Category Archives: Scleroderma – a Journey

Before I get too far down the road with my recovery, I should record what it feels like to begin the long haul back to whatever “normal” is going to be.  First, let me state that I’m very, very fortunate. … Continue reading →

It’s been a solid month since my last post. Everything really caught up with me after the stem cell transplant on Feb. 7. I lost interest in pretty much doing anything except getting through the process and recovery. The transplant … Continue reading →

I kicked this phase off to a good start by losing my hair before I even got here.  That double dose of Cytoxan during the aphaeresis phase was enough to have me shedding like a golden retriever.  And I didn’t … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →