This weekend marks my 3rd anniversary of my bone marrow transplant in 2009. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, but it has. It's been a wild ride over the last few years, but overall, I'm doing quite well. Thanks to the transplant, I'm still in remission and getting a little stronger every day. In the last few weeks, I've probably felt better than I have since the start of treatment 3 years ago.
In April, I started a program called Pulmonary Rehabilitation. It's basically a fancy term for a workout session, while they monitor my saturation (oxygen levels) and my blood pressure. It's an hour long each time, 3 days a week. It's mostly treadmill work with the use of rowing machines, bikes and weight lifting. I hate exercise and I always have. But I can honestly say that I do feel better because of it. My breathing has improved a little, but what's more become more affected is my energy levels. I feel that when the days go on, I have more continued strength to do the things I want to do or need to do.
I haven't really mentioned this publicly yet, but I will now. A few months back, we finally made contact with my donor. Yes, THE donor. I will not mention her identity here, but we've shared stories over email and pictures. We are anxious to meet her someday in person. She seems like a delightful person and we're looking forward to learning more about one another. It's amazing how long it actually takes to establish a link between parties, but the hospitals have those privacy policies in place to protect both sides. And with good reason.
So...this weekend, sit back. Relax. Have a drink. Or two. Or five. Enjoy the weather. Stop and smell the roses. Why? Because you CAN. We're going to. Because put simply, 3 years ago tomorrow, my donor gave me the ability to continue on with my life to enjoy these times. And by golly, that's what I'm going to do.
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Friday, May 18, 2012
3 Year Anniversary of BMT
This weekend marks my 3rd anniversary of my bone marrow transplant in 2009. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, but it has. It's been a wild ride over the last few years, but overall, I'm doing quite well. Thanks to the transplant, I'm still in remission and getting a little stronger every day. In the last few weeks, I've probably felt better than I have since the start of treatment 3 years ago.
In April, I started a program called Pulmonary Rehabilitation. It's basically a fancy term for a workout session, while they monitor my saturation (oxygen levels) and my blood pressure. It's an hour long each time, 3 days a week. It's mostly treadmill work with the use of rowing machines, bikes and weight lifting. I hate exercise and I always have. But I can honestly say that I do feel better because of it. My breathing has improved a little, but what's more become more affected is my energy levels. I feel that when the days go on, I have more continued strength to do the things I want to do or need to do.
I haven't really mentioned this publicly yet, but I will now. A few months back, we finally made contact with my donor. Yes, THE donor. I will not mention her identity here, but we've shared stories over email and pictures. We are anxious to meet her someday in person. She seems like a delightful person and we're looking forward to learning more about one another. It's amazing how long it actually takes to establish a link between parties, but the hospitals have those privacy policies in place to protect both sides. And with good reason.
So...this weekend, sit back. Relax. Have a drink. Or two. Or five. Enjoy the weather. Stop and smell the roses. Why? Because you CAN. We're going to. Because put simply, 3 years ago tomorrow, my donor gave me the ability to continue on with my life to enjoy these times. And by golly, that's what I'm going to do.
In April, I started a program called Pulmonary Rehabilitation. It's basically a fancy term for a workout session, while they monitor my saturation (oxygen levels) and my blood pressure. It's an hour long each time, 3 days a week. It's mostly treadmill work with the use of rowing machines, bikes and weight lifting. I hate exercise and I always have. But I can honestly say that I do feel better because of it. My breathing has improved a little, but what's more become more affected is my energy levels. I feel that when the days go on, I have more continued strength to do the things I want to do or need to do.
I haven't really mentioned this publicly yet, but I will now. A few months back, we finally made contact with my donor. Yes, THE donor. I will not mention her identity here, but we've shared stories over email and pictures. We are anxious to meet her someday in person. She seems like a delightful person and we're looking forward to learning more about one another. It's amazing how long it actually takes to establish a link between parties, but the hospitals have those privacy policies in place to protect both sides. And with good reason.
So...this weekend, sit back. Relax. Have a drink. Or two. Or five. Enjoy the weather. Stop and smell the roses. Why? Because you CAN. We're going to. Because put simply, 3 years ago tomorrow, my donor gave me the ability to continue on with my life to enjoy these times. And by golly, that's what I'm going to do.
2 comments:
- jen miltenbergerMay 18, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Congrats to u and ur donor i didnt know u went through all of this but i am thankful to be able to read about it now...
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You are the best! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to u and ur donor i didnt know u went through all of this but i am thankful to be able to read about it now...
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