[Marlene]

Welcome to Marrowforums. My husband did not do the ATG treatment so I can't help you with tips regarding serum sickness, etc. but there are many threads you may find helpful on multiple topics already on the forum. Use the search tool at the top to help you explore some of your questions.

Having a picc line or central line is very helpful especially if you are getting transfusion. John had a central line for his treatment. Most here find that keeping track of their blood counts and getting copies of all their lab results are a good idea. That way you can see trends in your blood counts. You can get really obsessed with CBC's and pin too much importance on just CBC test. So it's always good to watch trends because blood count jump around and don't always follow a steady upward trend. That being said, I would make sure to have a baseline of all of your test prior to starting treatment. That would include things your CBC, Chem panel, BM biopsy, Iron(FE) level, serum nutrient levels on B12, Folate, vitamin D, copper and zinc.

Be sure, if your haven't already done so, to discuss transfusion thresholds for Red cells and platelets. John got red cells when his HGB was 8 and platelets when they were 10K.

This is a frustrating disease to treat. Seeing improvement can take a while so don't get discouraged.

Wishing you the best,
Marlene