Good news!

I went to my normal weekly appointment at the Infusion Center in Atlanta this past Friday. They changed the bandages and all and then told me that the CD-57 blood test that they ran the previous week had come back. I braced myself...

It came back that it DROPPED again. Dropping of the numbers is not good. The count has to get to 250...it was 30 before, and now it has dropped again to 28. Wasn't sure exactly what that meant again..but this isn't the good news, I promise!

So Mike, my Infusion nurse, called Dr. Reddy immediately. He got her on the line and told her about the CD-57 and she said she wanted to see me as soon as possible. They didn't have any more appointments for Friday, and it was already getting late to squeeze me in...so they told me to come in Monday and they would work me in.

Over the weekend, I had a great weekend with my family! My sisters and I took Dad for his birthday (which was April 21st) to see Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban in concert at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. It was an absolutely AMAZING concert! We all loved every second of it. Carrie was amazing as always - and let me just tell you that Keith Urban is an absolutely gifted performer and musician. He can do it all! I loved it.

So Monday finally rolled around and Tim and I went to see Dr. Reddy. She said that she wasn't sure again why the number was continuing to go down, but clinically I looked good. Also, my weekly bloodwork that they do had been showing some signs that the IV meds were starting to take their toll on my organs - not a good sign. She wanted to take me off the IV meds and go straight to oral antibiotics because I had been on the IV meds long enough. Even though my number had dropped...we didn't want to risk permanent damage to my other organs. So - they pulled the PICC line out of my arm and I am now on a high dose of oral antibiotics for at least the next three months.

THAT is the good news, folks! I am PICC line free. It feels a little awkward without it - I didn't realize how used to it I had become. My skin around the site is trying to recover - it is red and been abused by the adhesive of the bandages that we found out I am allergic to. But the site is already starting to heal and I am excited that I have graduated back to oral antibiotics! Now if this CD-57 number will just go up...

I am also having a few withdrawal symptoms from coming off the IV meds - I stayed home yesterday from work and it's a good thing I took Dr. Reddy's advice to do so - I slept for about 14 hours straight and then woke up for a couple of hours and then slept another 5 hours. I have also been having some upset tummy and #2 issues...TMI for you guys, but you understand what I mean. Feeling a little crazy - but thankful to move to the next step! :)

Thank you all for your prayers and kind comments and concerns throughout all of this. I am not completely out of the woods yet, but I'm getting there! Just gotta keep a positive attitude...and keep the good Lord by my side at all times!

Best,
Joy