Monthly Archives: January 2017

No Need for a Barber for a While

Or shampoo, for that matter. Now, I’ve never had an abundance of hair, but lately Jill thinks we have a Labrador Retriever around the house because of the shedding. Probably the next time you see me I’ll be polishing the … Continue reading

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The Art of the Deal

If you thought it’s been a bumpy ride the past couple of months when it was President-elect Trump, just wait for the next few months as we are witnessing President Trump begin to implement policy. I could not figure out … Continue reading

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Made it through the Prelims

Now on to the Finals in two weeks.  Jill and I are both ready to head home tomorrow.  We’ve spent two weeks here with the goal of generating this little bag: There’s a couple million of my stem cells in … Continue reading

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The Presidency of the United States

This week we will demonstrate once again why the United States is the greatest nation on earth.  We will witness the most powerful man in the world voluntarily turn over that power to another person.  More than that, he vehemently disagrees … Continue reading

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Ten Days & Counting

The biggest problem so far has been boredom.  I’m three days into the neupogen injections and my white blood cell counts are supposed to begin dropping right about now.  From others that have gone through this I understand bone pain … Continue reading

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Stem Cell Transplant – Day One in the Tank

I will say that I approached the stem cell transplant process with some trepidation.  I did not and do not have any doubt that this is the best path for me.  All other options basically slow the inevitable to a … Continue reading

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And so it begins…

It seems like this has been a long time coming.  Tomorrow I enter the hospital to, basically, get a new immune system.  The plan is that it is an immune system that operates normally instead of attacking me. This first … Continue reading

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More Testing…

It’s December 29, 2016 and I am back in Chicago for more testing and appointments.  Getting to the actual stem cell transplant is a little like getting a security clearance.  I need to be approved at multiple stages and by … Continue reading

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Northwestern University Medical Center & Dr. Burt

After spending an inordinate amount of time online learning more about both lung transplant and stem cell transplant, I found that a Dr. Richard Burt in Chicago was having a great deal of success with autologous non-myeloablative hematopoetic stem cell … Continue reading

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The Nuclear Option

So…. lung function still declining, albeit more slowly.  Need to look at what other options are out there to ensure I live past 2017!  As I see it, there are four other paths that others with systemic scleroderma follow with … Continue reading

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