Healthy thoughts, please...

[beckms]

I could use some good vibes, and you all are so good at sending them out. I'm starting a medication today that we think may have made me ill previously, but I decided to try it again because there were other factors at play the last time. If this treats me well, I could potentially get off of steroids, which would be great...I've been on a fairly high dose of prednisone for a few weeks now and I don't like it. I have a condition where my immune system tries to kill my liver and has to be kept in check with immunosuppressants. I've typically been able to use just a very tiny dose, but I had a flare recently and had to go way up.

So please keep your fingers crossed that I can tolerate this new one.:cool:

Stupid diseases! You go squish now!:D

[suebear37]

Sending good thoughts your way, Rebecca! Hope it works out for you this time!

[PurplePotato]

Good luck! I hope it works for you.

[applecrisp]

Hope you tolerate the medicine just fine. Sending good thoughts your way.

[Beth]

Geez -- an immune system is a good thing to have -- until it goes wonky on you. They sure cause us a lot of problems for all their good intentions (allergies on up). Grrrrr...

I sure hope this works for you. Keep thinking positive thoughts and try to maintain calm as much as possible. Calm, healthy. Healthy, calm.

[SDMomChef]

Sending my best wishes to you!

[TKay]

Good thoughts coming your way. I agree. The dumb disease can go squish now.

[mcgee]

Yikes - sorry to hear of your illness. Good thoughts coming your way.

[sneezles]

Sending good thoughts you way, Rebecca. Hope the meds work and you can get off the prednisone.

[JulieM]

Rebecca, I can relate somewhat to what you're going through as my brother has HepC and had a liver transplant almost 3 years ago. He has certainly had his ups and downs with the anti-rejection meds. You might find a couple of the forums for people dealing with liver transplant helpful and would find a tremendous amount of support there.

Would Milk Thistle help in your case?

Sending good wishes your way!!
(((((((Rebecca)))))))

[syzygy]

Good vibes and healing thoughts coming your way.

[wallycat]

Sending happy, positive, "go away icky disease" vibes your way!!

[LakeMartinGal]

Diseases go squish! For Rebecca and everyone!:D

[katygirl]

good thoughts, and good hugs headed your way!

[cherylopal]

healing happy healthy thoughts coming your way :)

[Gecko]

Sending lots of good thoughts your way.

[beckms]

Rebecca, I can relate somewhat to what you're going through as my brother has HepC and had a liver transplant almost 3 years ago. He has certainly had his ups and downs with the anti-rejection meds. You might find a couple of the forums for people dealing with liver transplant helpful and would find a tremendous amount of support there.

Would Milk Thistle help in your case?

Sending good wishes your way!!
(((((((Rebecca)))))))

I'm on milk thistle, although I think it's only been studied in people with cirrhosis, which, thank goodness, I don't have. Can't hurt, though.

I am wary of spending any time on transplant boards because I easily work myself into a panic when I read about end-stage liver disease (again, I am not there). But thank you for the suggestion...probably someday I'll work up the courage to check one out. I'm glad to hear your brother is doing OK three years later.


Well, Day 1 was uneventful. Here's to Day 2.:cool:

[Robyn1007]

Rebecca, I know you know that I have a friend on the good side of the transplant process. I hope that you don't have to go that far but just remember it can and is successful every day! You have lots of positive vibes coming from me!

[beckms]

Rebecca, I know you know that I have a friend on the good side of the transplant process. I hope that you don't have to go that far but just remember it can and is successful every day! You have lots of positive vibes coming from me!

Robyn, I do know about Stamer, and I read his updates with great interest and hope. It's so hard not to spiral into the " liver diease=transplant=horrible death" thought process but it's very helpful to hear about people who live with transplants and do well. I appreciate your thoughts very much.

Here's to hoping I'll never need to worry about it!:D

[Beth]

I hope you never have to face those issues either. I suppose it's hard not to let worries creep in, but remind them (and you) that we've come a long way -- both in terms of medicine and in terms of long distance connections and cyber friends who will help you get through anything. ;)

But enough of 100 years from now -- here's to an uneventful day 2. Cheers! :)

[kwormann]

Good thoughts are coming your way!!!

[leightx]

Sending lots of good thoughts your way! Hope this new medication is the right fit!

[JulieM]

I am wary of spending any time on transplant boards because I easily work myself into a panic when I read about end-stage liver disease (again, I am not there). :cool:
I totally understand! I had the same problem when I was researching menopause.:p The main reason I mentioned it is they discuss the different meds and help with suggestions on dealing with side effects. I have found it to be a good resource in that way.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I hope the new meds do the trick. Sounds promising!

[KristiB]

Hope everything goes well!

[Peweh]

Wishing you the best in your new trial! Oh, and while we're at it, my Dog has this.... KIDDING! But my dogs & cats do send their best as well, thank you for all of your advice as always to everyone on the BB. Stay Well!

