Hi Suzy
Your doctors have given you the works to treat your illness so it is no suprise you body is still recovering as evidenced by the low WBC. I am not clear if the cisplatin/5FU was just one dose to "soften you up" for radiation or if it was a full induction course (3 cycles). Either way, a combination 5FU/cisplatin even one dose is a miserable treatment and in conjunction with more cisplatin concurrent with radiation, could easily be affecting your WBC 18 months later. I do not know how long they take to recover fully but if Christine says years then she should know.

Similar to you, my Alex was diagnosed in March 2010 and finished chemorads at the end of August 2010 and still has abnormal blood counts.

Sorry to hear about your swollen glands and hope it is nothing but take comfort in the fact that you have been diligent and will take care of whatever it is quickly. I know that seeing your ENT surgeon so quickly is great for your physical health, but feels like forever for your stress levels. If you catch yourself churning about the "what ifs", try to shut them down remembering you have already done everything in your power to take care of yourself. Everyone has different ways of keeping the background chatter from invading - some keep busy, do gardening etc. I personally, am a "churner" so try to do things that require my full concentration on the task at hand and which shuts the back chatter out. I am not so successful at night immediately after going to bed. My best effort is to let the concerns in, and try to turn them into positive scenarios. I inevitably fall asleep just before the doctor tells me that we won't need the million dollars we won on the lotto to pay Alex's medical bills as there is nothing there that needs treating .

If you can't shut your thoughts down by keeping occupied at something else, at least try replacing the negative thoughts with positive ones - and you have some good ones. You have a very timely appointment with an expert who will take care of you, you have done everything in your power to protect yourself so outcomes are in your favour, most swollen glands are the body's reaction to infection (even ones you can't feel) and your immune system is not up to par so it should not be unexpected, this bump is on the opposite side of your neck to your original problem so that is good too.

Whatever your mechanism for coping, you also have all of us - good luck
Karen