Hi there. We hope you all had a nice Easter weekend with your families. Mom is doing well. Her counts are good and she had a bone marrow done a couple weeks ago that came back great. Mom also spent 10 hours at Northwestern Hospital about a week and a half ago getting more stem cells infused. This was done to boost her fighting power if cancer cells do start to form at some point.
Over the last week Mom has battled a stomach bug, which she thought was just being spread around to lots of people we know, but is now on medicine for C-Diff...a bacteria that is contracted easily if you've spent time in a hospital. They think she probably picked this up in her 10 hour stay a week and a half ago. We're thankful she's on medicine now and today she is feeling MUCH better.
If you were wondering from the last post, Mom (and all of us) decided not to do any further chemo treatments at this time. We're very happy with how she's doing and how she responded to the clinical study chemo she had in December and January. We debated, prayed, researched, and talked more with Dr. Jessica about our options and feel such peace that it's best Mom just get the stem cell infusion. Now that the infusion is done, Mom will continue regular doctor visits and get back to enjoying life!
We are beyond blessed with how Mom has done through all her battles. We're thankful for each moment we have with her and with each person important in our lives. God has taught us so much through these trials and we hope you are all appreciating life like we now do. Much love to you all.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Counts back up!
Since Mom's last dose of chemo her counts had been down for a few weeks. On Monday we saw them start spiking back up! It's always great to see that happen and we're thankful every time. This means that Mom can start doing more and going more places without having to watch out for every tiny germ she may encounter.
We went up to Chicago for an appointment with Doctor Jessica yesterday to check in. Mom's counts were up even more and she is officially no longer neutropenic. Mom's been feeling better and her health has steadily been improving over the past week. She was dealing with upset stomach, mouth sores, and other annoyances that weren't nearly as bad as she dealt with in December, but still made her feel sick and out of it. No one likes to feel that way.
Her doctor was very pleased with how well Mom is doing. We talked some about what would come next since they are trying so hard to keep the cancer gone this time. There are options for more chemo treatments in the near future or there are options for infusing more stem cells (like she received with her 1st transplant over 3 years ago from her brother, Joe). There is also the option to be happy with how she's doing now and let her body rest with no further treatment. We have begun to pray about all of this because it's obviously not the easiest decision to make. Mom struggled with thinking about having to go through more or not doing anything else...a decision no one should have to make. We're leaning on God right now to clarify what the next step should be and relying on him for peace.
Please pray with us...for Mom to wrap her mind around such an important decision and for guidance along the way. Thanks so much for checking in.
We went up to Chicago for an appointment with Doctor Jessica yesterday to check in. Mom's counts were up even more and she is officially no longer neutropenic. Mom's been feeling better and her health has steadily been improving over the past week. She was dealing with upset stomach, mouth sores, and other annoyances that weren't nearly as bad as she dealt with in December, but still made her feel sick and out of it. No one likes to feel that way.
Her doctor was very pleased with how well Mom is doing. We talked some about what would come next since they are trying so hard to keep the cancer gone this time. There are options for more chemo treatments in the near future or there are options for infusing more stem cells (like she received with her 1st transplant over 3 years ago from her brother, Joe). There is also the option to be happy with how she's doing now and let her body rest with no further treatment. We have begun to pray about all of this because it's obviously not the easiest decision to make. Mom struggled with thinking about having to go through more or not doing anything else...a decision no one should have to make. We're leaning on God right now to clarify what the next step should be and relying on him for peace.
Please pray with us...for Mom to wrap her mind around such an important decision and for guidance along the way. Thanks so much for checking in.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Doing Fine
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Hi there- hope you're all having a good weekend. Mom is doing okay with her treatment. The picture above was taken today when we went up to Chicago for Mom to get platelets and blood at Northwestern. This is Julie (Mary's 2nd daughter), my daughter Tenley, along with my Mom. Mom has been resting at home all week trying to get through the upset stomach feelings that come with the chemo. She doesn't feel quite as good as she looks in this picture, but she's fighting through it. She's had home healthcare come twice this week, along with her appointment today. We're in the thick of her "harder days," days 10-14, but the week ahead is very important. We pray she continues to do okay, the fevers stay gone, and her counts come back quickly!
