Friday, February 13, 2009

Happy Anniversary to Me......

On February 15 it will be my 9 month post Bone Marrow Transplant Anniversary! YAY! I can't believe it has been 9 months already. I am feeling so wonderful, it's hard to believe I was feeling so crappy and literally near death, just 9 short months ago. I'm not gonna lie....it was a hard rocky road I traveled, being on chemo for 14 months prior to the transplant and then the transplant itself, but the rewards I am reaping now makes the journey so well worth it. All of the suffering, the pain and other unmentionable side effects were killers, but all in all, I came through it oh so well, and except for some fatigue here and there and of course the back pain I live with, I am doing so great right now. I am just the most fortunate woman in the whole world and enjoying every new day I have been given. Not a day goes by that I don't give thanks for my family who was taking each and every step with me and never left my side. I pray for all MM patients that they can and will be as fortunate as I have been, in their battle with MM. I am curently "mentoring" a gentleman I met, as he too is a patient of Dr. Nair's (there are only 3 MM patients in his whole practice.....that's how rare this cancer is) and this fellow is also going to Moffitt next month for all his tests and then the scheduling of his BMT, pending results of all testing. Mom and I met with him and his wife for lunch a while ago when he was first diagnosed and kinda walked them through the process of what it will be like, but now that he has his dates all lined up, we'll be meeting again before he goes to give them all the "ins and outs" of life as a BMT patient at Moffitt. I am so glad he is going there as I know who his caretakers and doctors will be so I rest assured that he is in wonderful hands. I feel grateful that I can be of some help to someone going through this as "Multiple Myeloma World" is a scary place to live and it's nice to have a friend along the way. The only thing that sneaks into my consciousness every once in a while is knowing that this wonderful remission will not last forever. You cannot beat Myeloma. It's the devil in disguise. However......I did join a telephone conference sponsored by the LLMS (Leukemia, Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma Society) last week and heard an MM doctor talk about new and upcoming treatments for MM and when the conference was over I was almost elated (geez....I don't think I've ever used that word before!) at the information he discussed. There are new drugs since I was even diagnosed (2 yrs ago) and many more on the horizon to deal with any relpases that may occur so it made me much less afraid of what the future may hold. I really don't plan on relapsing anyway (wink wink) but I filed the info away so when the time comes I can discuss my options and know what I am talking about. Always be an informed consumer!! So take that MM (punch punch)......you don't know who you messin wif! LOL

2 comments:

Susan said...

Hi there... Isn't it a great feeling to be able to encourage someone else walking in the same shoes that you are... yes the word relapse always does lurk aroung n your mind and that is normal. Could you forward the info you got the other day from your conference?? Happy Valentines!! xoxo

Susan said...

Its your anniversary today...so Happy Anniversary to youuuuuu!!!!How time flies...