Numbers Nine.. Eight.. and worries

Over the last months I have been concerned about Ranjan's low haemoglobin. When we found out that he had Hodgkin's lymphoma his haemoglobin was 7.2. After we began chemotherapy it climbed up to 9 and has been hovering between 9.2 and 9.8. This week it is again 9.2! It has never gone beyond the 9 range.

Chemotherapy can damages the body’s ability to make RBCs, so body tissues do not get enough oxygen, a condition called anaemia. Nearly all chemotherapy agents suppress the bone marrow that, in turn, causes a reduction in the number of blood cells and thus becomes  and the cause of chronic anaemia. I hope this is the reason for Ranjan's low counts. I wait with bated breath for the blood counts post the last chemo session cannot begin to imagine how it will all go. At present when Ranjan hit his nadir usually a week after his chemo, a set of injections were given to boost all the counts. The results are spectacular: from 3000 his WBC shoot up to 16 000 in the span of 3 days. But what will happen after the last chemo.

Yesterday's results were scary has the haemoglobin went below 9. It was 8.9 and this time the WBC did not climb above 4900 in spite of the booster shots. The oncologist of course said : no cause for worry!  For them the patient are just numbers and protocols.

I read that the blood counts will return to normal within three to four weeks, after the body's feedback system has told the stem cells in the bone marrow to increase production and begin making new cells, and hope that this is what will happen to Ranjan. The next sentence in the same article made my blood run cold: If chemotherapy is given at the time that the stem cells in the bone marrow are increasing their production this could cause permanent bone marrow damage. I was never told that and hope that the doctors knew what they were doing. It is nothing short of terrifying.

The big question is how long will it take for Ranjan's immune system to regain its lost abilities. The answers are confusing as most of the survivor blogs I have read give different numbers: from 6 months to 5 years and more. Some even say that it is never quite the same so I rephrase my question to how long will it take for Ranjan's immunity to get to its new normal. And the answer is: no one knows!

According to the WHO haemoglobin counts between 8 and 9 mean moderate anaemia. This where we are today. But there are two more chemos that have to be gone through. I am at my wit's end as it seems that all my support therapies and coping strategies are not working as well as they did. I will try and see if there is something else that I can do protect Ranjan's bone marrow that has become the most precious thing in my life.

A quick search on the internet reveals that shark liver oil helps the bone marrow. Then there is a supplement called astralagus that boosts the immune system. Studies have proved this fact. So this goes on the menu too. I guess I have a lot of research to do to be ready to face the post chemo days!