Just spoke to my new Consultant about returning to work. I have my own Gardening business
Initially this was going to be March, I am on currently V&O Cycle 8.
was going along nicely then my Wbc and Neutrophils were low, started the injections now Wbc 8.03 Nuets 4.2
Just had the one injection, Consultant says have it fortnightly and if I get the same issues again to stop taking them - Chemo Nurse said my reactions to it were normal.
Initially she said don't return till treatment is finished 16th June, then said well do what you can with a mask and wearing gloves.
I'm in two minds part of me wants to get back and stuck in but part of me doesn't want to pick anything up and end up in Hospital for 20.00 quid and hour.
There is a lot of sensible people on this site unlike myself who may be able to offer advice.
Jules still Flying
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TheFlyer
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My first question would be - can you afford to stay off work? Do you feel it would help you mentally? I went back to work from cycle 8 I think, I worked remotely but it was good for me to keep busy. From cycle 11 I went back face to face - I worked as a primary school SENCO at the time so back in school with lots of small kids. It was in May so after the covid/flu/cold season. Gardening can be quite risky for CLLers but if you need to go back for financial reasons, you need to go back. Gloves and a mask is a must, I don't ever actually do any gardening without wearing a mask and gloves. I have read a few scary stories on here.
BTW-I also had to have regular GCSF injections to boost my neutrophils.
More for mental wellbeing finances are ok.Before I started treatment 9th July, I had been off work since boxing day 2023 as I ruptured my quad tendon and had surgery at the end of Jan 2024. I was just starting to do small jobs when my Consultant after 14years on w&w said its time to start treatment talk about timing. So getting abit frustrated now.
I guess this is your first line of treatment. I was nervous as all hell about infection while on V+O. But in hindsight I was over reacting. My neutrophil count was in the normal range and my immunoglobulins were normal. I kept working as a farmer from the start of V+O and did not experience any unusual infections.
It was after the V+O failed (post course completion) and my neutrophils and immunoglobulins plummeted to well below normal that I experienced what persistent infections are like. If I had a week without a virus or infected wound it was great! I had course after course of antibiotics. After nearly a year I was started on Zanubrutinib and monthly IVIg.
So I think with your immune markers in the normal range you would be fine to return to work when you want to.
I worked all the time during treatment and lived a normal life. Usual issues like low neutrophils, COVID but injections sorted this and I carried on working.
I have not gone through treatment yet. However, I treat gardening as exercise. If you need to do exercise then perhaps the gardening meets some or all of that requirement. Otherwise, doing little or nothing seems worse for those of us with CLL. I just love being out there so it is a no brainer for me.
I realise it's not the same but I am an avid gardener and I reasoned that being outside and working in the garden was minimal risk and better for me than being in the house. I'm assuming you are taking prophylactic antibiotics during this treatment?
I also had and still have co-trimxazole and now penicillin post transplant. Is it worth asking about co-trimoxazole as an anti fungal prophylactic for extra protection. It's given for just three days each week.
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What Lipton green tea bags do you folks recommend? None of the boxes define the EGCG amounts.
Doc says it's usual to start treatment with doubling of WCC
This may help you
What do you think? 
I just finished Cycle 6th on my Venetoclax plus Ibruvica trial. So far so good!!
