John hasn't been doing this well since before the transplant

                   

I realize I have needed to write an entry for awhile.  I have been getting emails asking how John is doing.  I keep meaning to write but I have been soooo tired.

This can be demonstrated by my speech a little while ago.  I was just lying on the couch and woke up suddenly and said to John, "My muscles in my leg are panting."  What I meant to say was that my muscles were pulsating.  I have had very painful fibromyalgia lately. 

As I woke more fully, I asked John if he would help me write a blog entry, but told him never mind, because I thought he was "too hired."  I meant too tired, LOL.  Finally I pulled it together and here we are.

First let me say that I believe John is doing better than he has been since before the transplant.  These are his words.  He is sitting here beside me.  I agree with him.  Yes you heard us correctly!  We want you to celebrate along with us, because you have been there with us from the beginning!  Yes, unfortunately he still has kidney damage but other than that, he is doing tremendously well!  We thank the Lord and his doctors for his recovery, and we also thank you all for being there for him. 

We know he is doing better because of his lab results.  His counts and levels are almost all in the normal range!  His platelets are still low.  But he no longer has the Hemolytic Anemia and hasn't for awhile.  His Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are in the normal range, and are very high for him!  John's immune system is now working well!  All of this is incredible.

And here's another good surprise.  Remember recently when John had 25 to 30% kidney function?  Well for at least three weeks he has had a Creatinin level of 1.8 to 2.0.  This means he now has 40% kidney function!  His kidney specialist said it just would NOT happen in his lifetime.  Showed him, huh!  John is going to try to improve it even more, if possible.  

We are so thankful for how John is doing.  I have to be honest though.  Sometimes it is hard and we get a little concerned.  It is always possible for a bone marrow transplant recipient to have a setback.  Look what happened about a month ago.  On the other hand, there's no reason to believe John is going to have problems either.  We are just grateful he is where he is today.  More than grateful.  We're pretty ecstatic. 

Thank you all for being here for us, 

Krissy :)

Edit:  I am neglecting to mention the most important thing here.  I wrote this entry, and was thinking about it afterward.  I am dumbstruck that I neglected to mention this, and don't want to just take it for granted.  I have new readers and they may not know.  John is in remission from two cancers!  In the past ten years John has had both Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Bone Marrow Cancer (MDS) leading into AML (leukemia).  The bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) has put the MDS in remission and should also keep the NHL cancer from coming back.

I want to give the glory to the Lord for this.  I also know this has something to do with my husband, who is a fighter.  

You can check out his journal here:  too stubborn to die      

Tags: stem cell transplant, bone marrow transplant, kidney damage, kidney disease, John, John is doing fantastic!, cancer, remission, blogplugs