Steady as it goes

Six weeks have gone by since I last posted and my health situation is steady. I continue to get my INR (blot clotting) checked monthly and get phlebotomies every 2 weeks. I have another on Thursday. I saw my doctor today and all blood tests are ok. The blood test from last month confirmed that my bone marrow graft is still 100% and the common JAK2 test is still negative, both great news. To check my iron levels, I will get an MRI of my liver next week. (Maybe the MRI magentic field will suck the iron out !>) Actually, there is a new technique that can measure the iron levels stored in the liver. The Dr feels we need to check to minimize the number of additional phlebotomies that I need to reduce the iron.

Platelet count is still low at 107, but hemoglobin is over 14. All medications are the same with only another reduction in the prednisone, now at 10 mg every other day, down from 15 mg. I continue on the Viokase before every meal and notice the effect if I miss taking it. My digestion of fats is affected and I experience diarrhea within 24 hrs. I am fortunate that I feel pretty good though realize that my immune system is still compromised.

When I am too active, like mowing the lawn this morning, my right knee complains due to arthritis. On days without prednisone (like today as well), I experience more fatigue. Today, I was up at 7:30 am and then took a nap after mowing the lawn. I spent three hours with my Dr appt this afternoon and then took a 3 hr nap this evening.

Keep looking up!