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One of the things I asked, and maybe you can answer. After that and she goes home, when does she go back for a check up and more blood work? And how long between treatments?
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Hi, Lianne.
I'm glad your Mom gets to go home--at least for the weekend. The comfort of home will help her rest more thoroughly and feel somewhat refreshed before she goes for the the ATG/cyclosporine treatment.
This treatment really has two parts. ATG is given over the 4-day period only. The cyclosporine will initially be given by IV and then orally when your Mom is ready to leave the hospital. Her blood counts will be checked often--maybe even a couple of times a week at first. The amount of cyclosporine in her system has to be regulated to achieve a therapeutic level (that is, the right level for helping without too much toxicity) and the doctor will want to watch for side effects such as high blood pressure and liver or kidney problems. There is a good summary of the side effects of cyclosporine on
MedlinePlus. Gradually, as her blood counts begin to recover, the cyclosporine and prednisone will be slowly tapered down.
You should be aware that it can take 4-6 months to see much improvement from this treatment. Often after 6-8 weeks patients, and even some doctors, might think the treatment has failed. Although ATG treatment can be repeated, you don't want to do that prematurely. Patience is the key. If your Mom can get to the point in her recovery where she doesn't need transfusions, even if her counts remain on the low side, she's probably best off to wait a good long time to see how full her recovery can be.
Your Mom is very lucky to have you helping figure all of this out. It's a lot for anyone to digest. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Ruth