Content Outline/Me/My Current State
As of November, 2021, 3 - 4 months after stem cell transplant, I was declared "in remission". "Cure" is a coveted status that only comes after a couple of years of observation after remission, and there's not much I can do about it except wait and see, trying to remain medically compliant, and relatively fit and otherwise healthy (getting enough sleep, tending to other medical issues, staying monitored).
As of February, 2022, I'm still getting periodic lumbar punctures with prophylactic chemo (Methotrexate) applied to my central nervous system. They draw spinal fluid too and run tests on it, and that combined with a special blood test, called Clonoseq, is what Kaiser and Stanford use to monitor me for any resurgence of the leukemia. The chemo seems to make me experience weird sensations (texture, smell, taste) while eating and impacts my appetite while it fades for a week or two after the lumbar punctures. So they've spaced them out every couple of months instead of doing them once a month as they originally planned.
I got frozen shoulder in my left shoulder years ago, and they often say frozen shoulder comes in pairs (even though they don't quite know what causes it). Anyhow, I got frozen shoulder in my right shoulder during this process. Our best guess is that it was because I was keeping the joint relatively still for fear of ripping off my venous catheter dressing. It started freezing up near the end, a couple of weeks before the catheter came out and left me with a curious scar in its place. Theories are that some cramping I was experiencing around the catheter scar may have contributed to the frozen shoulder too.
Also my skin's been freaking out, and I've been variously experiencing different forms of rashes and pimples and intensities of itching mostly on my head, face, and torso, sometimes on my arms or legs, but not as frequently. They got me taking Atarax for that and has helped a lot. But I'm considering increasing the dose. My care team says I can use up to 4 doses a day and I've been taking 2 a day for the past few months. Still considering it. I can be stubborn about increasing dosages.