Mom was very upbeat when I talked with her this morning. She was receiving platelets since her numbers were at 10. She was very happy about her white blood cells reading at .9. They have been at .2 to .4 for a very long time. She hadn't had a fever since yesterday and was very optimistic. She only threw up once yesterday so this was encouraging to her as well. She still doesn't want to eat much. Food doesn't' taste very good to her. Before her last chemo treatment started the end of May, Mom weighed 155 pounds. Today she weighs 140 pounds. She has lost nine pounds in the last week. All this weight lost in not necessarily a good thing if her body isn't taking in all the nutrients it needs. The doctors are monitoring her closely.
Mom is currently reading a book called "God Works the Night Shift: Acts of Love Your Father Performs Even While You Sleep." The fact that Mom is reading again is HUGE. It has been very hard for Mom to concentrate in the last few months so reading had been difficult at best. Mom is being abundantly blessed by this book and would encourage anyone who is interested to read it as well.
Hope you day is blessed and filled with abundant joy!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Stay the Course!
Mom has now been out of the hospital for a week. She is continuing on with treatment at the Infusion Ward. After seeing Dr. Shrier, Mom is only allowed to have medication that is prescribed by him. With Mom seeing so many specialists, she is sometimes put on medications that conflict with each other.
Yesterday when I talked with Mom (we had a delightful 30 minute conversation!), she said that she was not feeling quite as strong as she did while in the hospital. She still seems to be running a fever at night (around 2:00 AM) but is very excited about her ONE measurable neutrafil. Her platelets were at 8 so she was going to be receiving some today and her red blood cells are at 8.2 so he is anticipating some for tomorrow.
Mom was very happy about her weekend visitors. Felicia, Mark's delightful wife, and her daughter, Emilee (10), made their way north to visit Grandma. They came up on Sunday and left on Monday. This gave Dad an opportunity head back to the ranch to get a few things done. Mom had so much fun! Emilee played the guitar and sang for Grandma and Felicia filled Grandma in on all the comings and going in San Luis Obispo County. It was a wonderful visit!
Thank you again for all the concern support and prayers said on Mom's behalf. May your day be blessed.
Yesterday when I talked with Mom (we had a delightful 30 minute conversation!), she said that she was not feeling quite as strong as she did while in the hospital. She still seems to be running a fever at night (around 2:00 AM) but is very excited about her ONE measurable neutrafil. Her platelets were at 8 so she was going to be receiving some today and her red blood cells are at 8.2 so he is anticipating some for tomorrow.
Mom was very happy about her weekend visitors. Felicia, Mark's delightful wife, and her daughter, Emilee (10), made their way north to visit Grandma. They came up on Sunday and left on Monday. This gave Dad an opportunity head back to the ranch to get a few things done. Mom had so much fun! Emilee played the guitar and sang for Grandma and Felicia filled Grandma in on all the comings and going in San Luis Obispo County. It was a wonderful visit!
Thank you again for all the concern support and prayers said on Mom's behalf. May your day be blessed.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Home from the Hospital
Mom came home from the hospital yesterday. Dad said that she was continuing her visits to the Infusion Ward. This is whereMom was when I called. Dad said that Mom was feeling good today. She is eating better and walking which are both very good things. The doctor has put her back on the fungicide medication since recent tests show it has been making progress on the spots in her lungs. Praise the Lord! Mom continues to have digestive problems and is now on medication for that as well as stool softeners. With both of these medications, Mom seems to be more balanced. Yeah!
Please feel free to call Mom at either of the above numbers. You can also send her a card at the above address. It would be a blessing to Mom to her from you. Thank you for your prayers and support. Have a blessed day!
Please feel free to call Mom at either of the above numbers. You can also send her a card at the above address. It would be a blessing to Mom to her from you. Thank you for your prayers and support. Have a blessed day!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
In the Hospital Again
Mom is in the hospital again. She has been at Stanford in the F Ground ward since Sunday. During this past week, Mom suffered from some chest pains that were diagnosed to be not heart related. Praise the Lord! Mom really had them on their toes for a while. She had been spending most of her time in the Infusion Ward needing medications twice daily. Because of the condition of her liver, Mom has been taken off all medications except her Cyclosporine and any electrolyte needs. She had been throwing up her evening medications and the antibiotics for her lung mold had not been working but continued to add to the stress to her liver.
