Different Doctor

There was a shift change in doctors today and the new doctor wanted Andrea to go to the discharge class on Tuesday, see if she could tolerate all the medicine in pill form, and see if her headaches ease up. So, it looks like the earliest Andrea can bust out of here is by Wednesday.
Please keep praying for her stomach and lack of headaches to cooperate!

Great Gain

Just overnight Andrea's white blood cell count jumped from .7 to 2.5. Wow! Thank you so much for our plea for platelets. As you can see, Andrea responded well to them, and she is still receiving them. The doctor said if she continues on this path, she may get to go home on Tuesday. This is a week and a half earlier than we anticipated. It is such good news for her.
BUT, she still needs your continued prayers for her stomach, though. The chemotherapy really tore it up and she has a constant stomach ache, pain, cramps or all of them together. It poses a real dilemma as they are trying to switch all meds to pill form and many of you know how certain pills affect your stomach. We are confident that time and prayer will get Andrea through this.

Doctor's Report

Well, the Doctor says Andrea is doing well at this point of the transplant. Her white blood cells came up to .7 (and the normal is 4.0), which is GOOD since she has been as low as 0 for several days.
Your prayers are working, but she anxious for some days now to get this all behind her. It helped to have girlfriends to show up for her birthday in the hospital (I know to have a confined birthday), but to have one at all is a blessing!!!!
Thank you all for your prayers and most especially to all of those who have given your platelets or blood to help Andrea combat this disease.
The Lord does listen to our prayers.

There's Sunshine Behind the Clouds

Even though Andrea is experiencing all the aches, pains and fever that is expected with treatment, the doctor said she is doing well for all that is anticipated. She had no fever this morning and her white cell count Finally came up from zero to .2, so hopefully she can start momentum towards the healthy direction again. We know she can do it, with God's miracles and your prayers.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Got Platelets!

Andrea got the platelets that she needed late this afternoon. Thank you so much for those of you who are taking time out of your busy schedules and work to come by MDA to donate blood and platelets. I know it is an extra challenge with the construction down here in the medical center, but it is truly appreciated. Andrea is in the "rough" part of the treatment, but she is a real trooper and is hanging in there.

MDA needs platelets and blood

Andrea needs platelets and did not receive them today because MDA has had so many surgeries. If anyone could donate blood or platelets they need to call:
713-792-4531 to make sure they can take their blood when they are ready to give.
Then they can go to MDA, 1515 Holcombe, enter at MD Anderson Blvd, park in garage 10, garage crosswalk to MDA hospital is on level 3, ride escalator or elevator down to 2nd floor MDA which is near Elevator A. Diagnostic Center is right there. Please be sure to designate blood or platelets given to Andrea Martin.
Thanks so much.

Really Yucky

The white cell counts are still at zero and Andrea needed platelets again today. She had a fever this morning, her stomach is cramping and her bones ache. She is getting medicine for all this but she still feels really yucky. Andrea is relying on God to get her through this and appreciates your prayers so much.

Platelets Again Today

Andrea needed more platelets today since they were below 20. She is also on antibiotics to combat anything since she has no immunity. Today she also started the neupogen shots since her white cell count has been zero for a couple of days. Even though she has stomach pains, she is still eating and getting up out of bed to exercise. She amazes me. With God's miracles and your prayers, she will get through this.

Even Wtih....

Even with nose bleeds and lining of the mouth and throat raw, at 7 a.m. this morning the doctor said Andrea was doing very well at this stage of the transplant. Thank you very much! She received platelets today, which explain why those nose bleeds were occurring.
She will get through this, too, as she did last time - - with God's help and your continued prayers. (I Samuel 17:47 The battle belongs to the Lord.). Andrea is very positive and just counting the days when she will be well enough to go home. We watched funny DVDs last night and said meaningful, heartfelt prayers before sleeping.
Every single one of your prayers are so much appreciated.

