Colleen[9]: New developments.

[mdlbear]

As it turns out, Colleen is not going to be moved to a nursing home next week. They're going to try Remicade,

... a drug used to treat autoimmune disorders. Infliximab is known as a "chimeric monoclonal antibody" (the term "chimeric" refers to the use of both mouse (murine) and human components of the drug i.e. murine binding Fab domains and human constant Fc domains). The drug blocks the action of the pleiotropic proinflammatory TNFα (tumour necrosis factor alpha) by binding to it and preventing it from signaling the receptors for TNFα on the surface of cells. TNFα is one of the key cytokines that triggers and sustains the inflammation response.

Before they can start, though, they have to run a tuberculosis test, because it's an immune suppressant. Makes things like TB flare up. Anyway, they have to read the test Tuesday and Thursday, so she's probably in the hospital at least through the end of the weekend. If it works, it might shorten the time it takes for her to recover. Well worth the risks. (This page on the Remicade site has a good summary of how it works; scroll down for the warnings. Fortunately she'll be in the hospital for the first dose, so they'll be able to watch her more carefully for side effects than would be possible if she were an outpatient.)

Anyway, it's potentially a very hopeful development.

The household has pulled together; the kids and I are coping pretty well. More on that later, perhaps.

Comments

[mdlbear]

Thanks!