URGENT ADVICE needed with neutrophils and IV problems

Thanks Tracey I was begging for a picc line this afternoon but they have just said they will see how I go with the latest IV. I might have to ask to speak to someone higher up about this. Were the neulasta injections painful or cause pain afterwards?

Thanks Linda I have an excellent diet - lost heaps of weight before I was diagnosed by switching to nothing artificial and 99% fresh fruit vegetables chicken and fish- and I only drink bottled water but I will definitely ask to see a nutritionist in case there are things that I may be eating that interfere with chemo. Thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks Leonie I am going to ask about this. Isn't it funny how each state has a different policy on this?

Hi Nadine, i'm so sorry you are going though this... Ok my neutrophils were 0.8 last Tuesday 22/12 and by the time I got to  emergency they dropped to 0.0 but I also had high temp and tonsolitis.  Stayed in hospital till 25/12 as they went up 1.05.  But I did get the picc line (even if neutrophils were down to 0) cause my veins collapsed too so plead with doctor they do it with a local and using an ultrasound.  I don't understand why he won't give you one????

As for the Neulasta injection I was told I couldn't have it 1st round of chemo as I had to prove that I'm a candidate...

God I hope your neutrophils go up soon.... at least so you can go home!

Good luck.... Chriss xoxoxo

Hi Nadine,

i had similar problems as you but the treatment I received was different

- neulasta injections after each chemo as standard treatment for ALL patients in the QLD public hospital system. 

- when I was admitted to hospital with zero neutrophils, inflammatory response but no sepsis, I received extra neulasta injections daily till neutrophils reached 1.0, took 5 days of injections.

- had no veins and Docs safely put a picc line in under ultrasound guidance. If your doc can't do that then an anaesthetist should be able to do it for you. I had no complications with bleeding and the picc remained in for the rest of my chemo, made it all so much easier than being tortured with IV attempts. Your veins do collapse with chemo & unfortunately it won't get any better. 

Neutrophils have to be back to normal by day of treatment. My doc wouldn't reduce next chemo dose but we negotiated an extra weeks break so I could regain strength.

have a serious talk with your doc about your options, there are things he can be doing to help you. Good luck, Tracey

Hi Nadine,

you poor thing. I can sympathise!

I was hospitalised 5/6 treatments due to neutropenia and I DID have the injection after each of my chemo's. I would ask if you can see a nutritionist. She gave me some valuable tips about what foods to avoid and what to eat. This may help you.

i also had trouble with veins closing down and I too became to dread the needles, especially as one morning I had IV in one arm going in and bloods taken out the other at the same time! You certainly begin to feel like a pin cushion! There isn't much you can do but keep drinking plenty of fluids, limit coffee and tea though and Coke and all that fizzy crap. Try and stick to water if you can. I also drank peppermint tea.

i had lost all my hair by the second treatment. I got my girls to shave off the remainder. Get someone to bring in a pair of clippers so you can at least do it yourself if you have to. You don't want your hair falling into your dinner!

i hope that you will be out of that place soon. 

Let us know how you get on.

linda xx

Hi Nadine, firstly sorry to hear your stuck in hospital - it's bad enough having chemo without escaping home....  I'm 3 rounds into my AC and consider myself really lucky because my Oncologist in Adelaide managed to get me the Neulasta injection (pegfilgrastim) at the start of first treatment - without hitting "septic" levels, apparently this is because the drug company is trying to encourage use of the drug before people get hospitalised where possible, so they are covering first provision / use of the drug themselves where there's valid case - I'd perhaps ask your treating doctor or normal oncologist to see if he can give the drug company a call to see if they'd consider you a candidate - never hurts to ask, I think this has only occurred recently (believe drug company may be trying to lobby the government to support making this drug more acceptable to those of us who don't have endless bank accounts)!  Good luck - and here's hoping those pesky Neutrophils sort themselves out quickly!

Best Wishes

Leonie