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I am still immunocompromised (neutropenic, lymphopenic) due to my chemotherapy. I will still undergo “maintenance chemotherapy” for the next 3 years to keep my cancer at bay. What this means is I may have a fighting chance of beating this cancer.
In speaking with a good friend and former co-worker from Sophos, I’m told the spleen is the organ that removes platelets from the bloodstream, so if it is overactive, it will remove them too soon (causing a reduced platelet count and lowering your ability to clot in response to injuries or cuts). In his case, they discussed removing his spleen.
Kaiser Permanante tells me they will be monitoring my blood weekly, doing abdominal ultrasounds every 2 months to monitor my spleen, and full-body PET/CT scans every 3 months to monitor my cancer (and hopefully my continued remission). We have to ask if that is what they suspect with my spleen and platelets, it wasn’t well explained by my Kaiser oncologist, but I’m hoping Hopkins will be thorough in discussing it with us.
Glad to hear of your contuinued remission. Hoping for an improvement with your spleen.
Thanks, Aunt Jane!
With the last two recurrences of cancer, both remissions only lasted 2-3 months before Mantle Cell Lymphoma came back aggressively. Vicky and I truly hope and pray that after all my chemo, radiation, and bone marrow transplant that with continuing maintenance chemo, that this remission is finally the one to keep it clear.
Not sure what to think of my spleen and platelets. We’ll continue to take it one day at a time, continue to monitor it, and follow the medical advice of Kaiser Permanente and Johns Hopkins in the treatment of it.