Ottawa today with Memere!

Well, today i headed off to Ottawa, as per Toronto's request for PFT and blood work, and I visited with one of my favorite Dr.s, whom i hadn't seen since my transplant.  And the results of my PFT are as follows...

FVC: 2.73 OR 70%

FEV1: 2.08 OR 62%

My doctors aren't worried about it, as i have had the same results over the last few PFT's that i have done.  I will have to call Easy call and let them know what is happening, but I don't think they will be too disappointed.  Around thanksgiving last year, I had a positive CMV result, that landed me in the hospital with IV treatment for two weeks, on Gancyclovire.  So it wouldn't surprise me if it crept up again to see me, and check out the new digs again.  Well like Shakespeare said in one of his plays, "Out damn spot" and so it will be.

A little bit about CMV, I know I might have posted this a while back, but to refresh everyone's memory let me tell you a little more about it, from the people online at the some medical place somewhere in the world.

CMV - immunocompromised host

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000663.htm

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000663.htm

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of a group of herpes-type viruses that can cause disease in different parts of the body in people. This article discusses CMV in people with weakened immune systems.

Causes

Most humans are exposed to CMV in their lifetime, but typically only individuals with weakened immune systems become ill from CMV infection. Usually, CMV produces no symptoms. However, serious CMV infections can occur in people with weakened immune systems due to  organ transplants, or medicines that suppress the immune system.
A CMV infection may affect different parts of the body. Infections include:

• CMV esophagitis (infection of the esophagus)
• CMV gastroenteritis (infection of the stomach or intestines)
• CMV retinitis (infection of the eye)
• CMV pneumonia (infection of the lung)
• Mononucleosis-like illness

Once a person becomes infected, the virus remains alive, but usually dormant, within that person's body for life. Rarely does it cause recurrent disease, unless the person's immune system is suppressed due to medication or disease. Therefore, for most people, CMV infection is not a serious problem.

Symptoms

The symptoms of CMV infection are similar to those of mononucleosis. In fact, in a small percentage of people with mononucleosis, CMV is the cause. The symptoms of primary CMV infection are:

• Fatigue
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• Joint stiffness
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle aches or joint pain
• Night sweats
• Prolonged fever
• Sore throat
• Swelling of the lymph nodes
• Weakness
• Weight loss

In immunocompromised people, CMV can attack specific organs. The major symptoms of these organ-specific infections are:

Lung:

• Pneumonia with impaired oxygen uptake (hypoxia)

Gastrointestinal:

• Diarrhea
• Swallowing difficulties or pain
• Ulcerations with bleeding

Exams and Tests

Blood and urine tests can detect and measure substances specific to CMV. A tissue biopsy is often required to be certain of the diagnosis (except in the eye or nervous system).

Treatment

Several antiviral medications are available to treat CMV. These medicines require close monitoring for side effects. Antiviral drugs can help stop the virus from copying itself within the body. However, the drugs do not eliminate the virus from the body.

Outlook (Prognosis)

CMV infection in an immunocompromised person can be life threatening. The severity of the disease depends on the strength of the person's immune system. Research has shown that people who have had a bone marrow transplant have the highest mortality risk.

Any immunocompromised person, whether an HIV patient, organ transplant recipient, bone marrow transplant recipient, or other, should seek medical advice if any signs of infection occur.

Possible Complications

• Blindness
• Kidney impairment (from medications used to treat the condition)
• Liver damage
• Low white blood cell count (from medications used to treat the condition)
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia

Alternative Names

Cytomegalovirus - immunocompromised host

This will always be a possibility as my donor tested positive for CMV and I was negative. I have had a bought with it last year and it can come back, and if it does, i will attack the son of a bitch with everything i have.  Take that CMV, now let's see who is in charge.

When my results come back, I will keep you all informed as to what they say.  No more messing around, things like this need to be expressed and shared within the community at large.  Transplant is not a cure, it's a temporary solution to an ongoing problem in the CF community.

Let's fight to make CF stand for Cure found.

Lot's of love and prayer

Ali

1989-2000 Holiday Barbies

So ladies and gents, i am officially cleaning house.

I have the 1989 - 2000 collection of Holiday Barbies still in the box, all but 1989 when I was young and didn't realize I wasn't supposed to play with them.  But the years after that one are still in their original boxes, with the ornaments they came with.  Everything about them is perfects.  They have been in a none smoking home, and in the closet for a long time, so no colors have faded or anything.

Why am I selling them you ask...

Well to be honest, I don't collect them anymore, I don't and won't have and children to pass them along to.  I am hoping they will find a good home in one of my readers who cam appreciate that Barbie is now officially old.  Okay, okay so 50 or is it 60 isn't old, but it is a lifetime of collections.

I need to rid myself of old baggage and make room for more memories of new.

Here are some pictures of my dolls, well they aren't' my dolls these are images from the web that I am using cause mine are pretty much exactly the same.

And here they are...

For some reason I think I might have more than this in my closet, but these are some images of the dolls I do have.

When I get home, I am away at the moment, I will take my own pictures of these dolls and have them up.

Happy holidays everyone.

See you soon

Ali