Well if you believe the Mayan calendar, 2012 will be the end of the world! Fortunately for me, I don't believe that. If I did, I certainly wouldn't be spending my final year of life recovering from an arduous and grueling stem cell transplant. And it is an overview of my 2012 that I plan on sharing with you today.
Well one thing is for certain, it is going to be an interesting and busy year. I am under no illusions, it is going to be tough. Really tough. But even with the nausea, vomiting, lethargy, hair loss, generally feeling like crap and all the other delightful side effects that come with chemotherapy and being neutropenic, I will have to consider it a wonderful year if the treatment works.
Mapping out the year for me is probably best if I go backwards. In October I have a goal. I need to be fit and healthy. At least well enough to travel across the world in an airplane. What is my goal I hear you ask? Well, if there was a sure fire sign that the world was coming to an end (which it isn't) it is that my brother is getting married!
After nearly 40 years of bachelorhood he is going to tie the knot with his significant other in the UK in October. I'm excited! And what makes it even more exciting is I'm yet to meet the lucky lady and their brand new son. I've always said that even though hospitals and medicine are a big part of my life I believe that that is not a reason for living. We live for the good things in life and October for me will be massive. As well as the wedding my wife and I are planning to take the kids around the world so it should be an amazing trip.
In all honesty it is really good timing. I will have had enough time to recover and prepare for the trip and during my stem cell transplant I will have something to look forward to as well as the obvious like seeing the kids after three months, or being able to sleep pain free or even being able to go for a run. (Now, now Andy. Keep it real. Don't get ahead of yourself.)
I think that brings us to the stem cell transplant. I will cover this in more detail later and then in insanely more details as I embark upon the journey. Suffice to say that it will be hard and intense. Whoever said it was about the journey not the destination never had a stem cell transplant. I'd love to be able to skip the next four months and wake up just in time for the good part. The healing. Sadly, that won't be the case, but whilst I'm in Chicago I do plan have at least a tiny bit of fun. It would be a shame to travel all that way to a place I've never been before and not spend at least one day seeing everything. I think it will also be important to give myself something right in the moment to look forward to. Sure, the long term gains are undeniable. But it is also nice to have short term goals to help with the here and now.
I think one of the things that is really important for me to share with you all is that although I am 99% certain to go to Chicago, there is still no absolute certainty I will make it into the trial, and I might be headed back to Australia with my tail between my legs. But I can't think like that. I need to stay positive and assume I will make it into the trial. If I don't I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
On other notes, my health is much bigger than just one treatment. The year has got off to a flying start with already one IVIG treatment and a kidney x-ray which came back clear of all stones! That is now six months. Lets hope that I can keep that up all year. I think/hope it may be a good year for the kidneys.
Well, that's a brief summary of my year ahead. It should be an interesting one. I'll keep you posted as I go. Until then, stay well:)
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