I have my bloods taken once a month at the local hospital. The results need to be looked at by the GP before he/she will write a prescription for my next 28 days of Azathioprine immunosuppressant. This is the drug that treats the autoimmune hepatitis. If my white blood cell count goes below a certain level, putting me at risk of infection, the GP wont give me more medication without a consult with Dr Al first.
June's results have come back and are looking good. The markers of liver inflammation are at an all time low. ALT is 18, its never been this low (good) in the 3 years of monitoring. Seems like the Aza is doing its stuff.
Kidney function is holding steady.
AFP tumour marker has come back negative. Much relief, as when I was hospitalized early this year it started climbing slowly and steadily which got me paranoid again.
MRI scan next month, and if that comes back clear then all is hunky dory for another 6 months.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS - a diagnosis and treatment of Hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) diagnosed August 2010, presumed caused by 30+ years of chronic hepatitis B. And a search for how to be healthy living with cirrhosis presumed caused by Autoimmune hepatitis (diagnosed April 2011)
Fiona,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your awesome results!!! Hopefully you get similar results with the MRI!!!!
Sorry it took me so long to see this. June has been a really crazy month for me. I went up with my two daughters to a girls camp in the mountains the second week of June. When I got back I had to get everything cleaned up and then my family packed up for a week long trip up to Oregon for my nieces wedding. We just got back on Sunday. We made the trip a family vacation and took time on the way home to see the Oregon coast. It was a lot of fun, but traveling that much in a car full of people plus all their luggage can be exhausting. It was neat to see a new part of our country with some really amazing scenery.
Hope you are getting to enjoy your summer as well.
Carla