On
Weds I had another quick trip down to Baltimore and a visit to the
Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center to see Dr Wigley. It was 3 months since
my previous visit in May and 6 months since I went back on the
medication to help suppress my immune system which seemed to have jumped
into overdrive again. It is just around 6 years now that I found out I
was initially diagnosed with Scleroderma.
Overall
I feel better then I did 6 months ago which is good news. My weight was
down a couple pounds but I think that was more being weighed in shorts
vs jeans. Dr Wigley and I discussed how I was feeling and what changes
I've noticed. Internally (heart, lungs, etc) everything appears fine. He
then examined me and seemed to feel that overall my skin looked good
but my hands and ankles seemed to indicate a slight decrease in
elasticity/flexibility. Not all great news but not bad news either.
So
we decided to stay on the maximum dosage for another 3 months and see
how it goes. In 3 months I will check in with Dr Wigley and let him know
how I feel and if anything has changed. If things seem to have
improved, we might drop the dosage a bit. Otherwise, we will keep it as
is and head back there in February for a 6 month checkup.
Dr
Wigley mentioned they also have some new medication they are trying out
so if the Cellcept immunosuppressant doesn't work, there is another
option to consider. I didn't ask the specifics on the name or type of
drug and hopefully it won't be necessary. I then gave 6 vials of blood
for research purposes and was on my way.
So
that's a wrap for this update. If anything noteworthy happens over the
next 6 months I will send something around. Otherwise, you should hear
from me again in February. Be safe, enjoy the rest of the summer, and
stay well!