As of yesterday morning, Mom's red blood levels were dropping a point every eight hours. She is apparently dumping blood somewhere and at this time it is unknown as to where. Her platelets have been dropping 1 (1000) a hour. She has been receiving regular transfusions for both. When Stasi was up to see Mom yesterday, she obviously did not feel well. She was shaking, trying to sleep under the covers most of the time and running a high fever that they can only treat with a lower dose of Tylenol every eight hours in order to not tax her liver further. Mom struggles with involuntary coughing and bile backed up which causes vomiting. Stasi said that Mom is miserable but will still say she is fine (like she did when I talked to her on the phone last night). What a trouper! She had not eaten much for the last 5 days, especially the last 36 hours due to vomiting. Her bowels have also been giving her some trouble but seemed to be back in working order last night. The doctors are hoping to stabilize her in the hospital. Prayerfully, Mom will be feeling better today.
Continued prayer is need for both Mom and Dad. It is hard on Dad to watch Mom when she is suffering and feeling miserable. Mom does her best to have a happy face whenever he is around but many times there is just so little she can do when her body is betraying her. Thank you for your support and concern. Mom is still receiving phone calls. You can reach her on her cell phone.
May your day be blessed and your health be good.
As of yesterday morning, Mom's red blood levels were dropping a point every eight hours. She is apparently dumping blood somewhere and at this time it is unknown as to where. Her platelets have been dropping 1 (1000) a hour. She has been receiving regular transfusions for both. When Stasi was up to see Mom yesterday, she obviously did not feel well. She was shaking, trying to sleep under the covers most of the time and running a high fever that they can only treat with a lower dose of Tylenol every eight hours in order to not tax her liver further. Mom struggles with involuntary coughing and bile backed up which causes vomiting. Stasi said that Mom is miserable but will still say she is fine (like she did when I talked to her on the phone last night). What a trouper! She had not eaten much for the last 5 days, especially the last 36 hours due to vomiting. Her bowels have also been giving her some trouble but seemed to be back in working order last night. The doctors are hoping to stabilize her in the hospital. Prayerfully, Mom will be feeling better today.
Continued prayer is need for both Mom and Dad. It is hard on Dad to watch Mom when she is suffering and feeling miserable. Mom does her best to have a happy face whenever he is around but many times there is just so little she can do when her body is betraying her. Thank you for your support and concern. Mom is still receiving phone calls. You can reach her on her cell phone.
May your day be blessed and your health be good.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Neutrapenic Sisters
Mom had a delightful outing today. Her first since she underwent ATG back in June. Mom was able to make a visit to her sister, Christine Egan and her husband, Ray. Both of these wonderful women just happen to be neutrapenic, a side affect of chemotherapy they have each recently been through. This means that both have to be extremely careful to not subject themselves to any germs so they don't get an infection which makes visiting each other easier since they are both being very cautious. Aunt Christine is working her way through a series of chemo treatments. Some days are better than others. Any prayers said on behalf of my aunt would be greatly appreciated. Dad also enjoyed his time with Aunt Christine and Uncle Ray. The four of them have been great friends for over 50 years!
Mom continues to go to the Infusion Ward twice a day to received her medications and have her levels tested. Some days are much longer than others. We are grateful the the great care that she receives while in the Infusion Ward. Mom still needs platelets and blood regularly, as well as her fungicide medication. Mom is also on a new drug that she receives Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Dr. Shrier is hopeful it will "jump start" her white blood cells. We will continue to pray. One of the medications that Mom is taking regularly makes her hallucinate (see weird things and colors) for about an hour after she receives it. Mom is quite the trouper and is taking it all in stride. She occasionally needs a few other medications to keep her body in balance. When her body is in balance, everything else seems to work better. Her walking has been doing well which is a praise to God.
Mom said that things are going very well with Dad. She said that the first three days while Dad was coming up to speed with the new routine and dealing with his fears and concerns for Mom made things a bit rough. Now she says he "has come through like a gem" and is back to taking wonderful care of her. It seems that they have established a new routine for the season Mom now finds herself in and are doing great. What a blessing to my heart to hear! Thank you, God.
