A “gift” I knew I was getting along with the kidney in the transplant from Randy was CMV – cytomegalovirus. This is a virus that 90% of the population has had and not known they have had it. With a normal immune system, you may think it is a cold or similar if you even notice. CMV started flaring up on me at the end of our camping trip this year, and really started hitting me hard this week combined with an ear infection. With the immunosuppression, my white blood cell count really drops when I get a virus. Unfortunately, the most straightforward treatment for CMV is a drug called valcyte, which has the unfortunate side effect of suppressing white blood cell creation even more, so it is out when I have a low WBC count. So, the next option seemed to be a drug (it is actually antibodies harvested from plasma but I think still qualifies as a drug) called cytogam. It is given by IV infusion. After some great wrangling by the transplant clinic nurse, they were able to get me scheduled today for treatment at the cancer infusion center, since the best the normal outpatient infusion center could see me was Tuesday morning.
I walked into the infusion center today (a lot like a dialysis center) and was checking in. A nurse tapped me on the shoulder when she heard my name and said “We’re sorry – there has been a problem with your insurance and we don’t think you are going to be able to be treated here. Could you please go wait in the waiting room?”. This was the cancer infusion center on the UCH campus. So I went and texted Lisa there may be a problem, and then started praying Proverbs 3:5-6.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
It is one of my favorites and probably my crutch verse when I get stuck. They started calling everyone else in the waiting room back one by one. After about 30 minutes, the nurse who had tapped me on the shoulder came out to get coffee in the waiting room – “Oh! You are not back yet. They were supposed to come get you. Good news in that the insurance problem is solved and you can be treated today. I’ll go send someone right up for you.” Sure enough, 20 seconds went by and I was called back and given my chair for the day. I was given tylenol and benedryl to try to make sure I didn’t react to the cytogam. Praise God – I was so discouraged and in 30 seconds delivered and the path was so straight.
The first IV didn’t work. I always get them to try my right arm first, which usually works. A good vein was standing up, but it just didn’t want to accept the needle. So, she asked if she could use “ole faithful” in my left arm. I agreed – she could tell I was trying to protect it but it is the only really easy access on me. So, we got things running. She started the cytogam, at a really slow rate for the first half hour. I was getting a little hot, but I don’t think that was a reaction to the cytogam and when I leaned forward off of the vinyl chair cooled down. So, we upped the rate to 50 ml/hr for the 2nd half hour. Still, really no adverse reaction. So, we went to the maximum rate of 75 ml/hr for the rest of the time – 3 hours more. I slept and read “The Heavenly Man”, Brother Yun’s biography about the house church movement in China, and although a long time, it passed smoothly.
The drive home was a nightmare, but I am feeling a lot better today (even before the treatment) and my white blood count is starting to recover. So, hopefully this will all be behind me soon and I’ll be ready for the disc golf tournament on 8/9.
Kevin