[Hopeful]

Hi Melissa,

I am sorry to hear that your husband had such a rough December! Pneumonia will really knock down his HGB and platelets. The important thing is whether his marrow can recover and bring them back up.

I would be more concerned over kidney function vs relapse at this point. How long has his creatinine been elevated? Do you know what his creatinine level was before treatment? What is his current weight? Is he taking more than 5 mg/kg/day?

I remember when my creatinine level was elevated during an illness, my doctor had recommended lowering/stopping my cyclosporine for a few days to allow my kidneys a chance to recover. Of course, this is something to discuss with his doctor, but it is a very reasonable discussion and shouldn't be delayed.

Another thing to ask for from his doctor is a urine protein test. I consulted with a nephrologist at one point who recommended doing this once a year while on higher dosages of cyclosporine.