10 Year Birthday (Stem Cell)
Yes, I’m literally 10 years old
I remember every face, every expression of every friend and family in the room that day, standing side by side holding hands, looking at me with those anxious eyes, praying nervously, doing their best to be in the moment, yet completely lost in it’s weight. Me too, what a journey for us all, I HOPE I make it, I don’t want to let anyone down. It was July 6, 2009, ironically, at City of Hope.
I remember the nurse’s face as she entered with THE WHITE BAG, oh that white bag. She looked as nervous as we were, you could tell she knew that this was a huge life changing moment. The white bag, filled with my own stem cells, but overflowing with everyone’s hopes and prayers. This was it, all the failed treatments, ten thousand pills, a dozen chemos, a million needles, the collapsed veins, this was it, all the waiting for those damn test results that made us cringe, all the preparations, all the doctor/lab/hospital visits, the wait was finally over, the stem cell transplant. It’s been 9 years, 364 days, 3 hours and 45 seconds…and nobody knew if it would work, or if it would be all over.
I remember every moment after. Everyone’s faces when they saw me in a fetal position, barely weighting 110. I remember every angel that drove so far, to donate platelets and blood, but had to wear gloves and a mask before they could enter to see why. I remember all the fake smiles, the runny mascaras and the perplexed look on my doctors, this was experimental for my disease and new to them as well. I remember Kathy not just holding my hands, but holding together the entire clan, and not letting anyone cry due to the unknown, at least in my weakened presence. But…I knew.
I remember being isolated in a hospital bed behind a thick glass wall. To enter, everyone having to wear yellow plastic gowns, gloves and masks, even Kathy, Kasra, Kayla and Izzy my 2 year old daughter. I remember not being able to eat or drink or stand or sit, or be able to do anything I always TOOK for granted. But I also remember being calm as a midsummer’s ocean breeze in the middle of July, because…I knew.
I remember that even at the lowest moments then, shivering, isolated with zero immune system and lots of reasons to be down, Kathy never let doubt infiltrate our wandering thoughts, and kept every moment light, filled with laughter and warmth, because…she also knew.I remember, despite the long drive, my mom, 3 sisters and brother, visiting every single day, along with constant visits from family and friends, making sure Kathy and I never went dark. I remember, I remember everything.
So a million thanks to the miracle of science performed by my doctors, that led to a successful stem cell transplant which is WHY I’m still here. But a billion thanks to my invaluable support system, who always stood by our side, which is really HOW I’m still here. You see, science backed by a great support system will almost always win and prevail. Now we all know!
I’m 10 years old AND COUNTING!
