Wife, Mother, Writer, Author, Crohn's Sufferer

Mercaptopurine: For Crohn’s and Leukemia

Mercaptopurine causes myelosuppression, (check one) suppressing the production of white blood cells and red blood cells (check two). It may be toxic to bone marrow (check three). Let us not forget possible kidney and liver issues (check four and five).

 

Patients exhibiting myelosuppression or bone marrow toxicity should be tested for thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) enzyme deficiency. Patients with TPMT deficiency are much more likely to develop dangerous myelosuppression. In such patients, it may be possible to continue using mercaptopurine, but at a lower dose.

So when you get a phone call from your doc at 8pm on a Wednesday night, you know it's not good news. Lost in editing A Shadow of Time, which I'm late on already, I didn't notice the time, grabbed the phone, and cheerfully said, "Hi, Dr. #####."

He replied, "We have a problem."

I'd been on 6MP for over 9 months and hadn't had a reaction to anything. When I was hospitalized with sepsis and cellulites everyone was pleased with my numbers. I even started on blood tests every 3 months instead of once a month.

That didn't last long.

On my first blood test after going three months, I had a problem. My liver and my kidneys were not happy campers. It scared me—a lot. I knew the dangers going in, but still, it never quite strikes home until you're the one marked.

So, I stopped the drug and hung on for dear life, praying Humira would do the trick by itself. One month later and I can say I'm doing okay. Not great like I was before, but I'm okay.

That was a relief. My numbers are a little better, not good, still down, but a little better. I'm praying for a complete recovery.

Chronic diseases are a pain...

I have two chapters left to read and edit on A Shadow of Time then it's back to the editor. I can't believe how much I cut, how much unnecessary description I added in. But that's just me. I love to describe things. It makes me feel good. However it's much better that you concentrate on your characters rather than the scenery.

Maybe I should have been a travel writer.

I'm of to Vegas this week for my niece's wedding. I can't drink until my liver functions are better, which is a disappointment, but not insurmountable. We’re driving down which is about a 12 hour drive. We plan on staying one night in Beatty.

I love Death Valley. It is my favorite place on earth, but I wouldn’t want to live there. I love looking for rocks and fossils plus since we’ll be gone five days, it’s a mini-vacation. We’ll run into snow, sleet, and probably hail. The last time we did this, we ran into a tornado. That was awesome.

I’m still loving my Kindle and now Amazon is offering a library program for Kindle users. I wonder how long we’ll have paperbacks to buy. This is really something to think about.

On my way home from work, I passed by our protestors standing in the Bank of America parking lot. I often pray for our country. I think we need it right now. Everything seems upside down, right is wrong, and wrong is right.

My muse runs short this week. I did a writer’s class for Muse Online a month or so ago. It’s called the Writer’s Recovery Workshop. It was written specifically for those of us who write and have chronic diseases. I plan on posting it soon.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful week.  

Happy reading everyone!