Day +8//It’s good to be the youngster

This morning started with a blood sample being taken and then my Filgrastim shot. I had a hard time sleeping last night due to the bone pain I was having. I took a nice long hot shower and that eased the pain but as soon as I stepped out, it was like I was paralyzed in pain. I am so thankful that I brought my electric heating pad with me. That has been a life saver through this bone pain. It feels like a constant pulsing pain that randomly zaps with intensity. The heat and the pain killers lessen the pain but I just keep reminding myself that I am in pain because the medicine is doing its job. And that it is! Today in my consultation the doctor walked in and asked how I was doing and I said “I’m doing pretty great! I have bone pain, but no other complaints.” Before he sat down, he opened up my folder with all of my lab results and said “WOW! You ARE doing good!” While my platelets and hemoglobin are still going down, my neutrophils are already on their way up. Once they start rising, it does not take long at all for you to come out of neutropenia. So while I am still in neutropenia as of my 7am blood sample, I got the GREAT NEWS that I can be done with the Filgrastim injections! Praise the Lord!! The doctor credited my ease of treatment to being so young. Feels good to be a youngster!

So to those of you who are currently diagnosed with MS and considering this treatment: Don’t wait! The only complaint I’ve ever heard from HSCT veterans, even from those who are ‘non-responders’ to HSCT, is that they wished they would have done it sooner. This has shown promising results in patients all over the EDSS range. Do your research. Talk to your family. Join HSCT support groups. Learn all that you can learn. And take action! I’ve only been diagnosed for 2 years and I am only 31, but why wait? Why wait until you’re any more disabled? Why wait until you’ve exhausted all of the FDA approved drugs? There are more options out there, you just have to look. And then you have to do something about it.

Gaby Started on this hat for me last night and already finished it! Now my bald little noggin can stay warm 🙂