Hi again Abby, good to hear from you again.

Yes, I am now known as "skinny fly-paper Lou" because I catch everything floating around in the air. I get sick more often and it seems to last longer. I also typically need to take a day or two off work when before I was able to work through it. Often I run a slight fever when before it was the usual nasty cold symptoms but no fever. I treat it the same as I always did, NyQuill and chicken soup mostly. I know my ANC is on the low end of normal at best so it's not unexpected. And I'm now 37 months post transplant so I'm starting to realize that this is how it's going to be, this is my new normal as they say. But I don't think there is anything unusual about it, so far it's been manageable and if this is the worst thing, I can live with it.

I hope you feel better soon and stay with us. Your insight and advice has been missed.

Lou

Hi Abbey, good to hear from you.sorry your sick, yes Tony has caught many colds so far, almost monthly.

Tony has caught a few minor viruses and also developed shingles last Aug. It's always taken him a little longer to get over viruses. His labs were always good during these viruses. Then in Jan this year he caught the stomach flu (from me & Izzy) and his labs a week later were lower than his normally are. Had rechecked two weeks later, still low end of normal but platelets dipped just below normal.

Any input on labs during these bouts Lou & everyone who had been through this????

Hi Abby. short answer: yes. this seems to be pretty common for BMT survivors. New immune system is just not quite "as good as tho old one". Also it seems to take a bit longer to recover :-(.
However my gut feel is that this season is worse than the last year for bugs. I had a very nasty flu and 2 colds in as many weeks. However I'm not the only one getting it. Seems to be very "common" indeed.

As for the recovery its all the oldies, lots rest and plenty of fluids, avoid stress and alcohol (never did good with this one). Quality food, a good book to keep distracted and let the body do its thing.

Lea, I really don't recall going to the doctor for labs in the middle of one of these bouts. I know she has asked at times about whether I had been sick recently when one or more of the counts were a little off so I'm sure there is some correlation between low counts and colds and viruses.

Abby

So nice to hear from yoy. Sorry you are sick but I hear its comon after BMT.

Hugs

Karen

Thanks all! It definitely feels like more than usual and also taking longer to heal.
Minor problems!

:-)

Abby

Guys,

I think colds are the new normal for us. I went close to a year without getting one, but had RSV pneumonia last January and Pneumonia and a cold about 3 weeks ago. Still coughing every once in a while. Those of us who had t-depleted transplants (especially older DS member, like me!) reconstitute their immune systems more slowly. Nevertheless, we never had to take prednisone, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, sirolimus and the like and never got GvHD. That, however, is a double edged sword, because we don't get the graft vs. leukemia effect. It is a risk, but in my case and many others, a risk worth taking. I've survived the pulmonary bouts.

Lou, you made me laugh, Mr. Fly-paper. With regard to your numbers, they may still get better. My HCT hovered in the upper 30s for about 4 years, and then suddenly rose to 43 and has stayed there. Things change. Chicken soup always does the trick. In my case, it's with matzoh balls; in yours, I best it is pastina! There have been some papers written about the positive effects of chicken soup, so don't joke about it. LOL.

Abby. It is great to hear your voice again and glad to hear you are doing well. Just accept the colds and the like. I think the incidence will diminish over time. Strangely, I had absolutely nothing for the first two post-transplant years. Now, I think I take fewer precautions and thus have gotten sick.

It is great to see that our DS crew is still kicking. Be well.

Cliff

Dear Abby,

I'm so glad to see you are doing well overall. I hope the nasty cold clears up quickly.

Margaret