Looking Ahead

Phil wanted to call today's blog "Calm Before The Storm" but since I'm the author, what I say goes.  Ha! I prefer to be positive and although he is the one going through this maelstrom and it is likely to get stormy again soon enough, let's be optimistic, shall we?  


At his most recent f/u visit with Kossman this week, his labs looked awesome and as I mentioned in my last post he is seriously on the mend.  His WBC count is above the normal range now and although his HCT is low at 26 he is feeling fairly energetic (for him) and was given a go for the next round of chemo to begin on schedule next Tuesday, September 7th.  This will be part B of the first cycle believe it or not.  With everything I've been posting about the drama we've been through it's hard to think we aren't even through the first cycle!! Holy guacamole.  But, as my girlfriend quoted to me from Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."  And so we swim along.


Brief Intermission   HEMATOLOGY 101
     I thought I'd take a minute to explain some basic hematology to all you non-medical folks out there since I tend to throw around a fair amount of terms that need explanation and I tire of putting things in parentheses.  You, no doubt don't want to Google everything and probably don't have a medical dictionary at your disposal...


CBC: complete blood panel  A test draw to analyze the formed (cellular) values of blood.  Includes WBCs, RBCs, HGBs, HCT, PLTs and others.


WBCs: white blood cells   The number of white blood cells (leukocytes) in a volume of blood.  Usually differentiated into types of white cells.                             
granulocytes 
monoocytes
lymphocytes
eosinophils
basophils
4K to 11K is the normal range for men


RBCs: red blood cells The number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in a volume of blood.
4.35K to 5.25K is normal for men


Hgb: Hemoglobin  The protein molecule within RBCs that carries oxygen and gives blood its red color.
11 to 17g/dL is the normal range for men


HCT: Hematocrit  The ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood.
35% to 55% is normal for men


PLT Platelets  The number of platelets (thrombocytes) in a volume of blood / responsible for clotting the blood.
150,000-455,000 is normal for men


These are just the basics and if that was a snooze fest, a thousand apologies.  For those of you who can't get enough I hope you are already in the medical field.  Otherwise check out your local library or maybe you should be Googling it.  Either way, feel free to refer back to these normal values whenever I spout off about Phil's current results because he will be dipping in and out of normal.  For instance, at the beginning of this past week his WBCs were at 0.  Nothing, Nada, Zilch.  But after the Neulastin (the blood booster) he is at 19.5K WAY above normal.  Yee-Haw.  Better living through pharmaceuticals.


So, there you have it.  All our hard earned money and insurance going toward multi-million dollar drugs that keep Phil upright and making little-itty-bitty cells that fight off infection, carry oxygen, and keep him able to kick ass and take names.  And that's just what he's aiming to do come September 7th.  Mark your calendars!!