Jackie:
How long did you have to stop working while you were sick? And during the transplant, did you stop working?
Tony:
Maybe, I went back to work real light duty six, eight months after I had my transplant. Just showing up on the job you know, and just checking up on my workers and things like that.
Jackie:
So how long after your adult stem cell transplant were you able to go to work full time?
Tony:
Probably about a year.
Jackie:
Wow, were you working when you had sickle cell and then during, after the adult stem cells transplant?
Desiree:
No, I was going to school full time. After transplant I had to get my hip replacement and that took a while. But, then after that I got back in school and then I was able to work.
Jackie:
I just didn’t know the recovery process was going to be so long. I was under the impression the next day I was going to feel better and I actually didn’t feel better the next day, I felt like I felt worse. After the adult stem cell transplant. That next day, I didn’t feel like I woke up and I was like a whole new person. It took me a good six to nine months where I didn’t even I regretted it at first honestly because, I just didn’t feel like you did. I didn’t feel better that next day. So, and I still wasn’t able to work and stuff like that.
So it took me about six to nine months before I fully appreciated what I went through and fully got back to myself and feeling great again.
Tony:
Were you pregnant at this point?
Jackie:
No, we had to wait a good while they told me to wait about two years I believe, before trying to get pregnant.
Desiree:
Because of the chemo.
Jackie:
Yeah, and just because of the chemo and everything you know, I work in a nursing home and they didn’t want me going into a nursing home with the immune system that I had.
Tony:
We were kind of in Covid conditions kind of and we didn’t know it.
Desiree:
Had to wear a mask going out and all of that. I didn’t think about it but yeah, we really did.
Tony:
I think the similarities are that the pain that we went through, the experiences that we went through. And, I think the differences are is that diseases that we all have, those different treatments and they were all still painful and nothing comfortable about them and horrendous to do. But, we’re here today, were live here today. Kicking, two beautiful girls. You’re going to school and I run my companies and I mean we’re here.