Donor Found!

I almost hate to write this post, for fear that I'll jinx my good news. Although my counts continue to hover well below acceptable levels, I found out today that a donor has been found! All I am allowed to know is that the donor is a 33 year old male who lives somewhere on the planet. I also know that he is a "perfect" match, meaning that he matches 10 out of 10 genetic regions for the best transplant match possible. The results just came back from the lab, so the donor doesn't yet know that he's a match yet. Hopefully, in the next few days, he'll schedule a collection date and I will know my transplant schedule. If all goes well, I'll be admitted (assuming I get out of here) in about 3 weeks to begin the pre-transplant tests and chemotherapy, and the transplant will be a week later. With any luck, my month long transplant process will be from mid November to mid December.

I wish I could know more about my donor. After several months, I can write to him anonymously through the transplant center, and if he writes back we can communicate that way for the first year. Then, if he's willing, we can learn each other's identities. I hope he lives in a cool place for when I visit him to thank him for his sacrifice. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The other good news I got today is that there are a few more people who are still in the queue in case something happens and Mr. 33 year old can't donate at the last minute.

A few minutes after I got the good news, I realized that today is October 19th. One year ago today I was told that I have leukemia. I began the hardest of my many fights against cancer on that day. Finding out that I have a donor today is the perfect example of yin and yang in action. Yin and yang come from the Chinese philosophy for the interdependence of opposite yet complimentary forces in the natural world. There is a perception (especially in the West) that yin and yang correspond to good and evil. However, Taoist philosophy generally rejects these distinctions, preferring to focus on the idea of balance. I prefer that interpretation too. I could use a little balance.

Yin and yang are not the only forces of nature at work here. God plays a pretty big role too. I've been praying like crazy, and I know that many of you have too, and for that I am eternally grateful. Those prayers are being heard, so keep up the good work!

Kathy

CANcer + HEALth = CAN HEAL