Thursday’s doctor visit was a rollercoaster. I ended up at 31,000 platelets and needing treatment, so he suggested we try IVIge. Cue major nerves, I have spent the last five years reading about the brutal side effects other ITP patients experienced, so I am worried about how I will feel after the infusion.
I’m curious to see how long my platelets will remain at a normal level after treatment. At the height of my platelet destruction in 2014, Dr. Ahn believed it wouldn’t hold for more than 10-14 days. However, this time around I caught it early, so the outcome may be entirely different. I am happy it is only one infusion, instead of four, and will hopefully have me back on my feet after the weekend.
So how am I preparing for it? First- I asked fellow patients. The hospital told me to hydrate, but I wanted to hear from people who have been in my position. Thankfully, everyone told me to load up on electrolytes, so I bought a ton of Powerade (Seminoles don’t drink that gator-garbage), Smart Water and Coconut water. I’m also planning to eat soft foods the day before, during, and a few days after the infusion in case I have vomiting. Because my teeth were weakened by past prednisone usage, I want to minimize any potential damage that can be caused by throwing up. Infusion clinics really should be giving out this advice when you schedule your appointment, but that is a fight for another day. I want no surprises, so I’m glad I asked because just chugging water the day before was not going to cut it.
The most difficult part about this infusion is the unknown. I did not experience this level of apprehension when I used Rituxan, but I was confident it was going to work. This is a sort of a shot in the dark, I expect for the treatment to fail after a few weeks and my platelet count to drop. However, we need the data and we need to see how I tolerate it. So I’ll play along, for science.
To everyone who offered advice, thank you.