What's Your White Blood Cell Count?
When
a person has cancer, their entire life changes quickly. There are many
decisions to make including where to get a second opinion, how to make
arrangements for care during treatment, if alternative blood cancer medical
treatments should be attempted and when, and even decisions that occur during
preparation of a will. Also, will you opt for no treatment, care in a hospice
setting, chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery? What are the implications of each
of these treatments or lack of treatments? For example, if irradiation of the
prostate is accepted as treatment, will it ruin the sex drive and cause
impotency later? How will my wife handle that type of side effect?
What
about the Family?
There are questions to answer such as what should you tell your children? Are there certain children that should know and others that need to be guarded? If the prognosis is negative, should there be a family meeting about the situation? How can you run the meeting without crying? What will you tell your parents and grandparents? Will you tell your friends that are generally not that supportive the truth or leave them out of the loop? What about the neighbors? Who should know? If you tell some of the neighbors by blood cancer, is it possible that they will be able to help you while you're recovering?
There are questions to answer such as what should you tell your children? Are there certain children that should know and others that need to be guarded? If the prognosis is negative, should there be a family meeting about the situation? How can you run the meeting without crying? What will you tell your parents and grandparents? Will you tell your friends that are generally not that supportive the truth or leave them out of the loop? What about the neighbors? Who should know? If you tell some of the neighbors by blood cancer, is it possible that they will be able to help you while you're recovering?
How
Will Your Nutritional Needs Be Met?
There are nutritional questions such as what will you eat when you have no appetite? Will you opt to continue to take your supplements? Will you take new supplements to address this new problem? Who can help you determine what your nutritional needs are? How much will it cost? Will you be able to cut the costs of the supplements? Why does it take so long to recover? What type of shortcuts can be made?
There are nutritional questions such as what will you eat when you have no appetite? Will you opt to continue to take your supplements? Will you take new supplements to address this new problem? Who can help you determine what your nutritional needs are? How much will it cost? Will you be able to cut the costs of the supplements? Why does it take so long to recover? What type of shortcuts can be made?
How
Will You Address Spiritual Concerns?
There are spiritual issues to work out as well; ones such as are you ready to meet your Maker, did your life matter to others, and did you love enough people along the way. Is it possible that you can be 'granted' extra time? How can you get closer to your Maker now? Should you have certain people praying for you now? How effective are prayer rings and how does one get plugged into them? What about the healing effects of laughter?
There are spiritual issues to work out as well; ones such as are you ready to meet your Maker, did your life matter to others, and did you love enough people along the way. Is it possible that you can be 'granted' extra time? How can you get closer to your Maker now? Should you have certain people praying for you now? How effective are prayer rings and how does one get plugged into them? What about the healing effects of laughter?
How
Does the Cancer Diagnosis Affect Your Job?
It's often difficult to continue many normal daily routines knowing that there
is now a diagnosis of cancer. For example, will you continue working at your
present job? Will you reduce your hours at the job or quit altogether? Does the
diagnosis give you a good excuse to finally quit a job you never really cared
for but needed to bring home a paycheck? Are there other more important things
on your dream list that you want to accomplish? If so, when can you schedule them?
Will it be risky to your health to do some of the things on your list? Can you
contact the Make a Wish Foundation? Are there projects you still want to
complete? What about the fact that many people with cancer have taken up a
mission greater than themselves after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, and
ended up living five or ten years beyond what was expected? Is it time to start
that program where you send dolls to the children in Africa? While you address
all these issues, your doctor is spending time looking at your blood. Your
blood is made of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
It's often difficult to continue many normal daily routines knowing that there
is now a diagnosis of cancer. For example, will you continue working at your
present job? Will you reduce your hours at the job or quit altogether? Does the
diagnosis give you a good excuse to finally quit a job you never really cared
for but needed to bring home a paycheck? Are there other more important things
on your dream list that you want to accomplish? If so, when can you schedule them?
Will it be risky to your health to do some of the things on your list? Can you
contact the Make a Wish Foundation? Are there projects you still want to
complete? What about the fact that many people with cancer have taken up a
mission greater than themselves after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, and
ended up living five or ten years beyond what was expected? Is it time to start
that program where you send dolls to the children in Africa? While you address
all these issues, your doctor is spending time looking at your blood. Your
blood is made of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
Blood
Means Life
Every part of the blood gives you life. Your blood cells are related to your immunity. The white blood cells keep your immunity high so that you aren't susceptible to infections and kill cancer cells and tumors. Your red blood cells give you endurance and strength. Platelets form clots that prevent you from bleeding. The plasma is the liquid component of blood that allows the blood cells to travel through the arteries and veins. Without plasma, your blood cells can do nothing.
