preliminary verdict

i heard from my doctor in philly yesterday. she can’t say definitively yet — she wants to wait for my post-test, and she also wants to consult with some colleagues — but the signs are pointing toward treatment. apparently, my sinus scan showed i am quite the veteran with sinusitis (i wonder how they can tell that!), and only 3 out of 14 pneumococcal IGG Types were in the protective range (they usually hope for 7 or 8). my chest scan showed little thingies (yes, a medical term) lymph nodes, but as they are smaller than (i think she said) 4 cm, they aren’t considered significant. people with CVID usually show definite signs of never-ending sinusitis and/or some broncheo-something. (basically, lots of bronchial issues/pneumonia/that sort of thing. sorry. my brother could probably speak about this in more intelligent terms since he is both a doctor and a person with CVID.) i have been congested so long in my life, i don’t even realize i have sinus issues. so it looks like i’ll be hooked up to an IV every 4 weeks for the “foreseeable future” (which must be the euphemism doctors use instead of saying “for the rest of your life.”)

it sucks, but there’s a treatment, so it’s not as bad as something without a treatment. i’m not thrilled with the treatment, as it is expensive, has some risks, and is not the sort of thing i want to have to do every 4 weeks. but you gotta do what you gotta do, and i’m thankful i have health insurance and the ability to get treatment, as there are probably zillions of people who aren’t as fortunate.

still, i’m bummed.

3 thoughts on “preliminary verdict

  1. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was just diagnosed on Feb. 5 2007. I have no IgA, IgG or IgM to speak of. Best of luck with your treatment, let me know how it goes. I will be starting IVIG soon too.

    I have started to blog about my experiences as well. I’m at http://idiopath.wordpress.com .

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