Life Update- Six Months Post-Transplant

Time for another update! 😄 On Thursday, September 26 I made it to my six months post-transplant date! I can't believe not only how quickly the time has gone by but how much my health has improved during that time. Bodies are truly amazing!!

Yeah! Made it to six months!

For like six weeks I had a really annoying cough and runny nose. I finally took an allergy pill and was like-OH, problem solved! I didn't realize that's what it was because I don't think I've ever had summer allergies. Maybe I picked up a new allergy from my donor? Who knows. Only other complaint is that sometimes I don't have the best sleep. A few months ago I slept through the night so well and now I tend to wake up at least once and lay awake for like an hour. It's frustrating. I think it has to do with some of my meds and also the transplant messed with my hormones so I'm getting that looked into soon. Because of that (or maybe just because I'm only six months post transplant), I usually take a nap every day.

My doctors seem to be really pleased with my progress. I see them only once every three weeks now. I still need to be careful about germs though. My immune system is still weak. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around that sometimes when I feel normal. But I always have my mask and hand sanitizer with me just in case. I'm nervous now that cold and flu season are upon us. I consider myself extremely lucky that I got out of the hospital at the end of April and I've had the summer months to get better when there aren't a lot of sicknesses spreading around. Fall and winter are a different story. I would absolutely hate to have to go back to the hospital after making it this long without needing to. Everyone make sure you get your flu shot! I've never been a huge advocate for that (mostly because I absolutely despise getting shots) but this year I am. Do it for yourself and for those around you!

Hair growth progress as of 9/19/19 👍 (still waiting on that bald spot in the front to grow in though🙄)

This blog post wouldn't be complete without a picture with Max 🤷

Some highlights from the last two months-

In the middle of August, I started doing yoga-and I love it! Not only is it relaxing, but I had been working on stretching out my muscles anyway at home and yoga is perfect for that! Story time- so Camden County College offers "personal enrichment" courses and one of the courses was a 12 week yoga class for $115. I was greatly considering signing up for it since I was interested in starting yoga. The next morning my mom asked me if I wanted to attend a beginners yoga class at Experience Yoga with her (she's really into yoga too) and I agreed. The instructor's name was Tami and she was wonderful. After the class we got to talking with her and she pulled out a flyer for a new free yoga class she was instructing for cancer patients/survivors once a week! I just about fell over I was so surprised/excited. There is no way that was a coincidence!! I had literally been looking at that other class the night before! In that moment I really felt God's awareness of me and my needs. I have since attended the class every week and I love it! I'm the youngest by a lot but that doesn't bother me. There are kind, good people there and it is a joy to practice yoga with them.

My favorite part of yoga is the end when you find a comfortable position and just sort of breath and meditate. It's called Shavasana. It is the most relaxing thing in the world and I swear I could stay like that for hours. On one of the nights that we were wrapping up class and doing the ending meditation, I felt intense gratitude for my body and the amazing things it had accomplished and healed from in such a short amount of time. The ways that it is working to restore my health is truly a miracle. I was moved practically to tears. I said a little prayer in my mind thanking God for my healing and for the gift of my body. So grateful.

A few months ago I was scrolling through my phone and deleting pictures when I came across a picture I had taken of a paper that talked about a foundation called The Dear Jack Foundation. To my surprise and delight I found out they were a wish granting foundation for adults (aka, me!) and I submitted an application. They were so kind and generous not only to accept my application, but since then they have given me an iPhone Xs! With getting a new phone I was able to trade in my old phone for apple credit since I kept it in such good condition and with that credit I got AirPods. I absolutely love both things and I use them every day. I am so grateful for the Dear Jack Foundation!

In the beginning of August, I had the privilege of going to do a private session at the LDS Philadelphia Temple with my parents. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are a sacred place where we go to worship and make promises with God. I had been unable to go since the previous November due to my illness and also because I couldn't be around a lot of people. The people at the temple arranged for me and my parents to do a session so I wouldn't have to worry about germs. It was the first time they did that at the Philadelphia Temple so it was pretty special and I am very appreciative to all who made that possible.

Philadelphia Temple

I realize this post is getting a little long so let me shorten the rest of the highlights.

My best friend Amber came home for the month of August and it was so nice having her here!

Amber, me, and Mal celebrating Amber's birthday

I went to the boardwalk one night with my family and Amber and we had such a good time enjoying the weather, pizza, fries, and ice cream!

I love my family! + Amber💜

At the end of August, my dad turned 65 and for his birthday we did a pirate themed escape room (so much fun!) and I was the mastermind behind throwing him a surprise birthday party. We had some family and friends over for waffles and ice cream and it was a lovely night. I think he was surprised??

A few weekends ago me, Marti, my mom, and my dad went to Dalton's farm to walk through the sunflower fields. It was so lovely. Definitely an item I checked off my bucket list!

And lastly, just a week ago I went to Ocean City with my friends Sarah and Ashley to see the sunrise on the beach. It was beyond beautiful and we had so much fun taking pictures and just enjoying it!

Some other things-

Fun night with my fave newlyweds 

Moved Mal to New York!

I feel like my life has some normalcy to it now. I am very content. I am still going strong with my to-do lists (they help me so much!) and I have things to do outside of the house now. I've been going to Institute (a scripture study class) and I attend free exercise classes for cancer patients/survivors throughout the week. I'm also reading like crazy! And not just fiction novels but I've been really into nonfiction lately too. I have some books from National Geographic about Anatomy, Science, and Nutrition (thanks to Max who recently chewed the cover of the library book version so now it's mine and I had to replace it). I've read some more "self-help" type books, which I never did before. I may not be in school, but I love what I'm learning from reading!

Not being able to work has been frustrating for me (Although this past week I worked two days with my dad doing the 2nd level of the parking garage for the Philadelphia Temple. If you ever drive there you can think of me and my dad 😉). I think this fall I'll continue to do some work with him, but it is tiring so it's not like I can do it every day (For those who don't know, my dad has a parking lot striping business). I could do work that would involve me not having to be around a lot of other people but those types of jobs are not very common. So for now I'll make some money with Dad when I can and wait until an opportunity comes along or just wait until I'm considered healthy enough to get a normal job. Sigh.

So what's next? I feel like I get asked that question a lot. My answer is honestly- I don't know! I still don't know what the next step in my life will be and that's kind of scary. I've always had some sort of plan but right now I'm so unsure. Go back to school (not BYU, that ship has sailed)-but study what? Work? Something else? And when? When will I be declared free of illness and can join society as a normal person who doesn't have to constantly worry about germs anymore? I don't know. All I know is that I need to trust that God has a plan for me, that His timing is perfect, and I need to continue to be patient through this process. He has watched over me, blessed me, and healed me so I know He will continue to take care of me in the coming months and years of my life.

As always I am so grateful for the love, support, and prayers! Thank you thank you!

XO,

Megan