my dad's white blood cell count is REALLY low - thye say they can't give him any but I thought for some reason that you could get white blood cells - i must be too tired - he is on clear liquids only - he is going in for a bag a day of fluids and a shot of B12.....any thoughts? feedback?

I feel like an idiot for suggesting something so common that you'll think I'm crazy for mentioning it - but I guess if it isn't viable in his case, there's no other answer right now. The drug is Neulasta.

Fortunately I had a low white blood cell count only once during breast cancer treatment. They gave me a Neulasta injection 24 hours after chemo (why after rather than before? I have no idea). What I remember most about it was the cost. My insurance paid 80% of medications and I had to pay somewhere around $525 for one injection! There were many women who needed the injection during each chemo cycle (usually 6 times).

There's some bone pain involved but it was totally doable. In my case the pain was only in the upper part of my body: shoulders, neck, upper arms, etc.

Again, showing my ignorance, I thought they weren't injecting actual white cells but some sort of replacement cells. Then I wonder, in the scheme of things, what's the difference?

Google Neulasta for lots of info.

Best of luck to you. Sorry if this is totally useless.

Crap. I hate this effin' disease.

Mimi

thank you so very much for any info!!