Michael Stem Cell Transplant Center at Mayo Rochester Minnesota

07/20/2023

Home and ready to Cruze.
He wasn’t allowed to drive in Rochester….
So he’s driving around…….
Xox—- thank you all for your kind words, your encouragement and your love — he’s amazing!!!
Love, love and more love —Caitlin and Michael

07/19/2023

Suited and booted~~ his numbers are up, his infection is down…. We will be home in the next day or so…..
He’s still got a ways to go, recovery is a building process — it’s baby steps, day by day—- and he’s still got months of recovery ahead—-but this part we are almost done with….. xox —we will do a hip-hip-hooray after meeting with his Stem Cell Transplant Doctor— hes ready to boogie-woogie xox this has been one hell of a long hard trip- but he’s my Superman!!
Next steps are homeward bound…..
Love— C xox 💋❤️

Michael Stem Cell Transplant Center at Mayo Rochester Minnesota
Caitlin Canon

07/15/2023

Michael is out of the hospital!!!! His Hawaiian shirt fluttering in the breeze, his Hickman line removed,(because of an infection in the line,) and he is very happy. He is doing better—he has the tiniest bit of an appetite, he has still been getting temperatures from an infection, but everything at this point ( knock on wood) … is being handled— and slowly growing his numbers.
Thanks— caitlin

07/12/2023

So Michaels been in the hospital since Saturday —he had a really bad infection that’s still going on and then they were studying a tertiary infection.

This was the day he was going to be released at least for a few hours, and then have daily infusions of IVs and platelets.

We were getting all ready to go ~~~~and then then Infectious Disease doctor came in and in his Hickman line, there seems to be a bacteria, which is causing an tertiary infection within him. So he didn’t get to wear his new Hawaiian shirt and head out the door.

But when he does get to do as he gets to have a bunch of blood drawn, a bunch of cultures, a bunch of tests, a pretty full CT scan, and even though it’s kind of dangerous what they’re going to do is, they’re going to remove the Hickman line and hopefully that will clear up that the third infection and help with the second infection …………so that’s where we are at.

We know this is the best place to be, it really is, it’s just been twice now where they’ve caught us just as we were kind of getting ready to head out the door where they’ve said oops you’ve got XYZ you’ve got to stay ——know a little bit heartbreaking and nerve-racking but one of the beauties of this is that each time was perfect timing right as we just as we were walking out the door.

So his Hickman line will be removed, it’s a little bit dangerous because he doesn’t really have the blood levels to do the surgery—- but they are pumping him up with lots and lots of platelets…. And it’s all going very very quickly…… the decision was made at 11:30…. And he will be in surgery by 3:00……

The good news is is that he is grafting. He is going through Nadir, in which the stem cells that were put into him, are grafting within his body. So that’s rhe good news ———-but he’s other things are complicating everything It is nerve-racking and unsettling, and a little on the dangerous side—but he’s got a good spirit and sassy and I love him more than words can say. —— xox
Caitlin Canon
Mike Canon
Michael Stem Cell Transplant Center at Mayo Rochester Minnesota

07/11/2023

Update: Michael is still in the hospital—- he has an infection that is slowly getting better— so that is good— they are holding him because now there may be a tertiary infection— they are trying to narrow down what that may be— and then what happens— he is looking much better— he’s got his sassy back— he still is having a little problem with temperature regulation—- so we are kind of out of one frying pan and into another—- but we don’t know if the other is serious, or can be handled with a specific drug, right now he is on a broad spectrum one— but only the cultures will reveal what’s needed. He is still in the midst of Nadir….. which in a nutshell the stem cells that he was infused with, which were his own, they are bonding within throughout his body.
Right now it’s a holding pattern.
Love - Caitlin
Michael Stem Cell Transplant Center at Mayo Rochester Minnesota Mike Canon

07/08/2023

Update: Michael has developed a secondary infection- it happens I 1/100 stem cell patients~ it just happens sometimes.
So he’s got an infection and his body is grafting.
So he is being admitted.

Right now is. Nadir— where he has no white blood cells, and his body is working overtime to graft the stem cells that were placed in him—- and an infection—he is going to be admitted to Mayo for a few days— until they can get the underlying problems sorted and his body can work on getting the stem cells grafted.
Cancer fu***ng sucks—
Michael appreciates
your support. He’s a fighter.
Love you all— C

07/04/2023

This…… this is the hard part. This is the mean, evil, terrifying awful part of cancer………..this is nadir.
This is where it hurts, the pain, the nausea, the utter exhaustion, where his body is working so hard to incorporate the stem cells that were transplanted into him.
He’s always been the strongest, kindest most amazing man I’ve ever met……..and he is fighting so incredibly hard. But cancer is ravaging and relentless…it’s tricky….. and it’s evil, ……it plays by its own fu***ng ever changing rules.

He’s is fiercely fighting,…..

I’ve never felt so helpless and utterly heartbroken.

He’s battling everyday…… and these days, these days are just running into one day after the next— didn’t even register that it was the 4th….. it’s all just one long very fu**ed up piece of time.
All I can say is that he’s going to get through this, one way or the other….. but for right now though ~~~It’s so heartbreakingly fu**ed up…….

*this is not a yippieskippy post….. it is cancer, and I’m not going to sugarcoat cancer— cancer doesn’t get a fu***ng sugarcoating.

06/29/2023

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094152313061.

You can join to see the process and get updates on Michael’s progression.
Michael was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in January—- he had 16 weeks of chemotherapy and is now in Rochester getting a Stem Cell Transplant.
For the last three weeks he has been given high doses of chemotherapy and shot of growth hormone— so that he grew his own stem cells that will be used during the transplant. Today is the day we have been waiting for for quite a while— it is called allogeneic stem cell transplant ….. after this the stem cells that were taken out, were cleaned and basically being put back in again.
Today is called DAY ZERO.
He is is good spirits, the procedure today should take about 10-12 hours.
Will keep you updated, and there is an update page if you are interested in the progress and to send words of encouragement and support— you can also do any words of support on this page as well.
We thank everyone who has been so kind ….
Many thanks — Mrs.Michael Canon
Mike Canon Caitlin Canon

Michael was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, currently having stem cell allogeneic transplant at Mayo

06/29/2023

Technical definition——

Autologous stem cell transplants

In this type of transplant, the first step is to remove or harvest your own stem cells. Your stem cells are removed from either your bone marrow or your blood, and then frozen. After you get high doses of chemo and/or radiation as your myeloablative therapy, the stem cells are thawed and given back to you.

This kind of transplant is mainly used to treat certain leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma.

He is at one of the best hospitals in the world…. And we are here for the ride…

TODAY IS CALLED DAY ZERO——- it’s the day we have been waiting for for over 6 months …..

Caitlin Canon Canon auto and bait

06/29/2023

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094152313061

Michael was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, currently having stem cell allogeneic transplant at Mayo