Liver Enzymes are normal again!!!
oh man, it’s been a long difficult road to get here. About 2 years. 3 different courses of treatments (over 8000 pills … just for the liver!). And lots of little blips and headaches. but my doctor told me to day that for the first time … all my liver enzymes are normal! That means that we’ve finally been able to find the right mix of medications to stop this disease from attacking my liver. Normal amounts of the enzymes that are produced when liver cells die. Normal amounts of good enzymes that show that the liver is functioning ok. And normal amounts of waste products that show that the liver can clean up after itself. The last 2 are contingent on diet of course. We didn’t check my immunoglobulins this month, they are probably a bit elevated still, but they had already come down a lot. Still really great news! In fact, it’s so good that I almost question whether they are really my results!!! lol. Tests in the next couple months will reassure me I guess.
So, we’ve restarted our plan to get me off this horrible steroid that has been keeping me down and destroying the rest of my body while keeping my liver going. Besides the somewhat monstrous physical side effects I’ve had to endure, they are responsible for weakening my bones to the point that my back is broken, also responsible for it not healing like it should (been 9 months now! seems like a lot more here in bed, let me tell you), and the new one for this month … given me cataracts in both eyes. blah, I hate the stuff except for the fact that it’s kept me alive!
So I’ve been on 15 mg for the past 6 months or more … down a lot from the original 60mg. but it’s still just as horrible I think. Rumour has it that the side effects really start to drop off at around 5mg … so that’s my hopeful endpoint. A dream would be to get rid of it altogether, but considering how hard this disease has hit me and how unusual for it to be this resilient … well 0mg is probably unrealistic. But who knows. I really have become found of the other medication that has been picking up the steroids slack. Cellcept. I’m on the maximum dose for that, but seems to be working. It’s only cancer causing … lol … but hey, can’t pick and choose side-effects. As long as it does it’s job, I’ll worry about that later. I guess I should look into boosting my diet with more antioxidants or something to help the odds against cancer a bit.
That’s about all the news I have. The back problems and pain persist … decreasing only very slowly. I was finally able to get a physiotherapist after a 6 months wait here at home (one of the drawbacks of free healthcare i guess). But she seems ok, really pushed me hard for 2 hours determining my range of motion and what hurts at what point. Said she’ll return soon with some proper exercises. That’s good, because the ones i do now are sooooooooo boring I can barely drag myself to do them. She also said I can try to get back on bike again. I really miss that. Haven’t been able bike for 3 years now. Between my liver, weight, and massive depression from work problems … I just haven’t been in a position or in a place where I could bike. Big difference from biking to work as often as weather allowed. and when I was a kid … 10km in a shot was nothing! So first of the month, bike goes for tuneup and will try to fix it as good as possible so that I don’t have to lean too much, which causes me to arch my back. that’s not good, and very painful! I’ve already started looking for a second hand bike rack through FreeCycle Groups (kinda like craigslist, but email/groups). Found a couple of possibilities. I know i won’t be able to bike very far or for very long … so I’d like to be able to at least drive somewhere once and a while for a change. Mt royal looks promising … went there today after my appointment to soak it all in and have my lunch. 
