According to the CT and PET scans, I'm in complete remission. And the bone marrow biopsy shows no sign of the dreaded myelodysplasia.
We're just waiting to get the results of the skin biopsy from Dr. Chang to figure out if and how the final diagnosis will affect future treatment. I'm now scheduled for a night at Hotel Hope for Cytoxin on Thursday, July 26, right after I get back from a few days in San Francisco.
Hallelujah!
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March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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Links
- About Stem Cell Transplants
- Asians for Miracle Marrow Match (A3M)
- City of Hope
- City of Hope: Donating Blood or Platelets
- Daily Survival Guide for Serious Illness (Gilda's Club and the Tom McDermitt Fund)
- Histopathology of MCL
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Lymphoma Information Network
- Lymphoma Research Foundation
- Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium
- National Cancer Institute
- Your Brain After Chemo
What does a writer do when she finds out she has stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma? She blogs. Because, as everyone knows, cancer sucks, but blogging rocks.
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
January 2009
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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2007
(286)
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July
(31)
- Whatever happened to Joel?
- Funny Lady Returns to the Ice House in Pasadena
- Next Steps
- What I DIDN'T Do on Vacation
- If it looks like a duck . . . .
- Is it Wednesday yet?
- I thought she'd never leave!
- Vacation from Blogging?
- We're All Connected
- Cancer Banter on Vacation
- GREAT News!
- Talk About a Cliff Hanger
- Pretty in Polka Dots
- A Night at Hotel Hope
- Petty Woman
- "Pole Dancing" Recap
- What a Difference a Doc Makes
- Reminder: "Pole Dancing" at Dutton's, Sunday, 2-4 pm
- What Grows Around, Comes Around
- Day of Rest
- I'm a rarer bird than I thought.
- What is Surrender?
- Diary of a Bald Housewife
- Now You See It, Now You Don't
- Surrender?
- Temperature's Risin' (And so are the blood counts)
- Pole Dancing in Public: Dutton's Bookstore, July 15
- Play to Win
- Happy Hour at City of Hope
- Keep Kicking
- Personal Best, Personal Worst
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July
(31)
Cancer Banter
I can't die. I still have to find the perfect purse.
15 comments:
Susan,
This is the best news! Tim & I are thrilled and looking forward to celebrating tomorrow night with you. Curry all around!!!
Love,
Kiki
You made my night!!!! This is beyond GREAT!!!!
Have a wonderful time in San Francisco!!
Will you be wearing polka dots?
Hallelujah indeed! Great news!
Polka Dots! Yawhoooo!
Oh, wow, Susan, fabulous.
Fantastic! Can't wait to see you in San Francisco.
HALLELUJIA!!!! That's FANTASTIC!!!!
THRILLING!!! GLORIOUS!!! Have a wonderful trip, celebrate, and sleep well and wake up happy every morning from this day forward!!!
With all my love,
Mrs. Duck
Yay! Yay! Yay! So great to hear that. :-) :-)
Have a super trip, relax, enjoy yourself totally and just be silly and have fun.
Please say hi to Ed and Anne for me.
Love,
(the other) Karen
I can't help but believe that your fantastic attitude had something to do with your great test results. You are healing you and you are surrounded by people who love and support you and send healing vibes your way. Go on vacation and celebrate!
: )
FANTASTIC NEWS---Congrats, you brave warrior, you!!! We knew you could do it!!! Kudos to you!!!!
Love you lots...
XO
Susan,
That's fantastic! I'm so glad for you:)
Lisa C.
Hallelujah indeed! This is the greatest news! We are celebrating with you! We love you!
Oh, hallelujah
I'm a little late to the party here, but no less thrilled! Have a great time in SF!
Wonderful news Susan and congratulations on your reading, I know there will be more but I was sad to miss your first one. I was in D.C. where I spent one week with my beloved French niece.
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