Dankeschon

2011, eight years after I was originally diagnosed with Leukemia, was a busy year. I should have had UNC in my rear-view mirror. Still, I had so much going on. I had been doing my daily IV fluids for a year and now one of my hips was beginning to hurt. I knew it was only a matter of time. The doctor who had performed my fibular graft hip surgery in 2005 said there was no guarantee on how long the surgery would last. The goal of the surgery was to prolong a hip replacement. I was only 22 years old at the time, and that was mighty young to have a hip replacement. Hip replacements are not good for a lifetime either. In the meantime, I walked with a cane, took pain meds, and sat as often as I could to delay hip replacement surgery as long as possible.

 Since 2006 I had been corresponding with my second bone marrow transplant donor almost daily. She lived in Germany and was six hours ahead of our time. She worked in a hospital as something similar to a surgical technician. We had to carefully plan times to talk while we were both awake and she was not working.  My schedule was usually open since I was unable to work at the time. We would email and talk through yahoo messenger or chat. At the time yahoo did have a drawing feature we could use if we needed to because of the language barrier. I remember drawing a stick person and circling the hip area because she did not know the English word hip. I of course did not know any German, but she did know enough English for us to communicate. In 2006 when we first communicated, technology was not as advanced as it is now. I sent her gifts randomly, and I knew eventually I wanted to meet her in person.  By 2011 I was ready to visit Germany.

 Mom and I got our passports and I planned the trip. Germans go on holiday and use all of their vacation time all at once. During the month of August my donor, Sabine, was going to be on holiday. She lived on the bottom level of a flat. Her neighbors above her were on holiday also, but were going out of town. They were gracious enough to let us stay in there flat as long as we fed their cat.

 I was still giving myself the daily IV fluids so I had to call the airline and get approval and directions on how to take it on the airplane. I was in a lot of pain due to my hip and I had to take a wheelchair. We made it to Germany after a 14-hour flight with all the medical supplies and equipment in tow. We had a great time! Sabine had something planned every day for the entire two weeks we were there. We visited Munich, castles, historic churches (older than anything we see in America), small towns, and so much more. Her family was wonderful. Sabine had even planned a family and friends BBQ at her house as well as a celebration with the Bone Marrow Donor Program at a local castle.

 During our time in Germany, I cruised the streets and subway in a wheelchair. As soon as I returned home, I had a hip replacement scheduled for the end of the year. I did not let it stop me. I carried my IV along on the adventures and made the best of it, even with my visual impairment. I couldn’t see everything in Germany especially in the dim lit older churches. I had a flip video camera that was popular at the time, and I looked at the screen of the camera to see most things. A flip cam was small like a smart phone only thicker. I could see things better on the screen because it was small and bright.

 Sabine did so much to celebrate me while we were in Germany making my time memorable and wonderful when she was the one who needed praising. Words can’t express the gratitude and thanks I have. I would love to go back and visit again…with a translator. For now, my goal is to meet my first BMT donor that actually lives in America. He has now moved to South Carolina from Michigan, but with COVID it has been a challenge to get together. 

 2011 ended and I had been to Germany and had a hip replacement all while doing a daily 3 hour IV with low vision. When life gives you lemons, make some lemonade.  Don’t spiral into a black hole of depression or destruction. Push through with what you have and don’t dwell on the bad things. Negativity will get you nowhere. Faith Over Fear. He’s got you and with Him you can get through anything. No need to worry.

 By the way, the title of this story, Dankeschon, means “thank you” in German.