Let The IVs Commence

I started my IVs today, I'm on colomycin and ceftaz 3 times a day. The nurse used a different cleaner to clean my port before she put the needle in so hopefully my arm won't get sore this time. I know I haven't moaned about my port as much lately but this allergy thing is ongoing and I don't want to bore you. It has defiantly gotten better with the different dressings, the dressing I have that makes contact with the skin is called kaltostat. This dressing absorbs any moisture and makes it into a hard gel, so they skin is kept dry. It is usually used for sores etc. Anyway I think what is happening, is that the cleaning liquid makes my arm dry and sore. Then because it is covered up it starts to weep and this makes my arm more sore. Therefore the kaltostat is stopping the arm becoming worse whilst covered up, but if I can stop the problem from starting in the first place then my arm will not itch or be sore atall or very little and I will be one happy lady!

I was very impressed with how well the nurse put the dressing on. It's like a military operation, very fidgety and usually it ends up looking abit of a mess. However she did it really well and it made my day, because there is none stuck under my armpit, she didn't have to use two sheets of hypafix so it doesn't look messy, and all the edges are stuck down so there are no curly up bits for fluff etc to stick to. Such a silly thing to be made up about, but its small things like this that make the whole IV's thing abit easier!

I also had a good chat with the Doctor about the surrogacy, she seemed really supportive and asked me some questions as she doesn't know much about. She even said if it all worked out, then it would be good if I could do an article for the newsletter to let other patients know about the options available to them.

How random is this? My lung function is actually higher than it was at my last outpatients appointment. I blew an fvc of 62% and and fev1 of 39%, it was 36% at my outpatients appointment 4 weeks ago! It just shows that your lung function doesn't always illustrate how you are feeling!

The results have finally come back telling us what my scedosporium fungus is sensitive to. The good news is... everything! Voriconazole, itraconazole, caspofungin and another one beginning with 'A', Amphotericin maybe? So this provides options if the voriconazole stops being effective. At the moment I am still on the voriconazole, one month on and one month off.

Also I discussed with the dietitian my weight as its down slightly again, to 53.7kg, less than a year ago it was easily sitting on the 56kg mark without any calorie supplements, whereas now I am having a skandishake a day. The doctor showed me my weight graph and there has definitely being a drop. She said the contraceptive pill could have being helping me keep my weight on and after I discussed it with the doctor, we have decided I am going to go back on it. I also am going to try have 2 skandishakes a day whilst on my IV's.

Thats about it for today folks!