We got the blood test back today. Boy were we surprised to find out that Jack's antibody level just about doubled. Not quite the result we were hoping for as you can imagine. Riley's antibody level dropped slightly, but still not as much as we hoped. We were hoping to have a reduction in the antibody levels to measure their ability to break down the antibodies and to hopefully gauge when the antibodies will leave their systems. Now that Jack has just about doubled his antibody level, we are left with the question, why?
When I spoke with an MG specialist a ways back, and we discussed blood tests, he warned me that sometimes a second blood test will produce abnormal results. He told me that the antibodies bunch together at nerve endings and sometimes take a while to loosen up and enter the blood stream. This is my thinking with Jack. I think that his antibodies have loosened up and are now in his bloodstream more than they were initially. The only other alternative, which contradicts everything we have learned so far, is that Jack is actually producing his own antibodies. We don't think this is the case.
One concern we have is that Jack and/or Riley don't have the ability to break down the antibodies the way they should. If this is the case than a blood transfusion becomes more of a consideration. We aren't there yet, but we have to keep it in mind.
The other strange thing is that even though the most recent test showed that he had more antibodies in his blood, his symptoms have certainly improved. There is no doubt he has gotten better over the last few weeks. And it isn't just Rachael and I searching for positives, because actually, I tend to search more for negatives.
On the positive front, Riley broke her current best tonight and crushed 41 cc. Also, Jack had a really good day today, about his third in a row.
Modest Mouse, Positive Negative (some random video, but highlights the kind of things I wish I was doing these days)
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