Every part of the blood gives you life. Your blood cells are related to your immunity. The white blood cells keep your immunity high so that you aren't susceptible to infections and kill cancer cells and tumors. Your red blood cells give you endurance and strength. Platelets form clots that prevent you from bleeding. The plasma is the liquid component of blood that allows the blood cells to travel through the arteries and veins. Without plasma, your blood cells can do nothing.
Blood
Count Important to Cancer Patients
And to a cancer patient, it's the white blood cells that are the most important. When someone is originally diagnosed with cancer, their white blood cell count may be too low or too high, depending on the type of cancer. Normal levels are generally considered to be 4300 to 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter per liter. Low white blood cell count is less than 5000 cells per cubic millimeter per liter. High white blood cell count is 11,000 and above. What's your white blood cell count?
And to a cancer patient, it's the white blood cells that are the most important. When someone is originally diagnosed with cancer, their white blood cell count may be too low or too high, depending on the type of cancer. Normal levels are generally considered to be 4300 to 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter per liter. Low white blood cell count is less than 5000 cells per cubic millimeter per liter. High white blood cell count is 11,000 and above. What's your white blood cell count?
Chemotherapy
Lowers White Blood Cell Count
It's a well known fact that chemotherapy results in a lowered white blood cell count. The chemotherapy kills stem cells in the bone marrow that produce white blood cells. The low levels of white blood cells start showing up a few days after the chemotherapy is given. The levels of white blood cells continue their downward trend for the next three or more weeks. The disadvantage of this is that the low white blood cells predispose someone to infection. When the white blood cells are low, then any bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite that the person is exposed to can become life-threatening. An infection during this time could result in the administration of antibiotics and corticosteroids.
It's a well known fact that chemotherapy results in a lowered white blood cell count. The chemotherapy kills stem cells in the bone marrow that produce white blood cells. The low levels of white blood cells start showing up a few days after the chemotherapy is given. The levels of white blood cells continue their downward trend for the next three or more weeks. The disadvantage of this is that the low white blood cells predispose someone to infection. When the white blood cells are low, then any bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite that the person is exposed to can become life-threatening. An infection during this time could result in the administration of antibiotics and corticosteroids.
The
Medical Solution to Increasing White Blood Cell Count after Chemotherapy
It's because of this relationship between chemotherapy and low white blood cell count that the doctor will check cell counts at regular intervals during chemotherapy. He's thinking, "What's this patient's white blood cell count?" If the white blood cell count is too low, there's a possibility that the next round of chemotherapy will be delayed. Another option is that additional drugs can be given that increase white blood cell counts. And the final option is to treat the patient with antibiotics, but only if there are signs of infection in the body. This tells you something important: increasing white blood cell count after chemotherapy is one of the most important things you can do.
It's because of this relationship between chemotherapy and low white blood cell count that the doctor will check cell counts at regular intervals during chemotherapy. He's thinking, "What's this patient's white blood cell count?" If the white blood cell count is too low, there's a possibility that the next round of chemotherapy will be delayed. Another option is that additional drugs can be given that increase white blood cell counts. And the final option is to treat the patient with antibiotics, but only if there are signs of infection in the body. This tells you something important: increasing white blood cell count after chemotherapy is one of the most important things you can do.
Natural
Options are Simple
If you want a natural option for doing this, there are solutions. One company has created a product called Leucozepin that is composed of 15 different types of Chinese herbs. Many of the herbs have been studied over the last 50 years and have been found to naturally increase white blood cell counts. There are no known side effects. The herbs are not addictive in any way.
If you want a natural option for doing this, there are solutions. One company has created a product called Leucozepin that is composed of 15 different types of Chinese herbs. Many of the herbs have been studied over the last 50 years and have been found to naturally increase white blood cell counts. There are no known side effects. The herbs are not addictive in any way.
When
a natural product such as this one is used, it can often be used at the same
time that chemo treatments are given. The result of this is that the usual low
white blood cell counts are not seen, and the patient has enough energy,
endurance and stamina to continue the treatments.
However,
many times, the physician is not educated in herbs and cannot make an educated
decision about them. His scope of practice does not include herbs or nutrition
and legally, he cannot condone them. That doesn't mean you shouldn't consider
them. Instead, you must do your homework and decide for yourself.
So
when your doctor asks himself, "What is this patient's white blood cell
count?” what will the answer be regarding you? You really do have a choice in
the matter. Make an educated decision. Check out the options.
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