I have good news and more good news. I’ll pass on the good news first. My stem cell donor from two years ago is a young German man named Martin Lucas. He lives in Munich but is traveling to the United States, (Georgia) for an internship later in the Summer. We have corresponded for just a bit through email in English. He seems very bright and extremely kind. Maybe I can pick up some of his intelligence through the transplant. I still have some questions for him about allergic tendencies or other immune system specifics. As it is now, all of my blood is produced from bone marrow that came from his stem cells. We have identical blood.
The other news:
After talking with the Seattle doctors following my last visit, it looks like the amount of cancer cells in my body is not measurable. The new immune system provided by my new friend in Germany is doing the job and fighting off the reproduction of those cells. There is some question about my lungs. The oxygen in my blood is low due to GVHD. But if I can beat an aggressive version of cancer, this mini-battle should be a walk in the park. I’m gong back to Seattle in less than a month to see if they can figure out what to do next.
And finally:
This blog has been a life saver for me. I’ve never kept a diary or really written anything down before this. I foolishly think I’ll remember things, that is until I forget. Writing to my good friends and relatives has forced me to think about the struggle, the pain and hardship that cancer can bring. But more importantly, it has also made me consider the reasons for fighting such an ugly disease. It made me appreciate life and reasons for living.
I’ll always hate cancer. It causes pain to children and people who don’t deserve it. But I’m actually, in some ways glad to have gone through the experience. I was deeply humbled to be at the mercy of such a disease and I’m definitely stronger for having gone through it. I also have deeper empathy for those who don’t make it through their battle with cancer.
With that, I’d like to close this blog and look forward to a future where nobody will have cancer. I may come back if sickness reoccurs and once again, people start wondering if I’m still alive. But my plan is to move on, smell the roses, catch some fish, enjoy the music and to be with friends and relatives. The most overwhelming strength I experienced while being sick in Seattle was knowing that I was surrounded in spirit by so many people who fought by my side. Knowing that people were reading this blog was a big part of that. Thank you all for being there.
Mike
