Reflection, Rest and Recuperation

With a successful stem cell harvest behind me, I can now reflect a bit on what I just did and why. Logistically, the simple answer is that I now have the stem cells I'll need to build a new immune system after chemo is used to wipe out my defective autoimmune system in mid-January. 

The aggressive, inflammatory nature of my relapsing/remitting MS is one of the things that makes me an excellent example of someone who can benefit from Dr. Burt's hsct protocol. I'm not always totally crippled, but when my immune system flares, my central nervous system shorts out and shuts down. 

Since June, the flares have been coming on horrifically hard, locking up my legs and causing crucial body system shutdowns. The fact that I can go from wheelchair-bound to getting up and walking around means that most of my issue is with immune system flares and is not yet due to permanent nerve damage. This was confirmed with several MRI scans that showed active enhancing lesions on my brainstem. Allowing the flares to continue would certainly cause permanent disability. This is what convinced Dr. Burt to treat me outside of his Phase 3 study. Getting randomized into the control group of conventional drug treatment would have allowed further attacks and potential nerve damage. 

Consulting with Dr. Burt and nurse Amy, we concluded that mild fever from the neupogen is probably what triggered another awful ms relapse with severe spasticity during the injections. It just doesn't take much to exacerbate that weak link.

But I am hale and hearty in other ways. Unlike most other patients, I had no nausea or bone pain from the neupogen. 

Getting home on the plane was a piece of cake. But, I found that Christmas eve might be the only day of the year when wheelchair row is the longest line at airport security. 100 grandmas, and me. But, like I said, I'm not totally crippled yet, so I yelled "praise Jesus" got up and wobbled five steps through the Total Recall xray machine. That saved 20 minutes by avoiding a pat down.

Now I'm just resting and nursing the wound from the pic line catheter that was in my neck. Installing that thing hurt a lot more than I expected. I would have said some very bad words, but the surgeon literally had me by the jugular.