Angie's Stem Cell Transplant 2006: MY MOUNT EVEREST

About Me

Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

In Sept./05 I was diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal Large Diffuse B Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. The tumour in my chest measured 10cm x 10.6cm x5cm. After I completed 6 rounds of CHOP-R chemotherapy, a CT Scan in Jan.06 showed that my tumour had decreased by well over half the original size. A Gallium Scan showed negative for cancer cells in my mass. We decided to do 2 more treatments to be sure we killed any remaining cancer. We now had to decide if I should proceed with radiation. Did the risks of radiation outweigh the benefits? My hematologist and radiation oncologist had excellent arguments for both sides of the coin. The decision was to be mine. They set up appointments for me to see doctors in Toronto and Vancouver for 2nd opinions. In Vancouver I had a PET/CT Scan (a superior machine to a Gallium Scan) to see if my tumour was active. On March 17th this scan revealed that my tumour WAS still active and had INCREASED in size from an early scan. This meant that I had Relapsed or Refractory NHL....my best chance for cure was a Stem Cell Transplant. In my blog, I will describe what I am going through before, during and after my transplant.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

MY MOUNT EVEREST

A couple weeks ago, Sue A., Sue M. , Andrea & I planted a King Red Maple Tree in my front yard as a symbol of my upcoming Stem Cell Transplant. I called it "My Mount Everest"...... as I often refer to my SCT Journey by this name!!
I used a gift certificate that I received from my Aunt Janet & Uncle Ted on my 40th birthday to help buy this tree ...... I see this tree as a symbol of my 40th year when life changed forever.....I also see this tree as symbol of a new beginning...... as I celebrate a new birthday after my Stem Cell Transplant. I plan to watch this tree grow to over 30 feet wide & 40 feet high.....it will always be a reminder of this journey .....all the

lessons & personal growth along the way!

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Go Angie go!!! Although it is a Mount Everest, it can still be conquered one step at a time. You have a fantastic back-up team with you for the climb, stay focused on how wonderful the view will be once the climb is complete.
Always thinking of you,
Deb and LInda; 10:55 am