Tuesday, January 31, 2006

MD Anderson 1-31-06

Sorry we haven't posted in a while, but we are back at it again. Yesterday we made our first trip to MD Anderson to meet with the doctors about a bone marrow transplant. They ran several tests taking up to 13 vials of blood and did a x-ray on Andrea's chest. The plan down the road is for Andrea to receive a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Kristin. In order for this Andrea will have to take another round of chemo followed directly by the transplant. She will have to stay in the hospital for 30 days then for the next 70 days she will have to visit MD Anderson for daily blood draws.

Right now Andrea is taking antibiotics for a respiratory infection. She continues to have more energy and is getting around better each day. Tomorrow we will make another trip to MD Anderson to see more doctors and stop by the eye doctor for a check up. Thursday she will have to do a bone marrow biopsy at MD Anderson. Our plate is full again, but we now have an idea of what's ahead.

Everyone should pray for Andrea's biopsy to come back good, her lungs to clear up, her eye sight, and for her overall strength and faith. Thank you everyone for the support and keep the prayers coming. We love all you guys.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Recovery 1-27-06

Yesterday we went back to the eye doctor and the left eye was still too swollen to find out how much she could see. She was able to see another line of letters with her right eye with the aid of a lens. The whole eye recovery process is still going to take a lot of time and patience.

The physical therapist also came by to go over exercises and do an evaluation of Andrea's condition. She will continue to come by twice a week for the next four week. Andrea continues to gain more strength and we will not stop encouraging her to get up and do more.

We also have an appointment with MD Andersen on Monday to find out more about the next steps of treatment. She will also return to the eye doctor on Wednesday for a check up. Other than that keep praying for her eyes, lungs, and overall strength. She continues to have an extremely annoying cough that we are praying for to stop and give her some relief. Andrea wants to thank everyone for all the flowers, cards, and prayers. She can't see the flowers at this time but loves the smell and we have taken pictures to show her in the future. Take care and God Bless.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

No Pain No Gain 1-26-06

Today we woke up early to go back to the hospital for Andrea's eye surgery. It all went well however she is in a lot of pain and it will take many months to know the full result of the surgery. We just have to continue to pray and ask God for her sight to be restored.

Tomorrow she has an appointment to revisit the eye doctor for a check up. She will be receiving physical therapy for the first time at home. The lung doctor is also sending breathing treatment to the house to help clear her lungs.

Andrea has begun to really love hearing the blog comments now that she is more awake and at home where we have internet 24/7. Please keep the comments coming and I will continue to read them each day. Also keep the prayers headed her way and will get this girl healed. God night and God Bless.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Healing from Home 1-25-06

Today was another healing day for Andrea. We all went to her apartment and was her first time back there since Thanksgiving. She enjoyed getting out the house and taking a ride in the car.

She wanted everyone to know that the ends of two of her toes fell off last night. There were two perfectly new toes underneath the old ones. We were scared that she might lose these two toes completely, but thank God that wasn't the result.

Tomorrow she will be going into surgery on her left eye at 10AM. Please continue to pray for her eyes, lungs, and overall strength. She is doing great but is very weak. Everyday I can see her gain more and more strength. Keep the prayers coming and God Bless.

Home Address

The address you can send cards, flowers, and etc is:

Andrea Luthringer
c/o J. Martin
722 Enford Ct.
Katy, TX 77450

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Home At Last 1-24-06

Yesterday Andrea got to come home at 1PM. She was up at 4AM taking a shower and getting out of her hospital gown. They finally let her go and we headed to the eye doctor for a check up on her right eye and a pre-op for her left. She was able to read some big letters and her right eye continues to improve.

She was so happy to be home from the hospital. We just sat around till about 10PM talking and celebrating with family. It was my Mom's birthday and she received the greatest present of all. Andrea is finally home. She is still scheduled to receive surgery on her left eye on Thursday of this week.

