I Had Almost Forgotten What Hearing Good News Feels Like (It Feels Really Good)

As many folks already know, John and I received some really good news this week regarding my progress.  Last week I went to Emory for a multitude of pre-transplant tests, one of which was a bone marrow biopsy. I had a really good feeling about the results afterward because about two days after the procedure, any residual pain I experienced from it was already gone. It took me about a month to get over the pain from the first one I had in the hospital back in January. I felt like this was a good sign that the cancer was losing the battle and my bones were getting stronger.

Side note: Apparently the nurse practitioner who performed the biopsy thought I was some sort of lightweight. The "sedation" meds they gave me didn't even phase me. They noticed I was totally lucid, gave me a little more, and I was still completely lucid throughout the procedure. I was so lucid, in fact, that I could have driven out of the place following the procedure (they require you bring a driver when you're being "sedated"). They kept me for observation for about five minutes afterward, as opposed to the 30-60 minutes they had quoted me prior to the biopsy. Obviously they had no idea who they were dealing with ;-). Luckily the local anesthesia worked, otherwise I would have been screaming at someone. They also took (literally, this is not an exaggeration) 20 vials of blood from me for blood work. When results came back, my hemoglobin was really low and they were like, "You need to get a blood transfusion this week!" Well no shit; you just took like a whole unit of blood from me to run freaking tests.

So...fast forward a week, and John and I are heading to Atlanta to discuss the biopsy results and the plan for the transplant. The trip down was super pleasant, as Pandora was rocking some really good 90s music the whole way (took me right back to the days of my Doc Martens and my obsession with guys on skateboards). When we got there, they took only three vials of blood from me for labs (score), and then we headed over to see the doctor. After watching about an hour of HGTV in the waiting room, we finally got called back.

We chatted about my lab results, which looked good, and I signed the consent for the stem cell collection. We were about to adjourn, and I was like, oh shit, I need to ask about my biopsy results! The doctor let me know the results were very favorable. Over 90% of the cancer has been eliminated with the chemo treatments. They will move forward with the collection and the transplant at 50%, but it's not the best outcome. Part of me was a little scared going in that my results would be closer to that figure, given my initial diagnosis. The doctor was very satisfied with my reaction to treatment, and John and I were elated. We haven't been that happy in a long time.

We grabbed a quick bite before heading home because I was getting hangry (the struggle is real, y'all). We sat outside, enjoyed the weather, I drank a margarita to celebrate and ordered a burrito that I swear weighed five pounds. I did not finish said burrito. I did, however, finish my celebratory margarita. John and I haven't had a moment like that in a long time, so it was really nice. Almost surreal.

So, I'm all set to start the stem cell collection on 5/11 and I'll be admitted to the hospital for my transplant on 5/27. I'll be back and forth between Columbia and Atlanta a lot during the month of May, and I'll be there until at least 6/12 after my transplant. There is a possibility I will be released straight home from the hospital, but they don't typically do that. I may have to stay in Atlanta an additional week for follow up visits. Either way, I'm excited we're moving into the next phase of treatment and that my life will eventually return to normal. The recovery from what the Melphalan (super dose of chemo) will do to my body will take a few months, but after that I should be able to return to life as I once knew it.

In other exciting news, John and I get to go to a wedding this Friday night, which I am super excited about. I can't wait to see some friends in a social setting, eat some good food (yay for foodie weddings!), and have a couple drinks (because two is all I can handle at this point without getting shitfaced). It'll be so nice to celebrate two awesome people and get out of the house!