Almost two years ago my sister friend Jen got a life changing, life saving kidney and pancreas transplant.
The operation was succesful, the recovery was smooth and eventless. She went home after the required time. The night before she was going to leave Idaho to move here to Washington she was bit by one of her ex-boyfriends dogs. It was a complete accident and trully Jens fault as she walked her happy ass into the middle of a dog fight, one of the dogs went to bite the other and got Jen instead. The bite was severe and her ex took her to the ER where she received stitches and antibiotics. Unbeknownst to any of us, she also received that night the parvo B 19 virus from the dog. It is the human parvo virus. We normally cannot get it, but because she was susceptible do to all the medications she was on to prevent her new organs from being rejected she got it.
About two months after she got here she was feeling very weak and was having a hard time breathing. I made her go to the Doc. and they ran blood tests, her red blood count was very very low and she had to have a blood transfusion. When the tests came back we learned of the virus which was killing her red blood cells. She had to have an IVIG treatment. Intra venous Immunoglobulin. The first couple of those didin't really bother her much, but with each one the pain increased. Jen says now she needs pain killers while she gets the treatment and it still feels like someone is pouring fire into her veins. She has had to have blood every 80 to 90 days just to stay alive, and has had seven IVIG treatments. Her bone marrow is toast. She now has to have chemo to completely destroy the marrow and then she has to have a bone marrow transplant. It is the only way to make sure there is no virus in her bone marrow, and the only way to possibly and hopefully restore a healthy bone marrow to her body. She is looking at at least six more months of hell. She is regretting ever getting the transplant because of everything that has happend since. This was supposed to be her second chance at life. So far it has done nothing but make her miserable. I pray every day that Jen gets better and that this bone marrow transplant works and that for once in her short life of 39 years and being a fragile diabetic since 18 months old that she just gets to have as normal and event free life as possible. No more medical emergencies! I have seen her fight her way back so many times from the brink of death. She is very tired now and I worry that without that fight in her she will fade away. At this point I can't blame her. I would have given up long ago. I can see it every day that the spark she has is dwindling. If any one reads this, please add Jen to your prayers to what ever higher power you believe in. Please send positive thoughts and healing energy her way. Thank You
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