During my October infusion I was re-tested for the JC Virus and had my Vitamin D levels checked. People who are on Tysabri get the blood test to see if they have been exposed to the JC Virus. Usually people are exposed to it as children through the common cold, but it is possible to be exposed as an adult as well. People who are JC positive can still take Tysabri but their chance for a rare brain infection, called PML is higher. I have yet to decide what I would do if I tested positive... but I don't have to worry about that because.......for the 3rd year in a row I tested negative! Also, my Vitamin D levels came back good. I am so excited and relieved! I will now be tested every 6 months for the JC Virus... let's hope the negative streak continues! (How often can you say that?!)During my last infusion, I had some more blood taken to participate in a study for patients on Tysabri. For a few reasons I became light headed and dizzy after having the IV placed and my blood taken. After a little while I felt better and Abe - who has come with me to every infusion - decided to "whomp" me with a pillow to cheer me up and caught the moment in a photo.
I have been on Tysabri for 4 1/2 years and am really careful not to catch colds. At work I wipe down my desk, phone, computer and printers a few times a day. I most often wipe my pens, since I am often handing them to patients to use. I am glad it has paid off -- plus I now rarely catch a cold which is great since it takes longer for MSers to recover and sometimes colds can trigger symptoms. I hope that the negative streak continues for a long, long time!
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