Time is Flying

Hi all,

It's the end of week 4 in the apartment already. How time flies when you're napping. Only 5-6 weeks until I go home!

The big picture is that I'm doing well for early in the recovery process. All my blood counts go up steadily every week, and all my organs are in good shape. The doctors say this indicates a solid engraftment of the new stem cells into my bone marrow. Yay!!! There was always a risk that the myelofibrosis would prevent engraftment so this is a BIG relief. 

The smaller, everyday reality is that I'm still struggling with side effects (dizziness, diarrhea, etc.) and major fatigue. Definitely less than a month ago but enough to be semi-miserable. I eat breakfast, and I nap. I take a shower and need a nap. I visit with a friend and am desperate for a nap. Apparently, my body is expending tremendous amounts of energy and calories healing itself so I just have to be patient. Never my greatest virtue.

This calorie expenditure has led to a serious but also funny situation. I have to gain weight. Gain weight?!? Not in my entire life have I tried to put ON pounds. However, I've lost 30 and am now the same weight I was at Fisher Jr. High, where I wasn't even my full height yet. The Stanford nutritionists spend time with me every week, teaching me how to add calories and protein to meals. After 3 weeks of concerted effort, I've gained a big 1 pound. My body's healing is still outracing my input. However, the nutritionists are pleased because I've stopped the downward trend. Someday, I will look back fondly at the time when I could have a chocolate milkshake, with full fat milk and peanut butter, every. single. day. 

I've posted my first post-transplant picture in Photos. It was taken this week in the apartment with my childhood friend, Brad Power. Thank you, Brad, for thinking of doing this and helping to preserve a point in time in my recovery.

Everyone have a chocolate milkshake on me, and we'll toast in absentia to friends and healing.

Love,

Joanne