I know some of you tune in especially for medical updates. Today’s 11 month post transplant check up was quite routine and pleasantly unexciting. The docs think I am making good progress and reduced the autoimmune suppressant drug a little. This invites a potential increase in GVHD but we will keep close eye on this. Further reductions will be very gradual. I also was able to get off another medication that they have been reducing over the last five months or so.

My next check up is on my one year transplant anniversary next month. I’ll get my monthly preventative lung treatment, a lot more lab tests, a bone marrow biopsy to check for the possible return of cancer or other problems, and of course doctor consult. I am also scheduled to get some more childhood vaccines over the next few months, since I lost all my immunizations when they killed my stem cells. It will take over the next 13-15+ months to get all the immunizations and there are some that they say will be too dangerous so I won’t get those.

There is still a long and unpredictable road ahead. But also there are lots and lots of things for which to give thanks…and we do every day. I hope you are in that same boat with lots of reasons for thanksgiving, especially God’s steadfast grace, strength, and love.