Good news on blood work today!

[MikeG-2012]

I just received a report of my blood work that was drawn earlier this week.

C-reactive Protein is down to .62 from 4.46 in December and 5.55 in September! (Normal range should be 0.00-0.99)

Sedimentation Rate was 51 in September, 48 in January, and 17 this week. (normal range should be between 0 and 15)

Sinuses haven't been better in two years. Finally fought off the respiratory virus I had since January 12th. I'm off all the prescription pain killers. I'm still doing 20 MG pred, but will be back to the normal taper schedule of 15 at the end of the week. I have an appointment with the Rheumatologist this afternoon and I am sure we will talk about the 6 month standard protocol follow-up of Rituxan.

Looks to me like the flare up is subsiding, and I'm on my way to getting better!!!

I needed some good news this week! YEA!

[debhaz22]

GREAT news Mike!!!!!!! :thumbsup:
Keep doing whatever it is you're doing!
Your favorite Bulldog

[annekat]

Awesome news, Mike! You are doing great, a model Weggie.

[gilders]

We all love to hear the good news!:thumbsup:

[windchime]

Great news Mike!! Maintain, maintain, maintain. :hug3:

[renidrag]

Awesome news Mike, Watching my SED rate now,have bloods on the 18th. Feb of 13 it was 39, May of 13 it was 62. No other symptoms. Just watching. Very happy for you. "On my way to getting better" what a great line to hear.
Dale

[pberggren1]

I hope those numbers also mean you are feeling good.

[Debbie C]

Good for you Mike.What ever you are doing is working.Weren't you using the water pik for your sinuses???Hope things continue so u can have a great summer riding !!!!:thumbsup:

[MikeG-2012]

I hope those numbers also mean you are feeling good.

Not normal or great, but getting there. I still have pretty good leg fatigue, but I hope that the pred is the culprit.

I think what was keeping me down so hard was the Fentnyl patch. Now that I'm off that, I feel better every day.

[RudiK]

Great news, Mike, let's hope that it will get better and better.

[MikeG-2012]

I had two doc appointments yesterday and both ENT and Rheumy agreed that we are on our way to remission, at least chemically induced anyway.

Doc Rheumy and I talked about a pred taper off plan, and I am going to go to 15 for two weeks, and then 10 for a month until I see him again. The day I see him again, I'll be getting the 6 month follow up of RTX. We've discussed the pros and cons of doing another one and came up with more pros that cons, and decided to do one at the six month mark. Last week in May is that anniversary.

ENT took a look at the sinuses and there was more improvement since I saw him two weeks ago. I'm now on a one month plan, not every two weeks. Got to see a video of the nose and right cheek sinus, and it is drastically different than last fall. I took along one of the attachments from my WaterPik--one that the ENT showed me how to hook into my sinus to get the saline into the area it needed to go. So, he ran an endoscope in next to the tip to show me how that was working too. It was pretty cool to see where it was going and that I am getting the saline into the cheek sinus directly. He said that is probably a factor in my improvement too. He also told (and showed) me that the lining of my sinuses and nose are both "growing new tissue." I also saw that I don't just have one perforation/hole in my septum, there are THREE! As long as they are not getting larger, he's more inclined to leave therm there , but if they get too bad, then they can be fixed surgically.

I believe, for me, my indicator/trigger for flare-ups is going to be nasal and sinuses.

So between the wegs being dormant for the first time in 6 months, and my aggressive rinsing, I am getting a handle on the sinus and nose stuff. We even decided to stop the antibiotic once I run out of this liter bottle I have prepared.

Overall, very, very good news from both docs yesterday!! I really needed a dose of good news after a completely, absolutely miserable fall and winter!

[Pete]

Great news, Mike. Hope you continue to improve!

[MikeG-2012]

Great news, Mike. Hope you continue to improve!

Sounds like we are both on the right track, huh?

[mishb]

Excellent news Mike.

Only forward stepping for you, from now on ......okay !! :wink1:

[keegan55]

so wonderful so happy for you

[BookNut]

So Happy for you!!

[Alysia]

great news Mike, I think it is long ago since we had the weggie dance around....
Mish ? the new variation is something like that if I remember correctly :

:hug3: :lol: :hug3: :lol: :hug3: