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URL http://www.rockymountainbmt.com/patient_stories/George-Poynter-24.html

George Poynter

“When I was first diagnosed, my oncologist at the time had a totally different view of cancer treatment and transplant therapy,” said George. “I wouldn’t be alive today had I stayed with him. Dr. Matous truly saved my life.”

George received a related allogeneic transplant for acute lymphocytic leukemia in February of 2003. He was forced to take a year off work, which reshaped his home life. His wife quit her job to available for him 24 hours a day – literally giving up everything to help him recover. At the time of his transplant, George and his wife had two young children who didn’t quite understand what he was going through.

“Looking at the impact of the transplant on my children was really the toughest part of the whole experience for me,” said George. “My wife and I chose to be upfront with them, because there was a very real chance that I could have died.”

Age and athleticism were George’s biggest assets during his transplant and recovery. He received his cancer diagnosis when he was 33 years old and in top physical condition. Those two assets resulted in minimal lung damage as a result of the transplant and a five-month recovery to a “new” kind of normal. Each day still brings new challenges and it is a fresh outlook that gives George the strength to move forward.

“Trying not to anticipate the future has definitely helped me cope with the difficulties of my transplant,” said George. “I couldn’t think about dying. I had to keep pushing forward and get out of bed every day.”