Chemo window of vulnerability

Monday through Wednesday of this week I have been on a somewhat oncologist-ordered self-imposed in-home reverse-quarantine.

Don’t misunderstand … cancer has not suddenly become contagious.  But due to my chemotherapy a week ago, I am now in the midst of a chemo window of vulnerability.  Let me explain.

Found this good explanation on lungcancer.about.com:

“Chemotherapy affects not only cancer cells, but other rapidly dividing cells in the body as well.  This includes the cells in the bone marrow that go on to become red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets.”

Apparently 7-10 days after in-office chemo, your bone marrow blood cell production is at its lowest level and as a cancer patient you become vulnerable to the things that on a normal basis your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets would protect you from.

A little refresher:

• White blood cells help you fight infection.
• Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body.
• Platelets helps your blood to clot.

So the window of vulnerability risks:

• With low white blood cell counts, one is at a higher risk of catching and/or developing an infection.
• Low red blood cell counts represent anemia … often marked by fatigue (#1 side effect of chemo) and shortness of breath.
• Low number of platelets in your blood can cause bleeding.

So I have a dozen or so side effects I watch for that should prompt a call to my oncologist … I won’t bore you with that list.

A few of my doctor orders precautions:

• Avoid germs – avoid people who are sick and avoid crowds where germs are sure to exist and flourish.  (Apparently Wal-Mart and movie theaters get a bad rap on this point.) So my wife has put me on a shopping and movie restriction … bummer …
• Avoid injury … or anything that could prompt bleeding.  Ex: shaving with a razor blade, hard brushing/flossing of teeth, taking aspirin, etc. … like I had a desire to bleed to begin with …
• Eat a balanced diet … your body needs all the help you can give through diet for healing itself during treatment.
• Rest whenever your body prompts you to … between the chemo and the cancer, your body needs rest to heal.

(Note: A great deal of the above, while exactly what my oncologist has instructed me, came from a paper by the Mayo Clinic titled “Low blood cell counts: Side effect of cancer treatment”.  If interested, I would highly recommend giving it a read.)

For those of you with curious and inquisitive minds about cancer and chemotherapy, I hope this was somewhat eye opening.  I know it was for me when I was first told of it during the Chemotherapy 101 class.

Lord Jesus, my life, my health is in your hands.  Please protect and provide for me during the bi-weekly chemo window of vulnerability.  Thank You for all Your love and faithfulness!!!

Bernie