Dreams

It's that time again... time for an update: 

Phyllis is doing well and in fact, just had a birthday! It just so happens that my fiancee and I got engaged on her birthday a couple years ago (before we even knew her! - Crazy, right?!)

She and I speak regularly, maybe 2-3 times per week. We both wish we lived closer but sometimes life and circumstances just get in the way. Hopefully we will be able to see each other sometime this year? Personally, I think Americans work too hard and don't get enough vacation days :p I'd be fine taking a month or two without pay so I could travel. Ahh, I'll keep dreaming. :)

Serenity

Update

I can't believe it's been just shy of a year since the last time I have posted!

Phyllis is doing wonderful and we talk regularly. I flew out to see her in June I think it was? Then I took a trip across country this past summer and made a stop along the way to see her. We live so far apart but we were lucky enough to have several opportunities to meet up. 

She has had some minor graft vs host type complications but from what I've been told, it's a fairly common thing. Yay for being healthy :)

Donor/Recipient Meeting!

I can't believe I haven't updated since 2013!

It is now April of 2014 and I have some wonderful news! Phyllis and her family planned a trip to the East coast and I was lucky enough to be able to meet up with her and her family members this past week. It was, by far, one of the greatest days in my entire life. My recipient is one of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that I have ever known and I was and am still at a loss for words. We got to spend a couple hours together but the time flew by. When it was time for us to go, I instantly felt like part of me was leaving. It hasn't even been a week since we met and I've already decided to start planning a trip to where she lives :)

Phyllis

Well, the one year mark from the donation came and went. I sent Lee my info out right away but considering the lag between NMDP and such, I assumed I wouldn't hear much for a while. To my surprise, within a couple days I received an email directly from my recipient! Her name is Phyllis and she lives almost completely on the other side of the country. We have been emailing back and forth since then and it has been such an awesome experience. I look forward to hearing from her and always smile when I see an email from her pop up in my inbox.

She's doing well and I've even gotten to speak with some of her family members too. She's an amazing woman and I so look forward to getting to meet her and her family and finally give her the hug I've been holding onto for her for over a year now. 

I cannot believe how much things have changed in over a year. I looked back at some of my older posts and was reminded to keep counting my blessings. 

Almost 1 Year Since the Donation!

Throughout this past year, my recipient and I have been able to correspond through letters that pass through NMDP to ensure anonymity. I have received letters from her husband, sister, mother, and son and I get so excited when I hear from her and her family. I just received a couple of letters last week that had been written back in September (there's about a month lag with sending it through NMDP and all).

But now, in exactly 10 days, it will have been 1 year since the donation and we will be allowed to release our contact information and correspond without going through NMDP. I've been counting down the days for a long time but since November started, I've been unable to contain my excitement!

Leukemia Free!

I received a card from my recipient midway through last month. She wrote me to let me know that at her 6 month check up she was still leukemia free! Amazing news! She wrote the letter in mid July so I've come to learn that it takes about a month for it get from her all the way to me.

At this point, it's been almost 10 months since the donation and I get more and more excited knowing that come November, we will no longer need NMDP to correspond.

More Letters!

A couple days ago, I received an email from Lee with a letter attached from my recipients sister. It was such a beautiful letter... she told me how beautiful her sister is, inside and out and how her sister is such an amazing person full of love, laughter, generosity and strength - pretty much exactly how I pictured her.

It warms my heart when I hear from them. :)

Wonderful News!

A little over a week ago I received a letter from my recipient saying that she's doing really well. She was released from the transplant facility before day 100 and actually could have gone home sooner than she did but her family was sick so they didn't want to risk it. She also said she was looking forward to meeting me and being able to hug me and thank me in person.

As everyone can imagine, I was so excited to get this letter - it truly means the world to me and I'm eagerly counting down until the 1 year mark in November :)

Connections

My recipient had been on my mind all night Saturday night. I sometimes wonder why she weighs so heavily on me at times and then think that maybe it's because she's thinking of me too and our thoughts are connecting. Days will pass and life gets busy and the donation doesn't even cross my mind but then some days I can't think of anything else and I'm amazed all over again at how blessed I am to have been able to be part of such an awesome thing. I wonder about her often and I wish I knew how she was doing. I haven't received an update so I'm going to assume that no news is good news.

Do something amazing today :)

Engrafted Stem Cells!

I received a phone call on Friday with some news about my recipient. The stem cells have engrafted so she's making my blood cells now! She is doing well and was discharged from the hospital which is great news!

Merry Christmas!

2 Weeks Post Donation

Well, it's been 2 weeks since the donation took place. The area where the line was is still healing... I have a massive bruise in the groin/thigh area and a tiny little scabbed area where they inserted it. I rested up for a couple days then got busy and was on my feet a lot and I noticed some new bruising and swelling so I had to try to stay off my feet and ice the area for a day or two. It's looking much better now though. It's pretty much the coolest looking bruise ever and I wish I could show it off just for fun, but it's probably not socially acceptable to say to someone "hey, wanna see my cool bruise?" then whip off my pants to show them ;)

Anyway, I haven't heard any word from or about the recipient. I guess I am a little disappointed to have not heard anything yet but hopefully I will soon!

Lee will probably give me a call within the next couple of weeks and maybe have an update for me about her and how she is doing. Until then, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and aren't stressing out too much this Christmas season... keeping in mind the real meaning behind Christmas :)