the Seventh Anniversary of my Bone Marrow Transplant

What follows is a summary, at least in part, tracing the reasons why I stopped writing blog posts (with one exception) for over four years. During that time, I had many complications to my Bone Marrow Transplant. I only have time to recount a few of the reasons here.

 

In early September 2008, I developed Shingles, Disseminated Varicella Zoster, and Zoster Pneumonia in rapid succession. All three are caused by a reactivation of the Chicken Pox virus, after you've alreay had Chicken Pox, usually as a child. Shingles is very painful, as anyone who has had it can testify. Disseminated Varicella is a dangerous form of adult Chicken Pox which develops mostly in transplant patients. Some bone marrow transplant recipients never get their immunities back, which explains why they can get Disseminated Varicella Zoster -- Chicken Pox as an adult. Zoster Pneumonia is a pneumonia caused by the Varicella Zoster which has set up shop in your lungs and can easily become life-threating.

 

In my case, it took the Zoster Virus three months or more to release me from its grip. What followed was a series of other complications which I'll write about in more detail soon.

What prompted me to write a post after all this time? January 27, 2013 was the seventh anniversary of my Bone Marrow Transplant.

I'm somewhat surprised that I've lived this long. Out of the many who had a bone marrow transplant during the same time I did, I'm one of the few who has survived.

Why am I one of only two who survived? In a strange way, I feel guilty.

 

I do feel good about being alive, though. I also feel grateful -- grateful to God, grateful to my doctors and nurses, and grateful to my wife Krissy who has stood beside me no matter what my medical treatment put us through.

And I'm thankful for each one of my readers, also, who has continued to help me through this.

 

Despite the guilt and a nagging sense of loss, I'm hoping for another seven years of life.

Hopefully there will be fewer complications in the coming years. The last four years have left me with much to write about. And there are the current life events which I cannot neglect in my future posts.

 

I'm back, friends!

John

Merry Christmas 2010

I know it's now December 26, but I'd still like to send you a Christmas greeting. The gift of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem was precious to me at an early age, but I was also a typical boy in many ways. I grew up loving the Peanuts Chistmas television Special, and I have watched it as many years as I could since it first aired in the mid-1960s. The story of Charlie Brown's search for the true meaning of Christmas in a modern secular holiday season had profound meaning for me back then, and still does now. I love this cartoon, as well as the outstanding music that accompanies the program.

Here I want to share with you my favorite track from my Peanuts Christmas tradition. It's called "Linus and Lucy," and whether you are familiar with it or not, I hope you'll enjoy this jazz number as much as I do.



Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.