Her trachea is still healing and she has an annoying cough. Once it heals she have an easier time coughing up the junk still left in her lungs. We worked out today and she walked down the street this afternoon with me. She also got to take a ride in her wheelchair down the street on this beautiful afternoon. She also did some walking and is getting stronger each and every day. Keep the prayers coming and we God will heal Andrea. She is so beautiful and needs everyone's support. God Bless and talk to everyone tomorrow.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Looks like tomorrow

The way things looked today, Andrea will be coming home tomorrow. She is so excited and I doubt she will sleep tonight. All she could talk about today was how she was coming home tomorrow. She said that when see wakes up at 5AM she will be putting her civilian clothes on and unhooking any monitors still stuck to her. She is determined to leave the hospital tomorrow. Everything is set up and I will be going to the hospital tomorrow prepared to take her home.

Today she removed the patch on her right eye and was able to see the outline of everyone in the room and movement. I also turned off the lights and she was able to see the colors on the TV. This is a very good sign considering the damage that was done to her eye. The eye still has a long road of healing, but this is definitely very encouraging to her. When she saw that today her spirits were lifted immediately and she realized for the first time that that she would gain some vision. We are so excited for her.

The rest of the day went fine and I am about to hit the sack. I will wake up to hopefully make my trip to St. Lukes and bring my baby home. We still have a tough long road ahead, but this is such a huge step. When I look back and remember the doctors telling us she had hours to live, I just stop and thank God for every miracle that has occurred. Behind all of this he was the "Great Physician." We couldn't have done this without him and we will continue to need him. If there is one thing I have learned to this point it is that nothing is impossible with God. Keep the prayers coming and we will talk to you soon from the comfort of my parents home. God Bless.

Closer and Closer to Home 1-21-06

Yesterday Andrea had a great and finally got to get out of her hospital room for an extended period of time. I took her on ride through the hospital and outside to catch so fresh air. See enjoyed the chance to feel something new.

She also walked a long distance down the hall like the day before and did all of her exercises. It's amazing how fast she went from only being able to sit on the side of the bed for a minute to walking down the hall with a walker under her own strength. She's got a ways to go on her walking, but she has already made leaps and bounds. When we get her I home she will be wanting to get around more and this will just speed up the process.

The only thing holding her in the hospital right now is the elevated calcium level which came down again yesterday. As long as this continues I think she will be coming home on Monday. The liver doctor told us yesterday that he felt her liver would make a full recovery. She still has a cough, but aside from that her lungs are in good shape. The eye doctor didn't come by yesterday, but will see her on Monday. We hope to be taking her home soon where she can start her true recovery. When we get her out she will feel so much better emotional and physically. Let's all pray for eyes to make a full recovery, her calcium level to continue downward, and for her to walk out of the hospital on Monday. God Bless and keep the prayers coming.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Encouraging News 1-20-06

Last night I was really upset with the results of the surgery, but today we saw some encouraging signs that made me feel much differently. Yesterdays surgery was due to a large amount of damage to the eye's retinas. This damage was caused by the bleeding and clotting that took place in the first couple of weeks she was in the hospital. At that time they were unable to perform any eye procedure due to the imunosuppresive state she was in. The doctor who performed the eye surgery knew that her right eye had severe retina damage which would require an extensive surgery. After the surgery was complete he told us that she might gain some peripheral vision in her right eye, but she had little chance of any central vision. This would mean that she could gain some "walking vision" and could read large letters. He didn't make it clear as to the time table she would gain this vision. We expected must vision to be restored as a result of the doctors assessments earlier on. Last night we expected them to remove the patch and for her to be able to see a significant amount. This was not the case and we were very disappointed. Things changed when we visited with the eye doctor today and requested her eye.

The eye surgeon came in to reevaluate her eyes and performed a couple of tests. First he shined a circular light in her eye and asked her what shape she saw. She responded and said that she could see a circle. Then the doctor shined a green light in her eye and she said that she could see green. The doctor said this means that she may gain some central vision. Something he didn't expect after he performed the surgery yesterday. Then he waved his hand in front of her eye and she asked if he was moving his hand in front of his hand. Next he held up two fingers and she said that she thought she saw two fingers. Then we turned off all the lights and asked her what she could see. She said that she saw a single light and pointed right to it. The doctor said that her sight will definitely take time. Something he didn't really express clearly when he completed the surgery. We just have to continue to pray and she will gain more vision as the days progress. The surgery on her left eye will be scheduled for this coming Thursday unless things change. If anyone has recommending for the best retina specialist in the US please feel free to contact me through this site. The doctor we have used is well known and seems to have done a really good job so far. We just want the best possible chance for eyes no matter what the cost.

