Day +10. My counts are on the rise. I repeat, my counts are on the rise. What a glorious day! Today’s the first day since last Sunday, November 1st, where I haven’t had <0.1 x 10^9/L cell counts for my ANC (absolute neutrophil count), monocytes, eosinophils, and lymphocytes. This is great news people because this suggests that the stems cells have engrafted (to some degree), have differentiated, and are now proliferating in my body. I. Am. So. Stoked! All of this waiting is about to start paying off as we expect to see a sharp increase in cell counts over the next few days.

In other news over the past two days, I’ve been suffering from excruciating, throbbing pain in my lower back/sacrum area along with stretchy/itchy feelings in my femurs and other long bones. I know these pains mean that the marrow in these areas are expanding (!) and are hopefully being repopulatated by the new cells the stem cell transplant are making, but geezus, I’ve never felt such chronic incurable pain in my entire life, ever.

The pain in my lower back feels like I’m getting a bone marrow biopsy with every beat of my heart. It’s a throbbing, aching, jolt every second or so. The pain is so jarring it causes me to tense up, despite all of the pain medications I’ve been taking. Seriously unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and it’s chronic. Hopefully it won’t last for too long. Despite all the pain though, I find solace knowing that pain = growing marrow = getting healthy again. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel! Eyes on the prize.

My mom arrives today! My sister is coming out with her for a few days to help her get settled in. My wonderful roommates Chris and Danika are going to get them from the airport and help them get settled in too. I’m so lucky to have such awesome friends who are willing to help out so much! This will be my mom’s first time in SF, her first flight in 20 some-odd years, and her first major metropolitan area since leaving Seoul in 1986. Needless to say she’s nervous (and I’m nervous too!), but I know things will be alright. After all, SF isn’t that scary of a city, minus the ridiculous rent, rampant sidewalk feces, and glute busting hills. This should be a fun mother-son bonding experience, I think.