Not great news

So here is the update without any beating around the bush.  I need another stem cell transplant.  My biopsy showed that my disease is stable, but my chimerism test showed that I'm all me (not good), except for my immune system which is still my sister.  The doctor said that that is unusual.  What the hell else is new!!  Anything rare and unusual tends to be attracted to me.  That includes my friends!! Ha!

The next step is to look for a donor.  The transplant coordinator called me yesterday and said that I have 12 potential matches!! Finally some half-way decent news.  Five of the potential matches will be tested further. They are trying to find the absolutely best match possible.  There is still the possibility that my sister may be my donor again.  The reasons they are also looking for other matches are because they like to use young, 20 something donors when possible.  The other thought is that we don't know with any certainty what caused the relapse and why my body decided to fight my sisters' cells.  The other side of the coin is that I did very well for almost 11 years with the original transplant. We will weigh the pros and cons for both once we have all the information.

There is a chance that I could actually have a third blood type in my lifetime, if we go with another donor with a different blood type.  If the new donor is male my chromosomes will change from XY to XX.  Granted, I've been told that I have some balls, but this is ridiculous!! 

The transplant will be taking place in about 6 weeks.  I get to live in Boston for a little while again.  I wonder if I get a room upgrade considering I'm a frequent flyer.  I think I'm going to go with fun color wigs this time.   The good things are that I'll be thin again and I'll lose my post menopausal mustache along with the other hair.  See, there is always a positive.  For right now, I'm keeping my chins up, yes I said chins, but I will also have some bad days. Please be patient with me.  I'll try to post more often and share with you the feelings I'm going through whether they are good or bad.  This sucks, but I'm tougher that the suckiness!!  I will admit that being strong is getting old.  I can only trust that there is a reason that I have to endure this again. 
Peace out peeps!