A major milestone was reached yesterday....I'm officially 60 days past transplant and 99% donor blood. I have the immune system of a 2 month old baby and if I were to have my blood taken it would come back with results that I was a 29 year old male :) I know it's been a long time since I've updated you and I apologize I'm not better at keeping in touch :) The days have passed one by one with each day focusing on that moment in time; whether that meant dealing with ill side effects, leading a normal life for a day, sharing in my families and close friends lives and other medical concerns, etc. Each day has come and gone until they're a blur of time gone by.
Mercifully, I have not been plagued with the worse case scenario in my recovery so far. Everything leading up to this transplant assured all of us that I would experience the worse possible healing process. That has not been the case, however. Other than minor or short term struggles, I have sailed through this process against all odds. By day 30 my body was responding like it was at day 60. Some of my energy for life came back within weeks of the procedure and I was able to return to work part time. I love my job and the people I work with and welcomed the chance to return to some sense of normal life. I would get home at night and not have any energy leftover but eventually that started climbing too. At day 61 I would say that I am pretty close to how I was before this battle started a year ago. I've changed in many ways this year, permanent scars that I am not ashamed of, but I am becoming more and more myself every week. I know the support of prayers and love that you all have outpoured on my behalf is what carries me through. Thank you! You mean so much to me!!!
What lies ahead? Well officially at day 100 I am sanctioned to lead a normal life again. I started tapering off some of my medications this week (I take over 30 pills a day). This is great! It also means we are waiting to see how my body will respond. Will my new immune system be able to function on it's own without medication and without "freaking out?" We'll find out :)
I don't know the plan for the next test. Right now they are focusing on getting my body through the stem cell transplant and making it function healthy on it's own. At some point in the not too distant future we will need to rescan me to see if any of the cancer cells have survived or grown. With the stem cells that I received and how they've responded we're expecting and praying for a no to both :) In the meantime I continue to take each day ast it comes, enjoying what's on the plate for that day and knowing that tomorrow's plate will be completely different. Still trusting the One who is dealing out the plates, I rest in joy and contentment learning much through this process.
Ending on a light note, my hair has finally just started growing....again. Second time around was harder. But I have a good 1/4 inch going on up there...keep this up and I'll be getting a haircut in 6 months or so...better start lookng for a hairstylist :)
Mercifully, I have not been plagued with the worse case scenario in my recovery so far. Everything leading up to this transplant assured all of us that I would experience the worse possible healing process. That has not been the case, however. Other than minor or short term struggles, I have sailed through this process against all odds. By day 30 my body was responding like it was at day 60. Some of my energy for life came back within weeks of the procedure and I was able to return to work part time. I love my job and the people I work with and welcomed the chance to return to some sense of normal life. I would get home at night and not have any energy leftover but eventually that started climbing too. At day 61 I would say that I am pretty close to how I was before this battle started a year ago. I've changed in many ways this year, permanent scars that I am not ashamed of, but I am becoming more and more myself every week. I know the support of prayers and love that you all have outpoured on my behalf is what carries me through. Thank you! You mean so much to me!!!
What lies ahead? Well officially at day 100 I am sanctioned to lead a normal life again. I started tapering off some of my medications this week (I take over 30 pills a day). This is great! It also means we are waiting to see how my body will respond. Will my new immune system be able to function on it's own without medication and without "freaking out?" We'll find out :)
I don't know the plan for the next test. Right now they are focusing on getting my body through the stem cell transplant and making it function healthy on it's own. At some point in the not too distant future we will need to rescan me to see if any of the cancer cells have survived or grown. With the stem cells that I received and how they've responded we're expecting and praying for a no to both :) In the meantime I continue to take each day ast it comes, enjoying what's on the plate for that day and knowing that tomorrow's plate will be completely different. Still trusting the One who is dealing out the plates, I rest in joy and contentment learning much through this process.
Ending on a light note, my hair has finally just started growing....again. Second time around was harder. But I have a good 1/4 inch going on up there...keep this up and I'll be getting a haircut in 6 months or so...better start lookng for a hairstylist :)