10 April 2010

Day 40

Hemoglobin 8.2
Platelets 102
WBC 5.3
Creatinine 1.60


Yesterday I met with a midlevel doctor. She thought things are going well except that my creatinine is elevated again, most likely because of the cyclosporin I began Tuesday. My kidneys seem to be sensitive to even this extremely low dose, so I again stopped the cyclosporin. I'm meeting with Oran again Tuesday and we'll discuss what to do instead then.

I also am going to be evaluated by physical therapy. I think the pain in my feet and legs is (at least partly) because my muscles have atrophied (due to the extended hospital stays and not being as active when at home) and become very tight. Some days my legs are so stiff I can barely walk. The doctor yesterday also explained that when muscles tighten they can do so around nerve endings, causing pain. Couple this with the edema I have in my feet putting more pressure on nerve endings and it could explain the faux-neuropathy symptoms I experience.
I've never been a very limber person, but lately it has gotten ridiculous. Some nights I will lay on my back and have IRael help me stretch out my legs. The next day there is a significant improvement in how they feel, so I think PT will do some good. I hope it will make it easier (pain-free) for me to get exercise, especially once my counts are good enough for me to start training to get my strength back.

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