Stinking germs!

We have success! Nearly a month ago, I began the scary task of tapering down my steroid levels. For those who are new to the scene, this was a daunting task for me, because the last time we attempted this, I suffered a relapse. The last EEG showed changes to the brain from the relapse and left me with some minor permanent side effects.

We began the stage down to 40mg and stayed there for two weeks. I experienced headaches and fatigue for the first 4 or 5 days. Then my blood sugars began to rise and became unstable. This was what happened right before the last relapse, so it made me very nervous. We continued to pray and continued to rest, hydrate, and give my body every chance to adjust. Sure enough, by the second week, my sugars stabilized and my energy began to come back.

The Monday after we attended the Cowboys game in Dallas, I started the next stage down to 30mg. I had never been below 40mg, so this was a huge milestone. I took off work for a week and rested. Fatigue and migraines were the biggest problem. All of my nerve endings seemed to be screaming at me. I was on sensory overload, but by the end of the first week, I was feeling better.

It has almost been two weeks at 30mg and it looks safe to claim that the new immune suppressant is doing its job! My endocrinologist is so impressed at the success that she even asked me to try to come off the daily insulin that I have been on due to the complications from the steroids. It has been 10 days off the time release insulin and I have only had to take two slide-scale shots! My endocrinologist had told me at the last visit that she did not expect that I would ever be able to come off insulin completely, but it now looks like I may be off of it by the end of the year! I have had to switch to a strict diet for a while, but hey...after being on steroids for the last five months...my booty could use the diet! haha Oh, one last praise...I took the bone replacement medicine last week and everything went smoothly. I had experienced dizziness and blood sugar problems after taking it last month, but this time was flawless!

Okay...here is what I need from my prayer warriors! Both of my children were diagnosed with the flu yesterday. While I have had the regular flu vaccine, they are thinking that this one is either the strain A or N1H1. A non-active vaccine for that one just came available, so I have not had a chance to get that one. Between the steroids and the Cell-cept, I do not have an immune system to fight something like this. The doctors recommended that I check into to a hotel until this blows over, but you tell two little children who feel miserable that they cannot be around their Mommy! I spent $250 on Tamiflu and stocked up on Lysol and chicken soup. Just another adventure at the Dean household!