100%

Well, today I am day 40 and feeling great! I really can’t believe it’s been 40 days since my transplant. It seems like all a blur from the beginning until now. I had all of those issues a few weeks into it, but am doing so much better and although I still have a long way to go until my body is back to where it was, I am feeling really well and am so grateful for that!!

They finally started giving me days off at the clinic! So it’s really not so bad anymore. I went from going every single day for 6-8 hours, to every other day for about 4 hours. Makes such a difference. I actually don’t mind going anymore knowing that I am not going to be there that long and that I get the next day off. As I get further out (as long as no issues) it should continue to dwindle down. I am carrying around a CADD pump which administers my IV meds that I would normally get in clinic but can get at home with the pump. I wear it like a fanny pack. Not the most convenient, but if it means getting days off I am all about it. I’ve been wearing one since my transplant so it’s pretty much become a part of me LOL.

I received some awesome news on Friday. The results of my 30 day chimerism test came back. I am 100% donor cells!! As you know, I had a double cord transplant. So after my transplant, the 2 cords went to work engrafting into my body and killing off my cells. What’s really interesting about cord blood is that even though 2 cords are transfused, only 1 cord “wins” and the other dies off. I don’t know why that happens, I don’t even think the doctors know why it happens but it does. I am 100% engrafted with the first cord. My cells and the 2^nd cord are completely undetected. I ended up being the same blood type too as I originally was….A positive! Not that I matters but I thought it was interesting. The second cord was B positive so I could have ended up changing. So being 100% engrafted means my old cells are history and that I have fresh new cells working for me. Hopefully fighting off any leukemia cells that ever decide to return.

My blood counts are still awesome. My white blood cells are normal and my platelets have finally reached normalcy. Other things are still low and probably will be for a while, but overall my blood is looking great. I’m still on a lot of drugs (supplements, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, etc). I take several pills a day. But as time goes on they are dwindling down. I’ll be glad when I don’t have to take a thing (that will be a while)!

God has been great through all of this. I am on cloud 9 to be 100% engrafted already and doing awesome. Still a long ways to go but well on my way!