Mission Accomplished

Last week I went in on Tuesday for stem cell collection. The shots they had been giving me, did the trick. My numbers were so high, my doctor told me they should be able to get their quota of 10 million cells in half the normal time. Three and a half hours later they had 22 million cells. I had already agreed that any excess they collected I would donate to the university for research.
This was painless, and once again, other than the tingling sensation, I had none of the typical side effects. Women in particular have harder side effects from this procedure because of the calcium loss from the bones when the stem cells are released. My cells have been stored until my transplant. We are moving very quickly due to the aggressive behavior of the disease - I am going into the hospital next Monday and will get half of the normal chemo dose that morning. Because my kidney function is reduced, they modify my meds...on Tuesday, I will get the second half of the dose. The next two days will be rest days and Friday, I will be given back my stem cells - the transplant. The cells instictively know to go back into my bone marrow and will re-engraft over the next 10-14 days. Looking back over the last 5 months, it seems surreal that I'm already here. I am ready to go, no fear - just peace.

Lastly, my hair started falling out by the thousands last Wednesday. When red cells are lowered dramatically over a period of time, the hair follicle is denied oxygen, and falls out - by-product of the chemo 3 weeks ago. This is traumatic for most women - Demi lied, we don't want to be G.I. Jane...I struggled with this thought for a long time (years), but after the first couple of days, God said, "face your fear, my strength is sufficient." So, I chopped it off short, and will enjoy my remaining strands for the next few days; then I'll do what every little girl dreams of doing - start playing with wigs. I thank God for revealing childhood fears which the enemy used to set up "strongholds" in my mind and control my actions as an adult. It's ironic, because this whole "adventure" started as a result of my hair. The doctors couldn't figure out how I got Multiple Myeloma, since it is related to occupations involving dyes and chemicals. It is also a disease that typically affects black males between the ages of 60 - 65. Though the demographic is changing - I am the second youngest patient my doctor has ever treated. Long story short - it was the brown/black hair dyes I had been using for the last 12 years on a regular basis. Tell anyone you know who regularly comes into contact with dyes (tatoos, hair dyes, print chemicals, etc) to stop using them.

I am enjoying my break from "procedures and treatments" until next Monday, and thank everyone reading this who passes on my story and deeply appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers to the father on my behalf.