Ready for a wild ride...

[csutherland]

Jerry has been on the anti-fungal drug, Itraconazole, for 2 1/2 days. He has an app't with the Coumadin Clinic tomorrow as they wanted to see him 3 days after starting the drug. It is known to greatly affect INR and he has just now got straightened out after his bronchospy/lung biopsy last month where he had to do the Lovenox thing.

In case you haven't followed my posts on this, Jerry has been diagnosed with Blastomycosis. He didn't have "regular" pneumonia at all back in the summer; it was this fungal disease.

The length of treatment with this drug is 6 months so I'm sure he & the coumadin staff will see all they want of one another! He also has had to go off Lipitor while taking Itraconazole.

 

[Nancy]

Hopefully he will have a complete recovery. I just Googled the disease, and was surprised to see that it comes from decaying leaves, pine needles and other organic things. I have lots of those on my property. Have to be careful of what I am inhaling.

He must have felt awful. I didn't like the symptoms at all.

 

[njean]

Wow, this fungal disease sounds terrible! I had never even heard of it!

I pray that your Jerry will start improving & that the medication will clear up this terrible thing! Best wishes & take care!

 

[Phyllis]

Ceila,
I hope that Jerry's treatment goes well and he is soon on the road to recovery. Godspeed!

 

[Freddie]

Prayers to you and Jerry that this drug will do the trick and clear things up.

 

[zipper2]

I,m sorry to read about this and sending prayers
and good thoughts for both of you....

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[hensylee]

hoping for good health for him. I am going to read now and see what that blastomycosis is! sounds ominous.

 

[hensylee]

it IS ominous. how did they decide to check him for it?

 

[csutherland]

When they did the bronchoscopy/biopsy (to rule out non-hodgkins lymphoma!) they did a "washing" of the bronchials, if I understand it correctly. This material was cultured and it was 10-14 days before we got the call that a yeast was showing up. Then about 3 more days passed before it was diagnosed. I think this stuff has a distinctive look under a microscope.

As you've probably read, it can disseminate and he now is awaiting final results of the biopsy of an ugly sore on his upper arm. When the infectious disease dr first saw it his words were, "That's Blasto." Preliminary results are sure enough looking that way. It certainly does look like photos on the internet of this stuff that has spread to the skin. Not a pretty sight, especially if it should go to the face.

As far as how he feels, he's pretty much back to normal. The original cough that started in July seems to be more frequent again but he has none of the really tough symptoms of SOB, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, malaise, etc.....It was definitely time to start the medicine. The clincher was the preliminary report on the skin biopsy.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Hopefully he will have a complete recovery. I just Googled the disease, and was surprised to see that it comes from decaying leaves, pine needles and other organic things. I have lots of those on my property. Have to be careful of what I am inhaling.

He must have felt awful. I didn't like the symptoms at all.

I started wearing one of those Chemical Respirators with the dual cheek filters when I mow the grass. It makes me look like Darth Vader but worked GREAT at reducing post-mowing coughing. Guess I better wear it when mowing / mulching leaves too!

 

[catwoman]

Celia:
Sounds like what a friend of mine had a couple of years ago. Took awhile, but he recovered fully.