You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2009.
Yesterday Michael got his first IVIG treatment that he will continue to get monthly until the surgery and for a couple months after the surgery to try and keep his immune system as bolstered as possible.
Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) is a solution of highly purified immunoglobulin G, derived from large pools of human plasma that contain antibodies against a broad spectrum of bacterial and viral agents. This solution is delivered intravenously and is used primarily to treat three categories of illnesses: immunodeficiencies, autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, and certain rheumatologic conditions. (from NBN Group)
We got to the hospital at about 8:30am and left about 3pm, so about 6.5 hours total, although I want to say we didn’t actually start the infusion until 10am, so about 5 hours for the actual infusion. I think it went quite well, he felt chills and a mild headache, his respiratory rate and heart rate seemed to jump around a lot and kept setting off the monitor even after they raised the levels. It seemed to be more tied to his video game playing, although it happened a few times when he was just sitting there as well, so it was concerning, but they never had to step back the medication. Today he feels a bit like he has the flu, very very tired, achy, his arm hurts where the IV was, all of which seems consistent with side effects and hopefully will wear off.
We haven’t heard anything about a surgery date yet, I’m going to wait and then give the coordinator a call on Monday and see if they have narrowed that down yet.
Thank you all for your care and concern, we are having a rough time coming to terms with the difficulties of this surgery, the risks, the recovery for Michael–it’s all very overwhelming and we appreciate your support!
