living with AIH and PBC: December 2011

I'm a little behind because of the holidays and being away from Internet. I must say, taking all the gadgets, electronics, facebook, and Internet itself, away for a week or two, and spending genuine time with my family was absolutely UH-MAZE-ING!!

Now getting back to the reality of things, Corbin went back to the doctor on Tuesday, to find out that he has the beginnings of strep throat. Ten days of Amoxocillin, Seven days of Zythromax, and IV antibiotics, didn't kick it in the butt, but it did suppress it enough, until the Dr's. office re-opened so he could get a new antibiotic. I cant remember the name of it, but its a stout one. Its normally used to fight off the infection "MRSA", but a very small dose did the trick and hes ALL BETTER. Thank goodness.

While Corbin was at the Dr., I went to Vanderbilt to have blood work done, they called while I was asleep, but Allen talked to them. Ive had another adjustment to my meds. Ive gone down on my Predisone to 17.5mg and blood work again, January 10.

On another note, we went to Pulaski for Allen's real dads Christmas. Once again I got sick. The last three times we went I have gotten sick, and of course got sick this time too.

I stayed in bed all week long, with a fever, and everything else to go along with that.

My lungs felt like I had ran a 10 mile marathon without stopping. Not short of breathe or anything, a hurt more less like pnuemonia. I still have that chest pain and congestion.

on the way home today, i got so sick. i threw up all the way from Pulaski to Fayettville. i guess my stomach just couldn't handle the car ride and i got really car sick.

stay tuned for the next few posts, ill take you on a "picture tour" of the Morris family Christmas!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

MED CHANGE

VANDY CALLED TODAY, AND TOLD ME TO :

~START BACK ON MY CELLCEPT (ANTI-REJECTION), THE SAME DOSE I HAD BEEN TAKING BEFORE. 1000mg. BID

~LOWER THE PREDNISONE FROM 30mg. TO 20mg. DAILY

~AND LABS DECEMBER 28TH..

UNTIL THEN....
ERIN :)

12-13-2011 weekly labs and results....

CBC

WBC: 1.8* thou/uL (3.9-10.7)

Hemoglobin Blood: 10.5* g/dL (11.8-16.0)

PCV BLOOD: 32* % (36-43)

PLATELET COUNT: 34* thou/uL (135-371)

Red Blood Cells: 3.42* mil/uL (4.00-5.50)

MCV: 94 fL (81-98)

MCH: 30.7 pg (27.0-32.0)

Mean Corpuscle Hemoglobin Concentration: 32.7 g/dL (31.0-35.0)

Red Blood Cells Width Distribution: 14.7* % (11.1-14.3)

DIFFERENTIAL

NT AUTOMATED ABS: 1.15* thou/uL (1.40-7.70)

NEUTROPHILS %: 66.5 % (35.0-75.0)

LYMPHS %: 15.0 % (15.0-49.0)

MONOCYTES %: 16.2* % (3.5-12.0)

BASOPHILS %: 0.6 % (0.1-1.5)

NEUT (ABS): 1.15* thou/uL (1.60-8.10)

LYMPHS (ABS): 0.26* thou/uL (1.10-3.50)

MONO (ABS): 0.28* thou/uL (0.30-1.10)

BASO (ABS): 0.01 thou/uL (0.01-0.08)

NUCLEATED RBC: 0 /100_WBC

NUCLEATED RBC#: 0.00 thou/mL

COAGULATION

PATIENT (PT): 18.5* sec (11.8-14.5)

INR: 1.6

BASIC METABOLIC PANEL

Sodium Blood: 139 mEq/L (135-145)

Potassium Blood: 4.5 mEq/L (3.3-4.8)

Chloride Blood: 109* mEq/L (95-105)

Carbon Dioxide Blood: 26 mmol/L (23-30)

Urea Nitrogen Blood: 6 mg/dL (5-25)

Creatinine Blood: 0.67* mg/dL (0.70-1.50)

Glucose Blood: 80 mg/dL (70-110)

Calcium Blood: 8.4* mg/dL (8.5-10.5)

AN-GAP: 4

COMPLETE METABOLIC PANEL

PROTEIN TOTAL BLOOD: 6.0* g/dL (6.1-8.4)

ALBUMIN BLOOD: 2.8* g/dL (3.5-5.0)

BILIRUBIN TOTAL BLOOD: 1.9* mg/dL (0.2-1.2)

