A stem cell transplant patient's tips for recovery

One day at a time
It's not easy to ask
One day at a time
It's quite a task

I want to run ahead
To know what lies
Just around the corner
A week, a month, a year from now
Is what I want to know

One day at a time
It's all I need to know
One day at a time
I'll take it real slow

Early in my chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) journey, my wife Melanie and I had learned to take things one day at a time. It has not been an easy lesson, and I'm not sure I have mastered it yet. But I'm working on it.

This lesson has been especially important following my stem cell transplant. If I had expected to feel normal after a week or two, I would have been sorely disappointed.

Recovery is a slow process. Some 55 days after I underwent my stem cell transplant, I am still far from feeling like myself.  I have friends who tell me it can take a year or more to regain strength and stamina. Of course, I also have a friend who is running marathons. Recovery is as personal as a fingerprint.

Here are a few things that have helped me recover following my stem cell transplant.

Take life one day at a time
Enjoy the victories each day brings. Look for them. They will start out small and may be hard to see if we expect too much.

I rejoiced when I could get through a day without vomiting. Yes, a small victory, but one worth celebrating. I'm celebrating as I write this 55 days after my transplant. My doctor, Issa Khouri, M.D.,told me that my donor's bone marrow now makes up 100% of my bone marrow. And, 98% of my T-cells are those of my donor. It has been a long, boring trip, with many days spent inside a hospital, but so worth it.

Don't expect too much, too fast
It was day +30 -- 30 days after my stem cell transplant -- before I could sense daily improvement. Some patients recover more quickly, some more slowly. If we expect too much too soon, we can fall into depression, which will slow progress even more.

Expect setbacks
Yes, they will come. About a week after my initial release, I was readmitted to the hospital after a fever landed me in the ER. Was I disappointed? Certainly. But I had been told it would happen sooner or later. I rolled with that punch and moved on to the next day.

Enjoy the ride
It's no fun being sick, yet there are benefits. Rest while you can. Enjoy your favorite meals from the patient menu. I ate the same thing every day for days on end. I liked it.

It's all in the attitude. My dad once told me that if I had to do something, I should enjoy it. I've found this to be very true. How we approach stem cell transplant recovery is totally up to us. We can moan and complain, or we can find joy and humor in throughout experience, knowing that we will be stronger once the healing is complete.

I'm sharing my story to help you along your chosen path. Please enjoy the trip, and take it one day at a time.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the cancers MD Anderson is focusing on as part of our Moon Shots Program to dramatically reduce cancer deaths. Learn about our CLL Moon Shot.