May have to cancel surgery again!!!

I just got back from my weekly Breast Cancer treatment and they check my blood counts......my white blood cells are too low for surgery. My surgery is Thurs. This would be the 2nd time I'd have to cancel. The first time my platelet counts were too low(they are the cells that clot your blood).

Unlike the other posts that I've read here, I'm having a TAH/BSO as a precaution. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in '03(age 33) after my 2nd daughter was born and have just had a reoccurance in Feb. '06. My cancer grows on estrogen, therefore......I elected to have a hyst.
I'm beginning to think God has other plans for me and maybe this is not the time to do this operation.

I just received a shot today to try and boost my counts and will get one tomorrow too. My pre-op appt. is tomorrow and they still want me to come in.

Please say a prayer that my counts will be up.....as I really want this operation before I start my next cycles of chemo.

Kim

Hey Kim I too am a breast cancer patient but my breast cancers were in 2000 and 2003. as a result of the breast cancers I was left with a cancer called myelodyplasia which is bone marrow failure - my body does not make red, whitecells or platelets correctly anymore and eventually will stop altogether or turn into leukemia. Since I had a pelvic mass along with a possible cancerous endometrium and cystic ovaries my doctors decided to to ahead with the hyst and have blood waiting in the OR in coolers. I did the procrit and neuprogin shots to bring up my red and white blood counts and they worked great. I did have a hematoma after surgery but instead of them going back in to close it off they watched it closely to see if it would stop on its own which thank God it did and then instead of suctioning out the blood, they left it and are allowing my body to re-absorb it. It leaves you black and blue all over your stomach down to almost your knees, but is painless. I know you are anxious to get this done but maybe it is better you wait. You didn't mention what your blood counts were. I needed an override from my brease oncologist and from my gynecological oncologist before the hospical would admit me, but after that I was a go under strick supervision. If you do have to wait, and you are doing the procrit or neuprogin shots, they are great. I saw a 2-3 point a day rise in my counts.
Lynn

Hi Lynn,
It sounds like you've been through alot too. I've just been on the web checking around as to why my count dropped in 1 week since I haven't done chemo in 5 weeks. It says that antibiotics and antihistimines can do it. I took antibiotics for a few days because I had a wicked sore throat for about 2 weeks and my 6yr. old had strep. My Onc. gave them to me for a "just in case" when my daughter had strep a few mths. ago. I should have called him before I took them......oops. I then took antihistimines because my 4yr. old had a cold and my surgery is coming up. I go for pre-op tomorrow and to see my Oncologist.

My platelets were down to 74,000 and are now up to 174,000. My white was at 900 today. I will find out tomorrow how high they have to be for surgery. I believe it has to be about 15-1700 at least. My red is fine because I receive a shot every 2 weeks for it.

When you say a 2-3 point rise, you don't mean 100 or 1000, right? Just like it sounds, 2-3???
Kim

Yes, and they can also boost you with just platelets, or red cells or white cells after surgery. I even had the procrit and neuprogin shots after some of my surgeries. Are you doing your surgery in between chemo or are you finished with your chemo? That should make a big difference also. I am 12 days post-op and my counts are still low, but then again they stay low. I am praying things go well and any decision that is made is for the good. Lynn

I actually am in remission. I just finished 24 chemo treatments which put me into remission. It had come back to my liver and 4 vertebra, collapsing 2 of them. I wanted to do this surgery before I start my weekly "maintainance chemo". Kim

Does your onc. know you are having the surgery? If he/she gives the ok with your labs and talks to your gyn and decides a plan of attack you should be ok. That is what my docs did. Actually my onc. set me up with my gyn onc. Lynn

Yes, he knows. I actually have to go there for a shot tomorrow and he wants to talk to me. Were your counts low when you had your surgery?
Do you have any idea what the lowest they go on white count to still operate? I can't imagine mine would come up that much in 2 days.

Both my white and red counts were low when I went for surgery but my platelets were ok. My BUN and creatinine were also off a little. Because of my myelodysplasia my counts will never be 100% so they just decided to go ahead and do the surgery with the idea that I would need transfusions. I am not sure what the lowest the counts can be for surgery but I do know that my doctors had letters in my records to override the hospital requirements because I can't have any chemo or radiation anymore because I don't make the blood cells or platelets correctly and I depend on transfusions. Maybe that is what your doc want to talk to you about - that possibility of your needing a transfusion. Have you used any blood products during your treatments yet?Lynn

No, I've never been that low that I would need to have a transfusion. Once my reds started to go down, they put me on the shots. My whites never really go too high(about 2,000), but don't usually bottom out with this chemo cocktail. They were 1700 last week, so I think I messed myself up by taking the antibiotic & antihistimine. Rats!!

I'll let you know tomorrow what he has to say!
Kim I

Prayers & Hugs to U MeggyMegs....
U r in my thoughts....
please keep us posted....