Round 2

Mary's doctor just stopped in to let us know that she received the preliminary results of Monday's test and that the leukemia is still in my mom's bone marrow. The doctor was sad to report the news, but still encouraging at the same time. She let us know that she's going to be completely honest with us throughout this whole process. She said that she is confident that they will eventually get my mom into remission, it's just a matter of time.

The doctor also gave us a bit of good news. Joe, Mary's youngest brother, is another perfect match for the stem cell transplant! Thank God for these glimmers of hope through these hard few weeks. Ideally they like to use the youngest brother's stem cells for a transplant, so Joe being a match is great news.

Today we're just hanging out. My mom is feeling okay, but sad about having to do another round of chemo. The chemo will start again tomorrow morning and will be a 6-day heavier round. Again on day 14 they'll do the bone marrow test and we'll go from there.

We know that this journey is just a short period in her and our lives, it's tough, but we can get through it. Please continue to pray for my mom's health, for this next round of chemo to have less side effects, and for her continued strength.

Hello everyone! Thanks for checking in. As you read in the last post, we're still waiting on the results of the bone marrow test to come in. They said we'll know late tomorrow afternoon. I'm here with my mom tonight enjoying her company. She's doing pretty good...feeling better today. She's still hooked up to lots of different medicine and is still getting transfusions but they're expecting her body to start producing things normally again within the next couple weeks (assuming no more chemo).

My mom wants you to know that she reads each and every post you write on this blog every day! She said they all mean so much to her, even the simplest words. Knowing that you all are praying for her is so comforting...she said the prayers are probably going on ALL day :) She wanted me to let you know that some things she's gone through she's had to be calm and focused, but God has given her peace in these moments, and we know He's hearing all of our prayers. She's still trusting in the Lord for a miracle!

Thank you all so much for your love and support. We'll definitely let you know when we hear from the doctors tomorrow afternoon. Goodnight!

Still Waiting...

This afternoon Amy told me that we won't know the results of the test til tomorrow. Just wanted to let everyone know so you're not wondering...we trust in His perfect timing.

I'll write more later tonight when I get up to the hospital, but Amy said our mom is doing very well today.

Mon. Sept. 28th

Day 14 pm Mary is amazing! Today, I arrived a about 10:30, Amy stayed here till about noon. Greg arrived around 2:00, and David and "Shoe" were here visiting.
She has been up and down and tested and retested today. Cancer sucks! No way around it, but we are fighting!! Platelets were up and platelets were down. She had to have an ultra sound on her right arm today because she had a shooting pain run down it when they tried to take her blood pressure. There is still a small blood clot there, but they are not to worried about it and seem to be sure it will dissolve, it is in a small vain and not a big concern.

We still need to pray that the platelets will stay! And that she will hold on to her blood!

Mary also had a bone marrow draw today. We will be receiving the results of that test tomorrow afternoon sometime. We are not sure when. What this test will tell us is if the leukemia has been put into remission. If in remission, then Mary will be here in the hospital for 2 more weeks to regain her strength and get healthy. Then she can go home for about 3 weeks. After that time she will return to the hospital and receive the stem cell transplant (or bone marrow transplant). Which is not as scary as that sounds, it is all done like a blood transfusion. And she will have about 4-6 weeks hospital time.

The nurses keep commenting how her room looks so nice, and how cheery it looks in here. Mei(may), Mary's nurse today was saying today, what a nice family she has and how they have not let her be alone. Our presence as friends and family is noticeable and I know God sees and hears that too!

I saw this in one of the books that Mary has here in her room, and it was the first page I happened to open to, it read," Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen! "

Day 14

This is Amy. Thanks for the prayers everyone.......please keep them coming. Doctor were in this morning. They plan on doing the bone marrow biopsy today at 2:00. Please pray for this to go well! Pray for the results to be positive!

Mom had a little difficulty this morning, blood pressure was up, had a little fever and chill. Now things are looking better. She is getting platelets now. She will recieve 2-3 bags of platelets and some more blood today.

Mom still has a very positive attitude! She is amazing! God is truely working through her.

Day 13.

We are in the midst of some pretty tough days...they say Day 13 and 14 are the worst of them all. Mary is handling herself very well (Docs are trying different meds to control blood pressure and to prevent the destruction of platelets, fluids to keep the kidneys flushed and she is getting pumped full of platelets and blood). She is just tired and is really using her Sunday as "a day of rest."

