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0.3 white blood cell count

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GiRo Experienced User
June 21st, 2008
Hi,

Before a weakened version of 2nd chemo my mother with diabetis had enough whitebloodcells to be allowed to get the 2nd chemo.
She had cancer in her back and probably also on more places in her body..
Thursday was the 2nd chemo.
Friday she was tired, but managed to walk to the barber for a haircut with my brother.
That night it went very bad, she had a hard time breathing, couldn't pee, belly was as if she was pregnant (but the belly she was told to be normal after chemo and medication) not to mension her feet and legs were swollen.
Saterday afternoon the ambulance came to pick her up.
Sunday 15th early night she passed away, her white bloodcells were at 0.3
She was puking red/brown blood, died in shock, the docters said she didn't knew and didn't see it coming. Reanimation was effectless.

I knew my mother had a weak imume system, she's always been trying to get it up with everything, vitamins, pills, healthy food (she always ate healthy) Not to mension she had breastcancer and chemo about 6 years ago.

Now my question..
How can whitebloodcells ever decrease so rapidly fast!!??

She had enough to get the chemo, I just don't understand...
How could nobody have forseen this.

Please help, I think it's so weird..
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First Helper User Profile GiRo
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MandMs
replied June 23rd, 2008
Extremely eHealthy
Hi!
I'm so sorry for your lost.

Decreased number of white blood cells is expected in those receiving chemotherapy.
It can develop suddenly over a few hours or days after chemo drugs are received, due to chemo-induced impaired bone marrow's ability to produce white blood cells.
Chemotherapy slows the production of blood cells by killing them off as they grow and divide. The number of white blood cells goes down first, because these cells have the shortest life span in the blood. So if your bone marrow isn't making them, the numbers will quickly drop.

Metastatic cancer that has spread to bones, can also give low white blood cells count.
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Users who thank MandMs for this post: GiRo 
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GiRo
replied June 23rd, 2008
Experienced User
I see, thanks for telling me this!!

I think the doctors should have told us:
It is possible that you die within days if you take this chemo because your white bloodcells drop down in big numbers.

They knew my mothers state, but they just gave it a go.

On the other hand the cancer would have grown even more if it wouldn't have been for the chemo, but now she died sooner.
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MandMs
replied June 30th, 2008
Extremely eHealthy
You are welcome!

I feel with your sorrow and grief!
I don't wanna sound rude, but, your mum was facing cancer in an advanced phase (metastasis in different places), and, her prognosis was poor with or without treatment.
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GiRo
replied July 1st, 2008
Experienced User
Well, the cells were active.. but not yet tumors, so we just tried to stop them from growing, but they continued after hormone cures, so we tried chemo, but even with the chemo they kept growing...

What you say is true I guess..
Thanks a lot again ^^
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Annalu
replied January 27th, 2013
Re: 0.3 white blood cell count
Hi I've just found this forum after my mother has been to the haemotologist she has been seeing for 6mthsband wanted to know what it means exactly.

She has Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia and has had no treatment and her white cell count is 0.3.

Can anyone fill me in please?
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