The summer that wasn't

On May 22 it will be one year since my stem cell transplant. My immune system reboot. My rebirth. Wow!

In December 2013 I began the 4 month chemo treatment plan to prepare me for the stem cell harvest. Once my cancer had been beaten down through the CyBorD protocol (Cytoxan oral chemo (26 pills one day a week), Bortezomid or Velcade injections into my belly one day a week, and Dexamethasone steroids, 10 pills a day, 4 days on and 4 days off) I was given a day of high dose Cytoxan and then 9 days of injections (2) of Neupogen to tell my bone marrow to over produce blood cells.

 

In early May 2014, I had my stem cell collection. Enough for the first transplant and enough for a second transplant down the road. On May 21st I was given Melphalan chemotherapy. This kills your bone marrow so your body can no longer produce its own blood. On May 22 I was infused with my stem cells and it would take approximately 10 days for them to make their way to my bones, set up bone marrow production factories and start making new blood. Needless to say, you are quite ill during this time and 5% of patients do not survive this step.

 

Once my blood levels came up to a safe level, I was able to go home (2 weeks) and recuperate (another 3-4 months). After that you deal with overcoming the nasty side-effects that the chemo left behind.

 

When I reflect on the past year, I feel like I missed a lot of it. At the time I thought I would never forget how sick I felt, or the weakness, and the painful, debilitating side effects. It is hard to believe, but sometimes I have to remind myself that last year even happened.

I will think about a trip we took or something we purchased and I will refer to it as last year, when in fact it happened the year before. I have forgotten last summer. I spent it lying in bed with severe nausea for most of June, then July and August I spent a few hours a day sitting in the shade in the back yard, then sleeping the rest of the day away.

I am not sad or angry about the summer that wasn't...it was spent doing something very important. Healing. Rebuilding bone marrow and blood production. Kicking cancer's butt! It's hard work being a warrior.