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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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Be the Match!
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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2008
(187)
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August
(29)
- Returning to Normal
- The Healing Power of Pecan Sticky Buns
- Thank You, Friends
- Sicko
- To Walk or Not to Walk
- Ironic Death
- I need fat!
- One in a Million
- Ding Dong
- When Breathing is a Competitive Sport
- The Trio
- It's not my imagination
- Lazy Susan
- Happy Birthday Susan!
- The Michael Phelps Diet
- How low can you go?
- A BIG Date
- Make it and break it
- Then and Now
- Help! There's a Chihuahua in my kitchen.
- What's goin' on?
- Ready or not, here I come!
- Incremental
- Dee Dee Who?
- The Good, the Bad and the Lumpy
- Feel that tingle?
- The City of Blooderly Love
- Pickup Andropoff (The Russian Chauffer)
- Eeyore or Tigger?
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August
(29)
Cancer Banter
I can't die. I still have to find the perfect purse.
22 comments:
What a great way to start my birthday with this fun surprise, Paula!
Fair warning: when I claim my birthday Manhattan, I am going to ask for Maker's Mark!
Wishing you a very happy birthday, Susan. Let's have a belated birthday party when you're feeling better - two cakes are better than one -
Happy Birthday!!! Bonnie and I send our love and thoughts. I'll hand deliver your birthday present when we arrive at Casa Carrier.
Happy Birthday! Be on the look out for a little package that should arrive around 8/26. Get lots of rest and pampering. You deserve it!
Happpy, happy, happy birthday! I know you're not feeling as perky and happy as usual, but we all still love you anyway.
However, when you are feeling perkier, you can celebrate your birthday again, and again, and again.
See, this is actually a great way to drag out your birthday. Since you can't celebrate it all in one day, have all your friends take you out for separate birthday celebrations. This could drag into next year's birthday!
And just in case you're not a fan of birthdays (unlike me), remember that everyone should get at least one day where everyone has to be nice and pay attention to them. That's the least you get, just for showing up on this planet.
Hope you're back to celebrating life soon!
Let's celebrate together later. Sorry you didn't make it to mine and sorry you're not feeling perfect. By the way, I have a nice fat bottle of Maker's Mark over here when you're in the mood!
xoxo
Happy Happy Birthday, Susan! Time goes by so quickly as we get older (my theory has been - our metabolism slows down, the world appears to be going by faster), that celebrating everything/anything over a month's time seems the only way to go! May you have a beautiful birthday month! Namaste!
Happy Birthday, Susan!
Love you,
Karen
Happy Birthday! Let me bake you something. Your choice, but I'd recommend something that makes a hefty contribution to your Michael Phelps diet. 12,000 calories. It's almost inconceivable. No nonfat Pinkberry for him.
Thank you, everyone, for the birthday greetings. I'm looking forward to stretching out my celebration into at least September.
The chocolate cake Margaret made last year was the best I've ever had.
Happy Birthday Susan.
I hope your day is good and you can have a big piece of cake!
H E A R T!
Happy Birthday, Susan! Enjoy all the cake you can eat with many scoops of ice cream and fun!
Happy Happy Birthday from the Ducks!!!
Happy birthday, Susan. Wishing you good health and a year full of coordinated accessories.
Happy Birthday Susan. Please enjoy every day of your very own new year. The Queen
Sveiks laiks dvivo!!
Happy birthday a little late!
I just got home from hosting 3 Latvian friends in Florida. Hope you had an awesome day!
Eat up!!
love, Tara in VA
Happy Birthday, Susan!!!
I was thinking about you and wanted to send you warm birthday wishes.
Happy Birthday Susan! I hope all your birthday wishes come true!
love, nancy
Well, your birthday has now officially stretched out til Sunday. Happy Birthday! Do you like cherry juice in your Manhattan?
happy happy birthday to my Susan! Let's do our birthday outing when you feel better soon. I love you lots and lots. Did you eat that striped watermelon yet? It looks delicious! Love, Suzy
You tell me when, and I will make you a chocolate cake.
ok I JUST caught up to reading the blog after being on a vacation and found this post.
I now know WHY it is I'm here---today is my birthday...we're both Leo's, both fighting cancer...both with a sense of humor...;-) hmmmmm!
Hope it was a good one, I've officially taken today off and doing a lotta nuttin!
T
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