Finally!

Today is Day 76 post-BMT! I can't believe I've made it this far particularly after the last several weeks I've spent in pure misery 95% of the time. Sorry I haven't written more, but to tell you the truth, any of the time I spent at home was spent resting. The CMV Virus really took it's toll on me, but I feel like it's finally in check and I've turned the corner. Only one more week on Valcyte and I'm done. While Valcyte brought me back to good health, it has also reeked havoc on my counts, especially my white counts - they've gone from a whopping 8,000 to a little over 3,000. Such a delicate balancing act between the disease, my body and the drugs - I'm amazed everyday (and grateful) at the researchers who figured all this out. Removing my Hichman Catheter has been delayed a few weeks until my counts begin to rise just in case I should need a blood transfusion or platelets.

As of today, I am released from the IPOP clinic and will be seen in Outpatient Services (OPS) instead. This is considered the next step in the healing process and while my time there was comforting and safe and God knows they've nursed me through some really tough times, the umbilical cord must be severed and my body needs to work on turning me into a big strong girl again. My oncologist is out on maternity leave so I'll be meeting with Dr. Keith Pratz on Friday. I'm not sure how often I'll need to visit OPS, but I feel ready. I've been advised to not become discouraged in regard to my energy level and to not expect it to fully return for 6 months to a year. At this moment I'm a believer. I still need to rest everyday.

It seems my biggest obstacle is fluid retention - a side effect of Gleevec, so, I'll need to watch my sodium intake, etc. I'm also going to be scheduled for another Echo-cardiogram to see if there are any changes since the last one. I've been given some deep breathing exercises since I'm not expanding my lungs to their full capacity (which is a result of being sick and laying around) and I'm to try to do a little moderate exercise everyday to start to increase my muscle tone (which has totally gone to pot). All in all, I feel encouraged and ready to move forward.

Side Note: I got an Explanation of Benefits Statement from my insurance company today. My impatient care from 5/20/09 - 6/13/09 (this was when I was in JHH for my BMT) was $92,422.51! This does not include drugs, doctors, or the actual BMT procedure. Thank God for Carefirst BlueCross/BlueShield and my private insurance - this whole ordeal has cost me nothing since the day I was diagnosed.