Immunosupressiv medications and the immunsystem-a war that can be won?

Following up an older tread where Dany wrote:

Dany: I'm on immunosuppressants and oddly enough, I very rarely get sick and there are 2 kids living in my house!!! My b-friend's daughter seems to have a few gnarly colds every year that end usually in bronchitis and a couple of times she's had walking pneumonia. My daughter gets a couple regular colds a year. Still, I feel one coming on and a couple days later, it's all gone. I think with my immune system being over reactive even on immunosuppressants it is still capable of taking care of the colds. Yes, the immunosuppressed should avoid sick people but for the immunosuppressed for autoimmune disorders, I don't think it's as severe as those for transplant immunosuppression. I'm basing that purely on the fact that I was never given any strict guidelines with my medications....live and be happy. I do know some whose docs have been far more particular going as far as telling them they can't scoop kitty litter, for example (I scoop daily smilewinkgrin , 3 cats!!).

My: I´va also been thinking about that. A few years ago i visited a lecture about breastfeeding and the professor told us that the immunsystem is like a plank wich you can wobble on, you know when one side is up the other is down ( i dont know what you call it). When the immunsystem aren´t in balanse you either is on the top side (= your immunsystem is "aggresiv" and can attack your own body) or on the downside and you get every cold there is even those who you "hear about " ( your immunsystem isn´t "alert" enough or energic/triggered enough and fight of the viruses/bacteria fast enough).
In my oppinion, therefore it must be like you wrote Dany. Our immunsystem is on the top and when we take immunosuppresiv medications the goal is to press it down to a more normal degree/state. If we go to low it´s too potential medications. LIke I think one needs when one´s transplantated?
I sometimes feel like there is a war going on in my body. On one side there is my immunsystem, a really intelligent system. On the other side are the medications/treatment I get. And the medications/treatments work and make´s the diseses nearly go away, then the other side figures out a way to go past/to overcome it and there you go- the imunesystem wins again. And I´m standing in the middle trying to make peace inbetween them .

I dont either get flues or colds as easy as everyone else seams to be. And if I do they are over with within a day or two.
Does anyone ealsa reacte like me?
How on earth do one comunicate with one´s own immunsystem ?

"abroad"

Post Edited (this-to-shall-pass) : 8/10/2011 10:46:40 AM (GMT-6)

After my transplant, I had two doctors that came in my room every day at different times. They were infectious disease doctors and after inspecting the scar, would then proceed to scare the crap out of me about not getting sick, washing my hands 20 times a day, etc.. I was told to wear a mask for the first three months in public, don't eat out and I was very careful. After 6 months, I began to get slack and by a year out, was back to my pre transplant ways. Now, it's been two years and no colds or flu. I used to get something every year. I take a minimal dose 1 mg. prograf, twice a day. What you've both said is interesting, though I like to think it's pure luck in my case. I do keep an eye on things, such as taking my temperature daily. Good luck to both of you.