Today is the 3 month anniversary of my 6/6/16 transplant for MS!

I’m feeling better everyday.  My MS symptoms have improved dramatically.  I’m mostly just very tired, a little dizzy, still some spasticity and get a random “zap” in my toe here and there.  But I’m functioning so much better and it scares me to think of where I would be if I hadn’t gotten HSCT.  It’s hard to get rid of colds though!  I’ve been sick almost the entire time I’ve been home.  One cold lasted a month and this one is at 5 weeks or so.  I’m waiting to hear back from my primarcy care doc to see if it’s time for a new antibiotic.  But I’ll take it over the MS symptoms I was having anyday.  I like walking and being able to hold my bladder!  And my shower chair is now outside my shower holding my towel.

I’ve been spending my time doing homework toward my MHA degreeand resting. Somehow I’ve managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA through all this and I’m hoping I can continue!

My hair has started to grow back more and it’s crazy how much gray I have!  My eyebrows are almost normal now and my eyelashes are about half their normal length.

I went for my last blood test today….well, last one in the 16 week series…. at Northwestern and thought about how much has changed.  For one thing I DROVE to the hospital which is the first time I’ve driven there!  My friend Denise drove me to my evaluation in November and I had been getting rides or taking uber for everything since then.  In fact, one of my best friend’s, Kim, drove me to walgreens a couple weeks ago and said “do you realize the last time we came here we were buying you a 4-prong cane?”  And we laughed that she wanted me to talk her dad’s walker and I was refusing….until I absolutely needed it.

My dog, Zoe, came home after staying with Kim and her daughter for a few months.  I’m glad to have her back with me and she hasn’t left my side.  She’s sitting in the new bed Kim & Kailey bought for her.  She misses them and gets confused when they leave after they visit!  Kim took the walker back when she left and I’m so grateful that I was able to use it for the time that I did it really helped me even though I resented it.  Kim is probably one of only a couple people who can talk me into doing things.  Love her.

I also turned 42 last month!  As someone pointed out to me I had two birthdays this year! My family took me out to dinner in Little Italy.  Here’s a pic of me and my son-

Next step is my 6 month evaluation….which I was told is optional and I could wait until one year but since I’ve already met my deductible for this year I want to see that MRI with no new lesions!

It’s been a crazy year and I’m so grateful to be on the other side of HSCT and looking forward to continuing to get my life back!

If you know anyone with an autoimmune disease send them to Northwestern or look at clinicaltrials.gov.  People are suffering and deserve to have their lives back too.

Thank you everyone for the love and support!

Ellie