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Friday, May 24, 2013

I'm Two Years Old

Today is a very special day to me. On this date, two years ago, I had a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope in Duarte, CA. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was scared and had no idea what to expect. I remember just lying in bed, while the stem cells were being infused through my PICC line. I remember just praying to God the entire time. I remember how I just teared up and thought of Raul, Danica, my family and friends. Here I am two years later... still can't believe that it has been two years. I recently signed a consent to release personal information and I pray that my donor will sign in to, so we can contact each other. And I would love to meet him and his family. How cool would that be? Anyway, happy 2nd birthday to my blood cells... each one is a gift from God and I am grateful to be well and alive. 

Friday, May 10, 2013

Celebration of Life

I attended the annual bone marrow transplant reunion at City of Hope in Duarte today. At first, I was very excited about it. I just wanted to celebrate with the rest of the recipients, donors, nurses and doctors that were there. This is my second year, after all. Then I bumped into my main BMT doctor and he kinda ruined my day with his comment. So, even though he is my main doctor I decided not to see him anymore because I always have to remind him to order certain labs and check this and check that. In other words, I want him to manage my health, I shouldn't have to call to remind him to place lab orders, etc. So I haven't seen this doctor in months and when I saw him today, he said, "Look at you. You don't look like a chipmunk anymore." WOW! Just wow! Are you effin kidding me? This guy knew what I went through and this is all he had to say to me. I seriously felt like cursing him out, but I didn't... I'm just not that type to make a scene in public. That pretty much ruined everything for me today. After that, I told my husband I wanted to leave... and so we did.

I know I could be really sensitive at times, but it really got me mad when my doctor said that. I thought it was very inhumane and unprofessional of him.

The whole ride home, all I could think about was I once looked like a chipmunk, according to my doctor. FYI, I looked like a chipmunk because I was on steroids. I was on steroids because I had chronic graft vs host disease. I had GVHD because I had a bone marrow transplant. I had a bone marrow transplant because I had Aplastic Anemia and Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria. I will never know what cause my anemia. But whatever it is, I know that God is good for healing me and never leaving my side throughout this ordeal.