279 days since my last post, overdue for an update.
1004 days since my Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant. ( 2 years, 8 months and 4 days )
That means I am almost through with the "terrible twos", which have not really been terrible, but I do get cranky if I don't get my nap, I have managed to stay out of any hospitals for a year and a half, and my Duke Med visits are now Bi-Annual. The Medicos have allowed me to eliminate some of the meds, and taper off the rest. I have begun the course of my early-childhood immunizations.
It is still an upwind leg of the voyage, but I can see the weather mark.
There is a blog post in the works- a reflection after 2 1/2 years - about all the after effects of the transplant and the side effects of the meds that I trust will be of interest and service to all of the Medicos and fellow transplantees who have subscribed to this blog- with over 41,000 page views from over 20 countries. I hope to continue being of some assistance and comfort to those who are anticipating or recovering from a transplant this coming year. Please put me in touch with anyone you know who is facing this procedure.
My biggest milestone is that after months and months of working at it, I have begun to regain my musical chops. I have (knock on wood ) managed to convince my fledgling immune system that the redness and swelling in my fingertips is not in fact an infection that needs to be addressed by elevating my temperature, and causing other various other unpleasant reactions. I have also been able to resurrect most of my muscle memory and fine motor control, and lyrics are coming back.
To this end I have put together a new combo with talented local musicians to further motivate me and promote my recovery. We are Barstow and the Revamps and are auditioning Bass players, Reeds and Horns to round out the sound.
Also new for 2016 is a presence on Face Book .
Heartfelt thanks to my donor/sister, and to all of you for your support. May health and happiness overwhelm you this coming year.
Cap'n Chris ( impatient patient ) and Anne (caregiver extraordinaire)
So glad to hear the latest from you. I've been following your blog and was worried about the absence of postings for the past several months. Wishing you the best -- in both the health and music departments!
ReplyDeleteJanuary 17th will mark 1 1/2 years since my transplant. Even though I love my medical team and think they're the greatest, they almost killed me twice in the first year (as you know, s*** can and does happen), but I am doing great now.
Love your blog, and so happy to hear you're getting your chops back.
Margaret, thank you for your kind words. I share your sentiments about the medicos, I love them dearly, but they bear watching and questioning about their choices of meds, etc. You are not the first to express this sentiment- in fact several readers have contacted me privately about this sort of thing, and I have a post in draft about this very topic. I would welcome any insights you have, and assure anonymity. After the first year and a half thing start looking up. best regards, Chris ( capnchris@gmail.com )
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