An Open Letter to My Immune System

Dear immune system,

We've been through a lot together, haven't we? You even started protecting me from all the various diseases in the world before I was old to recognize that my reflection wasn't actually another baby! Mom and Dad made sure you got the best possible start on your career by getting us our vaccinations, and I took up the reins in that arena by voluntarily going for flu shots. Admittedly, I should have gone for my flu shot every single year, especially that year we got what was probably H1N1, but that's neither here nor there. I've always trusted you to be there for me, and you can't say I didn't try to keep you in good, robust condition.

We're going to be going home from the hospital on Tuesday. I know you'll be looking forward to not having to fight off any bacteria that the weekly bloodwork might have introduced into my bloodstream, and I'm sure that antibiotic-resistant bacteria that managed to sneak in will be crowded out by all the normal, benign bacteria at home in no time. There's a reason the resistant strains really only thrive in hospitals, after all. I'm also really happy that you seem to have settled down into medical remissin (CK of 344! That's within normal range!).

So let's make a deal, okay? If you promise not to attack my muscles, my organs, or any other healthy part of me, then I promise I'll stop suppressing you with things like prednisone and methotrexate. I don't want to suppress you, believe me; I need you to keep me safe from the world as well as any mutant tissue in me that could turn into tumors if it's not destroyed. But damn it, if you're going to attack me, then I have to take steps to save us both even if my liver and my bones don't like it. Seriously, have you spoken to my liver lately? It's producing some sort of enzyme at a bit of an elevated rate; not enough to worry my healthcare team, but just enough that we all want to start tapering off the methotrexate dosage right away. As for my bones, I'm sure they're grateful for the medication and supplements I'm taking to keep the prednisone from leaching the calcium right out of them, but we can't keep up that routine forever.

So please, immune system, try not to attack me anymore. I'll even sweeten the deal for you, okay? I'm going to try to eat more fresh foods that will bolster your fighting power, and I promise I'll keep up with the daily exercise so that you'll have a nice, robust environment full of beneficial hormones to work in. Sound good? I certainly think so!

XOXO

-Scarlet