Voice Change

Another positive appointment yesterday... normal blood counts, more round-two immunizations and more managing minor issues.

Being immunosuppressed has been Annie's reality for over seven years.  Twice-a-day she takes medicine to suppress the very system that keeps most of us alive, yet was killing her.  We've worked hard to keep her healthy through diet, cleanliness and lots of sleep.  For the most part she has been spared little illnesses although skin issues still sneak through.  The process of tapering her off these medicines has to be slow or, as has happened before, risk relapse.  I believe the risk of relapse is more an issue when non-transplant means are used but care is in order no matter what.  Starting next visit, her one year visit, the dosage will begin to get reduced.

In the mean time another immune function is returning, her tonsils.  Chemotherapy sends the tonsils into retreat but they have been growing back and are resulting in some temporary changes in vocal tone that apparently I am most "tuned in to."  This just feeds our running family joke about Annie being mistaken for a boy.  For the most part she has kept her sense of humor and just rolled her eyes when in Hawaii she and Tom were handed the kukui nut necklaces while Katherine and I got leis.

Next appointment is May 22nd and will be a full day of testing to see how everything is running a year out from transplant.