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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

IVIG (without riboflavin)

So today I did my first treatment of IVIG therapy. IVIG, or Intravenous Immunoglobulin, is a nightmare. Ok, it only mostly sucks a lot, but it's not technically so much a nightmare as a major PITA. They take plasma from 1 to 10 thousand people to make one unit of IVIG, which is fortified with gamma globulin, but has not so much as a milligram of riboflavin. Or crunchy honey coating, either. No hearts, moons, stars, or clovers last time I checked into it. But it does contain five types of antibodies known to fight infection in the body, so don't get all snooty, k? What kind of antibodies do you sport, there, smart-arse?

Point is, my body stopped fighting infections due to the absolute crap I have put it through trying not to die from pulmonary fibrosis. Plus I'm now chronically anemic and the transfusions of USDA prime Ahmed blood don't seem to do the job any longer.

So for five days, and once a month thereafter, I will be getting an IV of IG and some crackers. It takes several hours for this stuff to trickle into me, so I'm on the George Bush Senior plan at the infusion lab. (Get it? Trickle down. haha!)

And why, you may ask, am I telling anybody? Well I plan to be an absolute bitch for a little while. I hate IV drugs. I hate anything that has to get into my veins directly because my veins are, after what they've been through, rubbish. It takes forever to get a line into me and forever to keep it, and the veins like to be shitty and shut down just for farts and giggles.

So if I love you but snapped at you for no apparent reason it's because my arms hurt and I hate the world. I still love you. I'll do something nice to make up for it soon, I promise.

Do you think the riboflavin might have made this much better? Yeah... I didn't think so either.

11 comments ]:[ Add your comment:

The Girl You Used to Know said...

I love you, sugarpants. just get healthy. you can be as bitchy as you want to me, I can take it.

K?

P. Robinson said...

You have reason to be snotty, harsh, rough gruff and any other thing you need to be to get through this. And I doubt anyone will mind, well the dog might. Be nice to him! Take it out on everyone else.


Kissa

Anonymous said...

thinking of both of you with lots of love and postiviness.
bria

said...

Sorry Chrissy! You have been so strong going through all of this. I was hoping you wouldn't have any more serious kind of treatments for a while. You have every right to be cranky and I hope you get some talented nurses who can fiind veins easily. Makes all the difference!

Chrissy said...

I'm done for the day and at least they left the line in. I've got a wrist all wrapped in gauze.

A lady who thought she was funny asked if I had tried to commit suicide. I stared at her for a long time and said "yes."

Told you I was going to be a bitch. She was mortified, even though I knew she knew I was lying.

Elise Logan said...

Go ahead, be a bitch. And, frankly, she deserved it after that insensitive comment.

I'd offer my blood, but you don't want it. Maybe you can have GN's.

Diana Castilleja said...

Aww, sugar. I'm sending hugs and warm thoughts your way. Still thinking of you down here.

Anonymous said...

Oh Chrissy... ((((((BIG HUGS))))))) I was so hoping things would stay on an even plane for a while and you'd get some much needed rest and downtime without all of this. You both are in my thoughts and prayers daily.

Georgia

Never That Easy said...

Having done the IVIG stuff myself, I concur - totally an excuse to be bitchy, if you should so choose.

Hope tomorrow's treatment goes smoothly!

AuttieLane said...

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L.K. Campbell said...

I'll keep you in my prayers while you go through this difficult time.

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