Barbara,
Since your husband has not yet started a TKI drug (Sprycel in his case) none of the blood counts mean anything in relation to drug response since they are only induced by the Hydroxyurea (HU). The only "response" he has seen is reduced thickness of his blood by killing off blood cells. The CBC numbers are illusionary at this point.
The reason the results cannot be used for response levels is the HU targets both good and bad blood cells. So although a PCR and FISH should have been done at diagnosis as a baseline, a PCR or FISH test now would provide no meaningful information about his status since the HU distorts the ratio of good and bad blood cells (oversimplifying here so you can understand). So the nurse is actually correct about no need to do a PCR now, although I doubt the nurse knows why that is the case.
His platelets have not been affected since the HU cannot kill them since they have no nucleus. But there will be a lagging effect of a few weeks whereby the cells which create platelets have been killed off. Platelets stay in the body for several weeks so changes are more gradual. White blood cells stay in the blood for only a few days so the effect of HU is more rapid.
At this point your husband simply needs to stay off the HU (I would not let them give him any more, if it were me) and allow his body to start recovering and start the Sprycel as soon as possible. Then forget this initial circus and move on. He will get through this. My problem with this HU issue is that it is so unnecessary to start out by destroying the good blood cells when they are critically needed. But try not to fret too much. He will get past this.
Hi Trey , thanks for your input.....my husband actually did start Sprycel at same time as Hydroxy (details on my signature line). yesterday , we met with Oncologist. Doctor officially told us that Husband has reached Hematologic response . yeyy.
I pushed about the PCR again..and she said that "there is no need to do PCR at diagnosis". urrrgh. I almost told her to go read your posts but i had to stop myself 
. She gave me an analogy : "If a dog poops on the floor, and you can see the poop (via FISH), whats the point of taking that poop and putting it under a microscope(PCR) to check for bacteria? You see the poop, you assume there is bacteria in the poop. " Um. Ok. I guess that makes sense 
(not really)
So, no PCR on hubby. She is only going to follow him every 3 months now with FISH....oh and every month with CBC
I asked her about WAYYY down the road, in a galaxy far far away....would she EVER consider taking my husband off the spyrcel ............to which she screamed "No!! never". I asked her about people that have successful been off after deep molecular response and she said "only the trials are doing that "....in her practice , she would never ever consider it because she is afraid of resistance and mutations. She won't even consider dropping the Sprycel (100mg) dosage.
Now on to my husband......why is he always quiet at these meetings and I am the only one that is talking and asking questions?
The only thing he asked yesterday at the very end was "Doc, I have stopped any alcohol intake since my diagnosis. my birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Now can i have a glass of wine ? " Really? THATS THE ONLY THING ON HIS MIND ?? urrrgh 
Guess what the doctor replied "NO!!
Husband's Diagnosis: 1/11/2017- WBC 211,000. Hydroxyurea 500 bid & Allopurinol started.
1/16 - BMB- FISH = 95% bcr/abl. 1% blasts. Sprycel 100 mg added to hydroxyurea
1/27 WBC = 54,000 -- hydroxy stopped.
2/3 WBC = 8
2/9= Hematologic Response !! WBC= 5, platelets= 300, peripheral smear no abnormal cells. Allopurinol stopped.
If someone has an extremely high WBC, why isn't leukapheresis used instead of hydroxyurea? My guess is that it's easier (and less expensive) to prescribe pills than to administer leukapheresis?
