Emad Ibrahim

superamit: Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:16:17 -0500

Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on with me.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

8/1979: Born. Grew up in CT, built a killer eraser collection, fell in love with computers.

Left college to start a company. Fell hard. Fled to India for 3 months.

Started 2nd company. Learned to be an adult. Fell in love with NYC.

Moved to SF, discovered burritos & some of my fave people on Earth.

9/2011: Got diagnosed with Leukemia!

Cried. Went through 3 cycles of chemo. Hurt. Thought hard about what I want out of life. Grew up a second time.

TODAY

… After over 100 drives organized by friends, family, and strangers, celebrity call-outs, a bazillion reblogs (7000+!), tweets, and Facebook posts, press, fundraising and international drives organized by tireless friends, and a couple painful false starts, I’ve got a 10/10 matched donor!

You all literally helped save my life. (And the lives of many others.)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Tomorrow, I’ll be admitted to Dana Farber in Boston for 4-5 weeks.

First I’ll get a second Hickman line to allow direct access to my heart (for meds and for nutrients if I’m not able to eat). Over the next week, the docs blast my body with a stiff chemo cocktail to try and eradicate all traces of cancer cells. In the process, the immune system I was born with, and my body’s ability to make blood, are destroyed.

Next Friday, I get my donor’s stem cells by IV. I start on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting them (I’ll be on them for 12-18 months). For these weeks I’ve no immune system, so I’m severely vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. My hospital room and hallway become my world.

Meanwhile, the stem cells make their way to my bone marrow and, with some luck, start producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. At this point, my blood type changes to the blood type of my donor. And my blood will now have my donor’s DNA, not my own.

This is science fiction stuff. I can hardly believe it’s even possible, and there’s lots of chances for things to go wrong. It’s frightening.

AFTER THE TRANSPLANT

Recovery to a new state of “normal” takes about a year, but there’s a few storm clouds hovering:

My immune system is new, like a baby’s. I’m prone to getting sick.

Just as with any organ transplant, there’s a chance of rejection. Except in this case, it’s my blood that’s the foreign body, and it touches every organ. They call it graft-vs-host-disease and it can cause health issues and organ complications for the rest of my life.

Successful transplant or not, Leukemia can relapse. Stubborn mofo.

Overall, 75% of AML transplant patients survive year one, 50% make it through year five. My odds are a little better since I’m young.

THE GREAT NEWS

I’ve got a long road ahead. But I’ve got a donor & amazing family & friends. A few months ago I didn’t have many options. Today I have a plan.

I am alive. I start tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thank you.

Fiscal conservative???? http://t.co/5QzX4n8n

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:51:54 -0500

Fiscal conservative???? http://t.co/5QzX4n8n

All of Google Doodles in one place including international ones http://t.co/mNTKAg4k

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:00:53 -0500

All of Google Doodles in one place including international ones http://t.co/mNTKAg4k

2011 in review: 20 sites that pushed JavaScript to the limit | Feature | .net magazine...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:20:01 -0500

2011 in review: 20 sites that pushed JavaScript to the limit | Feature | .net magazine http://t.co/e0nqw9y9

Clashes on Egypt Christian injure 29 | Reuters http://t.co/YupFUfSd - comeon “good...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:13:52 -0500

Clashes on Egypt Christian injure 29 | Reuters http://t.co/YupFUfSd - comeon “good muslims” do something!!! Christians: stay peaceful

Project Cartoon: How Projects Really Work (version 2.0) http://t.co/QDodYLbn

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:56:04 -0500

Project Cartoon: How Projects Really Work (version 2.0) http://t.co/QDodYLbn

Shuffling Cards http://t.co/jHOOK6db

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:56:24 -0500

Shuffling Cards http://t.co/jHOOK6db

Blog: Coptic Christians Reach Out to Hillary Clinton http://t.co/2ovsJ4AT

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:33:58 -0500

Blog: Coptic Christians Reach Out to Hillary Clinton http://t.co/2ovsJ4AT

Yahoo! Announces Cocktails – Shaken, Not Stirred · YDN Blog http://t.co/N1QjJeuj

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:11:54 -0400

Yahoo! Announces Cocktails – Shaken, Not Stirred · YDN Blog http://t.co/N1QjJeuj

Y Combinator: Startup Ideas We’d Like to Fund http://t.co/FPGMiDFE

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:42:42 -0400

Y Combinator: Startup Ideas We’d Like to Fund http://t.co/FPGMiDFE

Know of any good tools for Scrum project management? Book? Courses?

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:42:51 -0400

Know of any good tools for Scrum project management? Book? Courses?

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://t.co/ZBTiOAg

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:43:44 -0400

Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://t.co/ZBTiOAg

I am nothing http://t.co/ORcYf7y

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:05:25 -0400

I am nothing http://t.co/ORcYf7y

FUNNY!!! Jon Stewart’s Epic Rant On What Rick Perry Would Do To The America He’s...

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:47:41 -0400

FUNNY!!! Jon Stewart’s Epic Rant On What Rick Perry Would Do To The America He’s ‘In Love’ With (VIDEO) | http://t.co/akny90q

Github’s 50 Most Popular Projects - NOT as SINGLE .net project :( http://t.co/QsZwWDe

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:56:08 -0400

Github’s 50 Most Popular Projects - NOT as SINGLE .net project :( http://t.co/QsZwWDe

Dude, Where Is My Update? Search for DWIMU in wp7 marketplace and get status updates on Mango...

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:34:48 -0400

Dude, Where Is My Update? Search for DWIMU in wp7 marketplace and get status updates on Mango update… http://t.co/7njBKyb

U.K. Riots: Website Raises £25k to Help 89-Year-Old Barber http://t.co/y1fmWso

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:06:14 -0400

U.K. Riots: Website Raises £25k to Help 89-Year-Old Barber http://t.co/y1fmWso

jQAPI - Alternative jQuery Documentation

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:32:48 -0400

jQAPI - Alternative jQuery Documentation:

The jQuery documentation is great, very complete, nicely written and with a lot of examples and demos. The only thing that bugs me is the way we have to find the right documentation for what we search for. Try to search for the .is() function for example. Over 100 matches before the actual function I am looking for?!*) And it is a fixed layout which means even on my big screen I have to scroll all the way down and have to scan for it. There have to be a better way, obviously.

#wp7 7.1 mango tools do NOT work in a VM and MS does not recommend installing on primary...

Fri, 27 May 2011 18:54:56 -0400

#wp7 7.1 mango tools do NOT work in a VM and MS does not recommend installing on primary machine - basically, useless!!!! fail!!

Can you crack the vault and solve #TheHeist for iPhone? http://macheist.com/theheist

Wed, 25 May 2011 20:50:09 -0400

Can you crack the vault and solve #TheHeist for iPhone? http://macheist.com/theheist