Journal entry by Sammi Milheiser Heytens —
Wednesday marked day 100 since dad’s stem cell transplant. The doctors explained that the 100 days would be the expected recovery time and that it was critical for dad to stay healthy as his immune system was basically destroyed from the transplant. He took a trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester yesterday and got nothing but good news! The scans and tests showed no reoccurring non hodkins lymphoma.
The transplant wiped his system of the immunities he has been building his entire life so in the coming months, dad will start to receive his vaccinations to rebuild. He will be taking penicillin for a year, and gets to stop taking the antivirals and anti fungus that have been acting as an immune system the last several months.
For the next year, dad will have scans every three months, then every six and then every year, assuming nothing reappears 🤞🏼
Last month the family was fortunate enough to take a trip to Hawaii. It was wonderful to spend time together after all the uncertainty the last 10 months. Overall, he is feeling great and says in the words of Tim McGraw, he plans to “live like he was dying”!
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On Waikiki Beach
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