Poor Options

Last Monday was a good day at the doctor. Last Tuesday seemed to be my reality wake up call.

Tuesday I saw the rheumetologist. That appoinment was a little less encouraging. The good news is my doctors do talk to each other. In fact, they talked while I sat in the office so they could confer on how to proceed next. Basically, I have 2 treatment options, the prednisone, which I need to get off of as soon as possible so I don't destroy my body, and immuno-suppressants, which have thier own nasty side effects (pneumonia, recurring infections, etc). The plan as of Monday was to start drawing me down off the prednisone. That I knew. But now they have decided that, if the sarcoid kicks up again, then they'll stick me immediately on the immuno-suppressants with the prednisone and then draw down the prednisone faster than planned.

If this happens, then I have to do 2-3 hour infusions of immuno-suppressant in the rheumetologist's office every 4-6 weeks for at least a year, plus take an anti-rejection drug for the immuno-suppressant, plus all of the asthma drugs.

The pulmonologist believes the immuno-suppressants are evil and the rheumetologist believes that prednisone is evil (the pulmonologist also believes it is evil, but effective). Hearing from both of them about all the problems with the only drugs that have shown any success at all with Sarcoid was just a little discouraging, especially after I thought things were looking up!

On the up side, there is a small chance (the rheumetologists' words, not mine), that I'll be ok drawing down the prednisone and I won't need the immuno-suppressants for awhile. At least I should be good for the next 3 weeks, I don't think dropping the 5mg will do much, though after spending my Sunday coughing all day, I'm not feeling all that encouraged.