We started the week with 3 days of near record high temperatures. This means the natural cycle is moving like it is on fast forward. Our forsythias showed bud color one day and in three days were fully blossomed out. Compared to watching a carrot grow, that is heady stuff. Some years the process starts and stops with dips in the weather and can take several weeks to open.
I got a call from one of my nurses yesterday and ended up having to go down to the emergency room and get a shot of Neupogen because my white blood count had dropped too low. That would be 1.9 (4.5-11.5 normal range) for the doctors in the house. This is a side effect of the interferon treatment.
Another side effect is the dropping of my hemoglobin levels. While I haven’t been in the normal range (13.9-16.3) for years, I have been pretty steady in the 12s since the transplant, but the test 4 days ago had dropped to 10.9 so I will have to get some shots for that.
I thought she said it was Epocrit but can’t find any official page for that drug so maybe misheard. I also may be assuming it is for the hemoglobin – it may be for red blood cells as those are also low.
I have been told to not take my interferon shot this Wednesday and to report to UPMC for an examine this coming Thursday and see how I have responded to the boosts.
Hopefully Muktakesh will be out of the ICU by then and I could talk to him while in Pittsburgh.
View From a New Vrindaban Ridge 
April 7, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Hari bol Madhava Gosh,
PAMHO
Glad you are doing well.
The product is Epogen. There is also a product call Procrit. They are both the same thing. They bring up the hemoglobin/hematocrit level…. thus the blood carries more Oxygen and Iron.
Sarveswari Dasi
April 8, 2007 at 7:46 am
Thanks.
I did end up finding out. After I couldn’t find it on the internet, I was at the temple talking to three Indian guests and it turned out that they were all pharmacy grad students at Duquesne and gave me the 411. Krishna’s arrangement.
I still didn’t get the shot. “Pending approval”. Not that I am in any hurry to take more drugs but I am curious to see if it will help with the shortness of breath which is a bit limiting.
April 8, 2007 at 2:16 pm
PAMHO
They should get approval. The drug is $$$$$$. It is actually the drug that cyclists use for blood doping. It is taken as an injection. You made need 2-3 (taken 1x per week) based on your H/H level. Depending on coverage, hey give you the drug or you need to come in to get the shot…(they like getting paid. You might want to take some CoQ10 – about 50 – 100 mg. per day and iron if you are anemic. The body needs both of these to make energy.
Please say hello to Vidya for me. It has been a long time since I have been to New Vrndavana. I am glad to see that you have resurrected the Brijbasi Spirit.
If I can get away, I am going to try to come to the festival of inspiration.
By the way, is Gomata still there?
Sincerely,
Sarveswari devi dasi
April 9, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Vidya says hi and to stop by if you make it to the Festival.
Gomata has been gone for a while. She lives in Virginia and has come through a few times over the years. Vidya talks to her occasionally over the phone so has her number if you want to contact her.
April 9, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Please send me Gomata’s #. I really appreciate it. Glad you are doing well after your transplant. You should do incredibly well with the vaisnava lifestyle.
Sarveswari devi dasi
April 9, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I will get it from Vidya later and email it directly to you. If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow with it, assume I spaced it out and remind me. She isn’t here at the moment.
We brought our own healthy prasadam into the hospital and ate that instead of their food and I believe that helped.
60-70 % of living donation receipients get complications and I didn’t. Of course, my son Marken will take credit for his strong liver, but as we are both vegetarians, I personally believe that not having all that nasty dead meat stuff in our systems helped.