Not a set back… Just a pot hole in the road

Jun 7, 20232 min read

Yesterday I woke up feeling pretty good. My pain was less and I was more comfortable. As I was sitting in my new recliner I received a call from the heart transplant team Nurse Practitioner. She informed me that the labs that were drawn on Monday were a little concerning. My white blood cell count was higher than they would like to see so they wanted me to go to to Cooley Dickinson Hospital to have some labs drawn. Cooley Dickinson is a Mass General Hospital affiliate. The labs they wanted were a complete blood count, blood cultures and a urine. She also placed an order for a chest X-ray.

My anti rejection medication levels were low as well so she instructed me to to increase the dosage of that medication Tacrolimus. This medication causes a few undesirable side effects including my least favorite tremors in my hands and legs but I tolerate it like a trooper because I'm happy to be alive.

My prednisone dose will stay the same for now which is good because these steroids also have some undesirable side effects including swelling and muscle weakness. My legs look like tree trunks and feel like jello. For those who don't know me personally I have always been called "chicken legs" 🐓 lol, so it is funny to see me with thick legs.

David and I went to Cooley Dickson Hospital to have the testing completed. I have never been to Cooley as a patient. The experience was seamless and everyone was absolutely lovely. It was a great experience and I look forward to working with them in the future.

The chest X-ray showed some increased fluid in my left lung which explains my shortness of breath. My white blood cell count did come down a smidge and so far the cultures that have come back are good so they are going to monitor me closely- no need for intervention at this time. Woo hooo! Life is good!