My Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Journey - Mayo, Phoenix

First of all I have to give a huge shout out to my whole stem cell team. I can’t think them enough for making such a scary ordeal into something not so bad. It was scary to me cuz I have never been sick a day in my life and I’m 66 years old, diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma February 2023….happy birthday to me. Anyway, I started the transplant journey on July 10th, which started off with what I call the big chemo blast, got a day off then went in for the stem cell harvest. The worst part of that was having then put the catheter in my neck but luckily, they harvested what they needed on my first day, which usually takes at least 2-4 tries to get what they need for 2 transplants. Then starts my Day +1, I’m doing good and continue doing good throughout my whole so far +12 days is where I’m at today. The only side effect I have had from the chemo is diarrhea which in turn caused a few more uncomfortable issues but other than that and feeling tired, really my only complaints. This past Saturday I’m calling my bottom of all bottom days, I felt awful, no energy, but my numbers were all still and required 0 IVs, in fact I’ve only had to have 2 IVs thru this whole process. But they told me to prepare for a platelet transfusion tomorrow or the next day. Yesterday I woke up a different person, my old person, I really felt good, other then the fact of my hair starting to depart my body 😭😭. When they did my bloodwork, my regular labs came back pretty quick but it was taking forever for my platelets and neutrophils were lagging. Well, come to find out the lab was in awe they ran them a few times to make sure it was right, my platelets had come up on their own which is a real rarity evidently, they more then doubled. My nurse said she had never seen it.

That’s my journey so far in a nut shell, it’s been a long road, but at least not too bumpy. Looking forward to seeing this all in my rear view mirror. Those of you who are believers PRAY!! Keep a morecthen positive attitude, gather the biggest support group you can gather, prayer warriors, etc. you need as much good juju as you can get from everybody, not to mention an awesome care giver, hubby has been the best❤️ That’s what I owe my complete success rate so far to. Grant it, I’m not through it all yet but feel the roughest of roads are all behind me.