Up in the Grill 362/365
Friday I went for my first IV IG infusion treatment. Since it's a blood product and risky, the nurse has to monitor the patient's vitals and symptoms every 30 minutes. It's about 4-6 hour drip depending on how the patient tolerates it.
I went in asking for a mani-pedi. Instead, I received an evil laugh and four pokes! I want my money back.
Apparently my veins have had enough after 2 years and it's getting tough to find one willing to work. I'm grateful they held out this long especially since I'm no longer a candidate for PICC lines. I'm too close to the end of treatment to warrant a chest port and I really don't want one of those. These IV IG infusions are only once per month. So far I had a small low-grade flu reaction for two days. It seems like that is always my reaction whenever trying to spike my immune system to make antibodies or whenever it actually does. My guess is that there are left over viruses that I've never had the pleasure of expressing via typical immune responses like fevers and coughs.
It's hard to explain but a Lymie can definitely tell the difference between a flu symptom and a Lyme symptom, though the words are the same. A headache from Lyme is not quite the same as a flu headache. A healthy person with a flu will be so exhausted they will sleep for days, which is the body's natural response to shut down and let the immune system work. But a person with Lyme that seems to have flu like symptoms typically can NOT sleep. When I feel a flu like fatigue, it feels good because I can sleep. Feeling flu like symptoms and not being able to sleep to recover from them day after day, month after month and year after year, well, is torture.
Spring is beginning to show new life -364/365
Spring is already showing up in the mountains with wildflowers already in bloom. I hope these IV IG infusions will spring new life into my immune system to the point it wakes up and functions on its own. My 365 project is coming to an end but life goes on beautifully. Lyme disease or not, it's impossible to ignore the beautiful cycle of life.
The good news here seems to be that you are embarking on a potential healing path.
I am enquiring about lyme/coinfection-induced CVID with my wife's lead doctor this week to see if that might be another healing obstacle - and I would have be clueless about this possibility without your blog posts.
Hoping for the best!
So...I'm glad you got the flu????
Rottie kisses...
I'm glad you're sharing this experience because it could help people like Joe's wife. 😀 I hope this treatment makes a huge difference in how you feel!