One year ago today I received the life giving marrow from an anonymous donor. We are deeply grateful and amazed how God has answered the many prayers lifted up to Him for me. We trusted in Gods sovereignty throughout this experience and are delighted that at this point His path for me is healing and recovery, although He lovingly prepared our hearts that it could be otherwise. There has been, with a few exceptions, a slow steady improvement in blood counts, energy level and appetite.....coffee finally tastes good again! My hair is growing back, but its quite patchy and unmanageable, so I will be sticking with the wig for a while yet. Not a big deal when you are just happy to be alive.
I can change from a cute blonde mama to a crazy lady in a moment..... I call it my kids "other mother".
My ongoing treatments include daily meds and several visits a month to the Juravinski. I have just started to be re-immunized, like a child, with the exception of a few vaccines that would be a problem for my immune system just now. I have had to be very careful around others who have recently been vaccinated as well as any live vaccines pose a risk to me. Unfortunately, this also included our first grandchild , Kent, son of Melanie and Billy, whom we welcomed with great joy in October! I was able to be present at his birth, what an amazing experience. Until he and I are finished with vaccinations, there will be several 6 week intervals where I cannot be near him, or Melanie and Billy at all. That is very hard but we are making up for it in the times in between.
Managing my responsibilities around the home and family remains my sphere of influence for now and I'll remain patient until I can serve in my church and school community again. God has a time for everything in our lives and one thing I was assured of in this journey is that I was no less loved by Him lying helplessly in a hospital bed as I was running around accomplishing things. Praise God for His unchanging love.
Although things have gone so well, there is still another year to go in the two year window where the possibility of a complete rejection of this marrow could still occur. There is also a higher risk for me to develop other cancers. My body will never be the same after this whole experience, possibly I have just been given a bit more time in life, I do not know, none of us do really....... today I am doing well and we thank God for that, tomorrow is God's to decide and we rest in His plan.
Thank you again to all of those who continue to pray for and help our family, we appreciate it so much.
I would like to take this opportunity also to give a reminder to those who are able, to donate blood and platelets whenever you can. So many people need them. Last year just before the transplant that was keeping me alive until I could be treated.
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