White count is on the Move.......

Just found out this morning that her white count went from .3 to .7! That means 300 to 700.......and she needs to be at 1000 to come home! Great news........Praise the Lord!

Still don't know when she will come home, will keep you updated when we know more!

Thanks for the prayers,
Amy

No White Count Yet

Hi Everyone,

My dad is up at the hospital with my mom today and they just talked with the doctors. There's still no white blood cell count unfortunately. We were all really hoping mom could come home this weekend, but that might not happen. The doctors said that her counts should be starting to come up by now, but it's possible it could take longer. They took a bone marrow sample to make sure everything checks out normal. They don't expect to see any cancer cells in there, but they want to check for that and for other abnormalities. We're not really sure what to expect. It's possible that she could start producing good white blood cells today, we just don't know.

The doctors said they might know some preliminary readings from the marrow tonight, but they may not know exactly what's going on til Monday. We're all a bit anxious and sad to hear the news, but we trust in God who's bigger than all of this.

Philippians 4:6 reminds us...
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Please continue to pray for my mom!

Amy also wanted me to let you all know that mom is feeling well. It would be great if anyone has a chance to visit her this weekend if she doesn't get to go home...she could use the encouragement. If you do want to visit, please give Amy a call at 815-343-5977 just to let her know. Thanks!

Anxiously Waiting........

The white counts haven't yet moved but Mary got a nice little shot to give her white bloods cells the boost that they need. It just may take a couple of days for it to kick in, and we know it's in God's timing - so let's all just ask, "God..we really, really, really want it to so Mary can go home!" It's so close - we can almost feel it! And what a great feeling it is :)

Good Weekend!

Wanted to give everyone a quick update.........

Things are going good! I just got up here today around 5:00, and I am amazed to see how great mom is doing. Last time I was here was 4 nights ago......what a wonderful difference a few days make. She looks awesome! We are enjoying our night together, and catching up on weekend activities.
(My v-ball team got 2ND in conference........out of 12 teams. So proud of them)

Still receiving transfusion occasionally, but not near as often. Still neutropenic (which means that counts are still very low). Mom will stay in the hospital until all of her counts start coming back up. We are on day 21, and numbers normally start coming back on days 21-25. The Doctor told my mom this morning that he wants to see her out of here by this weekend.
How exciting would that be...............

Please be praying for this to happen!

Adam, Suzanne and Cory, Brian and Amy, and David were at the hospital and the house over the weekend. Did a lot of work at mom's house preparing for the soon homecoming!
God bless you all,
Amy

Slowly but surely...

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all the comments. It's so fun for us to read through them all and celebrate with you via a blog :)

I just wanted to let you all know that my mom continues to feel better each day. This morning Sue is with my mom and texted me that they had a good sleep besides the nurse coming in the room. Her platelets were up to 24 last night (which is great), but then fell back this morning to 8 (not bad, but not where we want them). Her levels will continue to be low and they will continue giving her platelets, blood, and whatever else she needs until she's producing them all on her own...enough to go home. Sue also said that mom is sounding stronger and more upbeat. Her blood pressure has been high, so please be praying for that. But overall mom said she's feeling good this morning!

It looks like she could be heading home in about a week to 2 weeks. She'll probably be home for about 3 weeks, then head back to the hospital for the stem cell transplant. Joe, Mary's brother, is going to be her stem cell donor. He's a "perfect match" which mom's doctor was hoping for since Joe is Mary's youngest brother (praise the Lord). Joe will go up to the hospital sometime soon to donate.

Please continue to pray!

REMISSION!!!!!

We have a wonderful amazing announcement...my mom is in complete REMISSION!! The doctors just came in and told us (with big smiles on their faces) that her blood is clean...so clean that they don't even need to run any other tests on the bone marrow sample! Praise the Lord!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and love you've shared throughout the past couple months. You have no idea how much you've encouraged mom along the way! You are the best family and friends anyone could ever have (even the nurses and doctors noticed)!

Our mom is still experiencing some pain and nausea. She is celebrating inside but she's not able to express it too much because she's uncomfortable. Please continue to pray for her throughout the upcoming weeks as she recovers and prepares for the stem cell transplant.

