Soto – Quick Update:
Dateline: September 9, 2010
DUARTE, CA - in the County of the Angels:
At The City of Hope, where God’s grace pours down from heaven via the works of excellent doctors, nurses, and caregivers giving hope to patients like me.
Dear family and friends: a quick update…
Glory to God!
Thank you all for your prayers, well wishes, love and support. All has gone well with the chemo treatments and on Monday, Aug. 30th we collected my stem cells and froze them for the next phase in the process: the last intense chemo treatment and subsequent autologous transplant. We’re targeting to begin this phase within the next two to three weeks. I’m feeling well, strong & keeping the faith and positive mental attitude.
Recap:
Over the past four months I’ve undergone 4 chemotherapy treatments (each about a week in-hospital & around 21 days of recovery between treatments,) 4 spinal taps to infuse chemo in the spine to prevent lymphoma spreading to the spine and brain, 2 bone-marrow aspiration & biopsies to test and confirm the bone marrow for the absence of lymphoma; and with PET (imaging) scans, CT scans, and X-Rays, the COH team has been able to confirm that all is going to plan: my bone marrow, and spine tests have resulted clear of lymphoma, my lymph-nodes appear clean in the images and have returned to normal size.
On August 30th we collected sufficient stem cells (from my blood) to freeze and prepare for the last chemo treatment and subsequent re-implant of my stem cells (targeted for mid October) to re-build my immune system.
Throughout this process, the love and support from my family and friends, and above all, God’s abundant and never ending grace have sustained me in all. I continue to keep a strong faith, a positive mental perspective, and give thanks for every blessing.
In an autologous stem cell transplant, you are your own donor. Your peripheral blood stem cells are taken from you, frozen until needed, then given back to you after you have received high doses of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both, to destroy cancer cells.
Thank you,
God’s wonderful blessings to you all.