I forgot to tell everyone yesterday that she got her trachea tube removed and it is beginning to heal. This is just another huge step in her recovery and she continues to breath better each day. Today she walked four times further than she has in the past (approximately 250ft). She did all this with a walker under her own support. At the end of her walk she had 100% oxygen saturation in her blood. Most people's saturation would drop lower after they walked that far if they were having a really hard time breathing. This is just another step for her to get out of the hospital. On the pulmonary stand point she is ready to go home.

Her liver numbers continue to trend downward and get closer and closer to reaching normal levels. The liver doctor feels she can go home at this point and their is no need for her to be in the hospital. She can take all the tests needed for her liver from home. The main thing holding her in the hospital right now is the kidneys. Right now her calcium level is elevated, but we feel this can be monitored from home. The calcium level came down today and we should pray this continue so the kidney doctor send her home.

Let's all pray for her eyes and for her kidneys to flush the calcium from her system so she come home. We suspect that she will be coming home sometime early next week. It could be earlier if the kidney doctors feel comfortable her being at home and getting tested from there. Arrangements are beginning to made for home health care and we already have everything set up for her at my parents house. She can't wait to get there with Zeus and sleep in a real bed. It want be long, but Andrea will continue to need all your prayers and support. Talk to everyone tomorrow. God Bless.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Eye Surgery 1-19-06

Today Andrea had the surgery on her right eye. As of now we don't know the full result, but the doctor seems to think she might gain so partial vision. When I know more I will keep let everyone know. She was very upset that she could see tonight when they took the patch off the eye to put drops in. Let's all pray that her right eye vision will improve over time. The surgery on her left eye will happen sometime soon, but we unsure if we will be using the same doctor. We'll just have to see.

Other than that the day was pretty uneventfully. Hopefully we will be able to take her home soon. They are not doing anything in the hospital that couldn't be done from home. Everyone keep praying and we will have her home soon. She loves every one of you and appreciates all the support. Tomorrow I will have some more good news I am sure. Talk to everyone soon. God Bless.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Let's Pray for Her Eyes 1-18-06

Today was another eventful day for Andrea. Around noon my Mom snuck Zeus (her dog) into her room with the nurse and she got to pet him for a couple of minutes. It was good at first but then she started to cry and get upset. She was afraid that he didn't recognize her and upset that she couldn't see him. I am so surprised that Zeus didn't bark at all in the room, but I really think that he sensed that Andrea was sick and that he should behave. All he did was lick her hands and sit on her lap.

The eye doctor came this afternoon and she is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. The doctor said that the procedure will probably be more serious than expected, but we are still very optimistic. They will do one eye tomorrow and see what the effect is. If successful they will do the other eye sometime next week. We really need to pray hard tonight and tomorrow morning that all goes well and her vision is restored.

Her walking continues to improve and she gets stronger everyday. Today she walked further than yesterday and without as much support. She also took another shower today. Keep praying and our Lord will get her through this terrible ordeal. Keep the faith and God Bless.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Way to go Andrea 1-17-06

Today Andrea was able to get up and walk down the hall over 60 feet with a walker under her own strength. The only help she had was getting up and guiding her in the right direction because she can't see. She is getting better and better at walking every day. Andrea also got up today and walked to the shower to get her first real shower in 55 days. These are both huge steps for her and we continue to encourage her every step of the way.

The doctors are still extremely impressed with her progress and she is getting closer to the day when she go home. Our plan for her when she gets out the hospital is for her to go to my parents house where we will sleep in my parents downstairs room. There we can cuddle with Zeus (her dog) and she can get stronger in the heated pool. Every day she expresses how she wants to go home after she has her eye procedure. The eye doctor will be in tomorrow and will do the procedure very soon. As soon as the procedure is complete they will take the trachea out. I think this will help with her cough and make her feel so much better. I can't wait to get her home. She will do so much better emotionally when we get her out of that hospital.

