Blood Chemistries and More

If you are part of the not medical readership, you can skip the details and just be assured my blood tests are all showing very encouraging and reassuring results.

You know that my hematology tests are all pretty stable- slight drop in my Hgb (13.7 which is borderline low) and a very slight drift down in my platelets, but really all good.

Despite all the attacks on my B cells with rituximab, my lymphocyte counts are flat at or just below the bottom of the normal level. And no neutropenia which is always a slight risk with rituximab. I am very happy with this.

Let me talk about my good news with my blood chemistry.

My kidney function tests have stabilized after moving slowly in the wrong direction, a problem that comes hand in hand with the cycloporin. My uric acid is a stable high normal 7.6, also an another gift from cyclosporin. Cyclosporin is notorious for causing horrible cases of gout. That is why I changed my other blood pressure medications months ago to a combo known to lower the risk of gout rather than increase it.

Liver and electrolytes are all boringly within normal limits, as expected. I am such a clean living guy. No alcohol or toxins. Green veggies from the garden help cleanse the liver.

It seems the addition of Procardia XL, just as advertised, is not only lowering my blood pressure, but also is protecting my kidney allowing me to continue my subterfuge temporary bounce up in my dose of cyclosporin to get the maximum kill of my B cell clone in combo with rituximab.

B2M, a tumor marker is a borderline and stable 2.58. Not perfect, but I'll take it. It suggests a low tumor burden, that the cancer is not about to take off.

So far, so good I must say.

And my palpable nodes are continuing their disappearing act. And no side effects with the weekly infusions.

I am pretty pleased.