We praise God above all and owe all the glory and honor to Him. He's in complete control of each of our lives and we give him all our praise!!

Monday, Oct. 19th

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mom is doing OK! She has had a little easier day than yesterday, but still has a lot going on. She did have the Bone Marrow biopsy today around 11:00 A.M. Which means that we are now waiting for the results............we should know tomorrow or Wednesday! We will keep you updated with the results once we know what is going on.
She has been getting more platelets and blood throughout the day. Mom has been resting a lot, which is much needed. Her mouth is still really sore, gums are bleeding, and uvula is still enlarged. As far as the small bowel obstruction, surgeons are just keeping a eye on it, but aren't too concerned at this point. Things are still moving down there, and it still feels soft in her abdomen area.
Thanks again for all the prayers and we know that God is in control! Everyone, please..........
Keep Looking UP!
Love,
Amy
Sue spent the night last night and has been there all day. Suzanne has taken over tonight's shift, and I will be heading up tomorrow around 5.

Sunday Day 14

Mary is having another rough day. Day 14 of chemo is usually the hardest! She is still having major nausea issues and stomach pains. They took her earlier to a CT scan of her abdomen. Just received results that she has a small bowel obstruction in her small intestines. They called in the surgical team for precaution. We talked to them and they think that this is something that will pass. She is not allowed to eat or drink for a couple days in hopes that she passes this on her own. With her low platelet counts, we don't want this to worsen. We are going to pray that this subsides on its own.
Another issue today is that she has a blood pocket/clot on her uvula. This is making her have difficulty swallowing adding to her discomfort.
Please continue to pray for her to pass the bowel obstruction and for the uvula to heal. We don't need any excess bleeding due to her low platelet count. Also, tomorrow is the bone marrow test. We need to pray for no pain during the procedure and for good results. We won't know the results for a couple days. Lastly, pray for a good nights rest. Her sister Sue will be here with her tonight. Dad, David, Madi and I are getting ready to go home soon.
Thanks,
Amy

:)

Just wanted to update everyone real quick:

Mary had a really good night last night! She did not experience any nausea at all and slept really well. We are so thankful for that.

Everthing is looking good today and the weekend should be a relaxing time with some family.

We are awaiting the bone marrow biopsy on Monday. Pray it up! ;)

Attention All Prayer Warriors!

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4

Mary experienced a pretty rough night last night. She is in the midst of the hardest days of round 2 of chemo..where her body is at it's weakest. As her body is being pumped full of meds, blood, and platelets - we ask for prayer! The side effects have kicked in - this time nausea (with severe abdominal pain) throughout the night and dehydration (she passed out in my arms on her way back from the bathroom). She is doing much better this morning - and we praise God for that. We do not want another night like this!

Let's storm Heaven on this one!!

Day 10, 2nd Round

Mom has had a decent couple of days. She is still staying active everyday by taking her walks through the hallway. She is experiencing more nausea, but most of it can be controlled by medicine. Unfortunately, this is making it harder for her to eat, plus chemo has affected her taste buds, so food is just blah right now. She has lost some weight, but the doctors say that is normal.
Cousin Kim stayed with her on Monday night and Aunt Patti stayed Tuesday. It is so nice to have so many people willing to help. Thanks again! You are not only helping mom, but us! Today's visitors, Uncle Eddy (via train), and my Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim. My mom told me tonight on the phone that she is so glad to have so many people around her, it makes the time go by faster. She sees so many others in the hospital going through the same thing as she is, and some have nobody! She can't imagine what that would feel like?
I also wanted to thank everyone for the comments on the blog. My mom gets cards daily and smiles with every one. We are so blessed to have all of you, thanks for the little things! All the little comments, letters, cards, gifts, visits, they mean so much!
Glad to say there isn't much else to write about. Days 10-16 were the hardest days for her the last round, so be on your knees praying that she gets through these days as easy as can be. Also that the chemo works so hard that it wipes out all the remaining cancer in her body. We want her in remission after this round..........The next few days are big.........please keep the prayers coming!

