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Sunday, December 5, 2010

5 Months Post SCT

Hello My Loyal Blog Followers....

5 months ago today... I received my own Stem Cells back to reinvigorate and restore my Chemo ravaged system from my War on Myeloma
5 months ago today... I had no idea what July 2010 would bring... good thing!
5 months ago today... I had already survived The December Diagnosis, multiple Chemo Treatments, multiple life-saving Medications, never-ending Blood tests and body Surveillances
5 months ago today... I had thinning/shedding hair and had already had my signature Blonde ponytail chopped off
5 months ago today... I was on the 6th floor of City of Hope Hospital looking out my window wondering what in the world happened to me and wondering what was in store for me
5 months ago today... I was learning how to be a patient Patient... learning how to let others take care of me
5 months ago today... I was wondering how powerful Chemicals would be tolerated by my body
5 months ago today... I thought about life and death
5 months ago today... I thought about MY Life and Death
5 months ago today... I wondered about potential outcomes... and focused my energy on The Positives
5 months ago today... I was amazed with bio-medical sciences and cancer treatments
5 months ago today... I was overwhelmed with what had become of Julie
5 months ago today... I was realizing Cancerous-Julie would never be Free-Julie again
5 months ago today... I was beginning to understand that I had been diagnosed with CANCER
5 months ago today... I was beginning to realize just how much my life as I knew it had changed and would be changed FOREVER
5 months ago today... I learned the value and need for Television noise on 24/7
5 months ago today... I was processing the loss my daily freedoms- realizing I'm an IN-Patient
5 months ago today... I was attached to an IV stand 24/7 that held life-saving chemicals and fluids

5 months ago today... I was receiving treatments to Save My Life and it was SUCCESSFUL!

5 months ago today... I was and am so grateful for my Doctors, Nurses and entire Medical Staff at Kaiser and COH
5 months ago today... I was and am so thankful for all of YOU and your unwavering contact and support

5 months ago today... I DID NOT KNOW I WOULD BE IN REMISSION TODAY and I WOULD GET A NEW LEASE ON LIFE!!

Today, December 5, 2010 I am counting my blessings, I am very grateful, I am very appreciative, I am very awed and I am very happy :)

All this... in under a year's time...

Myeloma Sisters- Carol 6 years remission! Me 5 months remission!

WOW look at my new hair!!! I always wanted to be a poodle!!!!
 

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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 05, 2010

    And 5 months ago today you had hundreds of loving friends praying for you. There is no other person that I know of that could take what you went through and have your amazing outlook.

    Love Janet

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kelly Down the RoadDecember 05, 2010

    Wow. Just wow :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 07, 2010

    I am very proud of you and glad you joined the survivors club. Lots a good thoughts continue to flow your way. It is awesome to have a new view on life. Take Care Carol

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownDecember 07, 2010

    Dear Julie, you are so far along on your road to life and good feelings. I admire you in every way and hold you dar to my heart.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousDecember 07, 2010

    Dear Julie,
    You are an amazing woman. I keep you in my prayers every day. Lots of love to you...keep on dancing:)
    Love,
    Monica

    ReplyDelete
  6. ronDecember 08, 2010

    Julie,It has been quite a five months and it sounds like the prayers of your friends and family have been answered.Your attitude continues
    to amaze me and I know bring out the best in people.Remember the lessons and I`m sure you will have a great 2011!!
    Ron

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousDecember 09, 2010

    2010 was quite the year! I was thinking back on your AMAZING journey too! I'm so proud of you for who you are and not losing site of that! Your positive energy and outlook on life is just so astounding! I'm honored to know such a fascinating person! :) I said then what I'll say know - I don't know what I'd ever do without you! I'm so thankful for you being in remission! I count you as my blessing always! :')

    RR

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousDecember 09, 2010

    *now*
    (not "know")

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousDecember 18, 2010

    Julie, Congradulations !!!! I love your curly hair. You are truly "My Hero"..... Wishing you, Jim, and the rest of the family a Blessed Christmas.......

    We love you, Neel and Evelyn

    ReplyDelete

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My Story... How my MM was diagnosed

October/November/December 2009...

Most of my life I was VERY presumptuous about being healthy, taking my (mostly) GOOD health for granted...
I was committed to annual check-ups for all of us, and so late October 2009, my daughter and I went for our annual and very routine physicals.

Surprise, surprise... my routine blood tests revealed extreme Anemia, significant White and Red Cell issues, low Platelets, and a variety of other CBC red flags! I was (stupidly) not worried when my GP doc left repeated phone messages to contact him, and when we did speak, I (stupidly) requested postponement of his referral appointment to the Hematology Dept until the end of the Fall academic term.

Arriving for my first appointment Dec 14, 2009, I was confronted with the check-in sign that read: "Hematology/Oncology"... What? Nooooo! not me... I must be in the WRONG place! And so my diagnosis journey began with vials and vials of blood drawn "stat", urgent Dr consultations, a surprise and painful Bone Marrow Biopsy, a full body Skeletal Scan, more blood tests stat, and then on 12.30.2009... THE revealing meeting... the "huh-what" moment ... the confirmation diagnosis that I, Julie, have CANCER!!!

