A Regular Doctor: Neutrophils

Monday morning.  I went to see a new general internal medicine doctor at Northwestern, where my cancer doctor and my cancer surgeon practice.  It helps to have someone there that can see all my medical records and tests.  Before Cancer, I didn't have a "regular" doctor.  A couple of times in the last few years if I got a bad cold, I went to the office of ...my big sister... friend...family: Chris.  All right, I am not sure what to call her.  We have spent holidays with Chris and her husband for 25 years.  She has stopped and brought dinners and visited almost every week while I have been sick.  She is the closest thing to family that I have that is not family.  You have those relationships too I am sure. Chris is also a general internal medicine doctor. 

Tuesday, I got my blood results back from doctor visit Monday.  My white count is 2.5.  Normal is 4-11.  From a blood test a year ago at a health fair, my white count was 5.8.  So, I have less than half of my normal ability to fight off infection.  The doctor sent me an email.   She, Dr. U (my new general medicine doctor) talked to Kelly, my oncology nurse, and said I can go back to eating raw fruits and vegetables.  For the last several weeks, it was cooked vegetables and only fruits with the skin peeled (like oranges, bananas, apples and pears).  In her email she said it is all right because my neutrophil is 1100. Of course, I had no idea what Neutrophils even were.  So I looked them up.  Here is an excerpt from Medicine.net

Neutrophils are key components in the system of defense against infection. An absence or scarcity of neutrophils (a condition called neutropenia) makes a person vulnerable to infection. After chemotherapy, radiation, or a blood or marrow transplant, the ANC is usually depressed and then slowly rises, reflecting the fact that the bone marrow is recovering and new blood cells are beginning to grow and mature.  In practical clinical terms, a normal ANC is 1.5 or higher; a "safe" ANC is 500-1500; a low ANC is less than 500. A safe ANC means that the patient's activities do not need to be restricted (on the basis of the ANC).

So at 1100, my Neutrophil is safe but not normal.  No sushi yet.  I am still washing my hands and using hand sanitizer 7 times a day.   I'm not touching many people voluntarily.  No shaking hands.  No hugs unless I am really really sure you aren't sick! 

In the tests, my Vitamin D level came back very low.  I had stopped using all Vitamins and supplements while on chemo.  But perhaps my Vitamin D level was low before and I just didn't know.  With blood results in hand, I got the go ahead to start taking vitamins again and the doctor started me on a prescription of Vitamin D for 12 weeks to boost my Vitamin D level. 

I have a sore throat.  For a while today, my voice wavered.  I am just not used to talking so much!  No one who knows me will think that is true, but it is.  Looking forward.