Monday

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in. My mom is still doing pretty well. She finished her 2nd round of chemo yesterday morning, so we're now in the midst of a week's rest. She's not feeling many side effects this round like she felt last time, she's just been pretty tired and has had some nausea. Her blood pressure and temperature have been great today. Amy stayed with her last night into today and Steve (Mary's brother) and Kathy visited her today as well as my dad.

The stem cell transplant coordinator came in to talk with my mom today about what's to come if/when she gets to that stage of the battle. First, we obviously need her to get into remission. This doctor came in to answer any questions and help us know what to expect with the stem cell transplant. We're learning more about it everyday and will post more info on here before my mom gets to that stage (the earliest this could come is in about a month).

For now we are going to focus on getting rid of the cancer. In 1 week (next Monday) they'll take another bone marrow sample to test and see if she's in remission. Does it go without saying that this test is a huge prayer request for her right now? Regardless of whether or not she's in remission at this time, she will be going home for a few weeks after her body recuperates from the chemo. If she is in remission this time, after a few weeks of rest at home, she'll head back to Northwestern for the stem cell transplant.

This battle isn't over. Please continue praying for Mary's strength, for her vitals, for her nausea, and for her to get into remission. Thank you so much for all your support!

Friday update written from the (724)

It's Adam, I'm getting to update the blog tonight after being with Mom since yesterday evening. She had another good day overall today after being up some last night with a slight fever. She's still very tired and got a good bit of rest throughout the day. BP stayed relatively in check and many of the side effects from the chemo have stayed away so far during this second round. She's a bit less talkative right now due to the different things that are being put into her body, but we all fill that void by talking to her and catching her up on what's new in our lives. I read her another round of cards today, keep those coming as well as the posts, Mom is excited to have those read to her and is still amazed that the number of people who are expressing their love and support.

Had a fun day with some visitors...Barb Onken and Larry all the way from Alabama, as well as Doug Stuedemann, Amy and Emma (funny story to follow about her), Jack and Patti up from Bloomington after visiting their son at North Central, and of course Dad and myself. One of the best visitors was there again today as well, Dr. Olga, Mom sure does enjoy Olga. The confidence and peace that Mom feels when Olga is in the room was special to see, that was the first time both Amy and I were able to meet her and see her in action. The story about Emma goes like this...Olga was answering questions for us about the stem cell transplant and the next steps of the process, and Emma started making some noises. That led me to asking her when she was due with her baby (1 week) and what she was having (baby girl). I then said to her "Nothing against your baby or anything, but when do you think you will be back to take care of my Mom?" Just as I asked the question Emma decided to throw up on Amy's pants and Olga replied, "After watching that I'll hopefully be back to work sooner than I thought!" The good news is that Olga's team member, who is also a luekemia/lymphoma specialist, will be taking over and handling everything until Olga returns. We still have no doubts that Olga was the perfect doctor for Mom and that the Lords' timing was just right for her being in Olga's care!

We also wanted to tell everyone that Mom will be coming home in approximately 2-3 weeks no matter if the cancer is put into remission or not. Olga feels that Mom needs to be home after such a tough stay in the hospital, and also still feels very positive that she'll be coming home with the cancer in full remission! That's what we need prayers for as you probably all know. That will be the best case scenario and will catapult her on to the next step of doing the stem cell transplant. (Speaking of that, I've always loved you a lot Joe K., but more and more everyday knowing what a special role that you are about to play in my Mom's life!) There will be more to follow about the details to the stem cell transplant, but we do believe that if everything goes as planned that she will be starting it 3-4 weeks after her home recovery.

I want to stress one more thing...it's still very important to remember that if you are going to either the hospital, or the Mom and Dad's house to visit, that you DO NOT GO if you've been around any sniffles or sickness. Her immune system is at it's lowest point and will remain that way for some time, and it's vital that no one go near her if you've been exposed to any sickness. That may be tough for some but there is no choice in the matter, we have to be extra cautious with that situation.

The word of the night is.........Overcome, I sent Mom a shirt with that on it and it's hanging up in her room. Even as she goes through this pain and discomfort, God has a plan in place and she CAN OVERCOME!! I love you all, keep up the amazing effort that you have all put forth.

