This word I like... We architect our life...
A song, a sigh... developing words that linger...
Through fields of green, through open eyes... It's for us to see.
Interanimate: To animate or inspire mutually

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Day +94 Plats Up, Happy Man

After my last post I received several reports of children who were allowed to view my anti-mohawk haircut picture and subsequently had to enter therapy for chronic nightmares. I apologize for this and am I'm hoping to correct the damage by posting another picture taken only minutes later. This is a picture of a 'nice' man who is happy with his new haircut.

Yesterdays blood test showed a slight improvement in platelet counts. Yay. What's next eh? Whites slid, then platelets slid. I guess it just reinforces the fact that I'm in the middle of a 6 month recovery process. It's easy to lose sight of that.
The antibiotic I was taking for 3 months will be replaced with one who's name escapes me. It is administered in a very different manner, it is inhaled. On April 18, my +100 day milestone, I will go to a special little room in the hospital where I will suck it up. The good thing is that the drug is dosed only once every 3 weeks. I am told the dosage device is a long pipe. There will be a native american doctor present who may be wearing several necklaces of beads and helping to administer the drug. Ok. NOT on that.

There is a chance that the trial drug I'm taking, Maribavir, may hinder blood count improvements. But I am due to conclude the use of that drug in around 2 weeks. So far I have tested negative for CMV (cytomegalovirus), the main target of Maribavir. So I hope to complete the 12 week study. The study coordinator nurse tells me that I may not learn if I was taking the study drug or a placebo for 1 year, until the entire study is over. I'll tell you what though. If the little blue pill is a placebo they sure went out of their way to make it nasty tasting. Would the drug maker go through such lengths to keep the trial patients from knowing what they are taking? It really tastes like a drug to me. Anyway, it doesnt really matter, just a matter of curiosity. I guess if I start growing a second spleen or something and it's due to the study drug I'll wish I hadnt taken it. However, it's only by patients volunteering for these drug trials that the drugs can get approved and help future patients.


I was told to reduce my immune suppressant drug, Tacrolimus, by another milligram. So now I'm taking 4Mg, half of what I started with. When this dose goes to zero my doctors will be ready to certify my immune system as able to cope with the real world. I can go back to work in an office, stop wearing a silly surgical mask, eat raw spinach, go see a movie. I can hardly wait!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We like this pic a lot... now Parker can really see what uncle Jim looks like. I dont think he will need any therapy now... you saved him Thank You!!
I am glad to hear all is going well. We love you and hope hope hope we can see you soon!
Love ya lots
Derek, Shelli and Parker

Duane said...

You can go back to work already? WOW! And eat raw spinach? If so, amazing. Excellent progress, Jim. ;)

Duane said...

BTW, great self-portraits! ;)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the new picture..we were afraid to walk Chloe down Davenport incase we saw you!!
Xo Beth

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is awesome.
Speaking of children, how are you children and wife doing?
June

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is awesome.
Speaking of children, how are you children and wife doing?
June