Munchlet
04-09-20, 18:12
So my Dad has been in hospital since Wednesday due to his neutrophils dropping to zero!
Needless to say I'm worried sick but trying to keep it together for my mum but I just feel the hospital aren't telling him anything.
The background info is he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis a few years ago and has been taking methotrexate. Apart from a few aches and pains the medication has controlled it but he has regular blood tests due to the side effects and to monitor his liver and blood counts.
In March he had a routine blood test and was called to say his cells were slightly low but not to worry. Ever since then he's been having blood tests every two weeks and the levels have been either staying the same or dropping slightly. He was then told by his consultant to slowly reduce the methotrexate which he did and to then stop it. Since he did this his white cells have plummeted to 0.4 and now this week 0.
He was admitted to hospital as he was also showing signs of a bacterial infection and put on intravenous antibiotics and he's been there since Wednesday. He's had more blood taken than he can remember and yesterday had a bone marrow biopsy.
He has seen a Dr and all he said was we need to find out if this is a viral infection or something else causing your cells to drop.
The thing is because of the bone marrow I'm obviously thinking the worst but then my brain keeps saying surely by now they would have a good idea if it was something like Leukemia from the amount of blood they've taken? Also, would they have let his cells just keep dropping for months if they thought it was something so serious?
Sorry I'm rambling but just really scared and just wish they'd tell him something. They haven't even said if they have got the infection under control or whether there's been any change to his levels and my Dad won't ask because he thinks it's rude to question doctors!
The worse thing is with Covid he's only allowed one visit a day which is my mum for one hour and when she's been there's never a doctor around to ask.
If anyone has any experience of anything similar or has any advice I'd really appreciate it.
Needless to say I'm worried sick but trying to keep it together for my mum but I just feel the hospital aren't telling him anything.
The background info is he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis a few years ago and has been taking methotrexate. Apart from a few aches and pains the medication has controlled it but he has regular blood tests due to the side effects and to monitor his liver and blood counts.
In March he had a routine blood test and was called to say his cells were slightly low but not to worry. Ever since then he's been having blood tests every two weeks and the levels have been either staying the same or dropping slightly. He was then told by his consultant to slowly reduce the methotrexate which he did and to then stop it. Since he did this his white cells have plummeted to 0.4 and now this week 0.
He was admitted to hospital as he was also showing signs of a bacterial infection and put on intravenous antibiotics and he's been there since Wednesday. He's had more blood taken than he can remember and yesterday had a bone marrow biopsy.
He has seen a Dr and all he said was we need to find out if this is a viral infection or something else causing your cells to drop.
The thing is because of the bone marrow I'm obviously thinking the worst but then my brain keeps saying surely by now they would have a good idea if it was something like Leukemia from the amount of blood they've taken? Also, would they have let his cells just keep dropping for months if they thought it was something so serious?
Sorry I'm rambling but just really scared and just wish they'd tell him something. They haven't even said if they have got the infection under control or whether there's been any change to his levels and my Dad won't ask because he thinks it's rude to question doctors!
The worse thing is with Covid he's only allowed one visit a day which is my mum for one hour and when she's been there's never a doctor around to ask.
If anyone has any experience of anything similar or has any advice I'd really appreciate it.