Ups and Downs

Andrea's condition can change without a moment's notice. At any time we've become used to either fevers, chills, bone aches, shooting pains and/or headaches. The nurses can respond with a set amount of medicine and then when that does not work, they call the doctor. So far she has responded well to their set regime within a couple of hours, then Andrea is back to, "Hey, what do we have on DVD?", or she will climb on her exercise bike for a few minutes. Earlier this week when Andrea was out walking with J, he had to bring her back to her room in a wheelchair because her ankles hurt very badly, so the doctor found an exercise bike to keep her moving. She still goes on walks, but does not feel compelled to try to make it a mile since she knows the bike is in her room.
Compared to the last transplant, Andrea feels better on this "Day 4" than the last one. God is listening to our continued prayers!

Rough Night, Better Day

As of the transplant yesterday, Andrea is at zero immunity and the doctors stepped up the anti-rejection medicines. This extra hard on Andrea because it means limiting contact to caregivers and doctors. Thank goodness for the telephone or cards that can be sent to her house because Andrea does need contact with the outside world! We read this blog to her all the time, too, which gives her an extra boost of confidence that "this too will pass quickly". We are so appreciative of the Internet while cooped up in a 10 by 10 room.
The anti-rejection meds last night caused a big headache from about 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., then relief with sleep came.
Thank you all for continued prayers.

Successful Transplant!

Andrea got up this morning, took her 1-mile walk around the 11th floor of MDA and patiently waited for her doctor to come by for his assessment. Then, about 1:30 p.m. she had her stem cell transplant administered. Her dad is with her this afternoon and I called to see if she needed anything else. She said "Just to take a nap", so I took the hint!
Thank you to all for your continued prayers. God listens.

Working Out the Kinks

We've come to find out that nothing ever goes smoothly for Andrea. The clinical study that she is in requires medicine that can cause fever, itching, pains, etc., etc. She experienced all those plus the neurological headaches that Andrea had gotten under control last week before admission. After a very rough night, the nurses called the doctors and they were able to put together a concoction of medicines to counteract the fevers, itching, and headaches by the morning.
Andrea took her hardest dose of chemo today that required her to continuously suck on ice chips in her mouth for an hour and a half - - before, during and after the the chemo. This type of chemo causes mouth sores (called mucocitis), so we're just hoping that freezing her mouth will help head off some of the side affects.
2 Days until Transplant.

Day -4 until transplant

Last night they moved Andrea to the stem cell transplant unit. They are helping so many people at MDA that they squeeze in every person that they can, where they can. It is better here on this unit, though, because the nurses are focussed on this particular cancer patient's needs.
In addition to chemo today, Andrea received an additional new drug to help her system prepare for Kristin's stem cells. However, a side effect is itching, so they gave her a big dose of Bendadryl. That, of course, made her sleepy, but Andrea is taking it all in stride and still has a positive attitude. An ugly headache popped up too, but hopefully it won't stay. She will continue the new drug as well as chemo until transplant.
Thank you so much for each of your prayers. They mean so much!

Checked In

Since the last posting Andrea has been very busy going through tests to make sure she is ready for the stem cell transplant.
Everything is okay and MDA checked her in at 9 p.m. last night. However, everybody seemed to be getting admitted last night and she did not get hooked up to the IV cart until 2 a.m. We were very tired!
Today, Wednesday, she received the first dose of Fludarabine chemotherapy.
Countdown - 5 days until transplant.

New Chemo Okay, So Far

The "monoclonal antibody chemo" has not produced ill effects so far from yesterday (Yeah!). Andrea showed up to MDA early this morning to have her blood levels checked and saw her doctor. She did not have much of an appetite today, but we ate regular meals and her dad joined us for lunch.
Tomorrow we will check in early to MDA to continue with the spinal tap of methotrexate in her spine to cover anything in the central nervous system. This doctor is the anesthesiologist with the magic touch who can do spinal taps without mind-rocketing headaches, so we aniticipate the same.
We continue to be so grateful for every prayer lifted up for Andrea.
God listens.

Subclavian Catheter is in!

