Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 12:00 PM
Hi All,
I got a CBC done after two weeks today and my WBC had gone up to 6.2 from 4.2. Is this anything to be concerned about? I know it's still well within normal, but this is the highest it's been since starting treatment, which might be a good thing, but who knows? I have tended to stay around 4.2-4.3 pretty consistently with a few times being around 5.2. My onc. says I can wait a month until my next CBC...What would you do? Plts were 128, Hb was 14.8.
Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 12:17 PM
Hi Josh,
I'm sure it's fine. So many things can affect the range that if you're within normal, or even a bit over, I wouldn't worry about it. I think you could draw a vial of blood out of each arm at the same time and get results with a spread like that.
Advanced Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 12:20 PM
How many weeks/months are you in treatment? I just went through this early-treatment madness/anxiety over the first couple of months when I saw my WBC increase from the 3.x range and into the 6.x range across a couple of different labs ... and over a relatively short period of time. At that point, I was also told that I could move to monthly checks (because I had been checked weekly for the first 6 weeks of treatment and everything was stable), but I personally was not reassured. I decided to get one extra CBC 2 weeks later just to make sure everything was cool ... and it was, then I moved to monthly, and now I'm in the waiting game between 3 and 6 months.
Based on my experience, I don't think that data point alone is anything to be concerned about ... I ended up worrying and paying for an extra CBC for nothing.
Dan - Atlanta, GA
CML CP Diagnosed March 2011
Gleevec 400mg
Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 12:31 PM
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been on Tasigna for about 6 months now. I am not too concerned, but of course, we always want everything to be exactly perfect. I don't know whether to go back in a few weeks or not though. The paranoid part of me that doesn't want to let go of this persistent checking would like to go in a week. I need to find a part of me that can comfortably let go....Who knows.
New Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 03:21 PM
Hey Josh
My WBC actually jumps around a lot. Since beginning Tasigna in late April I have seen 5.0, 2.6, 5.8, 7.1, 5.2, 4.9, 6.4, and 7.1 (quite a see-saw there). My wife always gets concerned when it gets to about 7, but that's just about in the middle of the normal range. The nurses and doctors have never said anything bad about it, so I just take it as par for the course.
Stephen
Advanced Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 05:31 PM
I've been in the 6 range once or twice since Dx - I also had a few thoughts about what it meant, but in reality 6 is still the low end of normal. I decided to see it as a positive. The way I see it, my WBC factory is pumping along well and I am not in the low count camp. I know it is nerve racking, you will get to a point when things won't seem as tense as they do now and you will not worry as much about the ebb and flow of the situation.
Guest_billronm_*
Posted 19 August 2011 - 07:51 PM
Dear Josh,
What you're going through is quite normal. I had a melanoma 6 years ago.Every thing is fine now but I have to go to my dermatologist every 6 months to be checked. I had about 7 0r 8 skin cancers removed since then. He told me to check my body once a month and call him if a pimple, or a mark or anything suspicious shows up. So every day I was looking for any mark or mole .I called him twice because I saw a couple marks. They were fine. I just stopped looking for every little mark. So please stop driving yourself crazy. But if anything bad is going on you're bw will show it.
Just have a couple glasses of wine every night and relax. I play a lot of computer games when I get really stressed . It really calms me down.And before you know it an hour has gone by. I got addicted to solitare one time the real cards. Before I could go anywhere,or do something I had to play a game of solitare.boy am I gonna get it when everyone knows my dirty little secret. I should have been commited years ago but they could't catch me. Why can't I get a normal nervous habit like biting my fingernails or picking my nose.At least I stopped making funny noises and scratching my butt. Take Care we're all hear for you anytime. Billie
Advanced Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 09:39 PM
Hi Josh: I know how you feel when you see something change. I am not on Tasigna, but when I first started my Gleevec I had a increase in my WBC. I got so nervous that my numbers were increasing, but then I found out this happened with a lot of people and that it was normal. Then my numbers started to come back down. My WBC runs in the range of 3 or 4 all the time. I would repeat it in a week or so just for peace of mind if you can do it, otherwise you will be worrying for a month. Its probably fine.