Today was another great day and we are so proud of her. Please continue to pray for her eyes and for all of her organ to continue to improve so she can go home. Thank you everyone for all the support and encouragement. I continue to read her all you comment everyday and it always puts a smile on her face. God Bless.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Keep on Walking 1-16-06

Andrea is doing so well and continues to get out of bed to walk in the room. Today she got up to walk to the bathroom in her room six or seven times. She still requires support, but she is getting better each and every day. Today Physical Therapy came and she stood with a walker five times. They will continue to come each day until she leaves the hospital.

They switched her diet again to a solid diet and she did very well on supper. She ate a baked potato, pudding, milk shake, and some cherry cobbler. No more puree diet. They also took her off of all oxygen support today and she did fine. Tomorrow she will finish the last of her antibiotics. They continue to monitor her elevated calcium levels and are trying to control them with some meds. Let's pray they get this under control.

The liver doctor was extremely impressed with Andrea's current condition. Her pulmonary doctor told me that if she continues to progress at the rate she is going he doesn't see why she couldn't leave the hospital in 4-5 days. We are still waiting on the eye doctor to come by which is suppose to be Wed. If he wants to do surgery later in the week they will leave the trachea in till this is complete. Let's all continue to pray that her vision will be restored with the minor surgery. Her kidneys have gotten better and continue their improvement.

Andrea just wants out of the hospital so she can cuddle up next to her dog and sleep in a normal bed. Let's all pray this happens quickly and she regains her vision, gets better at walking, and keeps her spirits high. Thank you everyone for all the support and keep the prayers coming. We will have this woman out in no time. God Bless.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

What a Weekend 1-15-06

Today Andrea got out of bed five or six times to use the bathroom. With my help she made it to the toilet and didn't have to use the bed pan. All this wore her out, but was a huge step that she had to make. All she could talk about today was how she wants to go home after they fix her eyes. She misses her dog Zeus so much and I hope she can be around him soon.

Tomorrow they might take her off of the oxygen and she will be breathing totally on her own. They didn't do any blood tests today so I don't have any numbers for her liver and kidneys. Although she does look a less jaundice today so her liver numbers probably came down. We will see tomorrow since they are planning to draw some blood. Today she continued with the same diet and ate more than yesterday without throwing up all day.

Let's all pray real hard for the eye doctors to come soon and successful repair her eyes so she can see again. Also, for the doctors to release her to go home soon where we can take care of her. Pray hard and God Bless.

Wonderful Weekend 1-14-06

It sure does look like this is going to turn out to be a wonderful weekend. Yesterday Andrea was in high spirits and made progress throughout the day. At lunch she started a puree diet that included chicken, greens, and sweet potatoes. She was able to each all the chicken and parts of the greens and potatoes. We also provided high calorie drinks throughout the day to pump her up.

Before dinner she got out of bed and walked half way around the bed with my help. She did bear a good deal of her own weight. Then she sat in her recliner for a hour or so. After her dinner arrived she ate pureed steak, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. Then she got out of the chair and I helped her walk back to the bed. This was the most that she had attempted to walk in 53 days. Our goal today is to go all the way around the bed and try to get on the bedside toilet.

I forgot to tell everyone yesterday that her platelet count was at 181. They didn't run any blood tests yesterday so I don't know the liver and kidney numbers. The doctors are considering an eye procedure sometime this week, so Andrea might get her vision back. She told us yesterday that once her eyes are fixed she wants to go home. We could take care of her from there, but I don't know if they would let us. Let's just continue to pray for eyes, stomach, and for her walking skills. She is doing so well and impresses me everyday with her strength and spirit.

Everyone take care and get ready for more and more good news to come. Pray, Pray, and Pray.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

What a great day 1-13-06

Yesterday Andrea's trachea was down-sized and corked off. She was given the standard oxygen tubes to the nostrils and she can now talk with her real voice. No more voice box. The whole day was wonderful and she ate more than the day before. She was also able to hold the food down. We are now searching for higher calorie drinks that will give her an extra boost. I think that I have located a few that she will like.

