News About the Transplant in Nutshell

Cancer is complicated and it can't really be put into a Nutshell, but I'm going to try! At times there is too much information to keep track of and too much to take in. I haven't been very good at explaining it to others, because there is much I don't understand myself and I'm just beginning to learn. So please forgive me for not keeping you up on things to the extent you may like, especially as you pray.

If you would like to follow me through the transplant process, hopefully this will help a little bit.

THINGS ALREADY DONE:

ü  Four months of chemo already completed to prepare for the transplant

 

ü  Cancer nearly in remission (Prayers heard – thank you all for praying!)

God did this and we are so grateful for the month reprieve from chemo in December to enjoy Christmas with family and friends. I feel good and healthy going into the transplant!
 

THINGS COMING UP:

      Dates we know:

 ·         Tuesday, January 7 - Transplant process begins in Omaha at Lied Transplant Center UNMC
·         Wednesday, January 8 – Procedure to get a port put in. This is good.  It means less pokes and I’ve had enough needles for a while!
·         Thursday, January 9 – Spend the entire day getting chemo (return home that evening)
·         Monday, January 13 – Start giving myself Growth Factor injections (it helps me produce more stem cells and fattens them up for collection)
·         Sunday, January 19 – Back to Omaha to begin the stem cell collection process

 

      Dates from here on out are unknown for the high dose chemo, transplant and recovery

      I will miss my family, friends, coworkers, my church, my favorite chair and my dog a lot!

      February 14^th - Tentative date for returning home to recover

 

That’s everything in a nutshell - plus one Minion! (ok three Minions!)

 

 

 

A few things you may be wondering about –

If the cancer is in remission, why have the transplant?

The reason is basically that the cancer, although nearly in remission now, is sure to come back fairly soon. There is no cure for multiple myeloma, but extending a person’s longevity is possible with treatment. Stem cell transplants have been giving patients about a year longer than they would normally have.

 

Whose stem cells will be used in the transplant?

My own stem cells will be used for the transplant. Since I’ve already been through four months of chemo, the cancer is minimal and my own cells can be used for the transplant. Hopefully enough of my cells for two transplants can be harvested during the collection process. After that, I’ll need a donor match for a third transplant. It is not uncommon for myeloma patients to need several transplants.

What’s up with the Minions?

The Minions are joining me on this journey as my mascots. I’m not sure whose idea it was, but I’ve adopted them to come along for the ride, or should I say, they’ve adopted me! They do have certain demands like being in photo ops, special parking spots and other things I won’t get into at this point. But overall, they’ve been fun to have around. You may see them from time to time, showing up in various places and cheering us on!  

 

 

We'll try to keep you posted along the way. Thank you everyone for your prayers!