THIS IS MY MDS JOURNEY. IT IS NOW +50 DAYS AFTER TRANSPLANT. COMMENTS BELOW ARE WELCOMED!

LIVING WITH MDS. THIS IS MY JOURNEY +50 DAYS AFTER BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT AND WHAT TO EXPECT. EVERY JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT AND THIS IS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT’S AHEAD IN THIS JOURNEY AND I HOPE YOU FIND IT HELPFUL. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR JOURNEY.

[@AnnChouinard]

Captain Bryon, I have been praying for you. How did your biopsy go? I wish you only the best on this journey. Blessings, Ann

[@marylouvigue5360]

Hi Ann, I have MDS and will be going to Dana Garber in Boston Ma. on Sept. 4th to start my conditioning with my stem cells on Sept.13th. I am being done as an outpatient and will be staying nearby for a month. Can I asked how you handle the Chemo? I know we all are different. I received my list of medications my stem cell transplant WOW the amount of medication we have to take is over whelming. I hope you have continued good health and you soon get your energy back.

[@AnnChouinard]

@@marylouvigue5360 Hello Dana, Thank you for sharing your journey. I had a donor and was in the hospital for 31 days. The first 2 weeks went good but the second two weeks in the hospital were rough. Many GI issues, mostly diarrhea, some nausea. I was very tired and sleep a lot. I did get out of bed everyday and got dressed to have some sort of normality. Surprisingly my body got used to all the meds. The meds do interfere at times with my appetite. Somehow, someway we get through it. Looking back it seems like a flash in time. It is all so worth the it! You got this! God Bless and feel free to contact me any time. Ann

[@clemqueens1943]

Hello Ann! I want to thank you for your very informative videos during your MDS journey to Transplant. I too will be getting my transplant at the UofM on September 4th for Myelofibrosis. I live in Southeast Michigan so I will be able to return home. It will be difficult to return to the hospital a few times per week as it’s a 45 minute drive but I’ll be happy to be home recovering. I wish you a speedy event free recovery. I look forward to your next video. ❤

[@AnnChouinard]

God bless your journey. Depending on your health you may only have to go to clinic once a week. U of M is top notch and I received excellent care. I will put up another video near day 100. If you have any questions please reach out. Prayers that all goes well! We are all stronger than we think.

[@Capt-Bryan]

Your efforts in making such informative and heartfelt videos are greatly appreciated! I pray for you to regain all your strength soon! I am just beginning my journey. Low blood counts and gradually getting lower the last couple of years. I am scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy now after extensive blood tests ruled out anything causing my anemia. I am 64 and in excellent shape except for the anemia. I push through the tiredness at the gym but it’s getting a little harder. I work out hard and eat clean with plenty of protein so I knew the low blood counts weren’t right. Primary care Drs tend to overlook and ignore marginal low blood counts in older folks it seems!

[@AnnChouinard]

@@Capt-Bryan You go for it if you need a bone marrow transplant! You have everything going for you! I also pushed through at the gym as long as I could, but as it got closer to transplant I was being super careful not to get an infection, so I did some yoga at home. And you are right, you have to be your own advocate. I am now at + day 86 since I received my transplant. I am doing quite well and anything like skin rash and mouth issues are healing nicely. I still face days of fatigue and other days where I have quite a bit of energy. I am scheduled for a Bone marrow biopsy on July 31. If I am cancer free and all goes well going forward I will be home the first or second week in August. It is a long journey with more to come. I will post another video at day + 100. There is so much to share and if I can help in any way please comment back to me. God Bless Your Journey. Ann

[@Capt-Bryan]

I am cheering for you to get home! I finally am set to start more extensive testing next week with complete CT’s , labs, and a bone marrow biopsy. I feel strong and good this week except for easy bruising and getting sleepy when I sit down for any time. I am hoping for some answers and a definite direction the next few weeks. Thanks for your encouragement!