Medical Arrangements

If Edible Arrangements can be a thing, I'm thinking Medical Arrangements may be next, such as this handsome bouquet of three white salines and a spray of spring green toothettes:

My blood counts have, as expected, dropped again.  I think I'll start posting them.

WBC = White Blood Count, where 4.5 to 11 is normal
HGB = Hemoglobin, where 14 to 18 is normal
Pltlt = Platelets, where 150 to 450 is normal

Every night at about 10pm, a Complete Blood Count is drawn (an RN pulls a test-tube's worth out of my port).  The results are in by 2am and are communicated to me when I wake up, and then determine my care for the rest of that day.

Thursday Night (determining care for Friday)
WBC = 0.4
HGB = 8.0
Pltlts = 70

Once Platelets were under 100 they stopped administering the anti-clotting shot (that had been daily since my first day).  With WBC that low, I was officially "neutropenic" and they officially got more vigilent about fever or infection.

Friday Night (determining care for Saturday)

WBC = 0.1
HGB = 8.6
Pltlts = 46

So today, Saturday, my care adapted to these.

If HGB gets 7 or lower, they will tranfuse red blood cells to keep me from getting any more anemic.  Those would have to be "leukoreduced" (purified to be red-only) and irradiated (to destroy anything that is not a red cell)

With platelets below 50, they  worry about bruising, and my gums.  Below 50 I'm barred from using a toothbrush, and must use a "Toothette" (a coffee stirrer tipped with a banking-soda-infused sponge).