Good Cancer Christmas lol

ANC 8345!!!!
ALC (immune system ability-normal 1500-36000) 1600!!!!!!!  Hellz yeah

Soooooo, I am bouncing back soooooo hardcore.  I have to just pat myself on the freakin back.  My Christmas weekend made me feel just like normal again!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yay!

Dec. 23-My mom invited a bunch of our friends over for a chili Christmas fun night.  It was awesome!  I walked around with my bald head and enjoyed every minute of company.  I also received tickets to the Nutcracker from my wonderful wonderful ex/current boyfriend. (I'll explain about him later.)

Christmas Day-My family and I awoke to a tree full of goodies and delicious hot chocolate.  I gave my grandfather a sweatshirt that I customized with all of his favorite sayings/Cliffordism (his name is Clifford)...He LOVED it!  My mom also loved her charm bracelet.  What I loved you wonder, my iPad!!!!!
One, because its an iPad and two because it has an engraving on the back: "1/15/11=Day 100.  You kicked cancer's @ss."  I love my mommy!

Dec.26-So, Jared Lowdermilk is my high school sweetheart.  He was a senior when I was a junior.  We were in the musical (Pirates of Penzance) together and then he asked me to his prom.  The rest is history.  But we decided to go our separate ways when I got to college.  It didn't really work.  We talked and would hang out almost every month still.  So, when this whole cancer thing happened, of course he knew.
He came flying back into my life.  He showed up whenever I needed him.  He is one of the most sincere caring wonderful thoughtful people in the entire world!  He surprised me with the tickets to the ballet then treated me to a much needed night on the town.

So pretty much, I had many Christmases this year.  All wonderful because of the people who love me!  God bless us, everyone :)

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is Out**

Day +70

It doesn't even feel like it's been that long!!!  But I'm super happy it has!

After I figured out my capsule problem.  My stomach stopped being a jerk.  It was sooo nice afterwards, I rewarded it with lots and lots of food and cake lol.  I was sooooo happy that my stomach went back to being "my" stomach.  Everyone who knows me, knows I Love to eat.  And I do it sooo well. 

My stomach being awesome lasted around a couple weeks.  Of course, nothing is permanent after a Bone Marrow Transplant.  I mean, my skin is still changing colors so the stomach I guess I will just deal with.  Yesterday my stomach sucked.  I was forced to take Tums around 1 and nothing stopped hurting until 4...
But, once it stopped hurting I was able to eat a pecan roll.  Which was really necessary.

OH, Development!  I don't have to take the stupid powdery nasty pills anymore and...I'm down to taking only 7 meds morning and night!!!!!  As time goes, more pills do too!

I am soooo excited for Day +100! 

I am also excited for a year after that because then I'm getting my new tattoos!  And yes, plural...

I watched a documentary on body modification the other night and I remembered how much I like tattoos, especially when they are super symbolic.  It's such a shame though, I'm either going to have to get my first one redone but hopefully just retouched.  Since my skin changed colors and is now just pretty much coming off...so is my tat on my left shoulder! 

I will go through with redoing it if I have to because it is very symbolic of who I am and the pain is nothing compared to chemo.  Also, if it didn't hurt a little, it wouldn't be as epic when it's done.  Pretty much like a Bone Marrow Transplant.
"Having Tattoos...It's a way of suffering for the things that mean a lot to you."

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is Out** 

Week after Thanksgiving

Sooooo I ate as much as I could on Thanksgiving but it was not the holiday I planned.  I wanted to vacuum up my plate of food but my stupid mouth wouldn't allow me to.  All of the meds/drugs I was on made my mouth extremely dry and therefore incredibly sensitive.  I couldn't fully enjoy any of the fantastic (not spicy in the least bit) food my mom had made.  It kinda sucked being stuck at a table covered in delicious food and all I could do was nibble and swish with water.  Cancer makes everything SUCK!

Another reason why I couldn't enjoy my wonderful Thanksgiving meal was because I was completely filled with tiny plastic capsules.

Yes, Stupid Plastic Capsules!

Soooo, some of my meds, of course the meds that I have to take 120 of, come in small capsules.  They are suppose to dissolve in my stomach but Guess What...They didn't AT ALL!  And do you know, how I know, that they didn't dissolve.  That's easy.  I saw all the capsules when I threw up everyday!

It was soooo upsetting.  My mom was seriously disturbed to see a huge chunk of plastic come back up my throat.  The graphics are more than necessary.  This was my life for about a week.  I couldn't enjoy ANY FOOD. 

Thank God that has now passed.  To keep my sanity and ability to eat, my mom was smart enough to think about pouring the contents of the capsules out and mixing them in stuff.  The cyclosporin doesn't taste completely disgusting mixed with chocolate pudding but I came upon this conclusion after many more pukes.  The MMF still taste disgusting in everything.  No matter what I put it with, it leaves a delightful powdery mediciny aftertaste all over my tongue.  But I get done with my meds hours quicker now.  

  How wonderful is that!

Appreciating little things like that make this journey a little better everyday.  Truly, getting to go to bed in my room every night helps me get closer and closer to day 100.

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is Out**