Waiting is the hardest part
5:21 p.m. Sunday, January 7, 2007
Topeka — Waiting to learn if you are cured of cancer - that is what one Topeka woman is going through right now.
This week’s People in the Heartland follows up with Ann Hodges, who first shared her story with us in November. Ann recently underwent a stem cell transplant, and we spoke with her in the hour before she went in for the surgery. Despite the pain she is going through, she wants to share her story in hopes of teaching and inspiring others.
"I'm ready to get this over with and get out of these four walls,” says Hodges.
See Ann's Full Story
Ann talked about her struggles with cancer before her surgery last month. See Ann's full story.
From the four walls of KU Medical Center, Ann Hodges prepares for her stem cell transplant, but not the controversial kind you may have heard about.
"People are upset about the embryonic stem cells and I can understand that; I know there is a lot of controversy. But when it comes to taking your own, there shouldn't be any controversy when you can save yourself," says Hodges.
And that is what Ann hopes to do. She had her stem cells harvested and stored after the first time she was diagnosed and then cured of her cancer. That way if the cancer came back she could have her healthy cells transplanted back into her body.
So with the second round of cancer, now she prepares for the transplant and the end goal:
"To eliminate all the cells, the cancer cells from my body - totally eliminate the cancer cells and be cured," says Hodges.
Ann has spent a grueling week in the hospital...
"Six days - full days of chemo. Each day was different; the drugs would change," says Hodges.
Those drugs made her sick and weak, but that's the procedure leading up to the transplant. The chemo is to kill any remain cancerous cells. Test results to scan for cancer are uplifting.
"It showed that it was almost non-existent so I feel like the tumors are gone and that's very exciting because now I know these stem cells can come in and they'll be just regenerating without any cancer cells in them," says Hodges.
And because the cells are her own, the chance of rejection is low, but there is still a lot of waiting.
"It all depends on how my cells redevelop and grow and thrive. I have to make sure I don't get any infections. They are very optimistic. They don't seem to have any fears about it; they are just ready to get me home,” says Hodges.
Ann had to spend the holidays in the hospital, but she is back home this weekend. She has been exhausted since the transplant and in a lot of pain; she says some days it's hard to even sit up. As for what's next - Ann has weekly visits to her doctor for up to year; that's until those transplanted cells can develop and hopefully show that Ann is cancer free.
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