After 19 months on Ibrutinib, I was delighted to hear that my immunoglobuins have improved. IgG and IgM are now within normal ranges, and IgA isn’t far off.
They were all much lower in the past, so I am very pleased, and thought it worthy of sharing. Makes a change to have some good news.
In England right now, it is bluebell season… I love bluebells.. These were in a wood very near our home.
Best wishes to all,
Paula (enjoying springtime).
Thank you for sharing this wonderful news...and I love the photo, its beautiful!
Debbie
Glad you like the photo, DebKat. From a distance, these woods have big masses of blue amongst the trees, like a carpet. But when some of the stray flowers are seen as individuals, they have a different sort of beauty. 
Thanks for the good news. Hope mine are better soon. I have been on I/V for 21 months and no improvement yet. 459 as of yesterday just before getting my IVIG. Had been 6 weeks since previous infusion. Might have to change to subcutaneous if I have to continue as my veins are rebelling. Took 5 sticks yesterday to finally find a vein and get my bloodwork done!
BeckyL USA
Hi Becky, I'm sorry to hear your immunoglobins are no better yet.
If you're having problems with your veins for IVIG, I'd definitely suggest changing to subcutaneous. Lots of people do that (eg AussieNeil ) and all seem to prefer it that way.
I do hope your own Igs improve soon...
Paula
Becky, with 6 weeks between IVIG infusions, your IgG will be about a quarter of what it was at its peak* after your infusion. So it's no wonder that you are seeing a low IgG prior to your next infusion. It won't quite be a quarter, your actual count will depend on how much IgG you still make, but it's likely that your IgG is at a quite high value just after your infusion. IF you are still getting infections frequently, you either need your infusions closer together to achieve a higher IgG serum count, or should switch to weekly (subcutaneous) infusions to maintain a more constant level. This post shows the difference I saw in the average IgG level maintained by both methods:
healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...
*IgG has a half life of 21 days, (the time it takes for half of what's provided to be used by your body, etc) so after 6 weeks or 42 days, two half lives have gone by, meaning three quarters of your infusion has gone.
Neil
Thanks Neil, have never had it explained that way, and it makes sense. Yes, I will definitely go the subcutaneous route rather than get a port, if IVIG is small that I need. (Depending on insurance, Medicare etc)
BeckyL
Good news Paula,
My IgM is still low after 15 months but everything else heading in the right direction ! But thank god for IVIG
Bluebells are beautiful
Colette x
Bluebells are out and your Bloods have improved...…….what more could a girl want lol.
great news Paula well done
Regards
John x
Super news Paula. This is consistent with some of the literature that suggests ibrutinib can actually help restore our immune system. Your news is very encouraging indeed.
Here is an article about ibrutinib improving t cell function:
Great news Paula
I love bluebells too!!
Suexx
Thanks for the great news. It is so nice to see things are going in the right direction. Taken in the pretty flowers can only help ones mood
Great to hear that Paula, thanks for sharing.
Excellent news, Paula. Love your photo. I was in a bluebell wood last week. Joy
Thank you for posting. I was wondering if I would see improvement of my immune system.
Hi Dogger, I do hope you will see some improvement in your immune system. It's an incredibly complicated thing, with lots of different elements to it.
I notice that you're on Ibrutinib, which can at first cause problems for the immune system, but over time things usually improve. They have done with me, but it did take quite a while...
Wishing you well .
Paula
Thank you for your reply. Did your neutrophils go up?
When I started on Ibrutinib, first my neutrophils went down, then they soon shot up very high. My neutrophils have always fluctuated widely though, and it's hard to see a pattern or trend. I sometimes wonder if the labs are counting them properly...
Have you got a problem with low neutrophils?
Brilliant news Paula.
I love bluebells and have two small clusters in my garden. I'm not sure how they got there but I I am happy to have them.
Netty
I love good news! Thank you for sharing.
Here in Wales the bluebells are also magnificent this year, popping up all over the place. As you say, in odd ones and twos and also in great swathes. And don’t they smell wonderful! (Assuming it's a day when I’m able to smell anything!).
Yes Chrigranny, 2019 seems to be a specially good year for bluebells (in the UK anyway). There seem to be more than usual.
My hubby tells me they smell wonderful, but sadly my sense of smell is never very good. I have to put my nose right next to them to smell anything...
Paula
Hello PaulaS, good news about your health, but can you explain to me what does this mean, your IgG, IgA, and IgM. I'm fairly new to CLL and don't know all of the terms that are being used, so could you help me to understand the usage.
Thanks and best wishes to you. 🌷🌹🌹
Oh, your picture of blue bells is very nice and I too love all types of flowers. I guess you might say I'm a flower child.😁
Hi Flowerchild Lulu,
I'm glad to hear you love all sorts of flowers. So do I, even those commonly known as "weeds". The dandelions this year (in England anyway), are also very bright and prolific. I love to see them growing by the sides of the roads.
Anyway, you ask about IgG, IgM and IgA. These are different sorts of immunoglobulins that are all involved in fighting infections, but in different ways. Here are some links that explain better than I could.
kidshealth.org/en/parents/t...
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/...
For us with CLL, our immunoglobulins tend to get lower as the disease progresses. The lower they get, the harder we find it to fight off infections. At the same time our neutrophils are usually also decreasing, which adds to our problems with infections. The immune system is very complicated and has many different elements to it. Others here can probably explain it better than I can...
If people are getting a lot of infections (especially if they have low immunoglobulins and neutrophils) , they may be given infusions of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), from donated blood. This can be a life-saver, but is very expensive and needs hundreds (maybe thousands, I'm not sure of the exact numbers), of donors for just one infusion.
I hope this helps. So many different terms are used with CLL and when you're new to it, it can be very confusing. I'm not new to it any more and I have a nursing background, but I still have a lot to learn and get confused about these things.. Do keep on asking questions...
Best wishes,
Paula
Excellent news - I, too, have been enjoying the bluebells recently in a nearby wood. (The dog likes the wood, too, though I suspect he's more interested in the squirrels!)
I do hope the good news keeps on coming for you.
Thanks Scarletnoir, glad you and your dog are also enjoying bluebells.
We used to have dogs too, and I remember trying to make them sit still for photos amongst the bluebells. Never worked very well... Like your dog, they were too interested in the squirrels
Great to hear that our immune systems can recover, although slowly.
The springtime bloom of the bluebells here in Texas have largely faded as the summer heat starts up. But it is always a welcome sign to see them come every year!
love the photo, and the news! bluebells are so lovely.
Thanks Scott
48 months after last FCR Treatment!
After one year on Ibrutinib, BEST NEWS EVER!!
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Update on my CLL after 12 months 
