Tuesday, August 25, 2009

One Year ago Today...

...I was lying in a hospital bed in Chicago. I underwent an autologous stem cell transplant in an attempt to put my Multiple Myeloma into long term remission. I was hopeful then that this day would be a happy anniversary, with old Poindexter down and out. Things haven’t quite gone as planned. Poindexter proved to be a lot tougher than I thought he would be, managing to find a way back despite the transplant. This is certainly not the outcome that I hoped for, but I am not without hope. Treatment with Revlimid has put Poindexter at bay, as I await another attempt for long term remission, this time with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. I am fortunate to have a donor for the bone marrow, fortunate to have insurance that will help pay for this second chance. I believe that this transplant will take hold and put Poindexter out of commission. Perhaps I am foolish to be so optimistic, but I’ve come to far to stop fighting now. Yesterday I read an obituary in the local paper, a man my age who died after losing his battle with Multiple Myeloma. I know the odds, I’m not a fool. I also know that faith has carried me this far, faith in God, faith in the power of the prayers and love that I have been blessed to receive from my family, my friends, and so many others. I have faith that one year from the day the next transplant occurs I will be able to write about my continued remission.

Deacon John
Feast of St Nemesius of Rome, Deacon and Martyr
Aug. 25, 2009
St. Peregrine, Pray for us.
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for us.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You have all the faith I have to give and all the prayers and love I can spare for every step of your journey.