Bone Marrow Transplant Update

I thought I would give an update on how the recovery from my bone marrow transplant is going. I’ve had a few people ask recently on how the progress has been, so thought it was about time!

I am doing remarkably well, according to my care team, and that is always encouraging to hear. All glory to God for that because He is the ultimate healer! I look at myself and see how far I have to go, but I have to remember that I am just a little over 2 months post-transplant. I have bypassed any fevers and sicknesses (besides the common cold) thus far, which we are so grateful for. We know this could look very different and still could. My blood counts look great, which is another major blessing because some still need to receive blood transfusions at this stage, and I haven’t needed any. My stamina still has a ways to go, but I’m told I’m still a bit out from feeling like myself from that standpoint yet. I sometimes forget what my body is doing internally, reproducing and reproducing cells, and healing from the inside out. This body is working in overdrive and just because I can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Judging by how well I’m doing, shows how hard this body is working.

We are waiting for another cancer test to come back, hopefully this week, and we just continue to pray that God would eradicate any cancer cell that might still be in my body, or use the new donor cells to fight it. I find myself living in a mindset of relapse because that is all we’ve known as of late. The possibility and then the actuality of it. I’m working on writing another book (we will see if it comes to fruition one day!) and I’m in the midst of writing about that very thing – relapsing. It is a difficult portion to write because I sometimes wonder why God didn’t do what I assumed a good God would do? Which is heal me the first time from cancer? But just because my circumstances didn’t turn out the way we had hoped and prayed they would, doesn’t mean He is any less good. I see my situation from my limited human perspective, not through the eyes of an eternal God who sees the whole picture and the absolute beauty of this whole story. We felt like cancer stole our summer last year. It was confusing, the timing seemed off, and the relapse hurtful. But being on this side now of a bone marrow transplant, a transplant I never in a million years dreamed of having, and being on this side of the healing process, we see God’s faithfulness through it all. The faithfulness of a good God.

God knew what was coming, what we needed, and knew how to make it all happen. And this we believe He will continue to do. No matter what my future holds.

Thursday, while at my appointment, my nurse coordinator came into the room and said, “I have something for you!” I sat there for a second and thought what in the world would she have, then it dawned on me, “Do you have something from my donor?” A few weeks ago I had written a letter of gratitude to my donor and lo and behold, we received a letter BACK! They said this was one of the fastest turnarounds they had ever seen, and as I read it, I couldn’t help but cry. Her English was amazing (not her first language), to see her penmanship, hear her heart through her letter, and her desire to keep in touch with us, it just overwhelmed me. When first learning that I qualified for a BMT, I knew I wanted to try and have a relationship with my donor. And now to see that coming to fruition, still makes me emotional! We have to wait TWO YEARS to give identifying information, which I think at some point we will run out of things to say because we can’t give much detail about our lives, but just to have that long distance relationship with her, means the world to me. My biggest dream would be to head on over to Europe to meet her! I don’t know what country we’d even have to go to, but oh the pure emotions of that first embrace. To think of her, being in me. Her cells in me, giving me new life. And so far, her cells are still controlling my body!

As I’m reminded by my care team often, healing from a bone marrow transplant is a marathon. My skin, my gut, my muscles, and my hair have a long ways to go. But they say by month 6, many start to feel like themselves again. It’d be mid-summer and what perfect time that would be!

We just give all the praise and glory to God, for leading and walking us through this journey. There are many ups and downs, but He helps us navigate them all. And thank YOU for continuing to pray for us. We have a long road ahead of us yet, but we know we have all the support we need!