Friday, June 01, 2007
1 YEAR POST-TRANSPLANT - YIPEE
This is a huge milestone. Can you believe it's been a year? In some ways, it has gone by so fast and in some ways, it's been a long, long haul! I wanted to post right on my 1 year birthday but unfortunately, I was ill. Nothing serious, just a fever which threw me for a loop. All is well now. I don't think I've had the nerve to show my bald head, but now that I have a head of hair, I want to show just how far we've come. So here it is... Photo with Mom from Fall, 2006 (my face is swollen from the steroids) vs. May, 2007! 
After this one year photo was taken, I got my first real haircut! Scott told me to save a few locks of my baby hair. I have about half the volume as before and it came back wavy. I think it'll come back straighter after some more time passes.
In early May, I had my one year bone marrow biopsy. This was done on the same day as I received the first series of my childhood immunizations. I was a human pin cushion that day. I received five separate immunizations (tetanus, flu shot, pneumonia, hepatitis B, & Polio) plus a painkiller shot and local anesthesia for the bone marrow biopsy not to mention the biopsy itself. I think I was poked about 10 times in 10 minutes. But, the good news is that preliminarily, my marrow appears to be 100% donor. This is not to say that I still won't have GVHD (rejection) or other complications, but it's good that it's 100% engrafted. This is cause for celebration!! I tease Scott and Andrew that through blood tests, I will no longer test as their mother so they have to quit asking me for money. :)
I'll have more information about the bone marrow biopsy when the final report is done. We're hoping for no cancer cells and good readings in other areas. I still go once or twice a month to the City of Hope. Every month I get treatment to prevent pneumonia called Pantamadine. It's delivered into my lungs via a nebulizer. This takes about half an hour. Most transplant patients can take the oral medications to prevent this, but I'm allergic to all of these medications. I'm still under the care of Dr. Nakamura, my hemotologist-oncologist, and an endocrinologist. I'll keep you posted.
Thank you again for following my blog. I want to thank everybody for their continued prayers and support. I couldn't have made it without all of you! Love you all, Nancy
After this one year photo was taken, I got my first real haircut! Scott told me to save a few locks of my baby hair. I have about half the volume as before and it came back wavy. I think it'll come back straighter after some more time passes.In early May, I had my one year bone marrow biopsy. This was done on the same day as I received the first series of my childhood immunizations. I was a human pin cushion that day. I received five separate immunizations (tetanus, flu shot, pneumonia, hepatitis B, & Polio) plus a painkiller shot and local anesthesia for the bone marrow biopsy not to mention the biopsy itself. I think I was poked about 10 times in 10 minutes. But, the good news is that preliminarily, my marrow appears to be 100% donor. This is not to say that I still won't have GVHD (rejection) or other complications, but it's good that it's 100% engrafted. This is cause for celebration!! I tease Scott and Andrew that through blood tests, I will no longer test as their mother so they have to quit asking me for money. :)
I'll have more information about the bone marrow biopsy when the final report is done. We're hoping for no cancer cells and good readings in other areas. I still go once or twice a month to the City of Hope. Every month I get treatment to prevent pneumonia called Pantamadine. It's delivered into my lungs via a nebulizer. This takes about half an hour. Most transplant patients can take the oral medications to prevent this, but I'm allergic to all of these medications. I'm still under the care of Dr. Nakamura, my hemotologist-oncologist, and an endocrinologist. I'll keep you posted.
Thank you again for following my blog. I want to thank everybody for their continued prayers and support. I couldn't have made it without all of you! Love you all, Nancy
