What a year this has brought
About this time last year doctors were not sure what to do with me. I was a medical mystery. I had a disease that is rare and the the only chance of survival was a bone marow transplant. As you know by reading my ramblings over the months that it has been a long and bumpy road. A doctor did not expect me to make it to my last birthday. I received over 200 units of blood in a ten month period. Sunday I should have another birthday. I have not had a blood transfusion in over 6 months. My sister saved my life with her stem cells.
Seven months after transplant I am running into a few complications. I am staying at my parents home because I am at the hospital so much. My father takes me to and from my appointments without complaint. My mother is seeing to it that I have a nourishing and complete meal so that my diabetes can be controlled. They are handling the burden of caring for a 40 year old son back at home pretty well. The diabetes is a direct result of the steroids I am taking. These are needed to combat an infection in my liver. I just had a upper GI biopsy performed Wednesday. The doctor just called and I am negative for Graft Versus Host Disease. This is a very good sign. I am consuming about fourty pills and taking 5 insulin injections daily until my liver is taken care of. At times my ankles are the size of my knees and still suffer from cramps. All in all it is not a bad deal, I am being treating at perhaps one of the best cancer hospitals in the world.
I am grateful to so many for so much. This has not only been a venue for me to seek solace but it has been followed by others that have similar problems, hopefully they were able to use some information or find comfort in knowing that they are not alone. As I grow older I want to be younger, but this year is different. It took a lot of work to turn 42 and I am proud to be here..
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It has been almost 18 months since I was diagnosed with MDS. I received over 200 units of blood in a ten month period. Without blood donors I would not be here today. My birthday is October 25, 2009. I am holding the blood drive the day before I am to turn 42. My goal is to raise 42 units of blood. I need volunteers to come out and donate, the process takes about 15 minutes and at the same time you can have your cheek swabbed for a possible bone marrow match. I have since developed Diabetes and am not in the best of health. This event is important to me to keep the blood and marrow donations coming in.I hope to have a table with some literature set up inside where I can meet the many people I have come into contact with over this time.
I have found new email, Facebook, and Twitter friends that have followed on my journey at www.IHaveMDS.com . The website is growing and I need to expand it to put more information out there. We will be selling bracelets to help raise funds to offset some of these costs.Please help me, help others. October 24, 2009 at 11 a.m. We will be hosting our first Blood & Bone Marrow Drive. It will be held at Gabby's 4659 Telephone Road, Houston, Texas. The Gulf Coast Blood Center will be taking donations until 3:30 we would like donors to sign up as soon as possible.
You can sign up by contacting Roger at (786) 281-8316 or
Seven months after transplant I am running into a few complications. I am staying at my parents home because I am at the hospital so much. My father takes me to and from my appointments without complaint. My mother is seeing to it that I have a nourishing and complete meal so that my diabetes can be controlled. They are handling the burden of caring for a 40 year old son back at home pretty well. The diabetes is a direct result of the steroids I am taking. These are needed to combat an infection in my liver. I just had a upper GI biopsy performed Wednesday. The doctor just called and I am negative for Graft Versus Host Disease. This is a very good sign. I am consuming about fourty pills and taking 5 insulin injections daily until my liver is taken care of. At times my ankles are the size of my knees and still suffer from cramps. All in all it is not a bad deal, I am being treating at perhaps one of the best cancer hospitals in the world.
I am grateful to so many for so much. This has not only been a venue for me to seek solace but it has been followed by others that have similar problems, hopefully they were able to use some information or find comfort in knowing that they are not alone. As I grow older I want to be younger, but this year is different. It took a lot of work to turn 42 and I am proud to be here..
**********************************************
It has been almost 18 months since I was diagnosed with MDS. I received over 200 units of blood in a ten month period. Without blood donors I would not be here today. My birthday is October 25, 2009. I am holding the blood drive the day before I am to turn 42. My goal is to raise 42 units of blood. I need volunteers to come out and donate, the process takes about 15 minutes and at the same time you can have your cheek swabbed for a possible bone marrow match. I have since developed Diabetes and am not in the best of health. This event is important to me to keep the blood and marrow donations coming in.I hope to have a table with some literature set up inside where I can meet the many people I have come into contact with over this time.
I have found new email, Facebook, and Twitter friends that have followed on my journey at www.IHaveMDS.com . The website is growing and I need to expand it to put more information out there. We will be selling bracelets to help raise funds to offset some of these costs.Please help me, help others. October 24, 2009 at 11 a.m. We will be hosting our first Blood & Bone Marrow Drive. It will be held at Gabby's 4659 Telephone Road, Houston, Texas. The Gulf Coast Blood Center will be taking donations until 3:30 we would like donors to sign up as soon as possible.
You can sign up by contacting Roger at (786) 281-8316 or
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