Friday, August 23, 2013

Lab results from islet cell transplant at five years


Here are the lab results at 5 years post transplant.

Chemistry tests.  
Cholesterol is 181.   HDL is 84.   LDL is 87.
These are all good and an improvement from last year.

AST is 23.   Normal is 10-42  
All my hepatic function tests were normal
Total protein is 7.1 and Albumin is 4.2    both normal

My potassium is back to normal now and I no longer have to take kaexolate to lower it.  I am still following a low potassium diet, but not as stringently.

Kidney function tests.
Microalbumin is 0.7    Normal is less than 1.9

Creatinine is 1.6  Normal is 0.5-1.3  At 4 years, it was 1.7.  So after all that I've been through this year, I'm back to where I was before it began.

Glomerular Filtration Rate is 34    Normal is greater than 60.  At 4 years, this was 31, so again slightly better
This puts me into the bottom of Stage 3 Kidney disease.  Its based on the creatinine level which is elevated.
My Blood pressure was 110/70.

CBC.
WBC is 4.2 and absolute neutrophils is 2.6

Hemoglobin is 12.8   normal is 12-16
Its good to see this number back to normal after my experience with anemia

Islet function tests
A1c is 7.1  This is higher than its been this year.  Its most likely due to all of the infections that I've been fighting this year.  (5 UTIs, recent one on my hand, and the kidney viral infection).  

Before Breakfast:   BG is 153.   C-peptide is 0.2
After Boost:            BG is 313  C-peptide is 0.4
Compared to last year, the post prandial is much lower.  This is disappointing and worrisome.  My blood sugars are running much higher and my insulin requirements have increased.  This could be the reason.
I now take about 14-15 units of novolog/day.

My tacrolimus level was 2.2   normal is 5-10

Because of the viral infection, I have to remain at this very low dose.  Dr. Bellin says that increasing my immunosuppression would most likely allow the virus to gain strength and we can't allow that to happen.  It is certainly a worry especially while my blood sugars are increasing.  There is nothing I can do except to try to manage them as well as I can.  I'm trying to look at it as positively as I can.  Instead of worrying that I'm rejecting now, I'm saying why am I rejecting now after all this time at the lower dose?  

Needless to say, I hold my breath at each BG reading.
At 4 years, I was taking 10 units of lantus and 1 unit novolog/meal.  So that's really not that far from where I am now.  


My BK viral titers have been fluctuating, but trending downward.  The latest test showed undetectable in the serum and 2.6 in the urine.

2 comments:

Elena said...

What can I say?! I am praying for you..........I have breast cancer.

Anonymous said...

“Instead of worrying that I'm rejecting now, I'm saying why am I rejecting now after all this time at the lower dose?”—Good mindset, Kathy. Worrying won’t help get you through with your condition. Instead, it will only give you the worst. Keep holding on!

Meghan @AuroraDX.com