birthday

Feeling grateful on my 8th stem cell transplant birthday

June is a special month for me. Eight years ago I had an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) in Moscow to treat my multiple sclerosis (MS). On June 22, I celebrated my eighth stem cell birthday! A stem cell transplant, or “stemmie day,” is when patients…

Recovering the Parts That MS Stole From Me

ā€œWho in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle.ā€ ā€” “Aliceā€™s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carrol Jan. 9 was my 31st birthday. I remember looking outside, watching the low January sun glisten on the frosty ground as its orange haze thawed the earth. I liken this…

The Blowout

It was one of those mornings the day after, when I was moving like a zombie before they became ubiquitous. The night before had been my 30th birthday ā€• I was now an old bloke. About 20 of us had gathered in an uber-cool West End London restaurant, drank…