The Day of Good News!

The title says it all!  Today was chuck full of good news – so much so that I’m still a little afraid I’m dreaming.

I spoke with my company’s HR Director and the insurance company has agreed to waive the huge $4,500 lab fee I incurred due to the negligence of my original hematologist. I am not sure about all of the reasons/details yet that influenced their decision, but I am so glad they are on my side (especially since the problem could have easily been avoided and was completely out of my control).

I had a platelet check today at 1:00 and then met with the hematologist. This visit to the hematology center was the best one yet and here is why:

1. My platelets, which were at 38 on Wednesday, went up to 54 today!  This is the first time that they have ever gone up on their own!  This is a VERY good sign. The doctor was so pleased that he decided no further treatment is necessary unless I develop new symptoms (bleeding or bruising) or my count drops below 30.
2. The results of the echo were completely normal!  The cardiology report showed that everything looked and sounded right and my heart was doing its job. Conclusion: the heart palpitations are purely a side effect of the Prednisone and should hopefully end once I’m off the steroids.
3. The preliminary bone marrow biopsy results came back normal, as well!  My bone marrow is still producing platelets, which is a huge relief. I spent most of yesterday a little worried because I found out if my marrow had stopped producing platelets I would need to have a bone marrow transplant. Luckily, this isn’t an issue!  Also, the fact that the bone marrow sample was normal means I tested negative for cancer. The testing that takes two weeks is the genetic testing. A lab physically looks at my DNA to see if there are any rare diseases I am a carrier for. The doctor said that he can usually tell from the prelim results if the lab is likely to find something. He is confident that the genetic testing will come back negative.

It’s safe to say I had a pretty great day!  I see him again next Tuesday afternoon for my weekly platelet check. Hopefully he lowers my Prednisone dose soon. He still has me on 50mg. He was too hesitant to reduce it today – not sure why.