Hi all,

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy among COVID. I wanted to provide an update to let folks know how I was doing, if they were interested. 

Apologies for the tremendous delay in updating this site and letting folks now how I'm doing; coming home from C-ville after my 100 day mark was the beginning of another roller coaster that included a re-admittance to the hospital for a nasty case of community acquired pneumonia, and recovery has been uphill and more taxing than I anticipated. Fighting pneumonia is hard when you have a fully functioning immune system --  it's 10x harder when you have a compromised immune system, let me tell you. So that knocked me down and I had to start from scratch in getting my stamina and strength back.

But progress has been made and I can walk now uninterrupted for an hour without stopping to rest, which is a big milestone. Post-pneumonia I could only do 20 minutes very, very slowly and it felt like I was climbing Mt. Everest. But every week I feel better than the week prior, although some days are better than others physically and emotionally. I naively thought recovery would be "easy," but I'm finding it's a slow slog that, thankfully, gets easier/better with time. 

Again, I bury the lead, so let me get right to it. Approximately 2 months ago or so I received a call from my transplant doctor on a Sunday that the transplant was a success and there was no cancer in my bone marrow. This means I am technically in remission, which is great news. The malignant genes that contributed to my cancer were also eradicated, which was critical to prevent a reoccurrence.

So wonderful news all around, although I was so exhausted and, at the time, so depressed that the magnitude didn't resonate with me. This past year was like running the world's worst marathon, and although I finished, you are so tired and your nerves so wrought that all you can do is acknowledge your success with a nod before you collapse at the finish line out of sheer exhaustion. But I'm very grateful and I'm confident that gratitude will grow with time.

I got my flu shot and my immunization schedule (measles, mumps, polio, etc.) starts in October this year and proceeds iteratively over the next two years. I also look forward to getting the COVID shot, whenever that materializes. My immune system (sans immunization shots) should be "normal-ish" sometime between January 2021 and April 2021, I'm told. I still go to the cancer clinic every week or so for checkups on my blood count and adjustments to my prescriptions. I'm currently on a potpourri of drugs to keep the new immune system 'in-check,' plus anti-bacterial, fungal, and viral medications, and minor dose of steroids, magnesium and some mouth rinses to prevent any oral infections. As time goes on, these medications will decrease in time. 

I also get another biopsy to make sure I'm in the clear at the one and two year anniversary of of my transplant. If you are still cancer free at the two year mark, you are pretty much set for life. Thankfully, my chances of getting Leukemia again even now is the same as anyone in the general population, which is statistically  extremely low. I hope to not get struck by lightning twice :0) 

So, net/net all good things. I look forward to a Thanksgiving and Christmas not in the hospital receiving chemo, so it should be a very nice holiday with much to be thankful for. 

My wife, mother, and father have been critical to reaching this milestone. I simply could not have made it through without their tireless support and love. I can't speak to other cancers, but for Leukemia and receiving a transplant, you simply cannot get through it alone. My heart breaks for those patients who do not have the support system, resources, and family I had to get me through this past year. I consider myself very fortunate.

I recently celebrated my 38th birthday (picture below). I would not have lived to see 38 had I not received the medical care I did. It's a sobering thought that brings forward a kaleidoscope of emotions, not all bad. 

Thank you to everyone who has read and posted on this site during the past year. Your comments and general interest have uplifted me and built a sense of community that made me not feel alone. Words can't describe my gratitude. I love you all.

I hope to see and speak to all of you in the near future. 

Pictures above (in order; for some reason I can't caption them)

1. Bella, my nursemaid 

2. Pill potpourri 

3. Pumpkin, my other nursemaid 

4. 38th birthday dinner 

All the best,
Scott Richmond