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Home
Mom was able to come home early this afternoon. We're always happy to have her settle back in at home and she couldn't wait to get here, as well. She finished the chemo late last night and is still feeling ok. After the first few days of chemo she always gets a stomach ache and doesn't feel right, but other than that she's doing fine. Over the next week or so her counts will continue to drop and she will be neutropenic. They anticipate her counts coming up much faster this time, so we hope she isn't neutropenic for long.
Mom is specifically asking for prayers that she doesn't get fevers from any infection or sickness. If she gets fevers she may have to go back to the hospital for a bit because they keep very close watch on her when that happens. Fortunately they don't anticipate problems since she went into this chemo in such good health.
We're thankful today that Mom is home, that she is cancer-free, and that we have Jesus in our hearts to guide us through every step of this journey. Oh, and we're also thankful for all of you who care so much and pray for Mom so often. We love you.
Mom is specifically asking for prayers that she doesn't get fevers from any infection or sickness. If she gets fevers she may have to go back to the hospital for a bit because they keep very close watch on her when that happens. Fortunately they don't anticipate problems since she went into this chemo in such good health.
We're thankful today that Mom is home, that she is cancer-free, and that we have Jesus in our hearts to guide us through every step of this journey. Oh, and we're also thankful for all of you who care so much and pray for Mom so often. We love you.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Consolation Therapy
Mom is up in Chicago today to start her consolation therapy. This is the same dose of chemo (still the clinical trial) she had in December, but she's getting it in hopes of preventing the cancer from ever coming back.
Today she got checked in, got her pic line put in (how they administer the chemo), and had a couple tests and checks done. It's been a pretty quiet, easy day. They are going to start the chemo around 7 tonight. She will have 5 days of 24 hour chemo and then be able to go home hopefully by Sunday.
We talked to a doctor here today about how the chemo will effect her in the next couple weeks. It seemed strange to us that she'll be able to go home on Sunday and stay home given how the chemo effected her last month. He explained to us that since her bone marrow is full of healthy cells it will take longer for her counts to go down and will take less time for her counts to recover. Last time she started chemo her counts were already very low and her bone marrow was very unhealthy. They also have her on antibiotics so that she has extra fighting power against germs.
Mom is in good spirits tonight. She was happy to see lots of familiar faces here on the 15th floor. There had to be 5 or more nurses and PTs that stopped in to say hi since they had established friendships with her last month.
Mom would love prayer for her to get through this chemo well, that she wouldn't have fevers, and of course that the cancer would stay away for good. We love you all and thank you for your continued support!
Today she got checked in, got her pic line put in (how they administer the chemo), and had a couple tests and checks done. It's been a pretty quiet, easy day. They are going to start the chemo around 7 tonight. She will have 5 days of 24 hour chemo and then be able to go home hopefully by Sunday.
We talked to a doctor here today about how the chemo will effect her in the next couple weeks. It seemed strange to us that she'll be able to go home on Sunday and stay home given how the chemo effected her last month. He explained to us that since her bone marrow is full of healthy cells it will take longer for her counts to go down and will take less time for her counts to recover. Last time she started chemo her counts were already very low and her bone marrow was very unhealthy. They also have her on antibiotics so that she has extra fighting power against germs.
Mom is in good spirits tonight. She was happy to see lots of familiar faces here on the 15th floor. There had to be 5 or more nurses and PTs that stopped in to say hi since they had established friendships with her last month.
Mom would love prayer for her to get through this chemo well, that she wouldn't have fevers, and of course that the cancer would stay away for good. We love you all and thank you for your continued support!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Plan
Hi there, thanks for checking in. We have had quite a busy last couple weeks so I'm a little behind on updating the blog. Mom is doing great and all of her counts have recovered so well. Unfortunately my Grandma (Mary's mom), Grandma Emily, passed away last week. She lived an incredible life to age 93 and had 8 kids, 32 grandchildren, and 43 (?) great grandchildren! Mom and Sue took turns visiting her every day and Mom's brothers would visit her as often as they could. It was definitely a blessing that Mom could be home from the hospital when Grandma Emily got toward the end of her life. She spent a lot of quality time at the nursing home and supported her mom until the end. We know now that Grandma Emily is dancing in Heaven with her savior, Jesus!
