Tag Archives: Graft versus host disease

Medical Update – June 2014

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Some folk like to know, so from time we post a medical update on my Leukemia recovery. Fourteen months after transplant and a year and a half since this journey began, the doctors are exceedingly pleased with my progress and not at all concerned with what seems to me a long recovery time.  Most of my blood counts are returning to low normal range with a handful of ones still struggling. The medical team seems especially pleased that I’ve had no fevers or hospitalizations. (Thank you God!)

 

I was glad to get 3 more ‘baby’s” vaccines, including DPT. I may get one more in August; maybe some of the live vaccines next spring if my immune recovers enough by then. They are hesitant on giving live vaccines even then as there is a 50/50 chance of contracting the disease. Along with the ‘baby’ stuff, I continue to require my preschooler naps to contend with lack of strength and endurance, though that too is slowly improving.

 

I had completely underestimated the impact of the disease on my body and the time it would take to recover. They say it is common to take 2+ years to recover from this type of Leukemia and transplant operation… or to find your new ‘subnormal.’  The seriousness of the transplant is deceptive because the infusion of stem cells was so routine; it seemed just like one of my 30 some blood transfusions. (Thanks everyone who give blood on a regular basis. It really DOES save lives!) But the process of destroying your entire immune system <think Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:17> is a major deal. It’s a journey of enduring patience and trust.

 

As good as all the reports are, they want to continue to keep close reins on me. So no letting up on the frequency of labs and treatments or the current med regime to keep Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) at bay.  I will also continue regular pulmonary treatments to reduce the chance of lung infection.

 

I’ll have to manage the fine line between exertion and rest in order to regain strength and endurance. I’m trying to work on regaining mental acuity and concentration, but that is a harder row to hoe. The ‘cancer brain’ continues to pose some cognitive issues…hopefully I will grow out of these. (I suspect some of you thought I was a bit brain-damaged BEFORE all this happened!)

 

God is good all the time, and we are pleased to wait on His perfect plan in and through all of this. Isn’t that true of each of us, whatever journey we are on?!  I am not remiss in remembering the pain others are going through. Except my friend Bob who lost his AML transplant battle recently. Now in heaven, he is doing better than ALL of us! Please pray for his dear wife, Betty.  Thanks for your continued prayers.

 

Live life fully each day while time remains!

 

 

Medical Update: Graft Versus Host Disease

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Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) has now settled in. This disease is common to post transplant patients and can occur at any time and range in severity from mild to life threatening. Certainly from a medical diagnosis viewpoint my current situation is mild, though each new symptom chips away at quality of life.

GVHD occurs when the graft, my donor cells which now comprise all of my blood and bone marrow, interprets my old DNA (my tissue and organs) as a threat and attacks it. Doctor’s prescribe medicine to keep GVHD at bay and they have now doubled the dose of those meds and given me a steroid cream to help with the maddening nighttime itching. (THAT has been a relief.) As with everything in this journey, the medications come with undesired side effects.

This is not unlike the “graft versus host” and “host versus graft” condition we all face spiritually. We are the host and whatever spirit we let enter and influence our lives becomes the graft. When we let worldly spirits (greed, bitterness, selfishness, laziness, divisiveness, pride, etc) guide us, they come to battle with our sense of right. We have little if any power to fight this battle on our own. When we invite the Spirit of God to control us, we are soon convicted of our ego-centric ways of thinking and behaving and the battle is on to grow a healthy heart and peaceful and loving life. In this case, it is Host Versus Graft Disease that should concern us, and the question is whether we will accept and use the power given to us to live victoriously through the battle.

Spiritually, God allows me the choice to accept or reject Him in hundreds of daily decisions I make, and because I am quite an imperfect host, I am aware of this truth. The difference between these two is that Jesus doesn’t reject me. His love and power is offered freely to me. How do we fight Host Versus Graft Disease? It comes only from humbly submitting to the love and convicting power of Jesus; only from doing what Jesus said: deny self and follow me. If we don’t, dare we call ourselves Christian?