We found out that she is getting all of the platelets because 1)they tend to die off after 8 hours (and her body is not producing them like she should be). 2)She is having a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow morning and her level needs to be at 20 so she won't have a horrible bruise from the procedure.

Good news is that the platelets are being accepted better by her body and all that is going on with her right now..is "normal" in these days of treatment.

Please be praying for rest and her body's preparation for the bone marrow biopsy tomorrow - they are working hard to get her ready for that :) The results of this test determine the next step. If there are no leukemia cells found, she will stay in the hospital and be supported until her counts come up. She will then be able to go home for a couple of weeks before she comes back for the stem cell transplant (in which we are still waiting on the rest of her sibling's results). If leukemia cells are found in the test, she will need to stay here a little longer and go through another round of chemo. Obviously, we are gonna pray hard for the first! And that is what we will do!!

Julie

Weekend

Hi Everyone,
My mom is doing well today. Her platelet count is back up above where they need her to be, at 16. They're very happy with that! She feels fine and looks good. Julie's cutting her hair right now. She hasn't lost any of her hair yet, but since she's sitting in the hospital bed all day, she thought it would be easier to have it shorter.

I guess this is normal when you're going through treatment, but it seems like she's always battling either a fever or high blood pressure. The good thing is they have medicine for everything and can always get them back to normal.

My dad's here for the weekend, like always, and Amy and Brian came to visit last night. Carl (Mary's brother) and Dottie also visited last night. Mom said the day went by so fast! Now Cory and I (Suzanne) are here to hang out for the day and Julie is here til tomorrow. We're also expecting a visit today from Bonnie & Larry (my parents' friends), and Joe (Mary's brother), Cheryl, and Sarah.

We ask for you to pray for restful sleep at night, for no infections, and for good news from the test on Monday. Thank you all so much. My mom appreciates all your notes, cards, and most of all, your prayers!

Calling All Prayer Warriors!!

Hi all, Mary's favorite daughter-in-law again and her favorite sister-in-law (Patti). :)

We need all prayers on platelets this morning. Mary's platelets are extremely low and the transfusions are not working. Also, the side affects to the transfusions are unpleasant. Please pray that the blood work to find out what the issue is comes back quickly and that until then, Mary's body starts to accept the platelets they are trying to give her. With all of the blood draws that they are doing, it is important that her blood be able to clot and without the platelets it does not.

Thank you all... keep you posted.

Bittersweet...

Hi everyone, it is Bre again. It is my last night to update the blog. I am sad to leave as I love being here, helping Mary, and getting all of the scoop first-hand, but I am so missing my babies (all three) and excited to see their faces.

Today has been another great day. Mary ate great, we walked, and she even got to shower. Ed and Patti came by this morning and stayed with us all day. Ed left around 3pm, but Patti is staying the night. Greg was here again this evening. It is quite a party when all are in the room.

We did receive a slight set back today and need everyone's prayers. For some reason, Mary's body is not accepting the platelets that are going into her every day. The platelets help her blood to clot, so are very important. They are currently testing bloodwork to see if she has any platelet antibodies, which would be causing the rejection. We should have the results in the next 3-5 days. If Mary does have the antibodies, they can order more specifically-matched platelets. Mary does not feel any negative affects from this, but it is important to have them for her own safety.

So, as I sign off, I want to leave you with this. I receive daily devotions in my email and this came across my desk last week... WOW!

As I have grown in my faith, I have learned that prayer does indeed "change things," but it is not God who changes. It is me. There is a wonderful old phrase that gets to the root of what I am saying, "Prayer does not give us what we want, but prayer helps us want what we need." How true that is. You see, prayer is not designed to change or persuade God; it is designed by God to change us!... Peter Annet once said that those who pray persistently are like sailors who have cast anchor on a rock. As they pull on the anchor, they think they are pulling the rock to themselves, but they are really pulling themselves to the rock. This is what persistent prayer does. It pulls us closer to The Rock, God Almighty. And as we move closer to God in prayer, we find that we do not get what we want from God. We get something better. We get what we need. We get what God wants. We find that as we move closer to our Rock, we begin to desire what God desires, so that what we ask for, knock for, and seek after becomes what God so desperately wants to give us.

Lots of love!

An Uplifting Day!!

