Day 8: Let There Be Cake!

A quick note on Day 8, also known as Transplant Day, and then I'll get to the real focus of today's blog post.

As expected, everything went according to plan.

The transplant itself is one of the least invasive procedures, and I use that term loosely, any Cancer patient will endure.

In fact, this one was even easier than my first 10 years ago.

Here's the video Paulette shot of the entire transplant:

The cells came in a large syringe, but not as large as the one used 10 years ago. My transplant coordinator slowly squeezed the cells into my veins and then we ate cake.

Dr. De Lima apparently gets very excited for the CAR-T transplants, and rightfully so. It's exciting stuff.

After the transplant, all of the kids visited.

First, Michael and Gage made their way to the hospital and then Jackson and Chelsey came with our nieces Maddy and Alex, who are visiting from Virginia to help out while Paulette stays at the hospital with me.

It was nice to have everybody together to celebrate yet another "re-birthday."

Paulette and I then spent the rest of the night after the kids left relaxing. We took my nightly stroll through the halls and then watched some TV before calling it a night.

Overall, it was probably the best day since I've been in the hospital and that's important for the mental health as we move into Stage 2 of this process, which is recovery. I'm now on the clock for post-transplant side effects.

I'll be closely monitored and I'll have my cognitive function tested twice a day.

The test is pretty silly. They ask me to identify three objects in the room and have me count backward from 100. The hardest question of the test is when they ask me who the president is. I have a hard time with that one.

I also have to write a sentence and sign my name so they can monitor my handwriting for changes.

These symptoms and side effects generally occur within the first 3-5 days post-transplant. That's why they keep me for at least 12 days after the procedure.

Now onto the best part of yesterday.

As I have mentioned, I have had a partner in my treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

Shortly after being diagnosed in 2009, I learned my cousin's neighbor also was diagnosed with MCL and Paul followed my treatment that year all the way through the stem cell transplant.

Unfortunately, Paul relapsed this past fall and he went through CAR-T therapy at Cleveland Clinic in December.

Paul and his wife Amy have been invaluable to me in providing me with information and expectations as I headed into my own CAR-T therapy treatment.

Yesterday, they were down at Cleveland Clinic for a checkup and a PET Scan, which indicates the amount of Cancer present in the body.

Amy sent me a one-word message and she probably could have knocked off a few characters and I still would have been over the moon with excitement.

She simply said:

"Remission!"

Paul knew a couple of weeks after his CAR-T therapy that he was Cancer free. Getting to the six-month mark and remaining Cancer free is monumental.

I couldn't be more excited for them both. They've been through a lot and I hope the wins continue to fall their way.

Obviously, that's great news for me as well.

Treatment and results are different for everybody but the short-term results of CAR-T therapy are promising and Paul's news only adds to that fact.

Contrary to public opinion, I'm even more optimistic now than I was before.

I've had several people ask me about my mental health. It appears my blog posts tend to dwell on the negative.

That certainly isn't my intent.

As I have said before, my blog serves two purposes: 1. It keeps friends and family updated, and, 2. It's my therapy.

Instead of talking to a therapist about my issues, I write about them. It's therapeutic. It eases my stress and anxiety.

If I only wrote about the positive thoughts, I'd be bottling up the other ideas in my head and then I'd need that therapist.

I'm honest with myself. In turn, you get to read that brutal honesty and sometimes it may come off as pessimistic.

Just know this, I'm in a good place mentally and I'm very optimistic about this treatment. I know in a few months I'm going to be Cancer free and enjoying life even more.

Let's put it this way, despite the real-life example I have with Paul's positive results, Dr. De Lima yesterday told us at UH they have now had 11 people complete the clinical trial. He said 70-percent have responded to the treatment. That means 70-percent have gotten into remission. We don't know about a cure yet because the treatment is so new.

He told me I could expect about an 80-percent chance of a response (remission). The odds are good but the reality is there's still a chance something can go wrong.

I'm going to write about that small percentage of failure because it helps me to overcome the negative thoughts in my head. After I get that negativity out, I can then focus on the positive and that's what I do.

So, my blog posts won't always lift your spirits, but they do lift mine.

Now, where do we go from here?

I am done. I have no infusions left so I won't be hooked up to the IV machine unless something happens. I do get oral meds every day and I'll continue to be monitored and tested.

Once that 12-day waiting period is complete, they'll talk about a discharge based on my progress.

I'm excited about that but at the same time, I'm still in the hospital and dealing with that anxiety is my challenge.

Thanks again for all the support and I hope you all join me in giving Paul and Amy a big congratulations. Paul is one of the CAR-T pioneers and that's pretty cool.