Now a few words about Stasi. For the last three months Stasi has been walking around with a torn hamstring. What she didn't know was the her hip bone was out of the socket also! She has been so busy caring for Mom and getting things done, she hadn't had time to actually deal with these problems. She didn't find out that her hip was out of socket and only being held together by muscle until this week. She only knew that she was in a lot of pain. Talk about being the good sport who is willing to "buck up" and get the job done! She has now had the bone put back and is in physical therapy to rebuild her muscles and fix all the things her body reworked while walking around "in pieces" the last three months. To top it all off, Stasi is now on antibiotics for being bit by a tick infested with Lyme Disease. There is always something! Stasi takes comfort that God is great yesterday, today and tomorrow and that He will do all things for her good and His glory. She will be just fine...Praise God!
Thank you for all your support and prayers on behalf of our family. Mom is blessed and encouraged by you all. May your day be blessed.
Mom continues to go to the Infusion Ward twice a day to received her medications and have her levels tested. Some days are much longer than others. We are grateful the the great care that she receives while in the Infusion Ward. Mom still needs platelets and blood regularly, as well as her fungicide medication. Mom is also on a new drug that she receives Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Dr. Shrier is hopeful it will "jump start" her white blood cells. We will continue to pray. One of the medications that Mom is taking regularly makes her hallucinate (see weird things and colors) for about an hour after she receives it. Mom is quite the trouper and is taking it all in stride. She occasionally needs a few other medications to keep her body in balance. When her body is in balance, everything else seems to work better. Her walking has been doing well which is a praise to God.
Mom said that things are going very well with Dad. She said that the first three days while Dad was coming up to speed with the new routine and dealing with his fears and concerns for Mom made things a bit rough. Now she says he "has come through like a gem" and is back to taking wonderful care of her. It seems that they have established a new routine for the season Mom now finds herself in and are doing great. What a blessing to my heart to hear! Thank you, God.
Now a few words about Stasi. For the last three months Stasi has been walking around with a torn hamstring. What she didn't know was the her hip bone was out of the socket also! She has been so busy caring for Mom and getting things done, she hadn't had time to actually deal with these problems. She didn't find out that her hip was out of socket and only being held together by muscle until this week. She only knew that she was in a lot of pain. Talk about being the good sport who is willing to "buck up" and get the job done! She has now had the bone put back and is in physical therapy to rebuild her muscles and fix all the things her body reworked while walking around "in pieces" the last three months. To top it all off, Stasi is now on antibiotics for being bit by a tick infested with Lyme Disease. There is always something! Stasi takes comfort that God is great yesterday, today and tomorrow and that He will do all things for her good and His glory. She will be just fine...Praise God!
Thank you for all your support and prayers on behalf of our family. Mom is blessed and encouraged by you all. May your day be blessed.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Mom's Body is Not Working
Mom had her appointment with Dr. Shrier yesterday. Dr. Shrier is "the best of the best" when it comes to hematology & oncology. He is a "legend" among the doctors we have encountered while at Stanford Hospital. Dr. Shrier will be celebrating his 50th year working at Stanford Hospital this month. He is one of the reasons the hematology & oncology department at Stanford is what it is today. His colleagues have the utmost respect for him. Mom is blessed to be under his expertise and care.
Mom knew before her appointment the the news would not be good. Mom has been with Dr.Shrier for the last 3 years and knows when things aren't working to Dr. Shrier's satisfaction. It has been two months Mom had her IV ATG treatment and tests show that nothing is happening. Her body hasn't started to work yet. This means that she is making NO platelets, NO red blood cells or NO white blood cells of her own. She is being completely sustained by transfusions. Test results show that all the medications she is on to combat all of her many health issues, such as diabetes, high iron, low sodium, balancing electrolytes, destructive t-cells, etc. have gotten to be too much for her to take. Dr. Shrier has decided to take her off all medication except "what will keep you alive today". So for the meantime, Mom will only be on Cyclosporine to keep her t-cells in check and the fungicide to help with the mold in her lungs. All else will be on an as needed basis. Her medication will now all be given by IV since the pills have gotten too hard on Mom's stomach. She will go to the Infusion Ward twice daily to received her medications and have her levels checked. Dr. Shrier has also requested that a test to determine if Mom's heart has iron deposits be taken this week.
Before Mom's appointment, Mom received platelets. She was hoping to be in the best condition possible when Dad returned back to the apartment. Dad arrived back just in time for Mom's appointment with Dr. Shrier. He had a wonderful time on his trip but appears to be struggling. I think he is struggling with wanting Mom to be better so they can go back to their "normal" life, with Mom not having been able to travel with him, with thinking he is needed to be at the ranch while his wife needs him to be with him and if he is like me, the challenges of getting older. This has been a long hard three years on both Mom and Dad.
