying the WBC count times the percent of neutrophils in the differential WBC count. The percent of neutrophils consists of the segmented (fully mature) neutrophils) + the bands (almost mature neutrophils). The normal range for the ANC = 1.5 to 8.0 (1,500 to 8,000/mm3).

Basophils are a type of white blood cell. These cells are extremely rare, making up less than one percent of the white blood cells in the body at any given time. Basophils originate in the bone marrow, where they are created by stem cells. They circulate throughout the body in the blood stream, with the ability to pass into various tissues as needed. When an infectious agent is detected by the immune system, basophils respond, along with numerous other types of white blood cells. Researchers believe that in addition to helping at the site of an infection, these cells also help the body develop immunities by storing information which can be used by the T cells. Normal basophil counts can vary, depending on the patient and the situation. In a healthy person, the count is typically very low. In someone with an active infection or allergic response, the number of basophils in the blood can climb, betraying the presence of an infection.

Lymphocytes: A small white blood cell (leukocyte) that plays a large role in defending the body against disease. Lymphocytes are responsible for immune responses. There are two main types of lymphocytes: B cells and T cells. The B cells make antibodies that attack bacteria and toxins while the T cells attack body cells themselves when they have been taken over by viruses or have become cancerous. Lymphocytes secrete products (lymphokines) that modulate the functional activities of many other types of cells and are often present at sites of chronic inflammation. 

Monocytes help other white blood cells remove dead or damaged tissues, destroy cancer cells, and regulate immunity against foreign substances. Monocytes are produced in the bone marrow and then enter the bloodstream, where they account for about 1 to 10% of the circulating leukocytes (200 to 600 monocytes per microliter of blood). After a few hours in the bloodstream, they migrate to tissues (such as spleen, liver, lungs, and bone marrow tissue), where they mature into macrophages, the main scavenger cells of the immune system.

Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell, comprising about 50-70% of all white blood cells. They are phagocytic, meaning that they can ingest other cells, though they do not survive the act. Neutrophils are the first immune cells to arrive at a site of infection, through a process known as chemotaxis.

Though neutrophils are short lived, with a half-life of four to ten hours when not activated and immediate death upon ingesting a pathogen, they are plentiful and responsible for the bulk of an immune response. They are the main component of pus and responsible for its whitish color. Neutrophils are present in the bloodstream until signaled to a site of infection by chemical cues in the body. They are fast acting, arriving at the site of infection within an hour.

This is my Complete Blood Count - CBC

	5/28/2014	6/14/2014
HCT - Hematocrit	38.4	33.9
34.0 - 46.0 %
HGB - Hemoglobin	12.2	11.1
11.0 - 15.0 g/dL
MCV -mean cell volume	91	89
80 - 100 fL
PLT -Platelet count	534	482
140 - 400 K/uL
RBC'S	4.24	3.79
3.60 - 5.10 M/uL
RDW, RBC	15.2	14.6
12.0 - 16.5 %
WBC - white blood cell count	11	2.1
3.5 - 12.5 K/uL

White blood cell (WBC, leukocyte) count. White blood cells protect the body against infection. If an infection develops, white blood cells attack and destroy the bacteria, virus, or other organism causing it. White blood cells are bigger than red blood cells but fewer in number. When a person has a bacterial infection, the number of white cells rises very quickly. The number of white blood cells is sometimes used to find an infection or to see how the body is dealing with cancer treatment.

White blood cell types (WBC differential). The major types of white blood cells are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Immature neutrophils, called band neutrophils, are also part of this test. Each type of cell plays a different role in protecting the body. The numbers of each one of these types of white blood cells give important information about the immune system. Too many or too few of the different types of white blood cells can help find an infection, an allergic or toxic reaction to medicines or chemicals, and many conditions, such as leukemia.

Red blood cell (RBC) count. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. They also carry carbon dioxide back to the lungs so it can be exhaled. If the RBC count is low (anemia), the body may not be getting the oxygen it needs. If the count is too high (a condition called polycythemia), there is a chance that the red blood cells will clump together and block tiny blood vessels (capillaries). This also makes it hard for your red blood cells to carry oxygen.

Hematocrit (HCT, packed cell volume, PCV). This test measures the amount of space (volume) red blood cells take up in the blood. The value is given as a percentage of red blood cells in a volume of blood. For example, a hematocrit of 38 means that 38% of the blood's volume is made of red blood cells. Hematocrit andhemoglobin values are the two major tests that show if anemia or polycythemia is present.

Hemoglobin (Hgb). The hemoglobin molecule fills up the red blood cells. It carries oxygen and gives the blood cell its red color. The hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in blood and is a good measure of the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Red blood cell indices. There are three red blood cell indices: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). They are measured by a machine, and their values come from other measurements in a CBC. The MCV shows the size of the red blood cells. The MCH value is the amount of hemoglobin in an average red blood cell. The MCHC measures the concentration of hemoglobin in an average red blood cell. These numbers help in the diagnosis of different types of anemia. Red cell distribution width (RDW) can also be measured which shows if the cells are all the same or different sizes or shapes.

Platelet (thrombocyte) count. Platelets (thrombocytes) are the smallest type of blood cell. They are important in blood clotting. When bleeding occurs, the platelets swell, clump together, and form a sticky plug that helps stop the bleeding. If there are too few platelets, uncontrolled bleeding may be a problem. If there are too many platelets, there is a chance of a blood clot forming in a blood vessel. Also, platelets may be involved in hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis 

Mean platelet volume (MPV). Mean platelet volume measures the average amount (volume) of platelets. Mean platelet volume is used along with platelet count to diagnose some diseases. If the platelet count is normal, the mean platelet volume can still be too high or too low.