Her kidneys continue to improve and the liver numbers came down to their lowest point since more than a month ago. The pulmonary doctor would have pulled the trachea today, but since she might be receiving an eye procedure soon they are just going to leave it in for now. This doctor also mentioned he felt she was in the recovery stage and it is only a matter of time before she is up and about. We really have to work with her and get her out of bed so she can learn to walk again. When you have been in bed for 52 days your muscles forget how to walk.

Yesterday was the first day I was able to hold the phone to her ear and she could have a normal conversation. She is still weak so everyone shouldn't try calling her, but it won't be long and this woman is going to be attached to that phone.

I am sure that I forgot something about yesterday, but there will better news today. Take care and thanks again for all the support. Let's continue to pray for her eyes to heal, her tummy to work better, and for her to gain more strength to get out of bed. Get the prayers going and we will have this beautiful woman out of bed soon. God Bless.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Out of ICU 1-12-06

Yesterday Andrea was transferred from ICU to PCU. She was really excited about moving and we are so proud of her. The nurses in ICU that have got to know Andrea were so happy for her and cheered her on. She was able to eat three small meals (ice tea, jello, broth, boost, and fruit) yesterday, but couldn't hold all of it down by the end of the day. Pray that her stomach gets to feeling better and that she can begin holding her food down. I figure when you don't have food for 50 days it is probably pretty hard to hold it down.

Her temp has remained down and we pray for this to continue. Her kidneys continue to improve everyday and she is not receiving dialysis. The doctors have ordered blood tests every other day instead of every day. She looked much less jaundice yesterday. Today she will down-size her trachea and the doctors are talking about removing the tube soon. The main thing we need to pray for is for Andrea to be able to hold her food down and process it. This would give her move energy and provide the nourishment that her body needs.

Thanks for all the support and talk to everyone soon. God Bless.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006


Andrea and Zeus Posted by Picasa

Andrea with her friends in San Francisco.  Posted by Picasa

Picture of Andrea and I.  Posted by Picasa

Andrea at Easter last year.  Posted by Picasa

Another one at Easter last year.  Posted by Picasa

Another great day 1-11-06

Today was definitely a great day for Andrea. She breathed on her own all day (30% O2) and was able to talk through a voice box. There was not a fever all day (98.6) and late in the day she convinced the doctors to allow her to eat jello, broth, apple juice, and water. This was after they shut down the tube feed because her stomach wasn't tolerating the liquid food. She had begged for just a huge glass of water for the last two day. No food or water for 49 days. Can you blame her? Jesus only fasted for 40 days. Andrea was so happy to have food and water for the first time. Let's pray that her stomach jump starts and she is able to tolerate real food.

The other great thing that happened today was that the order was issued for Andrea to be moved the PCU (ICU step down unit). Once a private room becomes available she will be moved. There they have one nurse to every four patients. Andrea is excited about the move. Maybe she will move tomorrow. Thank you everyone for all the cards. Andrea really enjoys to hear from all of you. New update coming tomorrow.

What a Day 1-10-06

Yesterday Andrea breathed on her own all day and was giving a voice box so she could talk. Hopefully it won't be long before she can have all the breathing devices removed and she can eat and drink normally. All she talks about is ice water and eating some hospital food. I can't blame her.

Yesterday her kidney doctor said she doesn't need dialysis anymore unless something changes. They went ahead and pulled the catheters for dialysis out of her groin. This is a huge step for her. Let's all pray that her kidneys continue to improve and that she doesn't need dialysis again.

Her liver numbers also came down like I thought they would, but let's pray for this to continue. Yesterday the fever was gone and she had a 97.9 temp all day. Her platelet count was at 149 yesterday morning (this is a normal value).

Theses are all huge improvement for Andrea, but she can't leave the hospital just yet. They are most likely going to move to the Progressive Care Unit soon. That's all I can think of right now, but I will update everyone again soon. Keep the prayers coming. Andrea told me to tell everyone that she love each and every one of you. Thanks for your support.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Andrea is doing well 1-9-06

Today and Yesterday were great days for Andrea. She continues to improve and they are even talking about moving her to the Progressive Care Unit (maybe 2-3 days). This would be a huge step for Andrea, so let's all pray for her continued improve over the next few days. Her breathing is getting so much better. Yesterday she was breathing on her own with an oxygen mask for 3 hours (40% O2). Then today she breathed on her own all day (30% O2). She also sat in the recliner today for an hour while she was breathing on her own. Yesterday she also said that she see to some degree, but today that vision wasn't there. That is still good though and hopefully means her eyes are going to clear up over time. No dialysis today but I figure they will need to tomorrow (she hasn't received dialysis in 3 days). Her liver numbers plateaued today so lets pray that they start coming down tomorrow. Today her temp was down and when I left the hospital her temp was 98.9. Her platelet count was 144 this morning.

