Stem Cell Transplant Scheduling
So tomorrow (12/14) I find out when my Stem Cell Transplant is.
What is a Stem Cell Transplant?
A Stem Cell Transplant (also known as a bone marrow transplant) is a way of giving healthy bone marrow cells back to a patient after high dose chemotherapy treatment. A special machine is used to remove stem cells from the blood. These are stored and given back to the patient through a drip, after the chemotherapy.
I’d be lying if I said I was not a little nervous. I want to wait until after Christmas to go in. Why? Because there is a chance that the Stem Cell Transplant could kill me and the thought of not spending Christmas ever again with my wife and family is very hard.
I don’t believe that is a negative thought. I think I am just being realistic. I think I already have this thing on the run and the SCT is just going to knock it out further.
I started to re-read my Lance Armstrong books. Maybe people are tired of hearing about him or wonder why he is so great. I hope you never have to truly understand .. if you ever get cancer you will understand. The man beat all the odds. I know there are thousands of people (or more) that beat this disease everyday, but to be able to read a book and just make a connection .. you cannot imagine how uplifting it is. He is just an ordinary guy and whupped it. If he can do it .. it makes me think .. why can’t I?
My friends and family have been great in helping me deal with this disease and I am grateful for it, but in reading those books I felt a connection to someone who beat the disease. I will probably never meet Mr. Armstrong, but if I could I would let him know how grateful I am for the books he wrote. They pulled me out of some dark, dark places in the last year and half.
So as I stated before I hope to go in after Christmas, but I am ready to do what my ONC says. I am ready to beat this and I am willing to do anything to get there.
