Give Me a Break

Come on immune system, give me a break.

I've received two rounds of chemo (Jan 2004 and Jan 2005) as part of a clinical trial to evaluate a new MS drug. The treatment, Campath, has had fantastic results as an MS treatment but there have been some long term side effects. One being a drop in platelets which has caused a few deaths due to brain hemorrhages and another is thyroid disorders. To catch these side effects we have bloodwork done monthly (my veins are tired of this already) which checks our platelet levels and our thyroid hormone levels.

My thyroid levels have come back abnormal the last few tests so off I went to see an endocrinologist. I had more bloodwork done and an ultrasound done of my thryoid and both confirm more autoimmune activity, this time Hashimoto's thyroiditis which has caused hypothryoidism. I really haven't researched this because I'm just fed up with going to the doctor, getting unfavorable news, getting bloodwork done, toting paperwork and MRI films around... just fed up with it. I'll take the tablets they gave me this morning but I'll read up on this later.

I know it could be worse. I could be in a wheelchair or blind from my MS and I know there are worse conditions/diseases out there than MS but seriously, after six years of this I'm tired of hauling my happy ass up to Round Rock every three months to see my neuro where I'm treated like a number, getting blood drawn at least once a month, going for MRIs, and just the constant presence of my MS and its symptoms.

So to my immune system, I ask of you, can you just give me a break? Leave my brain, my spinal cord, my optic nerve, my thryoid and all of my other organs alone. Just go after the bad stuff. Please.