I will post the pics people sent tomorrow. Thanks for all the support and keep the prayers coming. They are surely working. Andrea wants everyone to know that she loves everyone of you. Talk to everyone tomorrow.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Update 1-8-06

Yesterday was a resting and healing day for Andrea. She had a good day and continued to get more of her strength back. No dialysis yesterday and she still tolerated the tube feed for another day. Her temp was still up but hung around 100.4 all day. She sat up in the new bed (one that would convert into a chair) that they got her and had no problems.

Last night I stayed with her and she went to sleep around 10PM. Throughout the night she thought she was ready to go home (I don't blame her). She would put both legs off the side of the bed and raise her back up before I got up and told her she can't go just yet. It's great to see her getting more strength and thinking about going home. All night her temp stayed 100.4.

This morning her liver numbers were higher again (we want lower), but there is so many things that can cause this elevation. The good thing though is her platelet count was up to 134. One of the main things AML (Acute myeloid Leukemia) causes is a low platelet count and hers is almost back to the normal level. Let's keep on praying and we will get her out the hospital before we know it. Thanks so much for your concern and I will post another update soon.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Another wonderful day 1-7-06

Yesterday was another wonderful day for Andrea. Her temp came down to some degree (99-100.6) and didn't go higher all day. The liver and kidneys numbers came down again and her breathing continues to improve. It really looks like the new antibiotics they are giving her are lowering her temp. The eye specialist came by yesterday and said that her eyes still had blood floating around that prevents her from seeing. He said that the blood should drain out over time and if that doesn't occur (let's pray it does) there are procedures to remove the fluid. Andrea has been really scared that she is blind and this helped clear some things up for her. The spots on her hand and arm continue to look better.

Andrea got out of bed again and sat in a recliner for 3 hours and had no problems. She also did exercises while she was in the chair. Yesterday was a wonderful day for Andrea and we look forward to continued improvement. Let's pray for all of this to continue and for God to be there with her the whole way holding her hand. She is so strong and has already made true believers out of all the doctor, nurses, me, and her family and friends.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Pictures of Andrea and Friends

If anyone has some digital pics of you and Andrea please send them to me at jmartiniv@houston.rr.com. I will post them on the blog so that everyone can see her smile. Talk to everyone tomorrow morning.

More Progress 1-6-06

Andrea continues to have good day after good day. Her numbers improved and she was very happy all day yesterday. They did dialysis and she did very well. Her temp was still hanging around, but some of the doctors decided to change the antibiotics to see if the meds are causing the fever. In the morning after dialysis she had OT come by and do exercises with her. She sat on the side of the bed twice and was able to raise herself up. I don't think I could do what she did after laying in bed for 43 days. What a trooper.

She is still having trouble seeing because of the fluid and blood that was built up behind her eyes during the first couple of weeks. Her eye lids aren't swollen anymore, but the doctors tell us that it will be awhile before we know more about the status of her eyes. She can see red when you turn on the bright exam light, but is unable to see anything else. This has to be very frustrating, but she is confident that her vision will return. Let's all pray for her eyes to get better.

Last night my Mom stayed with her in her room and she had a decent night of rest. Most of her numbers are down this morning and when my Mom left at 6AM her temp was at 98.8. At 9AM when I called her temp was back up to 100.0, but this is still low for the last week. She will not be receiving dialysis today and continues to tolerate the tube feed. The doctors also put her back on the lowest ventilator setting (CPAP) this morning and she is doing really well. One doctor mentioned that he hopes she doesn't have to be on dialysis much longer (man that would be great). I can't think of anything else, but I will get everyone another update soon. Keep the prayers coming and we will get our beautiful baby out of the hospital. Thanks for all the support.

