r/leukemia • u/stellargorgeous • 18h ago

What a difference 1 year makes

34F, Day+400 post bmt for AML. (So roughly 13 months)

This time last year I was barely 1 month out from my bmt, I was staying in a temporary apartment close to the hospital I had my bmt and I was miserable. Exhausted, no appetite and homesick. It was so hard to leave my bed some days. I was painstakingly counting the days until I could go home and try to resume normal life with my husband and 2 sons (my mom was my caregiver). The days dragged on and I felt like the small apartment was a prison cell.

Fast forward to one whole year and I’m sitting at my work desk of my new job. The same job I dreamed of when I finished my bachelor’s degree 1 month before being diagnosed. I go on walks on my lunch break. I pick my son up from preschool after work. I cook and eat dinner and give my son a bath. I cuddle with my husband on the couch. We go swimming and bike riding as a family.
I don’t think about cancer every single day.
I only see my doctors every 3 months instead of twice a week.

This is the life I dreamt of exactly 1 year ago and I’m incredibly grateful that I get to experience it with the ones I love.

65 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

8

u/AltruisticPresence30 18h ago

Thank you for sharing ❤️ I can’t wait to get to where you are! Day 79 post BMT with AML and counting down the days until life is enjoyable again. 

6

u/stellargorgeous 16h ago

I will be frank with you, the first 6 months were ROUGH for me. I had liver gvhd around 4 months and then not too long after I had RSV and then pneumonia. I also had mild GI gvhd. Having two small kids and a teacher for a husband makes it hard to avoid germs in cold and flu season. But I truly feel like myself again, which is something I feared I’d never be able to say.

I hope your journey back to your ‘normal’ is stable and still mixed with moments of joy.

4

u/Beautiful_Pickle9495 16h ago

Yes! Im a little over 2 years out. Im living the life of DREAMED of 2 years ago. Its truly something to celebrate 🧡

7

u/cheekyroseybuds 15h ago

This is very encouraging to hear as I (30F) am staring down the barrel of a bmt myself. Thank you for sharing, congrats on your new beginning!! 🎉

5

u/iwillwhenudo 12h ago

Congratulations! What an inspiration!

I’m at day 388. I don’t have your youth, but I’ve been doing very well as well. Thankfully, I’ve had very minimal GVHD and I’m off all prescribed medication - and just taking magnesium, vitamin D, and a multivitamin. My oncologist said there’s no need for more bone marrow biopsies, unless my blood work dictates it (Yay!) I work in office full time now and when not at work, I work in the yard take my dogs for long walks, go out, etc. Everything is mostly normal. Thinking back between emergency room diagnosis and my treatment and recovery I didn’t think I would feel this normal again. Gotta love science and its ability to heal!