progress report...

[Alias]

Knowing that things can change for the worse at any time... I can report some good news for the time being: At my rheumatology visit earlier this month, we decided to lower my pred to 5mg from 7.5, with a plan for me to be completely off of it in about four months. We also discontinued Bactrim. He said there is some not very solid evidence that Bactrim helps to prevent recurrences, but since I am doing so well we should stop it, since it has some potentially harmful interactions with MTX, if I understood him correctly. I'm supposed to have a repeat DEXA scan, and if it looks OK I can also discontinue Fosomax. I'll continue MTX and leucovorin, but I am so glad to shrink my collection of drugs just a little bit. We'll also decrease my labs to every other month, and assuming everything continues to look good I don't have to see him again for six months to a year! I'm certainly not free of symptoms, but they are manageable. I am just about exactly one year out from diagnosis and feeling like I could die at any moment, so I am feeling very lucky and grateful.

[Pete]

Sounds like you're on the uptick, Tom! Here's hoping it continues.

[Debbie C]

Thats great news Tom. Hope the improvement keeps up the less pills the better

[annekat]

Congrats, Tom, on making that much progress in only a year. Keep us updated!