8 Months Out
Hello friends and dear readers. It's been a while since I have posted anything about my recovery, but I can't help slow down the life that is flying by before my eyes. It's been 8 months since I have had the bone marrow transplant. That's 240 days! It doesn't even feel like it even though it seems like ages ago. Since my last update, a lot has changed. I went back to work in February and have been working part time and it made me feel normal again. Having an agenda, making plans. My days are longer, more productive, less lazy. I work as a pharmacy technician and have been doing this for over 6 years now. It's a very easy job for me since I sit at a computer and know how to do my job well. So in other words, stress-free. Usually. That is what is important for recovery as well as sleep. I was on a pill so that I wouldn't bleed since I got sick. I was taking it because my platelets were constantly low and they didn't want me to have my period and lose extra blood (I'm anemic, I need all the blood I can get lol). And so I didn't have a normal period for about a year and a half. After transplant, my platelets were the first to go up. Once they were over 130k they told me I can stop the medication. I still didn't get my period for about a month and a half and I was already kind of worried. Doctors said after chemo there is a chance of not having your period come back. Well guess what, it started. Better late then never, but it felt sooooo good because hey, it was another thing that made me feel normal. Some people complain about their periods, but take it away from them unwillingly and they will never complain again. You don't know what you have till it is gone... It doesn't mean I am fertile and gonna have children for sure, but we are praying for God's will. We believe that with him, all things are possible. Anyways, I was taking it easy with exercise because my heart would hurt any time I did any hard physical activity like jogging or a workout. However, at the beginning of march I noticed my blood finally started going up on it's own!! The last transfusion that I received was on 2/20/2016. that's 6 weeks ago. That's the longest it's ever been since I got diagnosed! I am so excited. My blood the first week was 6.5, the next was 7.5, then 8.3. Last Monday when they check, it was 9.7! The average is 12-16 so it is almost there. As soon as I saw it started going up, I got myself a gym membership and I have been able to work out like a normal person (I still take it easy). But I am capable, that's the point. I am also trying to lose some weight that I gained over the months and trying to get some muscles back. The steroids, chemo, water overloading, stress, and pills did a toll on me. And it's such a relief that things are going back to the way they should. The way we all expect our lives to be before something happens and all of the sudden your sick and have to make life changing decisions. My platelets are already at 200, and my white cells started to go up as well. My iron should be 11-307 (average) and it was 1485 because of all of the transfusions. I have been on a medication exjade. It wasn't helping all that much. I started drinking a goat whey smoothie every morning with Thorne Basic Detox Nutrients and within weeks my iron has dropped down to 1072, Praise God!! That's my biggest issue right now. Even mild iron overload can increase the risk of liver disease, cirrhosis, cancer, heart failure and heart attack, diabetes, osteoporosis, premature death. It can accelerate Alzheimer, early-onset Parkinson, huntingtons, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Obviously all of these are scary and are like nails on a chalk board when you hear them. That's why I am praying and hoping the iron will drop fast. All my other results look really good. They are all in the normal range, so that's awesome. My brothers cell have taken over mostly and are doing what they need to. As for whats new with me, we are in the process of buying the house we are renting right now. It fell in our lap and I just see it as God's blessing. We don't have to move anywhere and now we will be paying rent back into our own pocket. So that's exciting. Also my husband sold my crossfire and got me a new car, so that has also been the highlight of my month. All in all, this is just worldly materials, in the end they don't matter. Objects don't last, neither does this life. Cherish your life, your loved ones, your health. Be thankful every day. Be blessed :)xoxo
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