Another Dose of Remicade

Last week, Adela got her next dose of Remicade, the medicine that helps keep her Crohn’s in check.  We actually were supposed to get it last Tuesday, but after getting to the hospital, the nurse and the doctor decided Adela needed to wait for a few days because of a cough she had. It was very frustrating, but we understand why we needed to wait.  As they explained it, Remicade suppresses the immune system and if Adela’s developing a cold, you don’t want to mess with the immune system.  It was just a little frustrating since Adela tends to get anxious about going in and getting the IV and we had been working up to the appointment for a week getting her ready for it.  Plus, I’ve taken the day off work and we’ve canceled the sitter for the afternoon.  So, we rescheduled for Friday and, while her cough wasn’t much better, it wasn’t much worse either.  That, combined with the fact that she was prescribed some antibiotics just in case it turned out to be something, satisfied the doctor enough to go ahead with the infusion.

Despite all the scheduling issues, the Remicade really does wonders for her.  We’ve stopped the secondary medication that we started last time (6-MP) because we’re convinced that it’s what caused the pancreatitis.  It’s a known, yet rare, side effect of 6-MP and the description of the onset of symptoms fit Adela’s symptoms to a tee.  I don’t think the doctor is convinced, but we told her that we wanted to try Adela off the 6-MP for an infusion or two since they’re giving her the Remicade at a higher dose now.

From a family fun perspective, Adela is really enjoying the warmer weather and enjoys getting outside to play.  We’re going to finish off the backyard project we started last year so she’ll have a nice place to play.  We unfortunately had to say “bye-bye” to her cousins who have just moved to American Samoa since their daddy (Mommy’s brother) took a job as a park ranger there.  Adela enjoyed the few play dates they had together and I think she’ll enjoy it even more when they’re older.