Patients with severe PV require medical specialists in both immunology and dermatology to monitor their care. My dependence on autoimmune suppressors places me in a more precarious position relative to work. I must be extremely cautious with regard to exposure to people in general. People with colds, viruses, etc. represent extreme, potentially life-threatening risk for me. Should plasmapheresis become the next step of my care, my treatment would be more akin to a person receiving renal dialysis and my case should be examined accordingly.
Plasmapheresis is considered a steroid-sparing treatment.
Although I am still in the process of advocating both for plasma-sparing treatments and for the consultation of an immunologist within my health care plan, I have not yet been successful in obtaining these resources. In fact, I have been rehospitalized twice since you last examined my case. Both of these hospital admissions involved adverse reactions to the steroid treatments. I now have prednisone-induced diabetes. I am, at present, receiving physical therapy with the hope of rehabilitating my capacity for independent movement.