Post #61 - 1st Birthday!!!!

Today at 11:42am Bill will officially have reached the one year mark post transplant.  This is truly a happy birthday!!!  The road that Bill has traveled over the last year has been one of the most difficult roads I have ever seen.  He hit road bumps, potholes and ditches and a few near misses.  I must say that without a doubt Bill's will to live, and all the wonderful prayers everyone sent his way, is what has carried him though the last year.  I can't even begin to give him credit for how he has dealt with every pitch that was thrown his way.

Last week we found out that Bill has Hashimotos' Thyroiditis.   http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashimoto's_thyroiditis  Hashinmoto's thyroiditis(also called autoimmune or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis) is the most common thyroid disease in the United States.  Hashimoto's thyroiditis is characterized by the production of immune cells and autoantibodies by the body's immune system, which can damage thyroid cells and compromise their ability to make thyroid hormone. 

From what I have read from some articles I found here at work, it is where your immune system attacks your thyroid gland.  Sounds like GVHD to me.  Bill has been on med's now for about 8 weeks and is just now starting to get some relief.  The Dr. increased his dose to 137mcg after the 6 week blood test.

I kept a list of drugs that Bill has taken in an outpatient setting over the course of this journey, and as of today he is up to 48.  At one point he was taking over 25 pills a day.  I am happy to report that he is now down to four:  Acyclovir, Bactrim, Levoxyl and beclomethasone.

Two weeks ago we had a trip to Moffitt for the one year bone marrow biopsy and PFT.  We get the results one week from today on 11/16/11.

Please leave a post to wish Bill a happy birthday and thank you for following, and all your words and thoughts through this journey.  Although the journey will never be over, it seems like the worst is finally behind us.