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I cannot change the past.
What I know in this moment, I really wish I knew then, when I went to India for stem cell transplant and chemotherapy. I give Grace to myself because I was a different person and I didn’t know what I know now. There’s no point in beating myself up.
What I can speak to wholeheartedly, is that somewhere deep inside of me I knew I wanted to grow and learn more, and I am so honoured and proud of who I am in this moment of what I’ve accomplished through dedicated perseverance.
When I went to India in November 2016 to December 2016 I spent 5 weeks in ARTEMIS HOSPITAL for BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT and CHEMOTHERAPY to STOP the progression of MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.
The comprehensive 14 Bedded Transplant Center in Artemis to provide our patients with the best transplant, experience possible. Our transplant team include surgeons, physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionist, pharmacist, therapist, psychologist, and many other specialist trained in transplantation who are committed to actively working patients through every step of the transplant process.
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)- is the procedure that is used to replace the unhealthy bone marrow with new and healthy bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside the bones that is responsible for the production of blood cells. There are several medical conditions due to which the bone marrow becomes dysfunctional and therefore needs to be replaced. Further, there are multiple types of Bone Marrow Transplants based on the donor of the bone marrow or stem cells...
I had:
Autologous bone marrow transplant involves using the patient’s own bone marrow, which is collected and stored prior to receiving high-dose, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. After the therapy, the stored bone marrow is returned to the patient to help restore their own blood cell production.
The bone marrow transplant procedure involves several steps, including:
Preparation: Before the transplant: the patient undergoes a series of tests to determine if they are a suitable candidate for the procedure. This includes a thorough medical evaluation, blood test, and imaging scans.
Collection of Bone Marrow: the bone marrow can be collected from the patient or from a donor. If the patient is the donor, the bone marrow is collected through a procedure called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection.
Conditioning: the patient undergoes high-dose. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells or diseased bone marrow. This is known as conditioning.
Transplant: the collected bone marrow is then infused into the patient’s bloodstream, where it travels to the bone and begins to produce new blood cells.
Recovery: after the transplant, the patient will need to stay in the hospital for several days for monitoring and to prevent infection. They will also need to take medication to prevent rejection of the transplanted bone marrow.
Bone marrow transplant is a complex and potentially life-saving procedure, but it also comes with a number of risks and side effects. Some of the most common side effects include infection, bleeding, and organ damage. Additionally, there is a risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which occurs when the transplanted bone marrow attacks the recipients body.
As you will see in the videos, I was faced with the feeling of passing out yet again and it frightened me so very much. The first time I had the feeling it overtook me and I did pass out and I frightened everyone including myself.
In these videos, I was faced with very uncomfortable feelings within my body of passing out.
The first time the feeling didn’t remain as a feeling it actually transpired into me passing out. I alarmed all the nurses, my helper and myself it was horrible. I didn’t even know I had passed out and I was in the bathroom when it happened and the next thing I know I’m being woken up on my bed with water being sprayed into my face and people yelling at me to wake up.
The second time as you will see, I started panicking and the nurse had to stop and I didn’t remember to breathe. My dear helper came to the side of the bed and she reminded me to breathe!!
This was my saving grace. She is truly an angel. When everything was just falling away, and I wasn’t solid on the Earth or in my foundation, she brought me back through my breath 💧🥲
I didn’t remember to breathe much in my time in the hospital. I was so overwhelmed with all these new things happening to me. It was frightening it was very difficult. It was so hard. I’m so so grateful to my helper that she stood by me and supported me. I will be thankful to her for the rest of my life.
