Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): What can I expect?

Now that you have, one under your belt, so to speak you’ll know what to expect with the next 4! Hopefully you’ll be less fearful as time progresses.
If you’re experiencing nausea call your oncologist. There are meds you can take to help reduce that side effect of the treatment.
Over the counter items that can work are Queasy Drops. It’s a hard candy that can lessen the nausea. Candied ginger works a little as well. Another trick is a quick whiff of rubbing alcohol.
There may be some changes over the next couple of weeks with fatigue and lowering of your blood numbers. So if you have any questions, of course check in with your health care team. But don’t hesitate to post questions here! I’ve got your back, along with all your new friends here.
Hugs!

Guys I have been a silent reader of this forum, it really has helped me a lot and gave a lot of courage to fight. Basically I'm from a 3rd world country, where cancer related things aren't discussed freely. So this forum has helped me a lot.

I have been recently diagnosed and treated for AML in last December. My January blood work of CBC was fine. Whereas February blood work showed a decrease in platelets (120,000) and neutrophils comparing to normal range. And lymphocytes got increased, also the presence of blast cells in peripheral smear test (2 to 3%) .Can someone let me know is it normal?

Hi @sunny1987. Welcome to Connect where you’ll always have someone to talk with about your cancer journey. So often friends and family don’t know what to say to someone who has been going through cancer treatments. Most of us in the blood cancer group have either experienced this ourselves or have loved ones whom they’ve cared for. We’re comfortable talking openly about treatments, what our experiences have been and to offer support to others going through the same situation.

From my experience with AML and conversations with countless others with this type of leukemia, treatment is generally several months of chemotherapy, not a once and done. We usually have a chemo cycle of 1 week, every 28 days for 2 or more months to bring us to remission. But even then, if there are mutated cells driving the disease, there may be more treatments and a possible bone marrow transplant to keep it from relapsing.

It sounds as though had treatment in December after being diagnosied but then nothing more? To answer your question, it isn’t ‘normal’ to have 2-3% blast cells in peripheral blood. Especially if no blasts were present in your January CBC with differential. What has your oncologist discussed with you about this increase in blasts with the latest blood work?