Celebration of Life

"Imagine being surrounded by thousands of people who are grateful to be alive."

That's how Christine describes the Celebration of Life event at City of Hope, an annual reunion for patients who have undergone bone marrow or stem cell transplants.

Christine, a young, vibrant Filipina film maker, has an amazing story. Go to her blog and watch the "Original Plea for Help" and "And What Followed" YouTube videos. I guarantee that you'll fall instantly in love with her.

I had looked forward to meeting Christine in person at the Celebration on April 25. As a matter of fact, we had planned to have our pictures taken together with our mutual friend Nancy, another amazing City of Hope patient with a compelling story. We may have to get in line because City of Hope has selected Christine as one of their two media spokes people. Best of all, CoH is flying her bone marrow donor, Kent, all the way from China. Their first-time meeting will be in front of a few thousand guests (including Christine's family flying out from New York) and a dozen television cameras. I get cold chills just writing about this.

The event, which will also include remarks by Dr. Stephen Forman (my doctor, at left with Dr. Phil), entertainment by former patients, a visit by former Dodgers manager Tommy LaSorda and lots of food and games, will culminate in a group shot of all of us survivors.

Even if I don't get that talked-about photo with Christine and Nancy, I will have a cherished photo of the thousands of us who are in deed grateful to be alive.

Photos courtesy of City of Hope.

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: I contemplated the "right size bag for the right size job."

The Green-Eyed Monster and the Myeloma Monster

I went green last summer.

Not green as in driving a Prius or using those twisted light bulbs. I went green with envy.

As I was trying to pump out the minimum 2 million stem cells for my stem cell transplant, I looked on enviously as other patients in the transfusion center came and went in two or three days. I watched wistfully as their nurse coordinators scheduled their stem cell transplants.

One of the patients who came and went in two days was Richie, a rail-thin musician with multiple myeloma (MM). He and his wife, Michelle, a full-figured self-proclaimed computer geek, seemed like an unlikely match, but it didn't take long to see that they were devoted to one another. After they smooched like newlyweds, Michelle announced, "We just had our 20-year wedding anniversary, and I want to make sure Richie's around for another 20."

I had no doubt that Richie would be around for another 20 years. I could even picture Richie and Michelle clinking glasses on their 50-year wedding anniversary. After all, they were at the City of Hope in Dr. Forman's capable hands. Best of all, Richie was pumping out those stem cells like his life depended on them. In two days, he produced 4 million stem cells, twice the minimum and about 20 times my measly two-day harvest. He was well on his way to a successful stem cell transplant and certain remission.

Richie checked in to Hotel Hope on September 7 for his stem cell transplant and immediately went into remission. But six months later, the MM monster returned, stronger and meaner than ever. On Friday, March 21, Richie went to the City of Hope for what would be his final chemo treatment. Later that same day, Michelle found him dead in their home.

I'm so sorry that I was jealous of Richie's bountiful stem cell production. I'm even more sad and sorry that Michelle won't get to live those "20 more years" with her beloved husband.

Squeezing out those cells!

Susan phoned in Monday's numbers: a small, but scrappy .11 million cells to add to the 1.7 million currently on ice.

Dr. Wang confirmed that Susan will be at COH every afternoon this week to reach the two million minimum. (Actually, two million and a dab more.) (Yes, "dab" is a medical term. It's slightly larger than a "smidgen." Ask any medical student. Or just watch "Scrubs.")

"So, Smooky…" I asked. "Isn't there an oncology version of Miracle-Gro they can sprinkle on the harvested cells to encourage them multiply on their own?"

Alas, no!

Still in the Stem Cell Game

My stubborn stem cells are slowly but surely leaving the comfort of my bone marrow. I think they heard a rumor that they'd be put on ice and, like me, don't like the notion of being cold and out of commission.

The good news is that the doctors have lowered the collection bar from an optimum of 5 million to a minimum of 2 million. The more stem cells the better for a quick and easy engrafting after the transplant, but 2 million can get the job done.

I'm now up to 1.32 million and can collect for three more days. (The mobilizing drug is limited to a six-day collection time frame.) I harvested .28 million on Monday and took just a slight dip to .22 million on Tuesday. If I (with the help of AMD 3100 and Neupogen) can continue to coax the stem cells out at this rate, we'll have that 2 million in the bank by Saturday.

(PS My laptop will be in the shop for several more days, so I'm posting this from the City of Hope.)

Playing the numbers

Well, crap!

Susan just called from CoH to say yesterday's harvest resulted in a puny .28 million tally. This, after she gave herself all those shots! The first harvest after the booster drugs is supposed to net a bumper crop of stem cells.

She'll be in harvest mode today and tomorrow at least. She has .8 million cells on ice (they keep, unlike some of the UFO's in my freezer), and she needs a cool 5 million to get the job done. It may take her a month or two, but it's doable.

Really, really, really frustrating, but doable.

Bro, I think we're ready for the "spanking story" any time now!