Remission, Light the Night and Phil the Pott

REMISSION!!!!

What a great word! I am in remission! The results are in from my Day 100 blood tests and bone marrow biopsy. 100% of my bone marrow and stem cells are donor cells (my doctors were hoping to see at least 50%), and there is no sign of cancerous cells found in my marrow or blood! I am so incredibly grateful to my Father in Heaven for answering prayers and granting me this amazing blessing. I also owe a lot to my team of doctors, nurses and aides in LDS Hospital's BMT Unit, as well as all of the scientists, researchers, fundraisers and support staff at organizations like the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), who are responsible for the medical advances that have made possible what was not possible 10 years ago. The treatments, procedures and medications I have received have saved my life. Am I cured? Well, the doctors are hesitant to call it a cure for a few years, but for all intents and purposes, that's what it potentially amounts to. Can the cancer come back? Yes, but with 100% of my stem cells and marrow being donor cells, it's highly unlikely.

Now, the key is to stay healthy. I still have no immune system. It's like I'm a newborn baby in that respect. Getting a donor's stem cells is kind of like hitting "reset" on the immune system and starting over in life. So, while I'm cancer-free, I'm not completely out of the woods yet. It'll still be about a year (at least) before I can return to work, and about two or three years before my checkups at LDS Hospital's BMT Unit are down to a quarterly schedule. With the cold and flu season upon us, I have to be extremely vigilant about exposure to anyone with a fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, earache, or any other cold or flu symptom. Catching a cold or flu bug could easily turn into pneumonia and a stay at the hospital, perhaps even ICU. We check our kids' temperatures regularly to ensure they're not exposing me to anything.

OK, everyone. I know there are a lot of people who read this and that I'm not just keeping a personal journal here, even though, that's my primary focus. On Saturday, October 12 (just under 2 weeks away), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) will be hosting the Light the Night Walk at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City. For those who are not familiar with the Light The Night Walk, here's some basic info about it from the LLS:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk funds treatments that are saving the lives of blood cancer patients (like John Philpott) today. LLS is making cures happen. And it’s all happening now. Not someday, today.
Friends, families and co-workers form fundraising teams and consumers help by donating at retail outlets. These efforts culminate in inspirational, evening walks in nearly two hundred communities each fall across North America.
Participants of all ages are welcome. Fundraising efforts help hundreds of thousands of blood cancer patients. And at the event, you will enjoy a fun, family friendly event, with music, refreshments and entertainment.

I have been blessed tremendously by what the LLS does. I'm raising funds to help others be blessed by the LLS's efforts in the same way I have. On the right side of this page is a link to my fundraising site for the Light The Night Walk. If everyone who reads this would donate just $5 or $10, that would go a long way in helping me and my team make an impact. Of course, the larger the donation, the larger the impact. Thank you in advance to everyone who makes a donation. So far, my "team" (those who are walking with me and raising funds with me) consists only of me, Noelle, our kids, and my brothers, Jeff and David and their families. I would love to have others join us on the walk. If you join the team and raise $100 in donations, you get a t-shirt, lighted balloon and food catered by Texas Roadhouse at the event, and more importantly, the knowledge that you're supporting something that saves lives like my own. Here's something else to consider...if you join the team, your personal donations count towards the $100 you need to raise for your t-shirt and other stuff. Please help. I'd love to have a huge group joining and walking with my team, which I've named Phil the Pott for Leukemia. Let me know if you'd like to participate or if you have any questions. Thanks so much.

My strength and energy continue to improve, as we continue to taper the amount of steroids I'm taking, and as I continue to be as active as my body will let me. I'm focusing my diet on high-protein foods, and trying to rebuild the muscle I've lost. If anyone has any great high-protein recipes to share with me, email them to me (philpott672@gmail.com) or share them with me on Facebook.

Well, that's about it for now. More to come soon.