This week Mom has to begin thinking about her own health again. She had a bone marrow biopsy last week and a follow up appointment today. Doctor Jessica was SO happy with how great Mom's biopsy looked! Yay! We knew Mom would receive more chemo treatments in the future, even with her still in remission. Jessica wants to give Mom another full dose of the clinical study chemo (that she had in December) to give Mom's blood more fighting power to prevent future leukemia from showing up. Jessica wants to do everything she can do to keep the cancer gone for good. We're thankful that she cares about Mom so much and that she's so knowledgeable to take the extra precautions necessary.
Mom will head back into the hospital on Monday and have 5 days of 24 hour chemo. Because she is healthy now and has no cancer showing, the chemo will not effect her nearly as bad as it did in December. Her blood counts will go down again and she will need to be cautious around people for the weeks until her counts recover again. She will be able to go home on day 6, next Saturday, and remain at home unless she needs infusions or any extra help that they are not anticipating. She will have home health care come to her house to take her blood and make sure all her vitals are good.
Mom is a little bummed she has to stay in the hospital all next week but trusts that Jessica knows what's best. She's never been through a full dose of chemo while she's healthy and been sent home, so there are some unknowns there. Mom has lots of support, prayers, and love coming her way constantly so we know she'll do great through this next step. If you could, please keep her in your prayers. We'll update you on how things are going along the way.
Love to you all!
This week Mom has to begin thinking about her own health again. She had a bone marrow biopsy last week and a follow up appointment today. Doctor Jessica was SO happy with how great Mom's biopsy looked! Yay! We knew Mom would receive more chemo treatments in the future, even with her still in remission. Jessica wants to give Mom another full dose of the clinical study chemo (that she had in December) to give Mom's blood more fighting power to prevent future leukemia from showing up. Jessica wants to do everything she can do to keep the cancer gone for good. We're thankful that she cares about Mom so much and that she's so knowledgeable to take the extra precautions necessary.
Mom will head back into the hospital on Monday and have 5 days of 24 hour chemo. Because she is healthy now and has no cancer showing, the chemo will not effect her nearly as bad as it did in December. Her blood counts will go down again and she will need to be cautious around people for the weeks until her counts recover again. She will be able to go home on day 6, next Saturday, and remain at home unless she needs infusions or any extra help that they are not anticipating. She will have home health care come to her house to take her blood and make sure all her vitals are good.
Mom is a little bummed she has to stay in the hospital all next week but trusts that Jessica knows what's best. She's never been through a full dose of chemo while she's healthy and been sent home, so there are some unknowns there. Mom has lots of support, prayers, and love coming her way constantly so we know she'll do great through this next step. If you could, please keep her in your prayers. We'll update you on how things are going along the way.
Love to you all!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Doing Well
Mom has been home for over a week now and is doing great. She just had a doctor's appointment yesterday and her counts look wonderful! The numbers are coming up and Doctor Jessica is very pleased. Mom has been cautious trying to avoid all those nasty germs out there but is still doing more everyday. She was so glad to get to see her mom in the nursing home. Even though Grandma Emily isn't of sound mind, mom knows it still makes a difference to see her regularly. I know one of the hardest things for Mom going into the hospital was that she wouldn't get to be there for her mom.
Mom will have a bone marrow biopsy next Thursday and then they will put a plan in place for future treatment. Even though the cancer is gone they are still going to give her more of the new clinical trial chemo since they were so pleased with what it did. The treatment may require a few days in the hospital, but the doctor says Mom will be home through most of it. It will be a lower dose and much easier on Mom's body.
There is still a lot up in the air, but we sure are appreciating her being home! We thank God everyday for this miracle and we don't take it for granted.
Love to you all!
Mom will have a bone marrow biopsy next Thursday and then they will put a plan in place for future treatment. Even though the cancer is gone they are still going to give her more of the new clinical trial chemo since they were so pleased with what it did. The treatment may require a few days in the hospital, but the doctor says Mom will be home through most of it. It will be a lower dose and much easier on Mom's body.
There is still a lot up in the air, but we sure are appreciating her being home! We thank God everyday for this miracle and we don't take it for granted.
Love to you all!
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