Blood work normal, IGg seriously low still.

[Carolina]

So, my blood work for all auto immune conditions came back normal.

My IGg numbers are still way weirdly low.

My Rheumy is referring me to an allergist/immunologist who specializes in compromised immune systems.

HOWEVER

My husband's 25 years of research was on the immune system.  His theory is that my system doesn't keep the immune factors circulating in my blood, but when I need them, they do a good job.  His reasons are:

1)  I don't get sick all the time.  Respiratory infections are the hallmark of a truly compromised immune system.

2)  I'm 70, and if I've had this all my life (no data one way or another ever taken before) I would never have made it to 70!

So I think he's right.  For whatever reason my immune system tests badly, but does its job.

I'll see the doctor when the appointment is made, but I'm not going to think about it any more!

Just keep keeping on.

Hugs

Elaine

[Ark mom]

It is amazing how our bodies can function within a range of parameters; what means illness for one can be normalcy for another.  It sounds like you should check it out, but hopefully it is meaningless for you, like your hubbie said. 

[Carolina]

So, dear angels,

The first test has come.

I came down with a head/chest cold Sunday night.

I have 22 people coming for Thanksgiving, and thought: "oh, no!  I'lll be too sick to do it"

So now it's Tuesday, and while I sound terrible, and have that gunk appearing from my sinuses and chest, I feel pretty much ok-ish.

AND I realized that Thanksgiving would go on just fine with or without me.  I could be in the hospital and this group (mostly family) would  put on the BIG SHOW without me.

Maybe not with 'the right serving trays'  or 'the right seating chart', but then they wouldn't know they were wrong if I weren't there to tell them, right?

So, bottom line:  My immune system (compromised as it appears to be on tests) seems to be serving me ok!

And I'm learning a bit of humility, maybe, at last at 70!

Hugs

Elaine

[Dolly Dimples]

Caroline your a blooming walking  miracle?
   Hoping you have a very happy Thanksgiving, and that wonderful system of yours gives you no more than that head and chest cold!   Great theory!     Hugs Dolly x
                     

[Tivia]

I dont know what to think , its amazing to me. You really do overcome. Meanwhile I am trying to figure out where it all went wrong. I am now suspecting a tattoo I got years ago may be the culprit. Maybe it caused a immune system response and thats why I have had all the illnesses I have gotten. I wonder if I have it removed would any immune response stop.

[irish]

Caroline, I think that your hubby is right!!! My hubby was never tested for IgG levels until a couple of years ago when I took him to my immunologist to have his autoimmune diseases assessed. I wanted to make sure that he was getting the right treatment in his later years due to all his health issues.

Well, he had infections quite often over the years and they would linger, but he was a smoker and a hard worker putting in long hours. Never really gave it a thought at the time. In his mid 60's he started having more infections and being on antibiotics more. There again, he was still smoking and no one thought much of it.

After having Stage I lung cancer in 2009, stroke in 2010 and severe COPD, he had developed infections more often and was seeing the pulmonologist and the immunologist. In late summer I sat down and counted all the antibiotics he had been on in the past year. He had been on 15 antibiotic series, 2 hospitalizations for pneumonia-one with respiratory failure and almost died, one ER visit and more prednisone and pred burst and tapers than I could remember.

I was so tired from both of us being sick that I sort of lost my bearings on this. I let the docs know and they had to run his IgG levels again anyway and low and behold there are 3 of them that have dropped severely and he is in a very high risk situation.

They decided to put him on antibiotics for 14 days with one week off. We switch antibiotics every time using 3 different kinds and then start over. So, he is almost always on antibiotics plus, he has also had to have pred burst and tapers the past 4 months that last 16 days each.

So, your hubby is right. I think you would have been more ill than you are. THe other thing is that as we age (sorry about that--I hit 70 in January lol) our blood counts tend to slump some. After all, our body is starting to wear out.

I have had these really low t-cells and my immunologist says that what cells I do have must be working like crazy cause in spite of my many infections (including histoplasmosis and mycobacterium kansasi) I am having less severe infections. Also, being on the IVIG has help that also. I am given the IVIG for my myasthenia and it helps my bullous pemphigoid and the t-cell issues. Pays to have a smart hubby doesn't it. HOpe you can continue to do as good as can be expected. Irish

[Carolina]

so far so good.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and my cold sounds bad, but I'm fine and reasonably peppy!

Cheers

And remember:

Gobble 'til you Wobble!

Elaine