Yesterday, I finally got my chimerism report from my bone marrow biopsy that I had last week. Chimerism is the ratio of donor cells to my cells, and since the whole purpose of the stem cell transplant was to replace my bone marrow cells, we have been hoping that the chimerism would be pretty high. 

It was. 95+%, which is as high as the test can measure. I have full chimerism. Along with the fact that they found no lymphoma in my bone marrow, I could not have gotten better news. That was THE big milestone, and now I am sure that I will make it from here. I know that it is still a long road ahead, fraught with possible life-threatening difficulties and yada yada, but I can't say that I am worried anymore. I have made it this far, and beat ridiculous odds. 

How ridiculous are the odds? I was pretty quiet about this, partly because it was not clear to me until near the end of the year, and partly because there was no sense in worrying my friends more that I already had, but I am only one of two people that have had Aggressive Mantle Cell Lymphoma and lived. Many more people have walked on the moon than have survived this disease. Interestingly, the other person that has made it, is only about 4 months ahead of me in treatment. This is one of the big reasons that the doctors have been unsure about what will happen next. There is just no data. I am very lucky to have had the doctors and nurses that I have had to see me through this. 

For the last (long) leg of the treatment, I am planning to take it easy, and do just fine. In a few more months, we will be able to move in with my mom in Brunswick, and Becky will no longer be the only caregiver, and we will be closer to all our friends. I am looking forward to it. I will still not be able to see very many people for most of a year as I rebuild my immune system, so I will not be showing up to frisbee or parties any time soon. I am looking forward to the time when I can. I love you all.

Leif