Understanding Labs

Always trust your doctor they say. Listen to what the doctor says is what we have been told since childhood. In many cases, that is true but for patients going through chemotherapy, there's more to it. If I did not know anything else, I knew these 3 things:

1.  Insurance plan
2.  Lab paper work
3.  Education(ask questions)

These things are so important when going through a cancer diagnoses. I've met women who had no idea about their insurance, no understanding of paperwork and not educated on what they've been diagnosed with. Now I know it can be overwhelming, I get that, but the more you know the better your outcome with treatment will be. If you don't get anything out of this post, the main thing to take with you is Lab work/blood work. I know it can be confusing at times looking at the numbers, abbreviations that you've never seen and medications you can't even pronounce but just having the understanding of some of the paperwork will help in making decision when it comes to getting treatment.

I saved myself from getting treatment one time when my WBC were too low.

• Before receiving treatment, you should always have labs done to make sure you're okay for treatment.
• Make sure to look over paperwork and compare it to any previous labs. By doing so, you know that you are able to be treated when you have certain numbers.
• If WBC look low, ask your doctor what is the normal range and what numbers do they not treat. It's normal to experience low WBC when receiving chemotherapy, so don't be alarmed. If you are on the borderline, please think about whether treatment is good for you at that time.

Remember you can always get the Neulasta or Neupogen shot and wait a couple of days or a week to see if your body reacts well to the medications. Do not be afraid to refuse treatment on that day if you do not feel comfortable.

WBC(white blood cell) helps fight infections. There are many variables that play a part in calculating your WBC. Just make sure to look at the number as a whole. So you may see 3.4, 4.4 or 2.2, 1.4. The lowest my counts have been was a 1.4 and usually, I compare my lab work. 1.4 is low but when comparing my lab work from the previous time, I was okay with that number because it was a 1.4 last time.

So understanding your labs is IMPORTANT. Educating yourself on your labs will help you tremendously while going through treatment. Remember it is your body, so you can make decisions on what is right for you.

xoxo
Superbritt