Hi all... Bre again. Today was such a great day. Mary was up here and there last night, but with little pain due to the numbing medication they gave her for her mouth. She ate great all day. She had Platelets this morning and two units of blood throughout the day, which always helps boost her energy. The doctors also visited early in the morning and said that all looks good. They did offer her a pump for her mouth numbing meds. So, instead of an injection, she could push a button to give herself the meds. We said YES and ever since that has been hooked up (around 1pm), she has been doing great.

We had a lot of visitors today. David came up this morning and stayed with us until about 3pm. Greg came around 5pm and then Jeff and Dee Berg and Mike and Teresa Musser came later on this evening. It was a great day of fellowship, prayer, and fun. Yes, Amy, we even walked!

Please pray for restful nights and also no fevers as Mary has been battling a few throughout the day. This causes more blood draws and tests. The fevers are usually more prevalent in the night, so please pray.

From Mary: I greatly appreciate all of my prayer warriors and am not sure what I would do without you. Thank you!

Goodnight all!

Chemo is Gone!

Hi everyone, it's Bre. I just arrived in Chicago and will be here with Mary through Friday. It was so great to walk into Mary's room and see her face. She looks great and is in good spirits.

Sue and Amy spent the day here with her. As I was walking in, the final bag of Chemo was being taken out of the room!! What a great sight. They say that it should take 3-4 days for all of the Chemo to get through her system. We pray that some of the side affects will leave right along with it.

We pray that Mary can start to rest better and that she gets stronger and stronger throughout the next week. I am grateful to be here. We are off to bed and will update everyone in the morning. Nite!

Good News!

Hi everyone! We received some good news today...

The stem cell transplant department of the hospital just called to talk to my mom and told her that her sister, Sue, and her brother, Ed, are both perfect matches for a stem cell transplant!! Praise the Lord!! They are the only siblings that have been tested so far, out of 7, so we are 2 for 2!

That is such great news to us because, assuming all things go according to plan, that will speed up the healing process. Mom is currently in her 6th day of chemo out of 7. After these 7 days she will rest in the hospital for 7 days. After that they will decide whether she needs to do another round of chemo before the stem cell transplant.

Mom's doing okay today. She's battling a bit of a fever so that makes it kind of uncomfortable. She also has sores in her mouth, which she was told to expect. She's eating some lunch right now and we plan on going on a walk after.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Weekend Update

It's been a busy weekend for Mary and the entire family, and we apologize for not updating everyone sooner. Friday was a good day overall, David relieved Jenni Giertz during the day and Greg and Adam arrived about 5:00. Mary was active with her walking and was still feeling very little side effects from the chemo. She was very excited to have the majority of her family here, including Amy, Brian and the girls! Initially we were told by one of the doctors on the team that they didn't want any small kids here in the room with Mary, but that was quickly overruled by her head Dr. (Ogla), she said that as long as they were not sick that she WANTS them in here! It made Mary's night to have three of her grandkids in here to see her. The kids took her for some walks, and just their activity in the room was bringing her a lot of joy.

Saturday started out with Greg and Adam spending time with Mary, she started to get fatigued because of her blood being low again. Throughout the day she received two pints of blood and that brought her energy levels back up quite a bit. She took a few naps throughout the morning and afternoon, and she was happy to get some rest knowing that she was going to get to watch Tiffany and Chris' wedding and reception on Skype. Chris and Tiff worked hard for her to be able to be part of their day and we are very happy they did! For those of you who are unaware of what Skype is, it's a internet based phone/video service that allows you to do videoconferencing through the computer. We've been so excited to use Skype because she's had the chance to talk "face to face" with family that could not be there with her in person. This also allowed her to watch the majority of the wedding reception, and everyone there got the chance to come over and talk to her and Greg as they were sitting in the hospital bed together. Although she could not be there for the wedding or reception, it sure brought her a lot of happiness to see all of her family and friends wishing her well and showing her how much they love her and are praying for her. Her friends Bonnie and Larry spent the afternoon and evening visiting her and Greg. Visitors have continued to show up in strong numbers, and we encourage people to come to the hospital anytime they are able.

Today (Sunday) Mary has started experiencing some of the true side effects of the chemo. She had a challenging night in regards to getting sleep and she's been starting to get some sores in her mouth that are causing her a great deal of discomfort. Please be praying for these side effects and that she can continue to have a positive attitude like we've seen her have since she arrived here in the hospital.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12:2
As Peter jumped out of the boat to walk on water toward Jesus...his eyes only needed to be focused on Jesus to stay afloat. The minute his eyes looked down or when he saw the wind...he began to fear. We pray for Mary's eyes to be fixed upon Jesus so no fear can creep in!

