100% Donor (June 21)

We received the report today that Andrea's bone marrow is 100% donor cells. She continues to amaze us every step of the way. Please keep your prayers coming and will help her through this healing time. Thanks again for all the support and prayers.

Encouraging week (June 18)

We're all happy that Andrea gained 5 pounds since leaving the hospital. She's at a whopping 110 pounds now. She continues to go in every day, including weekends, to MDA for blood levels to be taken and receive fluids. A couple of times she wore a fanny pack full of fluid to run all night to get her creatine level down to an acceptable level. (This has to do with the kidney.) She started to complain that the fanny pack was in the way, then the next day she had to wear a backpack full of fluids to run all night. She made us laugh because she said she wouldn't complain about the fanny pack anymore because next time it may be a suitcase! She's a trooper and is trying to keep a sense of humor. She still has itching from the graft versus host disease, but it has calmed down some so she can at least sleep at night now.
The retina specialist said that he wanted to do at least 2 surgeries on each eye as soon as Andrea can get stablized, which will probably be as soon as summer is over. He confirmed the cataracts have gotten worse, which Andrea could already tell.
Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers. Kathy

Update 6-11-06

Sorry its been almost a week since I posted something, but the last several days have flown by. Andrea came home on Tuesday and has been going back to MDA each day. Her blood numbers have been looking good (no need for platelets or whole blood) and she has just been receiving fluids to keep up with all the meds she is taking. The issue she has been facing is a rash that has kept her itching all over. On Thursday they did another bone marrow biopsy and then Friday they did a skin biopsy to check out the rash. We won't know the results until sometime this week.

Andrea is so happy to be a home away from the hospital. She was really getting down the last couple of days there at MDA, but you would have to expect that I guess. I would have gone crazy. This week will be a healing week and we are praying the rash will go away. Thanks again to everyone out there who have being donating blood product. It looks like we can lay low for a while and I will make the announcement if and when she is in need. Also thanks to all who have been praying daily for Andrea's recovery. God has really heard our calling and answered our prayers. Andrea isn't out of the woods but she is getting much closer to that light at the end of the tunnel. God Bless.

Going Home Today (6-6-06)

Andrea will be leaving the hospital this morning and start getting all treatment on an outpatient basis. She is extremely excited to be leaving and can't wait to step out of the hospital. Thanks for everyone's support through this tough time and please keep the prayers coming her way.

She will begin going to the hospital daily starting tomorrow until her blood count all come back up to normal. Her platelets are still low (25), but she has not received a transfusion in 3 day. Any blood product donations are still greatly appreciated and will not go unused. Thanks again and talk to everyone soon. God Bless.

Tough Road as of June 3

Hi, this is Kathy, Andrea's mom posting tonight. As everyone knows by now, Andrea is one tough, determined young lady. She has also been in some excruciating pain, but WITH YOUR PRAYERS, she is pulling through pain after pain, moment after moment. As soon as she checked in May 4, she was determined to get on with what she knew would be a "tough treatment". She named her IV stand "Wheely" and started her walking exercises with it as it pumped her with every kind of hydration fluid, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral drug along with 2 very strong chemotherapies and the precious bone marrow stem cells from Kristin. The week she could not even put water in her mouth because it felt like acid, she did not walk but still did some bed exercises. Today she went to the gym for 25 minutes with the physical therapist and I thought did well, but she was disappointed at the strength she has lost. She clearly remembers running 3 miles a day in November. The doctor says "maybe next week" Andrea can go home, so they are in the process of changing the IV fluids to pill form since she can swallow again. They monitor her blood levels every day then prescribe the appropriate medicine and drugs and will need to continue doing that for many weeks to come, so once we get home we will need to either trek to MDA or maybe home health service may do some. Andrea's eyesight is still blurry and we know she does have cataracts in addition to the retina problem, so as soon as she gets discharged, we will go back to her retina specialist and see what miracles he can perform. SO, we're calling on you again to petition God. He is faithful, and we know you are too, with your prayers. Thank you all, so very much. We have our precious Andrea with us here because God listened to each and every one of you.
God bless and love to all, Kathy