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE BLD: 69 U/L (40-110)

AST: 34 U/L (4-40)

ALT: 29 U/L (4-40)

NOW JUST TO WAIT ON THE PHONE CALL FROM VANDERBILT, TO FIND OUT IF I CAN COME DOWN ON THE PREDISONE OR NOT. FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, THE BLOOD WORK HASNT GOTTEN BETTER OR WORSE. ITS STILL ABOUT THE SAME. AND AS OF NOW MY "MELD" SCORE IS AT 14.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

veiw of my labs

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT

WBC: 1.4* thou/uL (3.9-10.7) Hemoglobin Blood: 10.8* g/dL (11.8-16.0) PCV BLOOD: 33* % (36-43) PLATELET COUNT: 33* thou/uL (135-371) Red Blood Cells: 3.47* mil/uL (4.00-5.50) MCV: 95 fL (81-98) MCH: 31.1 pg (27.0-32.0) Mean Corpuscle Hemoglobin Concentration: 32.8 g/dL (31.0-35.0) Red Blood Cells Width Distribution: 15.1* % (11.1-14.3)

DIFFERENTIAL

NUCLEATED RBC: 0 /100_WBC NUCLEATED RBC#: 0.00 thou/mL

COAGULATION

PATIENT (PT): 18.1* sec (11.8-14.5) INR: 1.6

BASIC METABOLIC PANEL

Sodium Blood: 139 mEq/L (135-145) Potassium Blood: 3.1* mEq/L (3.3-4.8) Chloride Blood: 108* mEq/L (95-105) Carbon Dioxide Blood: 26 mmol/L (23-30) Urea Nitrogen Blood: 6 mg/dL (5-25) Creatinine Blood: 0.61* mg/dL (0.70-1.50) eGFR: > 60 ml/min/1.73m2 eGFRAA: > 60 ml/min/1.73m2 Glucose Blood: 86 mg/dL (70-110) Calcium Blood: 8.1* mg/dL (8.5-10.5) AN-GAP: 5

COMPLETE METABOLIC PANEL

PROTEIN TOTAL BLOOD: 5.7* g/dL (6.1-8.4) ALBUMIN BLOOD: 2.6* g/dL (3.5-5.0) BILIRUBIN TOTAL BLOOD: 1.8* mg/dL (0.2-1.2) ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE BLD: 73 U/L (40-110) AST: 31 U/L (4-40) ALT: 26 U/L (4-40)

ROUTINE CHEMISTRY PANEL

Bilirubin Conjugated: 0.6* mg/dL (0.0-0.3)

These are my lab results from yesterdays trip to Vandy. In all actuality, there really not as bad as they have been. The numbers in RED are abnormal ranges. The numbers in BLUE are in the normal ranges.

Like I said, I went to Vanderbilt yesterday, and got mostly bad news. Dr. Perri said that my liver is getting worse, and that we know that the liver that's in my body now, is not going to let me live to be an old lady. In other words were getting VERY close to transplantation time. The peritonitis I had a few weeks ago is one of the signs that my livers not going to hold up much longer. Retaining fluid is also a big sign, which I have lots of, that's not going away on its own, or with meds. He informed me that once you get infection in the fluid, your at a 70% risk of it coming back again and more aggressive within a year. So he thinks its a good idea to put me on a daily antibiotic until I have my transplant. He also gave me a very scary statistic. People with my disease that don't get a transplant in time, have only the life expectancy of 3 years. So I need to straighten up and get my butt in gear and get this life changing/saving transplant.

Ive come to realize that I have to help my self before I can help/ be here for my husband and son!

There's a few things I have to do before I can get a transplant and be put back on the list.

1. Stop smoking.(check)

2. Pass three nicotine tests. (2 out of 3 check)

3. Take meds like I'm supposed to. (check)

4. Having blood work done on time/when needed. (check)

5. Making doctors appointments. (check)

6. Prove to the committee that i'm able to care for a new liver (work in progress)

Dr. Perri says I'm doing great and heading in the right direction, and doing what I'm supposed to be doing. That I need to stay on top of it and keep crossing my T's, and dotting my I's. Its not him that I have to prove all these things to, its the transplant committee. I'm to the point to where I wish I could talk to the transplant committee my self, and let them see who they are talking about. Besides they are making decisions on people that they have never even met....