Thursday

Not too much to report today. The time really went by fast and I (Jenni) had a nice day with Mary. Mary got her 2 miles in, had 8 visitors, and is feeling pretty good. Her counts are going down just like they should. Today her white blood cell count was down to under 1. They are trying to be very careful and keep her free from infections for the next 14 days. After the 14 days, if all goes as planned they will start prepping Mary for her stem cell transplant.

Today I learned the meaning of the phrase "peace that passes all understanding". Mary has that peace through Jesus! We don't understand why God allowed this horrible disease to come into Mary's body, and in this life we may never understand why bad things happen, or why we go through the struggles we go through. Even though we don't understand we know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! In that we can have peace.

Being with Mary today has been such a blessing. She is so strong and has given this whole situation over to God. Keep praying for her to continue to be strong, there will be some tough days ahead. Also, specifically pray for her to stay free from infection so she can continue with strength on this journey. God Bless!

Wednesday

Today was a pretty uneventful day at the hospital. Amy's staying there tonight and called to let me know that our mom hasn't had any side effects since starting chemo 24 hours ago. Only 6 days left to go! Mary asks for prayer that there will be no set backs in these next few weeks...that she will stay free of infection, and that God will continue giving her strength.

Thanks everyone!

Tuesday News

Hi everyone...

My mom's doing well tonight. A doctor stopped in a little while ago to let us know what's going on. She told us that they're going to start chemo today. I guess they don't have to specifically diagnose a type of AML, like we were expecting, but they do have a treatment schedule now. She will have 7 days of chemo, then 7 days of rest, then they'll do some tests to figure out what will come after all that. They hope to put the leukemia in remission after this 14 day period.

From there everything kind of depends on the step before, so we can't know exactly what will happen throughout this entire process. We'll definitely keep you all updated on what's going on here.

The doctor and nurses have been really great. They've told us that mom will live just as she is now, she'll continue walking her 2 miles a day to stay in shape, and can continue having visitors.

Please be praying for my mom to do well with the chemo, that the side effects are minimal, and for continued strength. Thank you for all your support! Praise God for giving my mom a great place to get treatment, great doctors, and lots of loved ones.

Monday

Today was another day of waiting. We thought that we'd have some more news on the diagnosis and what treatment to expect, but the doctor is still waiting on 1 result to come in. They said they'll know everything tomorrow morning and will be able to tell us what to expect.

We all are anxious to figure out what's going on and get started with treatment so we can get it done, but my mom just reminded me that everything is happening in God's time and we need to trust that. It's amazing to think about God's provision throughout this journey already and we need to continue to trust Him through all this.

My mom got a new picc line put in today. She said this one went in even easier than the last one, so praise God for that. We're hoping and praying that this one stays healthy and can be used for the rest of her time here.

Thanks for all your prayers and notes, my mom loves hearing from you! Goodnight...

Prayer Request

Hi everyone, today my mom specifically asks that we pray for her picc line. This is the line they put in her arm to give her medicine, take blood, and do all sorts of testing. It goes from her arm almost all the way to her heart. It's supposed to stay in her for the entire time she's in treatment but today it started looking like there is a possible infection where it's taped onto her arm.

Please pray that this heals and that my mom doesn't have any infections while she's going through treatment. Also please continue to pray for good news tomorrow from the doctors. We'll know more about what stage the cancer is and how intense the treatment will be because of the stage. She is supposed to start the chemo tomorrow through her picc line, so this is the start to a tough week. We will continue to lean on God for strength and trust in Him throughout the week.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers!

Enjoy the weekend..

We just saw the team of Doctors and they told us to rest easy for the weekend...we won't know any results until Monday.

Mary's blood count is down to 7.2 so she will be getting a couple pints this morning.

Other than that - they want her walking and biking! 2 miles per day :) keeping her exercise level up.

So today and tomorrow will be pretty uneventful days compared to yesterday..so keep praying for peace, comfort, and no fear to creep in.

Today..we ask God to be mighty in battle for her! Assist Mary in putting on her armor..come against the devil schemes by walking through Ephesians 6:10-18. Ask God to awaken Mary's desire to put on the armor of God. Then prayerfully dress her with the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness and the Shield of Faith "with which she can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one."

