Deepika's Diary
Day 32 - 37
29 MAY - 3 JUNE 2000
Previous week
Next week
A week full of mixed emotions. It started off with the normal visits to the hospital for blood work and check ups. The nausea effect was still present but seem to be getting better.
My medications have been reduced to the bare minimum. My anti-rejection drug has been completely stopped because Anita's stem cells are engrafting and slowing starting to work.
My white blood cell count has been low but constant (between 1.4 and 1.9).
That was a good sign until Friday when terror struck. I was suddenly feeling unwell and noticed my temparature had spiked to 38.0 C. I returned to the hospital and was informed that I had an infection caused by a virus called Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
This virus I am told is present in most of us and remains dormant. Because my immune system is suppressed this virus has an opportunity to become active.
The doctors have been monitoring my blood since the tranplant for this virus. I have been CMV negative until Friday. The virus is kept under control and prevented from spreading using a drug called Gangciclovir. One of the side-effects of this drug is that it drops my blood counts so I will probably need transfusions once again.
My white blood cell count is boosted so that my body can fight the virus and other would be infections. The infection gives me a fever and headaches which is supposedly a normal side-effect and lasts for a few days.
My recovery progress is similar to a game of snakes & ladders. You throw the dice and progress up the board towards your goal, there are ladders to help speed up the process and snakes that bite and set you back. I have been lucky to land on a few ladders during my treatment and make progress but unfortunately just as I'm reaching my goal there is a snake or rather virus near by to slow me down. I guess you got to be bitten sometime and you throw the dice again and continue the journey up once again.
Meet CYTOMAGELOVIRUS!!! a.k.a CMV!!!