Saw the hematologist, Dr. Klimek, this morning at Sloan Kettering. My white cell count is still low – although possibly marginally better then it has been.
The bone marrow biopsy from four weeks ago did show some abnormal cells – "displastic" is the term. So Dr. Klimek is more concerned now, then she had been, that I may be developing myelodisplastic syndrome. She still thinks it’s more likely that the low white counts are due to some other cause, but in her mind the chances that I will develop MDS are higher. This would not be good, as myelodisplastic syndrome is quite serious.
The plan has not changed – since the only abnormality is low white count, and it is not dangerously low, we will continue to just watch the situation. I will see Klimek again in six weeks, and in the meantime she decided not to give me a shot of neulasta. She wants to see how my counts go without the white blood cell booster. I’ll continue to get a CBC done every Friday.
So, while it’s not the kind of report that we’d have preferred, we will continue to play the waiting game. The rest of my blood counts are fine, which I take as a good omen.
Meanwhile, my sinusitis and cough seem to have cleared up. I am back on the acid reflux medication protonix, which definitely has helped eliminate my cough. And the sinus culture Dr. Zeitlin took nine days ago came back negative.
Leave a Reply