9.11.09

We are kind of in a waiting stage...still.
Because of the lack of information sent by Morris Hospital, we are a little behind in the complete diagnosis of the specific AML we are dealing with. Greg brought up more slides of samples this afternoon and hopefully they have all they need now! Dr. Frankfurt's Team came into Mary's room this morning and they explained to us all the tests that needed to be done prior to starting treatment on Monday. And then the tests began...
A MUGA test was done to check the condition of Mary's heart
A TB Test was done
The PICC line was placed :) which means the IV and the blood draws are done!
A Chest X-Ray was done to make sure the PICC line was placed right
A Dental Exam was done because they do not want any infections
Specialized blood tests were taken
Mary's white blood cell count was a little high (was up to 50,000) so they started giving her Chemo pills and medicine to prevent infection and after the first pill the blood count was down to 30,000 (which is really good news because she reacted to the medicine so quickly)
So we had a busy day today!!

We are so glad that we are with an AML Specialist because there are so many specifics that cannot be overlooked...knowing the exact type is a key factor in the type of treatment Mary will need. Hearing Dr. Frankfurt's knowledge in this matter reassures us that are blessed to be where we are at!!

Thanks for all prayers and thoughts...they are definitely felt! The peace and comfort Mary feels is amazing!

Information for Visitors:

There are no restrictions for Visitors :)
**They just said that if you are sick...or if you are thinking about being sick then to please don't come until you are 100% better!

There are a few rules:
No Fresh Flowers or Plants (If anything, only balloons or silk flowers/plants)
You can bring food from the outside for her...but anything that enters her room cannot leave from her room from there (it has to be trashed) and if you bring anything to be stored it just has checked in at the nurses station (where it will be labeled and refrigerated).

We know that there are a lot of you out there...and it would be nice if you could call Amy (815)343-5977 and let her know if you are planning a visit. We just want to make sure we do not overtake the place...lol!

Mailing Address:
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Prentice
250 E Superior
Attn: Mary Provance
Rm 1562
Chicago, IL 60611

Wake up call...

Pretty cool how God showed his glory to my mom from her bed this morning :)

1st Appointment

Mary just got out of her 1st appointment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with her new doctor. The doctor didn't give any new information on Mary's diagnosis but gave an idea of what's to come.

Mary, Greg, and Julie were all extremely pleased with the new doctor. The doctor is personable, easy to relate to, genuine, wants to lay everything out and stay one step ahead, and even referred to Mary as her "love." Both Mary and Julie also described her as aggressive (in a good way!).

She's now going over with Greg and Julie to check into her hospital room. They don't plan on starting treatment til Monday but they would still like her to stay in the hospital starting today to prep her for the upcoming treatment. The doctor will continue reviewing my mom's paperwork and will get more information from Morris tomorrow. During the treatment and stay at the hospital the doctor wants mom walking everyday, biking, and staying in her normal routine.

The doctor was so happy that my mom has a lot of support. The doctor knows people do much better in treatment when they have family and friends who encourage them along the way.

Please keep the messages coming...we have definitely been sharing them with Mary!!

God's Love for Each of Us

Jeremiah 1 tells us of God's love for us. He knew you before you were born. He wants to use you for greater things than you ever saw for yourself. And He promises to rescue you!!

God has a deep love for each of us and desires to know us personally. We believe, as shown in Jeremiah 1, that God's plan for Mary is bigger than the plans she had for herself. We praise the Lord in His promise to rescue her and we hope that each of you reading this have that same hope that can only come from the Lord.

Diagnosis

Hi Everyone,

For those of you who do not know, Mary was diagnosed with AML, a form of Leukemia, yesterday. She has been sick off and on for a couple months, and went into Morris hospital last Wednesday for blood work. They did lots of tests and it's been quite a journey for her this past week.

Mary is trusting in God through each step of this. We believe God has a plan and find our hope in Him.

Tomorrow we are taking Mary up to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She has a 3 o'clock appointment with an AML specialist. They are going to review her tests and records to confirm what she has and then determine the best treatment for Mary. We were told to expect about 3-4 weeks in hospital treatment.

We'd like to ask for your prayers. Please pray for strength for Mary, for our family, and for complete healing. Mary probably won't be checking her email for the next few weeks but if you'd like us to give her a message, feel free to post on here or email: qsuz42@gmail.com. We will make sure she receives every message you have for her.