I've got a good day going on after a really nice time yesterday. The weather was great yesterday, and I took advantage by running a bit with Kate. I definitely worked my muscles in a way that I haven't been used to in a while. So I'm fairly sore today, but its definitely a good sore. In addition to exercising for a couple of hours, I was active the rest of the day also. I had enough energy to do a good amount of work around the house, and I know Kate was appreciative.
Today I went in for my clinic appointment, and I was in and out in less than an hour. It feels good to be done with those type of appointments so quickly, but theres usually a suspicion that they'll find something to call me back to NIH with later. Well, I got a call from the transplant team and was told my neutrophils were at 18. When I told Kate 18, she had a shocked look on her face because she was thinking about .18. Nope...no need to worry. Thats an absolute neutrophil count of 18.0. The range for healthy neutrophils is somewhere between 3 and 8 I think. So 18 is plenty enough neutrophils for my immune system right now. So for now I don't have to give myself any more neupogen injections at home. I was scheduled to give them to myself every other day, but with my high neupogen count, that will be put off.
The high level of neutrophils is primarily caused by the neupogen injections, but my counts have never been that high before. Hopefully this means that my body's natural production is increasing as well. Kate noticed that I've been feeling a lot better since the IVIG infusion last week. Hopefully that has had a positive impact on my immune system, and my blood counts won't drop to the point of neutropenia again.
Showing posts with label ivig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ivig. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Day +78
I had my usual appointment yesterday and like always I had nothing new to report and the doctors didn't have much to talk with me about. My white blood cells increased, but my neutrophils remained pretty low. Everything else looked good, and its pretty much more waiting to see whats going on with my body.
After the appointment I went ahead and got the IVIG that had been discussed on Monday. It was a baisc IV infusion pretty much like most I've had over the course of my treatment. I didn't have any issues with that, and it basically made for a long day. Hopefully that will help me combat any viruses that I come in contact with, and my neutrophil counts will stop dropping so dramatically.
Today I got a call from one of my nurses that the transplant team decided to move up by bone marrow biopsy from the end of the month to next Monday. My doctor wants to see the results of the biopsy sooner, in case there is any information to be gained from that which might explain my low neutrophil counts. So that gives me something painful to look forward to on Monday!
Everything else is going pretty well. Isaiah and Kate are doing great, and we are looking forward to some improved weather this weekend. I'm feeling good, but just need to keep on reminding myself to be patient with this process.
After the appointment I went ahead and got the IVIG that had been discussed on Monday. It was a baisc IV infusion pretty much like most I've had over the course of my treatment. I didn't have any issues with that, and it basically made for a long day. Hopefully that will help me combat any viruses that I come in contact with, and my neutrophil counts will stop dropping so dramatically.
Today I got a call from one of my nurses that the transplant team decided to move up by bone marrow biopsy from the end of the month to next Monday. My doctor wants to see the results of the biopsy sooner, in case there is any information to be gained from that which might explain my low neutrophil counts. So that gives me something painful to look forward to on Monday!
Everything else is going pretty well. Isaiah and Kate are doing great, and we are looking forward to some improved weather this weekend. I'm feeling good, but just need to keep on reminding myself to be patient with this process.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Day +74
I had an appointment this morning at NIH, and it was quicker to get over to Bethesda with a half foot of snow than it is on a morning with perfect weather. That was a nice surprise.
The only issue I had to report to the transplant team was that my cough hasn't gone away completely. Its better but I still cough a lot to get rid of congestion in the morning. The doctors listened to my lungs, and they sound completely clear, so thats good news. Everything else with my physical check up went well.
However, the results of my blood tests showed that my neutrophils had dropped once again. My absolute neutrophil count was a healthy 4.04 last Thursday, but had dropped to a meager .04 this morning. This occurred despite giving myself a neupogen shot on Friday in order to help keep my counts up.
So the doctors once again don't know what keeps causing my neutrophils to drop. I'll be taking the neupogen shots every day for now in order to raise my counts. The last two times this has happened I've ended up inpatient in the hospital with fevers. So far I am feeling great and haven't had an elevated temperature at all.
One theory that some of the doctors have shared is that I have been getting viruses that are subsequently slowing the production of neutrophils in my bone marrow. One doctor today brought up the idea of giving me Intravenous Immuoglobulin(IVIG). The IVIG is a type of blood product that contains antibodies from at least 1,000 different donors. What it would do is provide increased antibodies and allow my body to fight off these small viruses that they think are affecting me. The doctor who saw me today will consult with the rest of the transplant team, and I might receive the IVIG on Thursday.
So hopefully the neupogen shots increased my neutrophil count quickly and I don't get stuck with a fever which would require a stay at NIH. If my lousy neutrophil behavior is a result of these minor viruses, hopefully the IVIG will be a procedure that can get me over this hump in the process.
The only issue I had to report to the transplant team was that my cough hasn't gone away completely. Its better but I still cough a lot to get rid of congestion in the morning. The doctors listened to my lungs, and they sound completely clear, so thats good news. Everything else with my physical check up went well.
However, the results of my blood tests showed that my neutrophils had dropped once again. My absolute neutrophil count was a healthy 4.04 last Thursday, but had dropped to a meager .04 this morning. This occurred despite giving myself a neupogen shot on Friday in order to help keep my counts up.
So the doctors once again don't know what keeps causing my neutrophils to drop. I'll be taking the neupogen shots every day for now in order to raise my counts. The last two times this has happened I've ended up inpatient in the hospital with fevers. So far I am feeling great and haven't had an elevated temperature at all.
One theory that some of the doctors have shared is that I have been getting viruses that are subsequently slowing the production of neutrophils in my bone marrow. One doctor today brought up the idea of giving me Intravenous Immuoglobulin(IVIG). The IVIG is a type of blood product that contains antibodies from at least 1,000 different donors. What it would do is provide increased antibodies and allow my body to fight off these small viruses that they think are affecting me. The doctor who saw me today will consult with the rest of the transplant team, and I might receive the IVIG on Thursday.
So hopefully the neupogen shots increased my neutrophil count quickly and I don't get stuck with a fever which would require a stay at NIH. If my lousy neutrophil behavior is a result of these minor viruses, hopefully the IVIG will be a procedure that can get me over this hump in the process.
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