If I need one my only Brother is a match, or as close as you can be without being an Identical Twin.
When he was tested the people at UCLA were shocked since he is my ONLY Sibling. There is a 25% likelihood, but they test multiple Siblings of Patients and get no matches.
My Brother is in his early 70’s. I told his Wife to feed him a healthy diet and not let him do anything crazy. LOL
A guy I met was diagnosed with Lymphoma and he underwent harvested Stem Cell Therapy which did the trick for him.
While you are dealing with the fallout of the Therapy, I am happy that it worked for you. Just like Old Age, it beats the alternative. I will pray for your continued improvement.
Just another story (yes, I have many stories). #;^)
A Month after I was diagnosed with CLL, my Father was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma. I was 52, he was 82.
While I am pretty boring and have no Vices, my Father was a raging Alcoholic for 60 Years. He only quit drinking at age 79 after my Mother, a life long Smoker BTW passed away.
My Father had ONE Chemo Regimen and for all intents and purposes he was cured of his Lymphoma. He lived until age 93 and died after having a Heart Attack (his first and last) after undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery. He came out the Surgery with flying colors but died in Recovery two hours later.
I have been through four Chemo Regimens during the past eleven Years and have only been in Remission for a year. I almost bought the Farm about two years ago when my Immune System crashed. I ended up with Pneumonia and a mass in my Lung.
After five Antibiotic Prescriptions nothing was working so I was given Plasma Infusion Therapy which finally did the trick. If that didn’t work they were out of options.
You just take what comes and hope tomorrow will be a little better than today. Sorry for rambling on, but it’s what I seem to do here. Blah, blah, blah. LOL
It’s true, that you are blessed to have a match with your only subling.
Out of my 3 siblings, w were perfect matches. However I’ve spoken to many people who did not have a match in their family. They prefer to check the registry before using 1/2 matches as the risk of gvhd can be pretty serious. They are going the route of cord blood, but that needs to line up as well to a degree. It truly is amazing how they can reset the bone marrow. But, first they kill it off via chemo. I now have my sisters DNA. I also, as your friend, have to get revaccinated again. Same shots (plus some) that we got as kids.
I’m so glad to hear you are in remission. It’s not an easy treatment as you are aware. I hope you are feeling better as each months pass.
Cancer has become an epidemic, it seems
(From my earlier post - I have matches with 2 of my 3 siblings). To have only the one sibling and to have a perfect match is pretty amazing.