Happy New Year to me, I just learned a new vocabulary word:
Multiple Myeloma!!! MM, Multiple Mye-what-loma!!!

January - June 2010

My medical metamorphosis began.
I read, and read, and read and researched and researched MM. I trusted my expert Oncology/Hematology team's plan and began my "New Normal" as a cancer patient.
My treatment plan was developed to include powerful Dexemthesone steroids paired with Revlimid chemotherapy, with the plan to be hospitalized for an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant July 2010.

I began living "one day at a time" like never before.
Jim was a wreck. Alissa and Scott were stunned; family and friends shocked.

Me... Cowgirl Up! I got back in the saddle and knew I was in for the ride of my life!
I did well on my initial pill-form Revlimid Chemo, "roid-rage" Dex Steroids and other supportive meds. I am forever deeply grateful and appreciative for all the love and support from everyone in my personal and professional life! I thank all of you for working along with me, and allowing me to continue to lead a semi "normal" life!
YOU have helped save my life!

My treatment trail ride forks to City of Hope hospital as I will saddle up beginning June 9, 2010 for a new rodeo called an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant!
Ye-Ha, let the adventure begin!

Chemical Warfare...

January 2010 - May 2010:
My initial chemo regimen:

Pill form Chemo= Revlimid (10mg, 15mg capsules)
Pill form Dexamethasone Steroids (40 mg, 4 days on, 4 days off!
Omeprazole for steroid acid reflux
Mepron (looks like yellow finger paint) Anti-fungal, Anti-viral, etc for my very compromised immune system
B-12
.81 Aspirin to prevent DVT, Revlimid complications
Allopurinol- keeping the kidneys healthy
Acyclovir- anti-Shingles, anti-viral

June 2010:
High dose IV Cytoxan chemo
Neupogen to build up stem cells for Apheresis, stem cell harvest, which was very successful, as City of Hope was able to collect 9.5 million of my own stem cells

July 2010 Hospitalization:
Two days of high dose Melphalan chemo
Then July 5, 2010 = my Autologous Stem Cell transplant infusion!

And you can read my whole story from that point forward in this blog!


What is multiple myeloma?

What is multiple myeloma?

Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?

Multiple myeloma is a cancer formed by malignant plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and are an important part of the immune system.

The immune system is made up of several types of cells that work together to fight infections and other diseases. Lymphocytes (lymph cells) are the main cell type of the immune system. The major types of lymphocytes are T cells and B cells.

When B cells respond to an infection, they mature and change into plasma cells. Plasma cells make the antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) that help the body attack and kill germs. Lymphocytes are in many areas of the body, such as lymph nodes, the bone marrow, the intestines, and the bloodstream. Plasma cells, however, are mainly found in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside some hollow bones. In addition to plasma cells, normal bone marrow has cells that make the different normal blood cells.

When plasma cells become cancerous and grow out of control, they can produce a tumor called a plasmacytoma. These tumors generally develop in a bone, but they are also rarely found in other tissues. If someone has only a single plasma cell tumor, the disease is called an isolated (or solitary) plasmacytoma. If someone has more than one plasmacytoma, they have multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma is characterized by several features, including:

Low blood counts

In multiple myeloma, the overgrowth of plasma cells in the bone marrow can crowd out normal blood-forming cells, leading to low blood counts. This can cause anemia – a shortage of red blood cells. People with anemia become pale, weak, and fatigued. Multiple myeloma can also cause the level of platelets in the blood to become low (called thrombocytopenia). This can lead to increased bleeding and bruising. Another condition that can develop is leukopenia – a shortage of normal white blood cells. This can lead to problems fighting infections.

Bone and calcium problems

Myeloma cells also interfere with cells that help keep the bones strong. Bones are constantly being remade to keep them strong. Two major kinds of bone cells normally work together to keep bones healthy and strong. The cells that lay down new bone are called osteoblasts. The cells that break down old bone are called osteoclasts. Myeloma cells make a substance that tells the osteoclasts to speed up dissolving the bone. Since the osteoblasts do not get a signal to put down new bone, old bone is broken down without new bone to replace it. This makes the bones weak and they break easily. Fractured bones are a major problem in people with myeloma. This increase in bone break-down can also raise calcium levels in the blood. (Problems caused by high calcium levels are discussed in the section “How is multiple myeloma diagnosed?”)

Infections

Abnormal plasma cells do not protect the body from infections. As mentioned before, normal plasma cells produce antibodies that attack germs. For example, if you developed pneumonia, normal plasma cells would produce antibodies aimed at the specific bacteria that were causing the illness. These antibodies help the body attack and kill the bacteria. In multiple myeloma, the myeloma cells crowd out the normal plasma cells, so that antibodies to fight the infection can’t be made. The antibody made by the myeloma cells does not help fight infections. That’s because the myeloma cells are just many copies of the same plasma cell – all making copies of the same exact (or monoclonal) antibody.

Kidney problems

The antibody made by myeloma cells can harm the kidneys. This can lead to kidney damage and even kidney failure.