Things I have learned along this journey: Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that kills bacteria. The "Absolute Neutrophil Count" aka ANC is an estimate of the body's ability to fight infections. Normal range is between 2,500 and 7,000, and if the count goes below 500 it's called Neutropenic and is very, very dangerous.
However, this time it was expected and prepared for. Randy came in with an ANC of 3,300 and because of the chemo he received on the 25th, it started decreasing on the 30th and is now down to zero.
The situation is that the white blood cells that got the chemo dose are dying off, which takes about a week. The stem cells he received on the 26th are growing but that takes up to 2 weeks. This creates a gap where the old cells are gone and the new cells are not mature.
This is the time when we have to be extra careful - everyone has to mask, we are confined to this ward, and they test him a lot. There are changes to Randy's diet now - no undercooked eggs or meat (there goes the prime rib!), unpasteurized dairy products, uncooked fruits and vegetables, and water has to be distilled or boiled.
This hasn't been a problem so far - he has enough nausea that nothing is appetizing. One night for dinner he could only eat a couple of crackers. But they are giving him more meds for nausea, which helps, as does Glenda's cinnamon scones!
We aren't sure how the next few days are going to go so I'll be sleeping on the couch in Randy's room awhile.
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