Prograf vs Cyclosporine both a necessary evil

     I was fondly remembering by experiences with both Prograf and Cyclosporine. In 1991 for my 1st transplant,lung transplant recipients were not given Prograf. Only kidney and liver reccipients and a few hearts.  My Cyclosporine was a liquid dose that had to be mixed with a liquid. NOT water, the taste was horrendous.
    Driving from Pittsburgh to Jacksonville, Fl provided a few laughs along the way. I wanted to see life again-not fly- so we drove.  I had a Hickman IV because I was in a study (yes the importance of reseach) regarding Gancyclovir vs Acyclovir. I would give myself an IV for 90 days. Stopping at  restaurant was the first of my revelations. I asked for a small glass (shot size) of either milk or juice. The look on the waitress's face was incredulous. Why would anyone want a small shot glass of milk or juice? When she brought it, the other patrons stared at me in horror as they watched me draw up a syringe of liquid from a bottle, put it in with the milk, stir it up and at the speed of light drink it. Looking at my parents I remember laughing and saying "What do they think I am, a drug addict? As if I'd do all this in public if I was." If they only knew how horrible Cyclosporine tasted...
      At the hotel we had to change the dressing on my IV site. Upon leaving in the morning I again laughed realizing the maid would probably think whoever left this room was probably suffering from a gun shot would. We did leave alot of bloody gauze bandages behind in the trash. Put that with all the unit dose empty packs of meds, and I just know she knew it was a drug bust gone bad. Since this I've often wondered how others viewd the life of a transplant recipient.
     Cyclosporine also had one rule. Do not take it straight. I found out why. I was at work and realized someone had taken my bottle of juice from the fridge for themselves. CARDINAL RULE : LEAVE ANOTHER PERSONS JUICE ALONE! You never know what they might need it for. My only option was to shoot it straight from th syringe. I counted to 10, held my breathe and pushed the plunger.
OMG!!! YUCK!!!  Now I know why we're told to take it with other fluids. To this day it boggles my mind trying to figure out why they cannot make these meds taste better. they've been around forever.
      I was told I couldn't have Prograf when I later asked because switching might cause cancer. Geez I was immunosuppressed anyway don't I still this chance? Yep, only mine has been pre-skin cancer. It was during chrinic rejection when I again asked this same question. After 30 days in Pittsburgh for thymo treatments I was told I was being put on Prograf. I asked, "but can't  this cause cancer?" This time i was told yes, but at this point you're dying anyway" Well, I guess they're right on that one. Chronic rejection is a royal pain. Been there, done that, don't wanna again.
    so now I'm on Prograf which helps  control chronic rejection better than the cyclo. Lung transplant wise. Kidney transplant would rather put me back on the Cyclo. Thank you Dr. Baz.
      Cyclosporine now comes in capsule form. One very large horse pill and one very small shetlad pony pill, 100mg and 25mg.
So if your dosage is 175mg you end up taking 4 pills. I remember I was told at one time that the pills smelled like horse sweat.
To which I sweetly replied, "How do  you know what horse sweat smells like?" At last they didn't taste like it.Not that I'd know. 
  Prograf is the same. 1mg or 5mg, so I now take 3 tiny capsules twice a day. Amazing,Cyclosporine was 175mg twice a day and Prograf is 3mg twice a day. Wow those tiny little capsules pack one heckuva punch.