48 DAYS LEFT...

...and we've got some stuff planned for you! Since my treatment didn't start Friday as planned, my sister, River, and I got together and thought of some ways to spread the word even more this April. Friday, April 11th is National Blue and Green day (it is, I didn't make it up) and we want you to dress in your most spirited outfit on that day, snap a picture, and post it to your social media pages with the hashtag #TeamAlbertoni. We will choose the three most creative/outrageous outfits on April 12th for some possibly awesome prizes. As if we needed the excuse, we got dressed up to give you an example.

Now, if you don't have enough blue and green, we can help you out there. Sign up with Team Albertoni for the Donate Life Run/Walk or donate a few dollars to the cause, and you can win some of the above "swag." We've got wigs, sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and wrist bands, so that you too can support the cause... Or wear it to your pub crawl on St. Paddy's Day. Hehe

Sign up ***here***

Abbvie trial start date

I'll just consider today a dry run... A few sleepless nights in anticipation and a drive to USC today, to find out that the new medicine won't be delivered until Tuesday. Well, I've waited 33 years, what's 5 more days? I did get to find out all of the side effects and stuff, so now I can just think about those possibilities until Wednesday. Just kidding, I'll enjoy my weekend, especially since it sounds like I may be a little sick for the next six months. I'm not complaining though, because I know that my doctor and nurse did a lot to get me on this clinical trial. Once I signed the Compassionate Use consent form I realized just how big of a deal it is for the FDA and Abbvie to give special access of the meds to USC for me. BIG DEAL. So no complaining for me... Just listing. :)
As for the side effects, besides fatigue, headaches, and nausea, there are a few that worry me a little. The first is that it interacts with prograf, which is my anti-rejection med. Instead of taking two daily, I will now be taking one prograf, once a week. If my prograf levels drop too low, I can go into rejection, but if they're too high, it has it's own set of consequences. The second is that it can raise bilirubin levels. (Remember "itchie Ricki" and "Banana mama"?) No fun! Of course those are just known side effects. There have only been about 1,000 people who have been on this treatment regimen so far, so who knows what kind of side effects a weird one like me is going to have. Positive thoughts... Im not really stressing about the side effects. My main concern is just that it works... And that I don't have some crazy allergic reaction to any of the meds. Positive thoughts... I do, I really feel like this is going to work.

By the way, you bunch of procrastinators... Have you signed up for Team Albertoni YET???