Recipient's Perspective: Part 3

After three months in Tampa, it was great to be home. Still in tough shape physically but happy to be in familiar surroundings. As would be expected with a very weak immune system, there were some pretty heavy restrictions; no salad bars, no exposure to children, no self serve anything, no public swimming pools, no alcohol, no raw seafood, thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, avoid crowds, we could keep our dog but not get another for at least a year, and probably a few others that I've forgotten. Over time, months and years, each of these restrictions would be lifted as my immune system continued the recovery process. Initially I was seeing my local oncologist every week, then every two weeks. Trips back to Tampa started at every three months and then went to six months and are now once a year. These checkups were twofold; first to make sure the Leukemia hadn't returned, and secondly to check for any signs of rejection to the transplant. Rejection (Graft vs. Host Disease, GVH) can occur immediately following the transplant or any time after, even years later. I knew the recovery was going to be slow but wasn't prepared for such a lengthy process. Weeks would go by without any noticeable improvement. I was actually getting better but couldn't feel it yet. Each visit to the doctors meant blood tests and the occasional bone marrow biopsy. We could see improvement in the blood work most times and thankfully the bone marrow tests continued to show that my blood was being produced by my new marrow. (Thanks again Kylie) There were some bumps along the road. Following a trip to Oregon to visit our granddaughter I came down with what appeared to be a cold. It didn't get better and finally took a sudden turn for the worse and a trip to the ER. Pneumonia! They got my attention when they told me I was going into the ICU and I realized that this could get ugly. Fortunately a few days in the ICU and a few days in a "normal room" and I was OK. This year the problem has been anemia. I would get two units of blood and then two weeks later need two more. That went on for three months while we tried to figure out where I was losing the blood. After many tests and procedures we're still not sure what was going on but it has stabilized for now. My gastroenterologist and I are now on a first name basis. Also spent a few hours getting iron infusions but along with my red blood cells the iron seems to have stabilized. We check both regularly. All things considered I really feel great. I'm not on any medication related to the leukemia, the restrictions have been lifted and I lead a pretty normal life. This was my third serious cancer and each time I look at things a little differently after recovery. I appreciate a lot of things that I once took for granted. One small example; even after more than three years, I'm thankful that I can take a shower without being hooked to an IV pole or having to cover tubes coming out of my chest. None of us know what tomorrow will bring but I'm grateful to have had great care and that a donor took the initiative to register with the chance to save the life of a complete stranger. I'm thankful each and every day.