this post was hidden in another string at the bottom of the page. also as it was posted by a non registered user (you need to register and get a password before you can post) it was waiting for a few days in the queue for moderated posts.
i have reposted here under a new heading.
sandy
Low White Blood Cell count - neutropenia while on Gleevec
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2006-09-28 01:01.
Hi--
My husband was diagnosed with CML 2.5 months ago. (2.5 months after our first child was born--the timing has shocked us beyond belief). He had many other complications at the time--it was found that he had a hematoma on his brain, and had suffered a stroke as well on the left side of his body. His WBC when he walked into the ER was 449,000!! He had no warning signs and other than numbness on his left hand, felt great. WE were SHOCKED to learn he had CML AND AND AND had to have brain surgery immediately.
All in all, after 3 emergency brain surgeries, and after being treated on hydrea along with leukophurysis treatments while in the ICU, he was started on Gleevec (600mg/day). Within 2 weeks, his WBC count was down to 3800 (they lowered the Gleevec to 500mg/day), it stayed there for a couple weeks, then dropped down to 3200, etc. 2 weeks ago, he got an eye infection and when they pulled his CBCs, they found his WBC count was only 500 and admitted him immediately...he has now stopped Gleevec and has been in the hospital for 2 weeks, WBC still fluctuating between 500-800. Docs cannot figure out what is going on...all other counts are normal. We are lucky and live out here in Southern Cal where City of Hope is, and we are able to be seeing their docs, they are still trying to figure out all this. My husband (Joel), feels very good except for the fact that he is having fevers of 101.5 - 102. They thought he had another infection but after numerous blood cultures, have found nothing. He is on many antibiotics just as precautionary means, and they now think the fevers are simply due to his neutropenia. But now we are just sitting and WAITING WAITING WAITING for his WBC to start climbing..it has been almost 2 weeks and NOTHING has happened.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Anyone else go through this?
Regards,
Wendy Cervera