On Monday February 2nd, I reached day +100. This is a milestone we’ve been waiting for, in all reality, for 2 years. Since diagnosis this has been the goal- Cancer in remission + successful stem cell transplant. The idea is my new immune system keeps my lymphoma in check. Obviously time will tell, but we’re ending this experience with some genuine hope. ❤

How am I feeling/doing?

I’m feeling really well. I have energy again, I’m sleeping decently and honestly just soaking in the feeling of relief. My anxiousness has decreased by like 75%. Wellness is subjective and I’m still on a ton of meds that I will work with long term clinic to manage over time. I’m looking forward to being more active. If you could make the temperature outside sunny and 75 year round- I’d appreciate it.

How is/are Cullen and the kids?

I think they doing so much better. I’ve resumed the role of fully functioning mom (school drop off/pickup, doctors appointments, bedtimes, making dinner etc.) and I think the energy and vibe in the house is one of relief. Cullen had to travel recently for work and I know it was a relief for him to be able to go and not have to worry about me. We will be focusing on repairing attachments/connections this year as a family and banking some POSITIVE experiences.

What makes this time different?

My counts are better this time and my engraftment numbers are at 100%. Last year when I “graduated” the OTU I was chronically neutropenic and had to give myself injections every week to keep my white counts stable. This time I haven’t needed that intervention since the first 30 days.

Last time, my engraftment numbers were mixed- meaning some showed strong engraftment and some didn’t. This time my engraftment percentages were 100% at day +30, +60 and +90. Strong engraftment keeps my body from rejecting the transplant.

What are our next steps?

I transition to long-term clinic. This is where I will see my provider 1x every 4-6 weeks to do labs, adjust meds and check-in overall re: any chronic issues that may develop. Did you know I’ve had a CBC (complete blood count) drawn every single week since January 2024? Next week is the first time in a LONG time that I don’t have to.

Right now my largest issue is some lingering skin graft vs. host disease (GVHD). However as my team says..we have good disease control and the positive side to GVHD is it means my new immune system is strong.

Over time hopefully those visits will get spaced out even further.

Is this my last post?

I’m not sure, but I hope so. I won’t be documenting my journey through long term clinic- because it’s basically for life and I’m hoping it won’t be that interesting 🙂

I want to take a moment and thank you all profusely- the support the Mahans have received over the last two years is immeasurable. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, praying for us, checking in on us, feeding us, entertaining us, crying with us, celebrating with us and most importantly ROOTING for us. There’s no doubt in my mind that this was a complete team effort orchestrated by God. There were so many God winks along the way that remind me He never left. Maybe one day I’ll put them all together as a reminder that Even IF…His promises are still true for you too.

I also can’t speak higher of my OTU clinic team at Vanderbilt. Every nurse, NP, care partner, scheduler and MD made ALL of our experiences there the best they could be.

If there’s anything we can ever do for you, please know we a part of your village like you’ve been a part of ours.

Thank you for being a part of my healing journey,

Danielle