HSCT For Multiple Sclerosis At The Cleveland Clinic
10/19
Arrived in Independence, Ohio!! I highly recommend this area. If you are a fan of McDonald’s, you must visit this McDonald’s. It looks like a mansion! I do not eat McDonald’s but my mom needed a Frappuccino. LOL.
Here is a link to an article about this location that I found on Cleveland 19’s page.
10/20
Today I returned to the Tausig Center to meet my Nurse that will be in charge of my care after I am discharged. She was also excited to meet Cleveland Clinic’s first patient to have this done for Multiple Sclerosis. I also found out that She is a Star Wars fan!! Jennie, my nurse coordinator was also present during this visit. She told me to be expecting a gift and that I would also get to meet the second patient to have this done outside of the clinical trial. After my visit I completed some lab work and we returned to the hotel for the rest of the day.
10/21
I returned to the Tausig Center today to have my PICC line installed. Alan and Brad were great!! They were also very patient. We had some setbacks that morning and was a couple of hours late for my appointment. “No Problem!!”
More of Cleveland Clinic’s Superstars!!
Great PICC line placement!
10/22/2020
I was admitted today and everyone on the floor was very welcoming. The view outside of my room wasn’t too bad either. Here are just a few faces that were involved in my care. They are definitely my superstars!
From Left to Right: Dave, Jess, Ashley, Kristin, and Macie. Other Superstars not pictured, Stacy, Mikayla, and Lindsay.
View outside of my room. The only noise was when the helicopter was landing on the Heli-pad.
10/26/2020
It has been some long days, being hit with Chemo over and over. The Chemo was started as soon as I was admitted on the 22nd. Today is day 5 of Chemo. We are almost done.
10/27/2020
Today is the last day of chemo. Tomorrow is a day of rest and then I get my stem cells back.
10/29/2020
Happy Stem Cell Birthday to me! Today I get my stem cells back!
11/06/2020
Today is day 8 post transplant. I am on the upswing! God is fighting this battle very well.
11/07/2020
I got to meet Thing 2!!! (AKA patient #2)
Meet Julie! She is Patient number 2 to have this done outside of the clinical trial! We found each other because of our shirts that we got from our awesome nurse coordinators!
11/08/2020
Today is day 10 post transplant. God has been so good and it looks like I will be released early.
11/09/2020
Day 11 post transplant. I want to share a little more of my testimony and give you all some good news.
11/10/2020
I was released today! I was so excited to be able to sleep in a nice bed and not be woke up through the night. We decided to stay the next 30 days in Independence, OH the heart of Cuyahoga County. This is funny because my favorite church, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, and a lot of people I love live in the city of Independence, KY the heart of Kenton County.
A photo of a water tower in Independence.
11/13/2020
Today is day 16 post transplant. I had my follow up visit today at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center to see how I was progressing.
11/20/2020 Day 22 Post Transplant
November 27th - Post Transplant Day 29
December 5, 2020 - Epstein Barr Virus Scare
December 10, 2020- Update and some good news
December 11, 2020- Always appreciate and be thankful for your parents. Today I am heading home after a successful reset of my immune system to halt MS at Cleveland Clinic. I am beyond grateful.
But none of this would have been possible if I had to do it alone. You may have seen this lady in this picture. This is my mom. Not only has she been up here on numerous 1-2 day visits but once I was approved for the Transplant she spent 20 days with me in Cleveland while they collected my stem cells then 4 days during my pre admission, and another 30 days once I was discharged. Spent time cooking meals, going back and forth to the hospital, and keeping the hotel room sanitized. This all took her away from her husband, her other children, and her grandkids. I have a good mom. She is the best! #thankfulgrateful
I arrived home on December 12th and started working remotely from home.
December 19, 2020 - Update from home
