I can’t believe I’ve already finished 4 days of my Lemtrada treatment for MS! It’s flying by faster than I anticipated, but I don’t mind at all! Only one more day to go!
Today started off on a sad note. When we got to the clinic this morning, Shazal, one of the other guys who is also getting Lemtrada this week, reported that he had been awake all night coughing up blood. Unfortunately they had to rush him for chest x-rays and he won’t be able to resume treatment until Monday, or until his condition improves. We definitely missed his presence at the clinic today, as he is so full of joy and life! If you think of it, please pray that he’s feeling better soon. He’s already been through a number of other treatments and can’t seem to catch a break.
As for me, I had to get my IV line changed again this morning! We switched back over to the right arm, and four tries later, I had a new IV. Hopefully this one can last me until the end of the day Friday when I can get rid of it once and for all!
The nurse checked my first vitals of the day just after she hooked up my IV and was fairly concerned that my heart rate was in the low 40 beats per minute (I’m normally in the mid 60’s). As a precaution, they continued to check my vitals every 15 minutes all day, until my heart finally returned to normal around 3:00pm. They seemed very concerned and even asked Clark not to leave the clinic all day because they wanted him close by in case they needed to transfer me over to the emergency room. A little scary!
Besides that, I’m feeling pretty good! I’m little more tired now that I’m off the steroids, but overall I feel much better than I thought I would be at this point. No fevers, nausea, rashes or other serious side effects! For that, I’m so grateful!
I know I’ve said it a million times, but thank you so much for your prayers and support. I really believe that my success with this treatment has so much to do with prayer. I really feel like I’m being carried through by a God who loves me and a community that understands the role we can play in one another’s lives. It’s amazing. I don’t know how else to express my gratitude except to just say, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Your support means the world!
Kim thanks for sharing your journey with us. It helps us to know better how to pray for you. God bless you
Jeab