Good days

Not too much to report tonight but we like that. Mom's doing well these past couple days, walking, feeling pretty good, and still having visitors everyday. She's been very tired because of all the medicine they're giving her but no bad side-effects from this round of chemo yet.

They're still trying to regulate her blood pressure better because it's very high at times but all the tests they've done have come back normal. Today they decided to stop giving her 1 of the steroids and they'll see if that helps at all.

Thank you all for your prayers! We believe God can heal and restore!

Day 1 (again)

My mom started her next round of chemo today. We were ready to get it going so the end of it comes sooner! She's doing fine today, battling a bit of high blood pressure, but she still feels fine. They ended up not doing the lung procedure this morning because of her high blood pressure. Mom said she thinks it was a blessing so that she didn't have to go through it, and they were only 20% confident the procedure would've given them any information. They're obviously not worried about her lungs enough to hold off on the chemo, so that makes us feel like it's not a huge issue.

Please keep praying, especially for her blood pressure! God works in His timing and we trust in His plan. Thanks everyone!

Hurry Up and Wait.

Hi Everyone!
Sorry it's been awhile since the last post...but we really weren't sure what the latest update was until now. So far..no chemo. Unfortunately :( But, soon! We're looking at Monday now. Yesterday there was a bit of frustration on our end because we had Doctors (Oncologists, Infectious Disease and Lung Specialist) in talking with us about results from the CATscan of the lungs. They have found some fluid that makes them worried about infection. They want to do a Bronchosapy to take a closer look and get a sample of the fluid so they can culture it and find out if there is a cause for concern. They weren't sure if they wanted to start the next round of chemotherapy in case this were to turn into something bigger upon treatment (when her body is the weakest). We are glad they are taking precautions, but all delays makes for more time here..and we would just like to get this over with as soon as possible. They understood our frustration! Mary woke up with a spiked fever on Thurs morning and they did not like that one bit - and that's why we've been through the mill! But, God has a plan! We know He is at work..after her bone marrow biopsy they looked at the results and thought she had 70% of the luekemia cells in her..but today they said they were wrong. There is only 25%! Thank the Lord!! We'll take that!

Mary's hair is pretty well gone now. We cut it off today pretty short...not quite ready for the buzz, but it's time for the hats and scarves. It wasn't the easiest thing to do - but Madi and Taylor sang songs and hugged her along the way :) It was good to have the girls here because they still showed the same love to her before and after the cut..it didn't bother them the least. Mary saw things through their eyes..and oh how wonderful childlike faith is!! Mary is still as beautiful as ever! But the cancer became more real..it was tough!

When I arrived on Wed., it was not one of Mary's best days..but yesterday and today have been good days! Praise the Lord!! Strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord. So we will wait upon Him and continue to trust in His ultimate plan. Please pray for the upcoming test and the 2nd round of chemo on Monday.

The "Big C" and "little c"

It is the name of Jesus which, through faith in him, has brought back the strength of this one whom you see here...that has restored this one back to health. Acts 3:16

We want the "Big C" (Christ, that is) to conquer the "litte c" (cancer)...

Let us never refer to cancer as the "Big C" again!! Let these words cause an instant change to our perspective and serve as a lasting reminder of where the fullest healing power lies - in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today has been a good day of rest! Mary spiked a fever early this morning that was a cause for concern for the rest of the day..and they decided that starting chemo might not be best until they know she is competely ready for it.

Since early this morning her temp has been fine, her blood pressure has been good, and her platelets are hanging around 15 (which is awesome because she had some tranfused in her this morning and they've lasted all day).

Pray that this fever is nothing to be worried about tonight so we can move forth tomorrow! God has the timing in His hands and we are waiting on Him!

Please be sure to call Amy (815)343-5977 if you are planning a visit. We have lots of visitors on the weekends and it may be a bit overwhelming if you all come at once..we just ask that you call and double check with how she's feeling and maybe plan on a short visit during this time so Mary can get all the rest her body needs!
She loves you all and is very grateful for all the support!