Two Years Post- Bone Marrow Transplant

Today is my two-year anniversary from the day I received my new cells from my bone marrow transplant! 

Overall I am doing really well! 😊

A LOT has happened since the last time I wrote here. 

Since September I have been taking online courses through Camden County College. It's been going well, but I wasn't seeing how I would complete my Bachelor's degree by staying there. So, after this semester is over, I am switching to studying with BYU Pathways- the advanced track. I found out that they will accept a lot of the credits I completed at BYU and the credits I have taken at CCC. That will put me much further along and much closer to getting my Bachelor's degree! Schooling has been frustrating for me over the past few years mostly because I haven't found a major that has stuck (not to mention all the interruptions from relapsing). BYU Pathways offers a "professional studies" degree which I think I can make work for me! It's also all online so I can take the courses while I still live in NJ. I'm excited about that change this fall!

At the end of October I started doing physical therapy for my right shoulder because I have a winged scapula. This was caused by the last five years of having multiple ports in my upper right chest. I've been going every week I can since then. My physical therapist, John (shout out to Toro PT!), gives me exercises that strengthen my entire body which ultimately helps my shoulder. It's been awesome and I can feel myself getting stronger!

A snapshot of what I do at PT

Something else that happened around that time was that I was applying for jobs. I was going to interview to work at the front desk at a dentist's office but then a few days later a friend from church told me about a job as an administrative assistant for a company called Alsana. I was now stuck between deciding which job to take...or should I take both? It was pretty stressful but ultimately I chose to do the administrative assistant position with Alsana and I am soooo glad I did! It is a part-time work from home position which has been great for me over the last couple of months. Alsana is a company that helps those struggling with eating disorders and I help out by assisting the CEOs of the company. 

At the end of November my best friend Amber and I started looking for apartments and we found one that we liked pretty quickly! It is newly renovated which is a lot of what drew us to it. We are still a close drive to both of our homes so that is very convenient. I was excited but also pretty anxious about the move. We've been living here since the end of December and it has been really great! Other than a few hiccups with neighbors and mice, moving out was a good decision and I'm happy I did it. 

I also think it's important for me to add that not everything this fall/winter has been rainbows and butterflies. I had a cold that would not go away for almost two months. I dealt with a very high heart rate for weeks which is really uncomfortable and made me feel out of breath and anxious for a long time. A high heart rate is a trigger for me from my cancer experiences. My resting heart rate was in the 90s and the norm is usually in the low 60s. I even saw a cardiologist but thankfully nothing was really wrong with my heart, it was just beating fast. Oh yeah, and half of my family got sick with COVID right after Christmas. I had moved out right in time, but I couldn't go home and visit for most of January. I had a few COVID tests done myself,  but luckily they all came back negative.  

In general being sick for so long and all these big life changes made me stressed and kind of unhappy. Thankfully after a few weeks in the new apartment, my cold and high heart rate went away. Now that things have settled in my life, I feel better and am happier! Also, it's finally SPRING and I am so excited for warmer weather and spending time outside!

Some other things that are going on:

In January I turned 25!

On March 6 I was able to get my first COVID shot and I am getting my second one on April 3!

Just this past week I have also added working part-time at the Philadelphia temple again! I worked there two other times over the last five years and it is so nice to be welcomed back. It's great to have an opportunity to get out out of my apartment (since I do school and admin job online). 

Really the only thing left in my treatment is getting all of my childhood vaccines. I can't start getting them until my Immunoglobulin level (antibodies in the blood, part of the immune system) is high enough. Every other month I have needed to get IVIG, or immunoglobulin through an IV, to replenish the amount that my body needs to fight off bacteria and viruses. It has been pretty frustrating that it is taking such a long time to hold its own. Please send some prayers my way that my body will create enough of this so the number goes up, stays up, and I can get my vaccines and be completely done! The vaccinations themselves will take months to complete so I am anxious to get started.

Overall, I am pleased with the comeback my body (and my life) has made these last two years. It feels good to be doing normal everyday things again like school and work. Time has really helped in making cancer more of a memory than something I have to think about every day. For that, I am so grateful! 

Hair growth update as of 3/21!

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you are continuing to stay safe and healthy!

xo,

Megan