Susan
Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 10:03 PM
Thanks for all the replies everyone; I really appreciate it. I probably won't go back after a week....I'll actually probably wait 3 weeks. I had a muscle injury last week and I have been really stressed out...All of which can make your WBC's fluctuate. I really have to stop living for CBC's and PCR's. What's going to happen is going to happen and I really can't be on guard like this all of the time. If my WBC shot up to 12 or 13 I would definitely go back in a week, but I am not going to through my hands up because it's 1 point above the highest it's ever been. I also can't expect my WBC to constantly stay the same, that's just unrealistic. I am actually going to challenge myself to not run to the doctor and worry constantly just becuase everything isn't exactly the way I want it. Would it have been comforting to have had the exact same numbers as last time? Yeah, but that's not the way the human body works, I guess. I was actually supposed to wait another week before having this CBC, but I ran off to the doctor because I thought I saw little red dots on my feet and thought my plts tanked...Nope...Still 130...Right where they've been for the past 2 months. I am sick of feeling like the lone water buffalo in the field waiting for the lion to attack. The psychological part of this is harder on me than any side effects I've had to date and I am totally not going to worry about this crap anymore. If my onc. says it's a normal fluctuation, then I will take his word for it. I am paying him to give me sound medical advice and so far he's been doing a good job. I've wasted more time in my life since DX worryinng than actually being sick. I am going to do my best to be done with that! I am so greatful to everyone on this board that's helped me out, but I am almost addicted to it in an unhealthy way...It may be time for a break....
Advanced Member
Posted 19 August 2011 - 10:25 PM
What your saying is making a lot of sense. We make ourselves sick with worry, more than our actual disease. Just wait till your due for the blood work again, and see what your numbers are. I hope everything goes very well for you. Enjoy your Weekend, and try to forget about it.
Susan
Advanced Member
Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:10 AM
I had to laugh when I read your post, Josh, cause I remember posting about the same thing a while ago. Only with CML would we freak out if our counts elevate into the normal range (or go a tad higher within the normal range). Anyone else would find that as a reason to celebrate. I've become so used to my new normal of slightly below normal that anything else is cause for alarm!
You'll be fine and stop freaking out over every little thing (we all did that) in time.
Pat
Pat
"You can't change the direction of the wind but you can adjust your sails."
DX 12/08; Gleevec 400mg; liver toxicity; Sprycel 100mg.; CCyR 4/10; MMR 8/10; Pleural Effusion 2/12; Sprycel 50mg. Maintaining MMR; 2/15 PCRU; 8/16 drifting in and out of undetected like a wave meeting the shore. Retired 12/23/2016! 18 months of PCRU, most recent at Mayo on 7/25/17 was negative at their new sensitivity reporting of 0.003.<p>
Member
Posted 25 August 2011 - 02:21 PM
So I caved and got a CBC. WBC is 5.4...Everything else is the same. Why do we do this to ourselves? Happy Wednesday everyone.
Advanced Member
Posted 25 August 2011 - 02:45 PM
It's how we learn. Glad the results were good.
Advanced Member
Posted 25 August 2011 - 02:59 PM
Well Josh, if things go low again, I will personally induct you for membership into the "Low Counts and Still Goin' Strong Club". I have been dx about 21 months now, and have not seen many increases. I find my life is more or less "normal" (thank goodness) despite. It makes me drive more carefully and wash and use hand sanitizer up a notch, but I was always crazy careful before. Good luck and less anxiety to you!
Tedsey
P.S. Totally understand the standing order for CBCs being a relief. However, I don't have the desire to know like I did. There is not much anyone can do about it anyway unless your are dangerously low. And like Pat said, we are probably the only people on earth who get anxious about being normal "near normal" with our blood counts. As a matter of fact, I was just discussing with my therapist that I feel more comfort with my low counts than if they were to raise all of a sudden to normal--considering all the prior trauma I experienced was from WBC that were totally and abnormally too high! But the proof is only in the PCR.
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