Bebtelovimab

Today has been one of the worst health days since getting my kidney transplant. Why post-transplant? Because dialysis sucks so bad that anything is better than having to do dialysis.

I mentioned in a prior post that my sister’s family all tested positive for COVID yesterday. I initially tested negative, but the results came back positive on today’s retest.

Ugh. I then spent the entire morning calling all my doctors for instructions or to move upcoming appointments. My nephrologist recommended that I go to the ER and get a monoclonal antibodies infusion to help prevent worsening symptoms.

I drove to the ER at 11:20 am and was put in ER room #27 after an hour. I have been to St. Joseph hospital so often that it is like a second home. I then waited for another hour to see a doctor, then one more hour for the pharmacy to prepare the medication. Finally, a nurse came to insert an IV, and infuse the antibodies. The procedure took about a minute, but including the 60 post-infusion observation period, I was there for four hours. While waiting, I was on my work phone rescheduling several meetings scheduled for this afternoon.

The drug they administered was called bebtelovimab, which has to be the worst named medication ever. The nurse could not pronounce it. After leaving the ER, i went home and made some more work calls, then decided to take a nap. I had turned on the AC and a fan, and I was getting some chills under the cover. At some point, I fall asleep and the AC compressor stops working. This happens occasionally at our house. I then woke up with what felt like the worst fever ever. I tried to measure my temperature with my cheap Chinese made infrared thermometer and it gives me 98.4. Since that cannot be correct, i found a under-the-tongue thermometer and it said 99.9. Ugh again. I then go downstairs and continue to nap on the sofa, finally waking up at 9:00 pm. Having noticed the AC problem, I reset the brakers and everything is fine. I also noticed my fever is gone, and my worsening cough reverted to what it ws this morning.

What happened? Did I just have the shortest fever session? Was I delirious? Did the medication kick in even though it was supposed to take 24 hours¿ Right now it is 10:00 pm and I feel ok, whereas I felt like death at 7:30 pm. Super strange.