Last thursday, we went to the day hospital. We had been there 10 days ago. A nurse took some blood samples, then we waited for the results: everything was almost perfect! I was just short in red blood cells but nothing alarming: the doctor explained previously that it takes time to have a “regular” red blood cells count.

The doctor told us that there was no need to come back to the day hospital. We have an appointment with the doctor on November 15th, and I will need only to have a blood analysis performed in an outside laboratory, as I did before. She said also that after this appointment, I will come to meet the doctor only ones a month at the begining, then not so often… Yes! Another very good news! The “regular” life is around the corner!

The last step will be to take the public transportation…maybe next week or the week after?

Yesterday, we had a sunny afternoon, so we went for a walk around “Bures reservoir”: 2.5 km, the longest walk I did since last June and the bone marrow transplant. After I cleaned up some dead leaves from the ground in the garden… I was not tired, so i was happy to be able to do something after such a long time of inactivity.

Enjoy life!

Top photo: with hairs!

Bottom photo: without hairs… but they are coming back!

 

 

Last monday, we had a discussion with the doctor about what we could change to ease the day to day life. We asked in particular if the time had come to be able to eat outside: yes was the answer! So yesterday night, we went for our first diner in a restorant sinnce last May! Not a fancy restaurant, just a small vietnamese place near our home! But I was so happy! For us, it opens the way to take some “vacation”for a few days!

Things are improving a lot. We just need to visit the day hospital every 10 days. The cyclosporine I take is decreasing each week; by November I will be free!

On Monday, the catheter was removed, so I am free to take a full shower now…

On the other end, during our visit to the day hospital, because we meet various patients with different “histories”, I can appreciate more how lucky I am: I am on the way to a full recovery! Very few people we meet have this chance!

Take care and have a good day.

Last week, we had an appointment with the doctor who is following me. For this visit, I apssed several physical exams, the most important being the myelogram. She confirmed that it was now the stem cells from the donnor which were in charge of the production of all the blood cells and the immune system. The blood cells analysis is close to normal! Much better that when I was in charge a few months ago!

After some difficult weeks, during which I had some serious digestive problems, it is now close to normal! I started to eat a lot and even I gained some weight already (I lost up to 12/15 kg and look like a gost!).

There are still some limitations on what I can do, including using the public transportation, going outside home to eat in restaurants, but the doctor told us that it is just a question of weeks (maybe end of of October). I need to be patient!!!!!!!

We are now going to the day hospital once a week, which is cool! The next appointment with my doctor is mid-october: I guess at that time, some limitations in my life will be lifted!

During the visit to the doctor, I gave her a letter for my donnor. It is just “a thank you letter” since it must be anonymous: no personal details are allowed. Next time I will visit my doctor, I will give her another letter so that she will be able to follow my progress toward a “normal” life. She really saved my life!

Thank to my family and my friends for the support they gave me during those very important months!

Sorry for being silent for so long!

Over the last few weeks, I have had a lot of digestive problems. At some point, I had to stay for a week or so in the hospital again. Now, the situation is improving gradually, but there is a need to be patient…

Recently, I had a myelogram done: the graft is working perfectly well, so that I have an almost “regular” blood analysis!

I am now at D + 70 after the graft: it was time to look for “chimerism”, using some sophisticated analysis on the bone marrow: looking for “my DNA” versus “the DNA of my donnor”. Only less than 0.01% of my DNA has been found: I am now a true chimera with my old DNA being in charge of everything but all of what is connected with “blood” (including the immune system), which is directed by the guest’s DNA! Funny is-not-it to be both man and woman: X-Y/X?

At D + 90, I will have several exams to compare with the sames I did before the graft….

Talk to you later!

On wednesday afternoon, I got the news from the doctors: I was ready to go home the next day:Yes! Although nothing really clear was discovered regarding the “inflammation of the digestive track”, they assumed that I was able to handle it!

So here I am, back home and very very happy!

I hope it will be the last visit I will pay to the hospital….this time, 10 days!

Enjoy life!

Since going back home on July 13th, I visited the day hospital 3 times already. Each time, doctors explained me that they were happy with my recovery! I jus have some red spots on the skin, which can be seen as a sign that the graft is working efficiently. It is called a fight between host and guest but it can be kept under control using the cyclosporine.

Today, I got the results for the first myelogram done at D + 30 last thursday: everything is normal! Yes!

I also got the blood analysis results: I did not have an analysis like this one for years:I am almost back to  a normal analysis with just a small defificit in red blood celles and platelets…

We still need to be extra careful with the food and the cleaning of my environment…

The mainly difficulty I am facing now: being tired and having little energy!

I will have to be patient!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I came back home on wednesday July 13th, after just 4 weeks spent in the hospital. It was so fast that it surprised everybody, including me !!!!But I will not complain: I am so happy to be home :-)!

Part of this speedy “recovery” is linked, I guess, with the hematopoietic stem cells ‘s donnor. I know a little more about her (yes it is a her!). Of course, as a rule in Europe everything is anonymous, so I will never know from where she is and who she is. I learned that my donnor is a very young woman born in 1990! Because she is so young, her stem cells are very active, so just they were injected in my body, thay started to work almost immediatly. Another very important point is that she was 100% compatible with me! I have been so lucky (Jaja suggested that I should buy a lottery ticket!

The only action which will be allowed in direction of my donnor is to send her a thank you letter, which I will write soon…

Tomorrow, I will pay my first visit to the day hospital. They will do some analysis, like the concentration of cyclosporine in my bood, as welle as blood cells count. Because the stem cells are working so well, I might not need any blood transfusion…

The next visit to the day hospital will be on thursday. It will be D + 30 after the graft; This time, I will have a myelogram done: it is the better way to check how the stem cells are working. It will also be a way to check how close I am to become “a chimera”! As seen on the top photo, a chimera is “an animal” which is made of two different animals, like a lion and a gazelle on the photo. It means that the animal is containing two different DNAs. In my case, it will be similar: I will have my old historical DNA for the old parts of my body, but will have in all the things connected with blood the new DNA of my donnor: I will a chimera! Before having to deal with that personnaly, I even did not think that it was possible to live with two DNAs!

To end up this long presentation, here are some photos as I was leaving the hospital and some photos at home!

This morning, I had a regular visit with the doctor. On his way to leave the room, he told me: well you have antibiotics for a few more days, what about going home next wednesday July the 13th?

What a news! What a schock! As we say in french: “je suis sur le cul” (I am on my ass)!

From the begining, with Jaja, we were thinking that I might need to stay in the hospital for around 6 to 8 weeks….

Anyway, I am very very happy and I wanted to share with you this great news!!!!!!!!

In order to leave the hospital, I need now to exchange the  system used at the hospital (chemicals given by injection in the blood) by a solid state approach: it is the key to be able to leave the hospital. Tonight was the first step: I had cyclosporine in pills! This stuff needs to be taken every 12 hours sharp…It should be OK if no side effects!

A few days ago, I had to be shaved, as my hairs started to leave my head: how do you like mu new haircut? It might last a few month before I got new hairs…. It is not so important!

Tonight, we have Portugal-Wales in football: it could be sweet to have “the brexiters” kicked out ;-)!