Neupogen, do you know what it is?

I did not know before it was prescribed to me. It is a product that boosts the production of white blood cells.

By the way...

A quick reminder that white blood cells are like the policemen/garbagemen of the
human body. They are one of the three main cells of the human blood (with red
blood cells and platelets) that doctors monitor when they ask for a blood test.
They're the ones that fight infection. Chemotherapy kills bad cells (cancer) and
good cells (White blood cells are destroyed unfortunately too). Naturally, our
body produces new cells continuously but with the chemotherapy sometimes the
production of new white blood cells does not compensate for their destruction.
The decrease in the level of white blood cells is therefore normal in this
context but we must still watch it because when it gets too low the risk of
serious infection increases. It is delicate balance between avoiding death by
cancer without causing death by infection. When we speak of infection, we talk
about something trivial to the normal homosapiens. A flu, a cold or pneumonia
does not cause serious problems for people with a normal level of white blood
cells but for people like me it could be fatal. The instruction that I have is
that if I develop a fever of 38.1 °, I have to rush to the hospital .

Let's return to Neupogen. This product has been prescribed by the hematologist whom I met before my fourth treatment. On that day the blood test showed a level of white blood cells of 1.5 which is low (that is 1.5 X 10 ^ 9 I believe). We had been warned that treatment could be delayed to allow more time for the system to produce more white blood cells. But the hematologist on duty, after a review of my file and observing my young athletic body, decided to go through with the treatment while giving me a boost so that my white blood cells factory (bone marrow) would work "overtime".

Neupogen must be refrigerated. Getting the drug from the pharmacy was a little funny because the hospital pharmacist had provided us with a bag with an icepack on the inside. It was very important not to allow the product to warm up in transport between my local pharmacy and our house. I must mention that this product is sold just shy of to $ 200 a dose. I was prescribed 5 doses now and 5 doses after my next chemo. That's some serious cash. Fortunately, Marie-Josee is insured and the product is reimbursed to a certain level.

What you also need to know about this product is that it must be administered by subcutaneous injection, yes yes a needle in my skin. The first dose had to be given by a nurse from the CLSC(local health services) in case of an allergic reaction... and to train Marie-Josée. Yes sir, my wife turned into a nurse for the love of her sweetheart.

She admitted that the first few times she had to stick the needle into my arm, her head was spinning and was afraid of passing out.

But not at all she did it like a pro and she conquered her fear. Marie-Josee also thanks her aunt Johanne, a nurse, for her reassuring presence during the first injection. The only side effect I felt, and for which I was warned, is bone pain in my lower back. For a while I had the impression of having the heart in the lower back. The pain was throbing at the same pace as my heartbeat. Tomorrow I will see if the product is effective because I'm going to the hospital for my blood test pre-chemo # 5.

Good night!