Happy Half-Birthday To Me (I'm 6 Months Old) !!

Well, hello, hello, hello!

That's right: today is my "half-birthday." Yes, it has been exactly 6 months since my life-saving bone marrow transplant! On the day of my transplant, receiving my little sister's strong and healthy cells, I don't think I could think much further than getting through that night. However, here I am, 6 months later, healthy, healthy, healthy!!!

It has been way too long since I last did a major update. I apologize! I have been busy with (hold on to your hats)...GETTING BACK TO NORMAL! That's right: I am healthy, strong, and adjusting to this thing called a "new normal." Thanks to my hard work at Physical Therapy 3 times a week, I can do things like climb up and down stairs and get up from sitting on the ground without too much difficulty. Now that I can be out and about in public, I've also gotten back to my shopping habit and having dinner or seeing movies with friends! I can't begin to tell you all how liberating it feels when I'm backing out of the driveway, wearing jeans and having hair on my head, going out to get a bite to eat or do something fun. For those of you who haven't gotten to see me in a while, here are some recent pictures alongside a picture from transplant day 6 months ago to compare. :)

Transplant day!

My hair is long enough for a headband now! Woo hoo! :)

At my little sister (and my little life-saving donor!)'s ballet performance in Chicago (she got the lead role!)

Also a big celebration: a few weeks ago I got my Hickman catheter out! My Hickman was basically a tube going into a major vein that was used for giving chemo or medications, or drawing blood. Now that I have it out I don't have to have a big itchy dressing on my chest all the time, and, even better, I get to shower!! When the hickman was in, I was only allowed to take baths so the tubes didn't get wet. That first shower after months and months of only baths felt like HEAVEN. My Mom told me I was allowed to use up all the hot water if I wanted...and I did!! :) Here's me getting ready to have the line taken out. You can see the dressing and the tubes they'd use to give meds/take blood (called lumens):

 I feel so AMAZINGLY blessed to be standing where I am now. I've been through so much since my diagnosis, but here I stand, almost 1 year later, strong, healthy, and having kicked cancer's butt!!! Unfortunately my doctor didn't think I'd be ready to go back to school this fall, but as long as everything goes as planned, he thinks that I should be ready to go back by January to start Spring semester! I can't WAIT to get back to Saint Louis and just be a college student again.

Thank you all for your unending thoughts, prayers, and support! God is so, so good.

Love,

Sarah <3