Pre-Transplant Fun... Kinda

Before I started the transplant process, I basically had to get my whole body checked out. We did gastro, cardio, psych, etc. The gastro guy was like- "yeah- your gut sucks". Obviously we knew that. But then we found got unexpected news. The cardiologist looked at my ECG and noticed that my readings were a bit funky. They asked me if anyone ever told me I had Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW). NOPE. They told me that it appeared that I had an extra electrical pathway in my heart. Seriously? Oh great. Something more to deal with. They wanted me at my peak of health (or as close as I could get) before the transplant to give me the best chance of surviving. So I started undergoing extensive testing for this cardio issue.

First, they wanted to see if they could get me to have issues- yes they wanted me to have a heart issue- by making me exercise extensively. It was no fun and they couldn't get my heart to react. Finally, they told me I would have an exploratory surgery. They were going to stick I probe down my esophagus and place it next to my heart. Then the probe would try to get my heart to beat really fast which could put me into cardiac arrest if I had the disease. We all were like "you wanna do what now?!?". But they assured us that they would have a defibrillator on hand in case I did arrest and that it wasn't too dangerous. We had to do it if I was going to get the transplant so we agreed. I was put under and woke up a few hours later. They told me everything was good and that while I did have an extra electrical pathway in my heart, it did not lead to anywhere significant and I would not have any heart problems. So that was a relief.

However, I hear that after I woke up, I was quite the handful. The drug they gave me put me in more of a "twilight" (that's their word for it) instead of a full anesthetic sleep. The doctors said that usually for girls it makes them weepy and for boys it makes them aggressive. Well guess what I did? I got FIESTY. I apparently was very demanding and short with everyone. I even yelled at my dad at one point. For those of you who know my family- just imagine me yelling at my dad. And everyone just sat there and took my demands and abuse apparently. I don't remember any of this and still believe to this day that I am a perfect angel... Hahaha.

After that we met with the main team of doctors and head nurses that would be in charge of my care during the transplant. Unfortunately we had to meet during my high school graduation. So as of now- I haven't walked a stage. That was disappointing for me. The team of medical personnel included the transplant goddess- Dr. Filipovich. I know that without her sage recommendations I would not be alive today. They told me the bare minimum of what was going to happen to me because I think they didn't want to scare me. Here's some of what they said (but in my words):
I would get a shit ton of chemo for 10 days straight and then have to stay in isolation because I would literally have no immune system. On the 10th day I would receive my sister's (Mercedes') bone marrow. Then I would recover in isolation for as long as it took- usually about 30 days. I would have to be very careful not to come in contact with any public because if I contracted any illness I could possibly die. Etc. etc. etc. My first questions after their spiel: Will I lose my hair? YUP. Are there any other things I should expect? Most patients get horrible mouth sores. I have no idea why. They just do. Finally, the doctors told me that we would begin on August 12, eleven days after my 18th birthday. So that was that. And the real journey begins.

PS- I redid the email subscription. It is at the top of the page. Please re-subscribe if you have done it before. I hope that it works this time!

PPS- I love seeing your comments! Whether they're reminiscent, encouraging, or even sad- it is nice to know that I'm not alone in this. It always brings a smile to my face (and sometimes a tear to my eye) to know you all care! :)