Day +40 Released

Date: 10.23.18
Time: 4:53pm

HGB: 13.9
PLT: 165
WBC: 7.98
ANC: 6.84
Tacrolimus: 21
Magnesium: 1.2

I'm apologize for the silence last week.  I saw the doctor on Thursday, and I fully expected her to release me to go home, and was unpleasantly surprised when she told me not until next week.  It kinda crushed my hopes.  To be fair, she did adjust two of my medication dosages on Thursday, and most likely wanted to monitor to make sure that nothing cropped up, but it was hard to take.  I'm not cut out for city living.  Especially when I'm restricted from going anywhere.

Yesterday, though, I was finally released to come home.  Keith and I waited out the traffic, packed up, and came home late last night.  It's beautiful here.  Its good to be home.

Home Sweet Home (*photo by Keith)

Our Favorite Hiking Trail (*photo by Keith)

I've been feeling a bit of disconnect.  Every time I see my doctors they tell me how well I'm doing, but every day I feel a bit worse.  For about two weeks now, I've had headaches that have been getting worse daily.  Headache when I wake up in the morning that lingers until 10 or 11, and then comes back at 4 or 5.  Headaches that stop me in my tracks where I literally cannot function.  I believe that these are related to my tacrolimus level.  The doctor gave me the okay to try tylenol or a very occasional ibuprofen, which I did.  Neither helped.  She reduced the amount of tacrolimus that I'm taking last Thursday, and it seems like that is starting to help.  I'm now alternating .5mg one day, and 1mg the next, and it seems like the headaches are getting less severe and I'm getting more time mid day headache free.

I'm starting to feel much more fatigued too.  I pretty much slept the entire day on Saturday, and have been taking naps almost everyday.  Good news is that I'm starting to sleep more at night too.  Last night was the first night that I slept through the night without waking up and staying awake for a few hours in the middle of the night.  My prednisone has been reduced to 20mg a day, and I'm really feeling the tiredness and fatigue catch up with me.  My doctor tells me that this is totally normal, and that as my steroid is reduced further, that I will continue to feel tired, but that my blood counts look good, and that it is just my body recovering and making new cells.

Aside from that just enjoying being in my home, sleeping in my bed, petting my cats, feeling the cool air, and seeing all of the beautiful changes of fall.  Oh yeah, and Keith painted my bathroom vanity while I was gone.  How pretty.

"All White Errthing"

So I'm tired with a dull headache, but I'm home so today, is a good day.