October 31, 2007-monthly checkup

I had my monthly checkup Friday. There had been a lump under my left arm Dr. Raish checked for, but it’s gone now. I think I just pulled something at work, but I thought I better be safe than sorry & have him check it out. I started working again October 13 back at Birch. Right now Fridays & Saturdays are what’s available, which works out fine. It gives me a chance to ease back into things. I work as long as I can on those days & then go home & take a nap. I don’t want to get worn down & end up getting sick. I am allowed to eat lettuce & fresh fruits & vegetables in restaurants again. My next PET scan will be at the end of November. They’re going to continue doing those every 3-4 months for a year. Dr. Raish reiterated to stay away from people who are sick until 6 months after the transplant. I think I’ll listen to him. I really have no desire to be sick again anytime soon. =)

October 4, 2007-I got the okay to work

I had my monthly doctor appointment Friday & got the okay from Dr. Raish to work after October 10, which is 100 days after the transplant. He also said I can go out to eat at restaurants, to movie theaters, church, etc. after the 10th. I still need to continue to stay away from people who are sick. That’s definitely going to be a challenge with the cold & flu season coming up. I think the longer I keep my distance from people & don’t hug or shake hands the better for me. I forgot to mention in my last update there were two spots in my stomach that showed up on the PET scan. Cancer shows up very bright on the scan & this barely lit up. I think it’s probably just scar tissue from all the shots I had to give myself. I have a PET scan again in a couple months to keep an eye on everything. My hair has slowly been growing back. It’s coming in thick & very soft again. It’s barely a ¼ inch long. It’d really be nice to have some hair again. =) My next update will probably be in about a month after my next doctor appointment, unless something changes.