THESE ARE THE DAYS OF MY LIFE

On April 9, 2020 I was once again in for a liver biopsy. There is a huge possibility that I will be having one of these fun and exciting procedures every six (6) months. Because I talk of these all the time, I’ve uploaded this video for your viewing enjoyment. 

The only difference between this video and what I go through is they put me out. This biopsy is the very first time that Covid made my life miserable. In every procedure I’ve had in the last 2 years, Brent was there right by side. Holding my hand, cracking me up. But he wasn’t allowed in the recovery room with me. That means he’s not there for all the pre stuff, not there when I get back from the biopsy and not there for the two hours that you have to lay there. The only reason he couldn’t be there was because I was not assigned a private room.  Each bay was separated by curtains. I went into a depression. Not good, but I made it through. 

On April 21st, we had my first ever Webex appointment. Weird. We had to wait for two weeks for this appointment because the doctors, surgeons, coordinator, pathologist and who knows who else get together to discuss all the findings and decide the plan of action. We are told that my liver enzymes have not improved with my dose of prednisone.  In the words of my doctor, “there is evidence of dysfunction and concern for rejection and concern regarding the T-cell infiltrate in the lobule.”  The T-cells are a white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system. It fights infected cells, IE: viral infections or in my case it tried to fight my lymphoma. 

Whatever are they going to do?  It sounds bad. Why don’t I ever hear, “Dazee, you are so remarkably, amazingly, wonderfully well we just want to send you on an all expense paid vacation to anywhere of your choice.” But alas, this is their plan of attack. I need a HUGE amount of prednisone. Can they give it to me in pill form. NO THEY CAN’T.  How much do I need?  Only 500 mg’s a day for three days. What the????

I have to go to the infusion center for three days in a row and have IV prednisone which is called methylpredniolone. Ummm, excuse me. Three days of 500mg’s of this. Do you know what prednisone does to my body?  Weight gain, super high blood glucose (I’m diabetic) and being very ornery.  And that’s on a low dose of this drug. Every person I know better not hang around me. Just sayin’. 

The first day, Brent is allowed to go into the room with me. Yay!! When we show up the next day that damn Covid shows it’s ugly head again. He can’t even take me up to the infusion center. They have to send someone down to take me up. Why? Because I’m wheelchair bound. Then it takes at least an hour to have the stupid medication drip into your vein. Thankfully on the first day they put the IV in my arm and I could keep it in the whole three days. Don’t have to be stuck three different days. Thank goodness we live 15 minutes away from the hospital. I sent him home and when I figured I was getting close to being done I just called him and told him to come back. 

Let me say something about Covid. It’s a real disease. I was already wearing a mask because of being immuno suppressed. I wear a mask WHEREVER I go, which is pretty much to get my labs and procedures.  And I plan on wearing it for the rest of my life. I don’t get to see my kids and grandkids very often. Even for the holidays. It sucks. I can get the vaccine soon. So can Brent. My mom fell and broke her femur before Thanksgiving. No one could be at the hospital with her before her surgery. After that she was only allowed two people a day to come visit her and not at the same time. Then she was sent to a rehab center. NO ONE was allowed inside the building to see her. We had to talk to her on the phone while standing outside her window to see her. I wasn’t able to go. It’s winter. She was there until just last week. She had to spend two of her favorite holidays alone. 

Please wear a mask. Please don’t make people who are in front of you in a store or wherever you are feel like crap because you don’t want to wear one. Put yourself in Brent’s shoes.  Someone could be standing behind him talking loudly about how people that believe in COVID are stupid. How do you know that the person wearing their mask doesn’t have someone at home like me that probably wouldn’t survive getting this real disease. 

But I digress. Will this huge amount of drug help me?  Only time will tell.