Bone Marrow Biopsy

The doctor told me that I didn’t have to come back for a month! He also pointed out that when I do come back I will be celebrating my sixth month mark from my transplant!

At that point they will do another bone marrow biopsy to check for leukemia and that my marrow has not come back to push out the good donor marrow. I do not like getting the biopsies done – very painful! My bones are very hard. I should not complain, because the chemo can cause bone degeneration over time.

I am having it done during fall break. I will keep you all updated on how it goes.

Laura

Counts Still Good

I went to see the doctor last week for my three week check-up. Nothing new. The news continues to be good. My hemoglobin is up a little to 12.3. As that creeps up, I will have more energy.

Many people ask me if I am resting enough or if I am overdoing it. Being up moving around, going to work, and cooking for my family are all activities that build up my strength. The more I do, the more I am able to do. I just have to avoid sick people and stress. I am figuring out how to do that at work. These are the things that have the ability to cause setbacks.

Laura

Losing Nails Gaining Hair

All of my finger nails have fallen off in the last week. The doctors told me it would happen and that it wouldn’t hurt. They were right, but I didn’t realize that it would happen so long after my transplant. When I received the chemotherapy right before my transplant, it made my nails stop growing for a time. The nails started growing again and now have pushed the old nails off of the end of my fingers.

My hair is starting to grow back slowly but surely. I think it will be at least January before it looks decent enough to go without a hat in public. It might even be until May before it completely fills in. It is not curly as many said it might be after chemo. It seems extraordinarily straight. One cute kindergarten student at school asked her teacher, “Why does she get to wear a hat?”

Laura

Perfect

Well, I know that I am not perfect, but that word was used to describe me today. I saw one of my doctors at St. Francis for my regular check up and he said I was perfect. Of course, this is in reference to my counts, the direction they are going and how well I am doing at Day 126 ater the transplant. It is nice to get more good news.

All of my counts were the highest they have been so far (Whites – 6.5, Hgb – 11.9, Plates – 149). I am heading more into the solid normal range. I feel really good. Last week at work really wiped me out energywise, so I spent most of the weekend resting, but I did manage to do the grocery shopping and spend time with my family at my parents’ house.

The doctor asked if I was back at work and how much I was working. I sheepishly told him that I had put in close to 40 hours a week for the last three weeks (I have 4 different doctors who see me on a rotating basis.). He just looked at me and said, “That really makes you happy, doesn’t it.” After I vigorously nodded my head, he said, “OK!” with a big smile on his face.

I don’t have to go back to the clinic for three weeks now, and I am almost off all of my medicines. I was taken off of my Prograf (Tacrolimus), magnesium, and Nexium completly today. I only take three medicines each day, and that will continue for a year.

Hair update – I am starting to slowly get some hair. Over the last two weeks it has become more noticable, but nothing attractive or worth showing off yet. The doctor checked it out today and said, “You’re at the rabbit fur stage.” Great!

I am slower, achy-er, more forgetful and disorganized. I told the doctor that I felt way older physically (no offense to anyone in their 50s and 60s!). His response was that it takes about a solid year to get back to your pretransplant functioning level. Overall you end up losing about a year. When I turn 41 in December, I will really be physically 42!

Laura