Stasi returned to her family after being with Mom for the last three weeks. She was sad to leave Mom but was looking forward to being with her children and husband again. Stasi let Mom know that if there ever comes a time when Mom can make the move back to SLO county, Mom is welcomed to live with her. Stasi's family has four drivers who can get her to medical appointments and a houseful of people who can see that all of Mom's needs are met. Mom appreciates knowing that she is loved.
Mom has been doing well with her walking. She is able to walk in the mornings while hanging on to her wheelchair. By the evening she is unable to do much walking but is still able to get to and from the bathroom which is fabulous. Mom is doing more for herself these days and her appetite has started to return. Praise the Lord!
Mom and Dad will be facing many challenges in the coming weeks. Mom's time in the Infusion Ward is anywhere from 5 to 12 hours daily which is wearing on her. Fortunately, the apartment is less than 10 minutes away to make the two trips daily. It is undetermined how Mom's body is going to react and/or recover from all the medical challenges it is currently enduring. Some days are better than others. They both would be happy for Mom to get well so they could return to the ranch. That doesn't appear to be God's plan anytime soon. Please pray for both Mom and Dad. Last but not least, Mom would love to hear from you if you have the time...a quick phone call or a short note in the mail...anything would be a blessing. Thank you for your support.
Many Blessings from Many Grateful Hearts!
Mom knew before her appointment the the news would not be good. Mom has been with Dr.Shrier for the last 3 years and knows when things aren't working to Dr. Shrier's satisfaction. It has been two months Mom had her IV ATG treatment and tests show that nothing is happening. Her body hasn't started to work yet. This means that she is making NO platelets, NO red blood cells or NO white blood cells of her own. She is being completely sustained by transfusions. Test results show that all the medications she is on to combat all of her many health issues, such as diabetes, high iron, low sodium, balancing electrolytes, destructive t-cells, etc. have gotten to be too much for her to take. Dr. Shrier has decided to take her off all medication except "what will keep you alive today". So for the meantime, Mom will only be on Cyclosporine to keep her t-cells in check and the fungicide to help with the mold in her lungs. All else will be on an as needed basis. Her medication will now all be given by IV since the pills have gotten too hard on Mom's stomach. She will go to the Infusion Ward twice daily to received her medications and have her levels checked. Dr. Shrier has also requested that a test to determine if Mom's heart has iron deposits be taken this week.
Before Mom's appointment, Mom received platelets. She was hoping to be in the best condition possible when Dad returned back to the apartment. Dad arrived back just in time for Mom's appointment with Dr. Shrier. He had a wonderful time on his trip but appears to be struggling. I think he is struggling with wanting Mom to be better so they can go back to their "normal" life, with Mom not having been able to travel with him, with thinking he is needed to be at the ranch while his wife needs him to be with him and if he is like me, the challenges of getting older. This has been a long hard three years on both Mom and Dad.
Stasi returned to her family after being with Mom for the last three weeks. She was sad to leave Mom but was looking forward to being with her children and husband again. Stasi let Mom know that if there ever comes a time when Mom can make the move back to SLO county, Mom is welcomed to live with her. Stasi's family has four drivers who can get her to medical appointments and a houseful of people who can see that all of Mom's needs are met. Mom appreciates knowing that she is loved.
Mom has been doing well with her walking. She is able to walk in the mornings while hanging on to her wheelchair. By the evening she is unable to do much walking but is still able to get to and from the bathroom which is fabulous. Mom is doing more for herself these days and her appetite has started to return. Praise the Lord!
Mom and Dad will be facing many challenges in the coming weeks. Mom's time in the Infusion Ward is anywhere from 5 to 12 hours daily which is wearing on her. Fortunately, the apartment is less than 10 minutes away to make the two trips daily. It is undetermined how Mom's body is going to react and/or recover from all the medical challenges it is currently enduring. Some days are better than others. They both would be happy for Mom to get well so they could return to the ranch. That doesn't appear to be God's plan anytime soon. Please pray for both Mom and Dad. Last but not least, Mom would love to hear from you if you have the time...a quick phone call or a short note in the mail...anything would be a blessing. Thank you for your support.
Many Blessings from Many Grateful Hearts!
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