Monday, August 25, 2008

Health Update 8/25/08

Friday I had my appointment with my hematologist. I had been put on 40mg of prednisone to keep me out of the hospital while waiting for him to return from vacation. At my appointment my hemaglobin was only 7.5 with the 40mg! With that reading my doctor made the order for me to begin treatments with a chemo drug called Rituxan. It is not chemotherapy just an IV chemo drug that is supposed to kill all of the bad white blood cells that are killing my red blood cells. After the appointment, I went downstairs to the chemo clinic and got registered. Well, I told the doctor that I had driven myself to the appt that day and so he only ordered half of the amount of pre-med Benadryl to help my body accept the medicine. After I got my IV and my IV pre-meds they began the infusion very slowly. The first drip rate was fine and then they served me lunch. I began eating and began to feel my mouth itch and some constriction in my chest. I didn't think too much of it until it grew worse and I felt as if I couldn't swallow and could't breathe very well. I motioned for the nurse to come over and they checked my oxygen level and it was 99% but that didn't make me feel any better, I still couldn't breathe well. They gave me more benadryl to counter the reaction, Tylenol, Zantac for the indigestion I guess I was having and a breathing treatment to relieve the constriction I felt in my lungs. It was very scary. Finally, they began the medicine again and things were ok. After a bit though I could feel my throat begin to hurt a little again but It didn't progress like before so I was able to finish my first treatment. I have to receive this treatment for the next 3 weeks and then wait 1 month to see if my counts go up. This first week I still have to be on prednisone too. =( If after the month is up and my counts don't improve like they want they will remove my spleen. Ugh! So, hopefully this very expensive, 3rd treatment type will actually get my hemaglobin up and it will STAY up once off of the medication. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and please continue to pray for strength as school has started back up again here and for wisdom for the doctors and that I can be a testimony to those I come in contact with for my treatments!

Tiffany