At Long, Long, Last

Just over a year ago I relapsed, my multiple myeloma returned. Doctors determined that the best course of action would be an allogeneic stem cell transplant, a bone marrow transplant with the marrow coming from a donor. My youngest sister was determined to be a match and we were prepared to move forward, but we had to first convince the insurance company. It took a year, more than a year, but finally the insurance company relented. My sister has made her contribution, and now it is time. Tomorrow I enter the hospital for 6 days of chemo, a day of rest, then the long awaited transplant. I've waited for this, wanted this, need this, but I still approach this day with some trepidation. To not be afraid would be foolish. I actually feel pretty good right now, and I know after this I will feel awful, at least for a while. The trade, however is worth it. I can take feeling bad for a few months for the chance at years of remission. So tomorrow I will go in to the hospital, and in about a month I will come out, I will come out as a cancer survivor.
Deacon John
Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 21, 2010
St. Peregrine, Pray for Us
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for Us

OOPS

Ok, so it's Carl Sandberg, not Robert Frost. Hey, high school was a long time ago.
Deacon John

Waiting for...

Monday. My sister's stem cell collection was a great success yesterday, so more than enough cells were harvested for my transplant. She and my brother-in-law just left to head home to Louisville. I can never thank her enough, nothing I can do or say can ever measure up. So here we are in the City of Big Shoulders, Hog Butcher for the World, Stacker of Wheat, waiting for Monday. Ok, I'm past my Robert Frost moment. We really have nothing to do but wait. I would almost rather go into the hospital now, and get this show on the road. On Wednesday the doctor was pretty adamant that we would be here for at least 90 days after the transplant, so I guess we won't get to go home until the end of June. Since it is Friday, and Lent, I was looking around to see if any of the Catholic parishes around here have fish fries. There must be 10 parishes within 2 miles of where we are living, but it doesn't seem that any of them have fish fries. I know this isn't strictly a Louisville phenomenon, so maybe we'll just drive around to the churches and look for signs. We have to do some grocery shopping any way, and since we'll be here for a while we need to learn the neighborhood, or relearn it since we stayed here before when I had my first transplant. Things are moving, so we are headed in the right direction at last.

Deacon John
The Solemnity of St. Joseph
March 19, 2010
St. Peregrine, Pray for us
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for us
St. Joseph, Pray for us

Here at Last

Yesterday my wife and I made our return trip to Chicago. We saw the doctor and got the results of all the tests done 2 weeks ago and everything is good. No proteins present in the blood, no cancer in the bone marrow, so according to the doctor I am in complete remission. Revlimid has done the job and pushed the cancer back, so now is the time to proceed with the transplant. So now that I actually feel pretty good, we're going to make me sick. Seems foolish, but with transplant we are trading months of illness for the potential of years of remission. It's worth the shot. My sister, God love her, is at the hospital right now, undergoing apherisis, harvesting the stem cells that will be transplanted into me. I cannot say thank you to her enough, but I will keep trying. My date for going into the hospital has been set. I will goi in on Monday March 22, have six days of chemo, one day of rest, then the transplant. That makes the transplant date Monday March 29. Holy week, it seems like a good time for this to happen. getting a shot at new life during a festival of new life. I'll miss the Triduum services, but the trade is worth it. So nothing is tentative any longer, everything is set, ready to go. As John Adams sang in the musical 1776, I have crossed the Rubicon, let the bridges be burned behind me. It's time.

Deacon John
The Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Thursday March 18, 2010
St. Peregrine, Pray for Us
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for Us

Moving Fast...

I am amazed at how fast things are going on the transplant front. My sister and I went to Chicago last week for testing, getting ready to harvest her stem cells and getting the transplant process started. The tests were done last Wednesday. They called her from Chicago on Friday and want her to come back on this Friday, the 12th of March, to start Neupogin injections, to stimulate stem cell production, then harvest her cells on the 18th. Today they contacted me and set a tentative date for going into the hospital of next Monday, March 22. This time I will be on chemo for 5 days, have a day or two of rest, then have the transplant. So, if this schedule holds, the transplant will happen during Holy Week. We were able to secure the same condo we stayed in last time, well not exactly the same one, but it is in the same building, just upstairs from where we were before. Amazingly the owner remembered us. She was sorry we needed the condo, but seemed genuinely happy to have the chance to help us. We have an appointment to see the oncologist in Chicago on the 17th, St. Patrick's day, and with admission to the hospital being so close we are just going to stay. This fight has been so long, and so draining, having the transplant so close seems almost like a dream. I don't think the reality of it all has set in yet. But barring any last minute strangeness, it's happening, soon. I am more certain than ever that God has guided us to this place, the place where we have the best chance for real remission. Guess I'll have to find a good St. Patrick medal, so much is happening around his feast day. Hey, I've got enough Irish in me, at least enough Celt, I can claim him for a patron too!
Deacon John
Feast of St John of God
March 8, 2010
St. Peregrine, Pray for us.
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for us.
St. Patrick, Pray for us.

Home...for now

We got back from Chicago this afternoon after spending one more day there then we had planned. Originally my sister and I were both to get a battery of tests on Wednesday. We drove up Tuesday evening, and then spent all day Wednesday. Fortunately we drove separately. Her tests were completed by 3:00 or so. On the other hand my were not only not completed, some had to be put off until today. So as my sister and her husband drove back o Louisville, we had to drive back to the hotel we had checked out of Wednesday morning and get another room. On the bright side, the tests were completed, and we were told that barring any odd results the transplant should happen within four weeks. So it really looks like I'll be spending Holy Week, the Triduum and Easter in the hospital. Hey, why not? What better way to celebrate the Resurrection than to get the gift of a new chance at life. We go back to Chicago on St. Patrick's Day to see the Dr. and get the test results. Hopefully the date for the transplant will be set then. Maybe we'll have the luck of the Irish!
St. Peregrine, Pray for Us.
Blessed John XXIII, Pray for Us.
Deacon John
Feast of St. Casimir
March 4, 2010

On the Road Again

This afternoon we head to Chicago again, thi time for full day of testing in preperation for the bone marrow transplant. My sister, who is my donor will also be there undergoing testing as well. Maybe this thing is finally happening. It's exhilarating and frightening as well. But this is what we hoped and fought and prayed for. Pray for us as we take this step toward remission.
St. Peregrine, pray for us.
Blessed John XXIII, pray for us
Deacon John
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
March 2, 2010