Bad Immunology News...

We got a phone call today from Ben's immunologist doctor, with the results of his blood work done last week. Ben's immune system still hasn't mounted a response to make antibodies to protect him from the pneumococcal disease. One month ago, Ben received a really strong pneumococcal vaccine from the immunologist, to see if he would make antibodies as a result of getting the vaccine. The labs showed that there was NO response, and in fact, his antibody levels are lower now than they were about 3 months ago. This is bad news as we head into the cold/flu season. Ben has absolutely no protection or ability to protect himself from the most common "bug" that causes upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, sinus infections and ear infections. The doctor said that when Ben gets sick, to call him and we will resume IVIG infusions. (The IVIG gives him an "artificial" immune system that lasts approximately 6-8 weeks before we have to go back and get another infusion.)
***Background information for those who aren't familiar with Ben's immune deficiency: Ben was diagnosed with Select Antibody Immune Deficiency when he was approximately 15 months old. For Ben's first 15-16 months of life, Ben was ALWAYS sick. He had his first double ear infection and sinus infection at 8-9 weeks of life (and yes, I was breastfeeding!). And things just got worse from there. He became resistant to many types of antibiotics and was on antibiotics for about 3 out of 4 weeks of the month---every month. We were referred to an hematologist/immunologist when he was about 15 months old and that is when we started IVIG infusions in the hospital every 4 weeks. IVIG (Intravenous Immune Globulin) is extracted from blood donors plasma---and it takes approximately 3,000 blood donors for Ben to receive ONE dose of IVIG. Ben had surgery last February to get a "port" placed from easier blood draws and infusions. The port has made our hospital visits easier and less stressful! So, we have been going in and out of the hospital for almost 2 years for Ben to receive IVIG, so that he can remain healthy and free from infections.
***(For those mothers out there, remember the PCV, Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, that our babies get at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age? Ben has received every dose, but his body never responded to the vaccine---it's like he never got them!)