[kaygee1]

Yeah, stupid disease! Go squish now!! :D
(I love that... can I steal it from you?!)

All the best to you!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Glad to hear things are going well, one day at a time. Prayers continue for you.
Peace,
Les

[wallycat]

I've been thinking about you all day...how is day 2??

[beckms]

Yeah, stupid disease! Go squish now!! :D
(I love that... can I steal it from you?!)

All the best to you!

You can steal it from Homer Simpson, which is who I stole it from...:p


I've been thinking about you all day...how is day 2??

We're in Day4 now, no problems. However, last time I was on the medication for 3 weeks before everything went downhill. I'm getting some bloodwork done next week to see if there's anything creeping up on me (the main concern with this new drug is pancreatitis).

Amazingly enough, I have had minimal side effects from the higher dose of prednisone. I hear horror stories about steroids, and I see it in my own patients, and I was devastated when I found out I'd have to go up so high during this recent flare, but my main side effects have been night sweats, swollen ankles, and I didn't sleep very well in the beginning. And I am convinced that my face looks rounder, although DH disagrees. ;)

So here's to hoping that's the worst of it. The main idea is to get down as low as possible to avoid the long-term consequences like cataracts, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Fun. :mad:

Thanks for the continuing good wishes. I know that things could be much worse, and I try really hard to be grateful that they're not (and then the little nagging voice in my head says, "...yet...")

[TKay]

I'm glad things are so far, so good. Thanks for the update. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Wishing you the best as do the animals in our household...hope you're still tolerating the medication.

[Leslie Ferguson]

That's good news that you're reacting well to the medication and you'll certainly have my prayers to get the dosage down to a lower level as soon as possible.

Peace,
Les

[beckms]

Well, I'm about 2 1/2 weeks in, and so far so good (knocks on wood). Bloodwork this week showed normal lipase levels, which is an indicator for the pancreas, and I"ve been feeling fine (except for the slowly evolving and very annoying prednisone side effects, like cankles...:mad:). So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that last time was a fluke.

And I would like to vent for a short moment...I got blood drawn last Tuesday specifically so I would be at home on my day off to get the results, and not only did no one call me, but I called TWICE that day and no one returned my message. I called the next day and the next, and still no return phone call. Finally on Friday I called and put the smack down and what do you know, someone got on the phone to tell me results. And they weren't normal (they're getting better, but still...no news does not always mean good news, and I need to know these things). I was SO ANGRY. Do NOT mess with me when I'm panicked about my health.

There is absolutely NO excuse for poor patient communication; I know this, because I make phone calls every day to anxious pet owners and I never let 24 hours go by without returning a call. If I can do it so can the human kind! :mad::mad::mad:

Rant over. My doctor, I'm sure, knows nothing about it, since I only ever get to talk to medical assistants (if I'm lucky). But I have an appointment next week and she will hear ALL about it.

OK, rant over.

Thanks, as always, for the good thoughts. They are so helpful.:cool:

[cherylopal]

Well, I'm about 2 1/2 weeks in, and so far so good
.

so glad to hear!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Rebecca - thanks for the update and you have every right to be p.o.'ed at the doctor's office. Hopefully it will resolve but probably you'll be able to voice yuor displeasure and get assured that it won't happen in the future.

Thanks again for the update and prayers ascending for you.
Les

[beckms]

Thanks for all the good thoughts, everyone! They seem to be working, so keep throwing them this way!

Had a visit with my doc this morning and my most recent bloodwork is NORMAL. Yay!!!!! Actually, there was one abnormality, my glucose was a little high, so now she's worried about steroid-induced diabetes, but fortunately the latest numbers tell me I can start reducing the dose. And I'm still (knock on a big tree) tolerating the new medication well, which will hopefully allow me to get down to a low low dose of steroid (or maybe even off completely...if I dare to even hope!).

I also expressed my extreme displeasure with the office staff after my last bloodwork, and she agreed that it was unacceptable. She said she would speak to them ad she also gave me her email address so I can contact her directly if I'm ever having trouble getting results. Love, love, love her. :D

Wow, being sick sure is expensive...I treated myself to a pedicure, a Lush spree, and lunch after I got out of the office. Of course, I was going to do all that regardless of the blood work numbers (either to treat myself or cheer myself up :p).

Thanks again, everyone. I really appreciate the good wishes. :)

[clairea]

Great news! I hope things continue to improve.

[beckms]

Great news! I hope things continue to improve.

Thanks, me too. Although now I know to expect that things will not be normal all the time, that I will likely have flare-ups like this every once in a while, and I will do my best not to panic so much the next time around. :rolleyes:

[Peweh]

Great News and I'm very glad your day of pampering was to treat yourself rather than cheer yourself up!! :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Great news Beckms - I'll keep the prayers going for continued improvements and lowering of medication dosages.

Peace to you,
Les