Address for Cards

Andrea Luthringer, 7S2-10
c/o St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
6720 Bertner Ave.
Houston, TX 77030

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Update 1-5-06

Yesterday Andrea had another great day and continued to improve. Her liver and kidneys showed improvement and we pray for them to keep this trend. She was put on the lowest ventilator setting for a couple of hours and the doctor said she did better than expected. Early yesterday morning she did more exercises which made her tired throughout the day. This is a good things because she needs rest so she can heal. They haven't had her out of bed again because she has a catheter in her groin and they don't want her to irritate it. She still had a temp (100-101) all day, but we are praying that it will resolve itself soon. The irritations on her hand and arm are mostly likely not causing the fever. The doctor that was brought in yesterday said the areas were calcium buildup due to trauma and would disappear over time. They continued the tube feed yesterday and she tolerated it well. Last night we watched the UT/USC football game. What a game it was. Yesterday was a great day for Andrea.

This morning she is receiving dialysis and will be doing exercising later in the day. Her Mom said that her temp was 99.9 at 6AM this morning. Her liver numbers continued to improve over night. I will get everyone the address for the hospital today so you can send cards if interested. Today should be another great day so keep on praying. It is definitely working so don't quit. Talk to everyone soon. God Bless.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Continued Improvement 1-4-06

Sorry I haven't posted in two days. Monday night I was worn out and last night I stayed with Andrea all night. Monday Andrea stood with help and took a few steps then sat in the recliner for thirty minutes. The rest of the day went fine and she had a healing day. She actually got some sleep Monday night and felt rested Tuesday morning.

Tuesday wa little rougher but turned out to be a good day. She had to receive dialysis which made her really cold. This time though she didn't have such a bad reaction and tolerated it well. She continues to talk to me all day and I have become an expert on reading lips. They also started feeding her again last night and she seems to be tolerating it well. This should help get her GI tract working better. She did continue to run a fever yesterday (100-101), but hopefully that will resolve itself soon. We also discovered that the skin irritation on one of her hands and arm might be causing a low grade fever. We should know more about this after today.

Last night Andrea slept well and didn't wake up but a few times. Her fever got up to 101.7 around 2AM, but when I left this morning at 6AM it was 100.2. I called her Mom at noon this morning and she said that her liver and kidney numbers had improved. Her platelets have stayed around 100 the last four or five days and this is great news in regard to the cancer. She continues to do exercises with the PT and OT. We planning on her having a healing day today. No dialysis or big tests today. Pray for another good day and for the doctors to find the source of this fever. That's everyone for the support.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Short Morning Update 12-2-06

Just wanted everyone to know that Andrea got out of bed this morning and stood up with a little help and took some steps. She then sat in the recliner in her room for 30 minutes. This was a big step for her and we are extremely proud of her. It is amazing that all the little things have her down and she continues to make huge improvements everyday. What a strong girl she is. Well just wanted to fill everyone in and I will write more tonight. Continue to pray for Andrea (it is working).

Sunday, January 01, 2006


Another picture of Andrea in New Zealand Posted by Picasa

Update for Andrea 1-1-06

On Saturday Andrea had a better day than today, but God continues to heal Andrea. She continues to sit up in bed and brush her teeth. The last couple of days she has not got much sleep and wants to stay up and talk. Yesterday she seemed very peaceful and talked all day. When I left on in the morning at 3AM she was running a 101 fever but seemed to be feeling ok.

Today her fever was about the same and received dialysis. While they were doing the dialysis she started to get really cold and her temp went up (not to 104 this time but it did go up). She complained about her tummy hurting real bad and they decided to stop a little early on the dialysis. When I left tonight her temp was falling and it looked as though she sweating her fever off as the nurses were taking her down for a CT of her tummy. The stomach doctor thought it might be the combination of IBS (that Andrea already had before all of this) and her being off all pain meds today.

I have a really good feeling that tomorrow we will have a better day. If she could just break this fever it seems as though she would get much better. Let's all pray that she be strong and get through this little bump in her road. Remember she has already passed over bumps much larger than the one she is facing now. Andrea is so strong and continues to amaze us all. Pray for her to keep her faith and ask God to be with her at all times holding her hand.