Dealing with Acr 2r rejection

Thought I would share my latest bout with rejection. This is my fourth time in five years. My latest Biopsy showed Acr 2r rejection.

In the context of heart transplantation, ACR 2R refers to moderate acute cellular rejection, a type of immune response where the recipient’s T-cells attack the transplanted heart. This is diagnosed via endomyocardial biopsy, and graded based on the severity of lymphocytic infiltrate and myocyte damage.

Here ia a more detailed expaination of A2r rejection

I absolutely feel no different than normal. I still walk several miles a day and feel great.

The fix: Plasmapheresis, also known as therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), is a medical procedure that removes and replaces a patient’s blood plasma. It involves separating plasma from other blood components and then returning the blood cells to the patient, often with a plasma substitute. 
I have a port installed into my chest going into my heart. I go to the dylasis lab and they hook me up to a machine.
After that the blood goes into a centrifuge and the clotting factors and antibodies go away and it is replaced with the albumin. You get your red blood cells back but not the antibodies and clotting factors.
Later I get a shot Belcade in my stomach.
click for larger image

  • How it works

    1. Blood is drawn from the patient through an IV or specialized vascular access.

    2. A machine separates the blood into plasma and blood cells.

    3. The plasma is removed.

    4. The blood cells are returned to the patient along with albumin.

    5. The process is repeated for the prescribed number of treatment sessions.

    The blood cells themselves generally aren’t removed—the procedure primarily targets the plasma.

  • IVIG (Intravenous immunoglobulin): Helps block harmful antibodies and calm the immune system.

  • Rituximab or other B-cell therapies: These target the cells that make antibodies.

  • Eculizumab: A newer drug that inhibits parts of the immune system involved in rejection.

Unfortunately, chronic AMR can lead to long-term organ damage, and in some cases, retransplantation may be necessary.