Had leukophoresis last weekend

michele u · 11-14-2005, 09:49 PM

As most of you know i'm in the vaccine trial in Seattle. I was there last weekend for my 5th visit. I had to have leukophoresis this time. I was very scared about this appt now i can't believe it's over already. It was NOT as bad as i envisioned it. They put 2 iv lines in and hooked me up. It took 3 hours and they told me to tell them if my lips went numb. They did!! It was because my body was lacking Calcium at the time. They then gave me iv calcium and it went away. I felt a little funny when they gave me back my red blood cells. It probably helped i took a valium before!! I just kept thinking, maybe my cancer are being filtered out too!! The sad part was that they told me my body was not making antibodies yet. It is too early to tell if i was not going to make them at all. By next visit, which is Feb. i should know. And to let some of you know, they have changed the protocol on Herceptin use with this trial. They will now allow it!!

sherri · 11-14-2005, 10:31 PM

Dear Michelle,
I'm sending my blood to UW On Thursday and if it would be OK I'll start the first Vaccine in a couple of weeks. I'm scared of the leukophoresis, what happens if you don't do it?
Big hug and take care.

jojo · 11-15-2005, 01:59 AM

Can anybody define what leukophorsis <spell?> is? Thanks.

michele u · 11-15-2005, 09:10 PM

Sherri,

You can do a big blood draw instead. It really was not bad. I would tell you if it was. I was stressing about it too, and it was alot easier then i thought it would be. the valium helped!!

JoJo,
Leukophoresis is when the put 2 iv's in your arm. One takes the blood out and one puts it back. It took 3 hours. They run your blood through a machine and separate the stem cells out to check for immunity from the vaccine.

Julie2 · 11-16-2005, 09:41 AM

Hi Michelle and Sherri,

Did they (UW) ask for recent scans before starting the trial to prove that you are NED ?

thanks,
Julie

sherri · 11-16-2005, 07:40 PM

Julie,
They don't ask for scan, they need a Muga, ECG, and a blood test (must send to them) and they will send a letter to your oncologist and he or she has to approve that you are NED. You have to have stable Tumor marker 15-3 as well.
Let me know if you have any more question.