Head & Neck

hi, my mum was diagnosed on 21st February with throat ca, tonsils being the primary and neck tumour secondary.  Her staging is t2 n3 m0.     

She was due to start chemotherapy a week after diagnosis but when she attended her neutrophils were 0.6, and they won’t start any chemotherapy until her neutrophils are above 1.5.

on Monday she attended theatres to have her PEG Insterted but they could not do the procedure due to her platelets now being 51!   And her neutrophils have gone even lower to 0.031!   

Has anybody Else suffered with low platelets and low neutrophils before? And what did the hospital do to bring them up?   

Thanks in advance x

  • I had breast cancer 10 years ago. I got a Hickman line for my chemo but the plastic line went septic (probably following an infected seroma) - I'm prone to Sepsis. And they removed the infected Hickman line. 

    Amyway I was neutropenic (neutrophils were low) so I ended up in a side ward with IV antibiotics and was given growth hormone injections into my tummy to boost my neutropenes. 

    It helped and I was discharged about a week later. And I'm still here. 

  • thank you so much for you reply!  We are just at a loss as nobody is doing anything and at the moment it just feels like cancer will be actively spreading as she has had no treatment since September last year now!

     

    she has just been admitted into hospital and being treated with sepsis. They said they will not discharge her from hospital until her neutrophils are above 1.0. 

    Very good I’ hope your keeping well :) xxxx

     So maybe now there will be some progress :) 

  • Hi

    this is. hazel I am 7 month so post radiotherapy with tonsil cancer HPV v 16 + also T2N2NM0 I haven’t had any platelet problems so sorry can’t help with regard to that but can help with the chemotherapy and radiotherapy when it starts .A,so the recovery eye period when treatment finishes.

    I have a blog from day one to now pop by give it a read .

    www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com

    any questions please ask in the meantime welcome to our small exclusive club that no one really wants to join.

    there is a a link to another blog by Anchor1707.

    keep in riuxh

    hazel

  • hi hazel. Thankyou so much for your reply, we have got the bottom of the problem.  

    The haematologist came to see my mum due her neutropenia and they did a bone marrow sample. She has now been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. 

    This is a seperate cancer to her throat.  It’s very very unusual and rarely happens getting two  seperate cancers at the same time.    So they have to treat the AML then they will treat the throat  :( xxxx

  • Hi Charl so sorry to year sbout a double dose of cancer at least they’ve gotten to the bottom of your mums problems. Onwards and upwards from here .if yiu need anything on the tonsil cancer just message me.

    sending hugs

     

    hazel

  • thanks so much for your kind words, you will know how much they mean ! 

     

    & ive just been reading your blog and it’s so close to home your situation! All my mum wants to know is when she can go back to Spain. She has a place in queseda - if you know where that is!  She’s similar age, acrually she turns 60 on Thursday!  Your blog has given me the inspiration write and help others. 

     

    Thankyou again xxxxx

  • hello :) 

    well we are to believe that aml has been discovered very very early as my mum has only the symptoms of her blood count being low - and the only way we have known about her bloods is due to them being checked for her throat cancer! 

    Im so sorry to hear about your brother, did he have the intense chemotherapy?xxxx

  • Hi charl

    small world we are Los Alcázares on the Mar Menor ! We rent an apartment long term we use quesada to get our bikes serviced at Cycological near Yorkshire linen .we used to stay between Los mintesineos and San Miguel so known rhe area very well.. we first flew out here 8 weeks after radiotherapy finished I won’t lie it was hard but I think it helped in the long run ! Thank you for kindness words about my blog I found it very cathartic to do and it was for me to have some control over the situation. but niw  I am getting replies worldwide and if I am helping any one so much the better. If you give sent me a friend request to ask anything feel free in the meanwhile please keep in touch 

    it’s sunny here and our daughter and grandson here so off to the beach today here’s is life after tonsil cancer it’s brutal treatment but if I can do it any one can postuve mental attitude

    take care

     

    hazel

     

  • Hi Charls -s

    My name is Ian and I was diagnosed with tonsil cancer last June and am currently in recovery phase.

    I've also written a blog, warts and all from the get go and I have listed a link below so you can have a look at.
    Like Hazel, I'm happy to help anyone going through this and please reach out if you feel I can help in anyway.

    radiotherapythroat.home.blog

    kind regards
    Ian

  • hi Ian :) thanks for your reply! And for your link to your blog! I will have a read tonight! 

     

    It’s fantastic to hear you are in the recovery phase xxxx