DOT +365 and the last post!

Well, this is it, the last post! It has been one year from today that I had a successful bone marrow transplant.  My health is great now and my immune system is building back up with John’s cells.  I will start slowing tapering my medicines down over the next few months and by mid-summer I should be off most everything.   Life is good.

I have thought about this post a lot and it is hard to think of what really needs be said.  Family comes first.  That's what my mom always said. 

First, my amazing wife Laura.  What a year this has been for both of us.  She put up with a lot and got me through this year.  From the middle of the night runs to the hospital because of a fever, to the day to day grind of the good news, bad news, back to good news, and back to bad.  I have read a lot at the old posts and it amazes me that we both did it.  We did it.  We really did it.  I would say “thanks” but that is just not enough.  All I really know to say is that I love you Laura! With everything I have…that's all I can say. 

John, Mom, and Dad have seen this since day one.  And now it is over.  (which is crazy to even think and I am not sure I can really believe it)  There have been tears, anger, and many laughs thru all this but now it is a reality that medicine has brought to our family.  You put your heart and soul into providing good care for me all my life.  At the end, we got lucky and John was a perfect match.  Dad said it best in his post, that this illness has brought us all closer together and that is a huge gift.  Love you all!

The one year mark is a big point that they always talked about with these transplants.  I have had some graft versus host disease appear but it has all been very manageable.  The sun is about the only thing that I really have to be careful with and that will always be with me.  But more and more stuff is being made today to help protect you from the sun and I will be a great customer of all those companies that sell those cloths. 

Work is great and it feels wonderful to be back.  It is nice to get up in the morning and go to the office versus the clinic and do something you love.  We go back to the clinic for checkups and I love stopping in to sat hello to the nurses.  They always grab my hair and laugh because they never really knew me with hair. 

Dr. Buckley still follows me and will always stay in touch.  She is a special doctor that has always been there for us.  Some part of me is very sad that I will not see her as much but I am sure we will both make it a point to see each other when we can.  We have started the process of finding a doctor here in Greensboro to follow me since I am now "normal"; or close to it.   It will be weird and scary to not be at a special clinic for my health care, but I am sure I will get used to the normal stuff everyone has. 

Duke will always have a special place in my heart.  For all those living in the triad, know that there is a wonderful hospital with the most amazing people right here close to home.  I hope to always be able to help and support the hospital because without duke, I would not be here. 

And last, the blog.  This was a place where we could go for support.  It was amazing.  Today there are 60,000 hits to the blog which is humbling.  It was a great experience to do this and I would recommend it to anyone.  Not only did it help you thru the tough times, it was a great way to communicate.  I still run into people that mention the blog and it always amazes me.  Thank you for all your support!

Now I pass the blood test for CGD.  It reads normal.  Normal!  Cheers to an amazing experience and a gift of life!