John is doing well

Hi you all!  Just wanted to give you an update on John's appointment at Hershey Medical Center on Monday.

Although the day of John's appointment started out badly due to the ice storm, the day ended better than anticipated.  John's lab results showed that he is doing better than expected.  He got a rather good report from Dr. Claxton.

Although John had a very compromised immune system (almost none) for about five weeks, his immunities are now in the normal range!  Not the best immune system in the world, but he has a regular immune system!  To make sure this continues, Dr. Claxton is tapering John off his immunosuppressants. 

The immunosupressants have been weakening John's immune system since he went on them after the bone marrow transplant.  But he has had to take them so that his body didn't reject the donor marrow (that he got in the bone marrow transplant).  When John stops taking the immunosuppressant in six months, his immune system should be free to work normally.  We don't need to worry about John rejecting his donor, when he goes off the medications, at this point, because his marrow has turned just about all donor.  So this will be a good move.  

So John will be tapering off his prednisone and his immunosuppressant (that he takes to prevent him from rejecting his donor).  When he is off of those two medications, his immune system will probably function normally!  Praise God for that!

What else?  John's kidney function has improved!  It must be that strict diet we have him on, LOL.  This is the best it has been in maybe more than a year and a half!  Not really sure why, but we'll take it!

John's platelets (that make his blood clot) fell a little.  They are not in normal range.  Dr. Claxton isn't worried though, as he has seen worse.

John's H&H are great.  He has enough oxygen in his blood.  He has enough blood.  That is probably because ofthe recent transfusion a few weeks ago.  But whatever works works, right?

Oh, there was only one negative thing in the whole appointment.  It appears that John has carpal tunnel syndrome.  He will probably have to get an operation.  He has increased his writing and typing lately.  You know, the journal, LOL.  Now he has gone and gotten himself carpal tunnel!

Okay, Dr. Claxton thinks John looks really great.  What a blessing to hear at Christmastime. 

I hope you all are doing well also.

Love you all,

Krissy :)  

Tags: immune system, immunosuppressants, bone marrow transplant, stem cell transplant, platelets, carpal tunnel syndrome