Spent a little more time at NIH this week than I was planning on. I developed a cough and runny nose earlier in the week, and it wasn't really getting better after a day or so. On Tuesday I went in to NIH and was seen by the PA. I chekced out alright, but she had blood drawn and some other quick tests run. She sent me home with some cough medicine and Zyrtec, and wanted me to come back the next day for a CT scan.
Wednesday's CT scan showed that my lungs were pretty clear and that there was some irritation in my sinuses. However, the PA and one of my doctors noted that there wasn't any pus, which means it likely was not sinusitis. Their opinion was that I was dealing with allergies.
After those two visits this week I went to my scheduled appointment yesterday. While I was there, the results from one of Tuesday's tests came back that showed I had a respiratory virus. So I guess it was something else besides simple allergies. They don't know what type of virus it is yet, and they haven't changed my treatment at all. For now they just want me to wear masks if I am out in public, and to monitor my temperature for fevers a bit more carefully than usual.
The other issues I've been dealing with are the minor GVHD symptoms in my mouth and skin. I've noticed my skin clearing up and I'm not itching that much compared to last week. So I reported that I thought things were clearing up, only to have the doctors say they thought it looked worse. Hmm...this might be one of the instances when I trust my memory more than thiers. The acne-like rash is gone, but they were concerned about some discoloration of the skin. I guess I'll continue to use the creams the dermatologist prescribed, and I'll be cautious about my sun exposure. However, I'm feeling positive as long as I'm not itching that much.
The sores in my mouth the previous week stopped bothering me two days after taking the ointment prescribed by the dentist. My mouth feels a lot better, but again one of the doctors thought my mouth looked worse. What I feel is obviously most important to me, but I figure the doctors are more comfortable with what they can personally observe. A dental consult was set up yesterday morning so they could take a biopsy and verify the GVHD. The dentist examined my mouth and felt it looked better when comared to the photos that were taken of my mouth a week earlier by the other dentist. She opted not to take a biopsy, and left that up to the dentist who I will see for a follow up in two weeks. So not much was accomplished with the whole process.
The good news is that my blood counts are still coming back looking excellent. The minor GVHD isn't bothering me right now, and thats fine by me. Next week I'll have another PET scan to see how the cancer in my body is acting. Those results are always big news, but until then I guess things will just go on as usual.
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