11/27/19 – It is 6 years since I had my Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant.
This is a such a great thing for me as we all celebrate Thanksgiving. There is
no doubt that I have so much to be thankful for. I have the very best family
and friends and my health has been better than I have experienced in many
years.
On top of all this, on November 7th I became a grandfather
for the first time. My daughter Jill and her husband Marc were blessed with a beautiful
baby girl named Millie. It is hard to put into words what a thrill this is for
me.
When I look back to 2008, when I was originally diagnosed, I’m
not sure I could have seen myself ever being called grandpa. But with great
doctors and fantastic medical advancements, I have been gifted with the
opportunity to see the next generation of my family. Cancer treatment sure has come
so far... it truly makes you think that nothing is impossible. … and with the new treatments
I am hearing about it is even more encouraging. Have you heard about the new treatment
called Cart T-cell Therapy?
CAR
T-cell therapy. A type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of
immune cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will bind to cancer cells
and kill them. Blood from a vein in the patient’s arm flows through a tube to
an apheresis machine (not shown), which removes the white blood cells,
including the T cells, and sends the rest of the blood back to the patient.
Then, the gene for a special receptor called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)
is inserted into the T cells in the laboratory. Millions of the CAR T cells are
grown in the laboratory and then given to the patient by infusion. The CAR T
cells are able to bind to an antigen on the cancer cells and kill them.
If you know of anyone dealing with a blood-based
cancer it may be worth looking into this new treatment option. It sounds
awesome to me.
Now, I am planning to be here to see my grandchildren grow up through all
their special times… I also have great hopes to live to see my great
grandchildren. Hmmm… I guess I want it all... but as I always say, keeping a positive
attitude goes a long way.
Speaking of having it all,
here is a YouTube link to a wonderful new song by Matt Maher about how you can truly
have it all. It’s called “Lord of My Life”. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I will
praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30
More to come…
http://mantlecell.blogspot.com/
http://mantlecell.blogspot.com/
