Howard's Second Bone Marrow Transplant

I had had two cases of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, one in 2012 and another in 2017 and, as such, I had a Bone Marrow Transplant in July 2018. Everything went well.

But now, I have been diagnosed with treatment induced MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes) and it is now mandatory that I undergo a second Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant at the VA Medical Center at Vanderbilt in Nashville. 

I had assumed that it would be "a couple months" before things started to move along but, as of today my VA Transplant nurse in Nashville used the word "weeks", while I was thinking it would "months" before I had to go. So, probably within a month I will go to Nashville for 3-or so days for my preliminary "Donor Activation Visit" and then return home. From there, if everything has been shown to be "good", the the VA will "activate" the selected Be The Match donor for stem cell collection. The VA has already found one Excellent match for me! Once the donor has been "collected" it will be about 6 weeks before the VA is ready for me. Then, The Full Monty will begin.

The VA/Vanderbilt site is a National Center of Excellence and I know that I will once again receive World Class care.

I will be in Nashville for at least 4 months! I believe that I have sufficient funds to get myself  by for that long, as the VA will take care of most of my needs. But, I need to be able "repay" my friends for taking in my English Springer Spaniel, who I share my life with, and to be able to help out my friends who will be in Nashville with me as my mandatory "Support Persons". I can't expect them to do all this for me without giving them any help in return. I need to be able to buy them lunch and such. The complimentary morning Danish at the hotel does not fill a belly!