Uh-oh: They had to stop chemotherapy for Bill

Bill got his blood tested before starting chemo today, and the results were so bad that chemo had to be stopped!

The doctor told him that his blood count was only "one."

ONE?

You can have a blood count of just ONE?

One WHAT?

One white cell?

HALP!

I'm trying to find this out. So far, I think his condition is called "leukopenia" or "neutropenia." It's a fairly common side effect of chemo, although I suspect that a count of "one" doesn't happen every day.

For the next 4 days, he will be extremely subject to infections--both bacterial and viral. He has to wear a mask everywhere he goes, and cannot go in public places or anywhere there are children. He isn't even allowed to receive the H1N1 vaccine because his immune system is so shamwowed that he would GET H1N1 if they gave him the vaccine! YIKES!

We have to take special care in the house to make sure he doesn't get infected. He cannot get scratched, and I have to overcook his eggs and meats, and make sure vegetables are super-clean (I do that, anyway. Lord. I'm so obsessive that I wash the OUTSIDE of BANANAS before I eat them, so no new practices required there.)

As long as I don't have to vacuum.

WHAT? I have to VACUUM?

Meanwhile, the other bad news is that this means he cannot receive any more chemo until that blood situation corrects itself, and the next time he gets cisplatin, he can't have a full dose.

And they never make up the dose he missed today. He just never gets that dose.

Next Thursday, we'll try again.

[Note to self: Mark off the to-do list of Life Experiences: Getting kicked out of a chemotherapy center. Done.]