ALL maintenance therapy and fainting, is this normal?

[Katey H.]

I'm a college student in recovery from ALL, its been an off and battle between remission and relapse for three years now. I'm in remission now and on maintenance therapy: weekly MTX, monthly vincristine, daily mercaptopurine, and intrathecal MTX every 3 months. Over the past couple of weeks I've fainted 4 times. It starts with dizziness and then my vision tunnels in until I black out. Then I wake to find myself being carried to the nearest couch. I'm especially worried because I'm moving back into the dorm this weekend and don't want to freak people out. They are already worried enough. And my boyfriend has already freaked out about it. This is not normal for me at all. I can't tell my parents because my Dad's a Dr. and would probably throw me back into the hospital. And I'm afraid to go in to my oncologist because the thought of another relapse scares me to death. I don't know what to do. I desperately need some feedback. If anybody can relate to my situation, please reply. Thanks

Reposted from the leukemia forum. I figured it would get more face time here in the cancer forum.

[Londres70]

Please do that.  

This problem could be related to a count being off, i.e. hgb, iron, rbc; not necessarily you are no longer in remission.  

Keep us posted and hang in there.  

[Katey H.]

I don't remember all the details of my last blood work, but I believe my WBC was still a low 3000. But I know something has to be done about the fainting. I guess I'll have to brave it and call on monday for an appointment with my oncologist.  I'm terrified and don't know if I can actually go through with it. But I now know it has to be done. Thanks for the reply, it helped  knock some sense into me.

[Londres70]

I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to NOTIFY your Oncologist about this.  How are your lab counts?  It is up to you if you want to tell your father.