06/14/2022
Dear colleagues and friends,
I've been dealing with some health issues for some time. More recently I was diagnosed with a form of leukemia called Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, CMML, which has been and continues as stage as zero, CMML-0. It's stage 0 meaning I have no blasts. This is very good news. However, on my bone marrow testing earlier this year, I had mutation changes that put me at high risk for acute forms of leukemia, that would lead to poor control and little chance of complete cure. With my current status we have a good probability of complete cure. So, now is the time to pursue a Stem Cell Transplant (SCT).
We are also blessed to have a 100% match donor (my younger brother), a strong family, and great friends, and strong faith and the best place in the world, MD Anderson relatively close by (3.5-hour drive). I received my stem cell transplant at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas on June 7, 2022. It's my new Birthday, 6-years younger of "a brother John DNA re-boot." Short-term success is defined as "engraftment" and that is where we are now. Fighting through all the problems in a patient with no bone marrow activity because the chemotherapy destroyed my bone marrow and its blood cancer followed by recruitment of my brother’s healthy supercharged stem cells to replace my previous bone marrow. Currently, Stephanie and I are living in Houston, Texas. Our 4 adult kids and my 4 siblings are stepping up and helping. We have a long road but are so encouraged! We appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers for our family in our "bump" in the road of life. We are Going For The Cure! GFTC!
We look forward emerging happier, healthier, more blessed, and stronger faithed, with big Texas hugs when we meet again in 2023! Love, Greg and Stephanie
Psalm 103:1-5
Matthew 9:20-22
John 3:16
