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Chelee · 12-08-2009, 11:03 PM

Hi Vicky, I did TCH and my counts started dropping the 2nd wk after my 1st infusion. They usually have your labs ran the morning of your infusion to make sure your WBC (white blood count) is in a safe range. If they see it's too low they will have you come in the day after your infusion for a neulasta injection. Some people don't need them...their counts bounce back quicker then others.

But do pay attention...ask your chemo nurse or onc for a copy of your labs. When I had my first go around I didn't know a thing about my counts or neulasta and it cost me big time!!! My onc had told me my counts were getting low but on wk 3 after my first infusion he FORGOT to tell my WBC was in the toilet. I ended up really sick and landed in the hospital for 12 days on oxygen, wide specturm of anti-biotics & heart moniter. (That cost me a total of 21 days down time I had to be off chemo.) You don't want to end up with neutropenia. Hopefully your onc is paying attention to WBC and would let you know if yours dropped. You just may be one that doesn't need it. But to be on the safe side...ask for copies of yours labs and check yourself.

Chelee

12-08-2009, 11:03 PM	#4
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Re: Neulasta???? Hi Vicky, I did TCH and my counts started dropping the 2nd wk after my 1st infusion. They usually have your labs ran the morning of your infusion to make sure your WBC (white blood count) is in a safe range. If they see it's too low they will have you come in the day after your infusion for a neulasta injection. Some people don't need them...their counts bounce back quicker then others. But do pay attention...ask your chemo nurse or onc for a copy of your labs. When I had my first go around I didn't know a thing about my counts or neulasta and it cost me big time!!! My onc had told me my counts were getting low but on wk 3 after my first infusion he FORGOT to tell my WBC was in the toilet. I ended up really sick and landed in the hospital for 12 days on oxygen, wide specturm of anti-biotics & heart moniter. (That cost me a total of 21 days down time I had to be off chemo.) You don't want to end up with neutropenia. Hopefully your onc is paying attention to WBC and would let you know if yours dropped. You just may be one that doesn't need it. But to be on the safe side...ask for copies of yours labs and check yourself. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.