The 3rd month of Vicky's Progress

October 27, 2003 and Vicky wakes up coughing and with a headache, backache, slight fever and other aches and pains. I am not feeling well either, and I called in sick and will miss a day of work.

Perhaps it is a good thing I was too sick to work. Later on when it is time for Vicky to take her pills she discovers she is completely out of her blood pressure medicine. Vicky does not drive, so I am the one to go pick up her pills at Osco.

Vicky's morning aches and pains have become a fairly normal occurance, and she usually feels better after her morning medications.

Yesterday Vicky and I went to church for the first time in years. Vicky hopes we will go much more often.

Vicky is scheduled for a blood test next week, with a doctor's appointment a few days after that. We feel optimistic about the blood test.

Halloween 2003 and we have guests. Joshua and his Dad stopped by late afternoon. A visit from Joshua the grandson seems to have cheered Vicky up, judging by her smile.

Vicky is still feeling about the same with bad headaches that seem to last longer every day. The Halloween visit took Vicky's mind off of her pains and problems momentarily at least.

Her cough has loosened up and become a little productive, so that helps. She didn't wish to take cough syrup with her other drugs, so I bought Vicky some cough drops. After having a cough drop she had trouble breathing, nothing serious, but annoying.

Checking the internet, I discovered that a person should not take cough syrup with the pain medication she is on. Somehow the ingredients react with each other and make breathing difficult. Yes, she just had cough drops, but aren't they the same as cough syrup basicly?

November 7, 2003, and a scheduled visit to the doctor's office. We learn that Vicky's blood is remaining in excellent condition! The doctor gives Vicky a new prescription for her Prednisone, and doses will gradually decrease, with the last Prednisone pill being taken on Christmas Day. Vicky will continue with her Cytoxan pills for now, but that is as the doctor had planned.

Vicky's bad headaches and congestion remain a problem. The blood specialist doctor says it has nothing to do with her Acquired Factor VIII Inhibitor (whew). He also recomends that if it she doesn't improve in about a week, for Vicky to see her regular doctor.

November 10, 2003 and Vicky pages me at work. I give her a call right back and learn that her headache is almost gone. She is still quite congested and has trouble breathing, but it is a relief for her to get rid of the headache. Let's hope the headache stays away.

It is a gloomy day with drizzle, but Vicky wants to go to the new Walgreen's when I get home. Other than the trip to the doctor, this is her first outing for a week or so. As expected, by the time we return home Vicky is very short of breath and worn out. Still I think she enjoyed getting out of the house and seeing the new Walgreens store.

November 13, 2003, today will unexpectedly become Vicky's first day without Cytoxan. Upon an in depth study of Vicky's last blood test, the blood specialist learned that Vicky's white blood count has become low. This is a probable side effect of the Cytoxan, and further use of Cytoxan would be a bad idea.

Vicky will temporarily return to weekly blood tests for a few weeks to keep an eye on her white blood count.

The cough, headache, and congestion have decreased, but still are a problem, along with Vicky's shortness of breath. Today Vicky has a trip to Internal Medicine to see a doctor about these flu symptoms. We have learned that the use of Prednisone lowers a persons resistance level. We also learned that Vicky now has pneumonia, on top of her other problems.

November 17, 2003, the 21st day since her cough and aches became bad enough to complain about. Vicky was prescribed antibiotics and a prescription strength cough syrup several days ago. The antibiotics (or time) is beginning to make Vicky feel much better. She smiled yesterday! The cough syrup works fine, and Vicky is not taking pain pills, so no interaction between those two drugs.

November 23rd, it is the end of Vicky's third month of progress. Vicky is not feeling well, but we mistakenly blame it on her pneumonia.