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Interview with stem cell transplant survivor Kimberly Dixon
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Kimberly Dixon - Christmas, 2008*
Last week, 36 year-old Kimberly Dixon was announced as a winner of the Bone Marrow t-shirt giveaway sponsored by the Stem Cell & Bone Marrow Survivor & Donor Awareness Shop. This courageous stem cell transplant survivor gives readers a glimpse into her transplant experience in the first installment of interview questions that follow:
Q: Could you tell readers a little about yourself ?
A: I am an only child, but I now have several step-brothers and step-sisters, all of whom have been very supportive. I am a licensed master level psychologist and work as a behavior consultant with individuals who have developmental disabilities.
Q: What was your diagnosis/reason for the transplant? What treatments did you receive prior to transplant?
A: On February 9, 2006, my physician called me after receiving blood work results and told me to head to the hospital because my bone marrow was not working properly. The next morning, I was told I had acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). It took 2 rounds of induction chemotherapy to get into remission. That was followed by 3 rounds of consolidation chemotherapy. In September, 2007 I relapsed. I again received chemotherapy to achieve remission and was referred to the Blood and Marrow Transplant program at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. While waiting for a match to be found, I received one more round of chemotherapy to keep me in remission.
Q: Where did you receive your transplant? How long were you there? What was your experience like there?
A: I received my stem cell transplant at KU Medical Center. I was in the hospital for almost 3 weeks, and then remained at the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Kansas City, MO for 3 months because my doctors wanted me close to the hospital. I was seen at the outpatient clinic 2 to 5 times per week during this 3 months and had a couple of brief hospitalizations for complications. The transplant itself was anti-climactic after all of the chemotherapy. My worst reactions were to the various chemotherapies and medications they gave me to suppress my immune system to prepare it for the new stem cells. The doctors and nurses were wonderful and took great care of me. It was a little difficult not being able to receive many visitors or walk around freely. I had to stay on the unit with the controlled air. Even when I was discharged from the hospital, I had a great deal of restrictions on the foods I could eat, the number of visitors I could have and where I could go. (Almost nowhere, except walking around outside.) There were times I wanted to go places or be around more people, but everyone was so supportive of me and my needs, and I had frequent visitors at Hope Lodge and befriended many other patients and their care givers at Hope Lodge.
Interview to be continued in the next installment.
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