Making choices!

Today Bill and I had our consultation appt for the potential bone marrow/stem cell transplant at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.  Arrived at 9 and left around 12:30.  Talked first with RN, then with Dr. Ochoa and then with a transplant nurse coordinator.  These conversations were at least 45 minutes with each one as they explained the why, where, when, what of a transplant. A lot of info to comprehend.  We now know why this is a process that needs to be addressed well ahead of time.  A lot Of preparation.   After today, I feel this is a very necessary step for me to take to prolong my life.  Lots of scary, worried thoughts floating around in my mind right now.  I know I need to get more familiar with the transplant procedures by asking questions and reading the literature I was given to push out these fears.

Next step is to get my new treatment plan in the works and move on to complete around 4 cycles of treatments in order to get me cancer free and in remission.  And that will determine when I can get the transplant.  My oncology team at UF Health Cancer Center and the blood and marrow transplant team at Moffitt Cancer Center will now be working together during this time period to get me to the stage I need to be to proceed with the transplant.  We are thinking this may be around end of November to the end of December.  Usually a 5 week time frame.

Today was another one of those long but productive days dealing with my life and Multiple
Myeloma.  

Quote:

Overwhelmed, stressed, anxious but still maintaining faith and hope!