CHRONIC POSITIVITY – Life with Polycystic Kidney Disease

The Transplant Coordinator called me today with the results of my urine test for BK virus from last week; I have greater than 39 million copies of the virus in my urine. (they only test up to 39 million, so I don’t know the actual number; whatever it is, it’s a lot).  Anyway, I drew blood today (I still have my fistula and still draw my own blood from it) to check if it’s in the bloodstream (it most likely is).

The plan for now is to totally stop my CellCept, and continue on my current Prograf dose of 3mg in the am and 2 mg in the pm (my Prograf level last week was 7.9, and the desired range is 6-8). Depending on the blood result, I will probably be put on a 10 day course of Cipro, which inhibits the virus.  Hopefully, going off the CellCept will once again allow my immune system enough “power” to prevent further replication of the BK virii (I think that’s plural for virus), and once it is not detected, to go back on CellCept.  There will be a monthly urine indefinitely to monitor the level of BK in my urine, along with my monthly routine lab work to monitor my Prograf level, blood count, and kidney function (Basic Metabolic Panel).

I’m still not worried.  The advantage I have is that I’ve been monitored for BK  since my transplant, and 3 months ago it was negative, so it hasn’t apparently had time to do any major damage, as my creatinine is still 1.2, which is where it has been since getting the new kidney.

I’ll have the results of today’s blood work by early next week, and will post again when I find anything out.