My father has large cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He has had RCHOP, RICE, and is now undergoing ESHAP chemo.He has been hospitalized because of his low blood level and platelets.Has anyone had problems with their blood levels being low? What can be done?

My husband is currently undergoing chemo for NHL also. After his 2nd treatment, his hemoglobin was very low and they sent him immediately to the hospital for a blood transfusion. He needed 3 units of blood. The next week, the same thing happened and he needed 2 units. That was right before Thanksgiving. Today he is currently having his 6th chemo, He just got out of the hospital yesterday because of a UTI. Write me again if you have any more questions.

My husband has had 7 rounds of RCHOP for T Cell rich (90% T Cell) Large B Cell lymphoma . After his first treatment he was hospitalized for almost 60 days-he went into septic shock. They thought it was because his radiation treatments and chemo were done too close together. He has been hospitalized after every single RCHOP-his blood pressure bottomed out so low that they thought he had a heart attack. He also develops neutrapenic fever without fail and his temps have been as high as 104. They hav enever been able to detect the source of infection and quit trying. He has also needed multiple blood transfusions after each treatment. We also noticed that it is taking him much longer to recover as the treatments go on. The other issue he is having is esophagitis due to thrush in his throat and esophagus. He has one more treatment to go but doesn't want to finish becuase he is exhausted and hates going into the hospital. I don't blame him but am worried about relapse if he doesnt finish all 8. Havent seen any research about prognosis in relation to the number of treatments received. Does anyone know?

Hi,

As you know Chemo alone is toxic enough without the radiation and different patients will have different reactions.

I am a DLBC Lymphoma Stage IV survivor from 3 years ago. (Click my user name for more information).

I had 6 cycles of R-CHOP then. One Medical Oncologist I consulted for an opinon told me that he would have given me 8 cycles. Like my brother kept reminding me then "different generals have different battle plans".

I found drinking warm water cleared headaches and other reactions.
I would gulp 2 half pint mugs of water (about 500ml).
I would wait to urinate and then take 2 more mugs.
I continued this routine until I felt better.

Sometimes I would sit up at night drinking water in this manner and would fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning. Wake up around 9am and have breakfast.
I made it a point to drink up 20 mugs of water in 24hours.
By the last chemo I was up to 31 mugs as I found I had to increase the water.
I wrote everything down. It helped me track what helped and what didn't.

I was given Neupogen to boost my Neutrophil counts (important for fighting infection) whenever they went too low after Chemo.

Taking fluids in general (especially fresh fruit drinks like carrot, water melon, orange, banana, kiwi, soursop) will help boost his immune system that is so important for fighting infection.

Encourage your husband to eat raisins, dates, spinach to help get his haemoglobin levels up (important for carrying oxygen which helps fight cancer).

You may also want to contact Dr James Armitage of the University of Nebraska Medical Center for a second opinion.

He is a globally respected authority on Lymphoma treatment. (I did not know of him early enough but a doctor known to me contacted him on my behalf for an opinion about post-Chemo follow up treatment. I took his advice.)
http://app1.unmc.edu/intmed/onchem/index.cfm?conref=11

Above all ask your husband not to give up. Tell him that it is a message from a survivor named Felix.

God bless
Felix