Thank goodness Andrea was one of the first procedures this morning for anethesia because you cannot eat or drink anything before that. The subclavian catheter was successfully implanted and she got to eat afterwards then slept-off the anesthesia most of the day.
We will report again bright and early at 7:30 tomorrow (Wed) to receive her first out patient chemo in the new catheter. It is a new monoclonal anitbody that Andrea did not have during the first stem cell transplant. It is supposed to work with Andrea's immune system to 'target and destroy only cancer cells'. It sounds great until you read some of the side affects, but we will not worry about those now! We'll take it 'day by day' for the next 4 months, with God's help.

If at first you don't succeed.......

Today the catheter insertion that goes into the heart was not going smoothly and was causing too much pain, so the doctor rescheduled it for tomorrow morning so Andrea could be under sedation. MDA may not be perfect, but they will at least stop, reassess and try again.
Wednesday will be the first dose of out patient chemo, and Friday will be the chemo in the spine that continues her treatment for the central nervous system, even though the lesion in the brain is gone. If it sounds like Andrea is getting the one-two boxing punch, well, she is.
So, yes, all friends and family where ever you may be, we ask for prayers of strength and healing. And of course, passing on the prayer chain is always welcome. Faith in our Lord is great.

Good News, Bad News, Again!

After the bone marrow biopsy and MRI, the first preliminary report on the bone marrow biopsy was clear of leukemia. Then the MRI report came back that the lesion in the brain was gone. Both great news....but the final report of the bone marrow biopsy showed the actual bone marrow stained slides with time showed cluster groups of cells that indicate leukemia is trying to make a comeback. So, with clearance of insurance, Andrea will be starting her second bone marrow transplant from Kristin's T cells the first week in March. There have been some newly approved FDA drugs in this process since the last transplant. Andrea's doctor is very positive this is her cure and so are we. Still, this is a very difficult process for Andrea to endure of 30 days in the hospital plus 100 days after release from the hospital of tests, fluids and drugs.
Thank you for your prayers in relying on another miracle from God.

Second successful chemo/spinal tap

Thursday morning Andrea had a bone marrow biopsy with sedation, so we cooked at her house Valentine's night to avoid busy restaurants. (How romantic, dinner with the parents!) Anyway....Friday morning the spinal tap with methotrexate chemotherapy went well. No headaches so far, only mild nausea. But that can be usually be handled with more frequent smaller meals. This coming Thursday, Andrea will have another MRI of the brain to see what the lesion is doing. (shrinking, of course, but how much???) Y0ur prayers for a quick recovery is so much appreciated.

Chemo This Week

Since the last posting, Andrea has been gaining weight and trying to regain energy. Her morning starts with a headache, which usually goes away with Advil or Excedrin. When the weather cooperates, which it has been lately, she will take Zeus out for his walk around the small park across the street from their house. She has scheduled an appointment with her gym trainer on Wednesday to get an idea on how to regain muscle and not just weight. She also kindly told me she did not want anymore cinnamon buns or kolaches for breakfast! (Oh well, it was fun while it lasted). Thursday she will have a bone marrow biopsy. Then Friday, it is time for the 2nd dose of methotrexate chemotherapy. The Pain Management doctors are adminstering it again but without the blood patch this time. They said blood patches can cause scarring and also increases more risk of bacterial meningitis. So, we'll see if this spinal tap will be tolerable without the blood patch.
Thank you for your contined prayers. Especially on difficult days, there is comfort in knowing that there are prayers for strength and healing.

Good Spinal Tap News

There are still no signs of leukemia in Andrea's spinal fluid. She is feeling a little better each day but is still having occasional headaches, muscle and joint pain. She is feeling well enough to go out to restaurants again but takes her pillow is sit on! I'm still cooking for her to gain weight and strength.

So Far, So Good

Many prayers were answered this past week because of minimal headaches, nausea or shooting pains. However, today is the real test of how Andrea will feel without the steroid pills that she has to stop after 6 days of treatment. She's encouraged by good reports of Mona-Vie nutrition drink from her new Aunt Sheila (Betty's sister). Andrea has been battling fatigue which is way past what most of us know as 'dead tired'. Hopefully, the Mona-Vie will help with energy and/or immunity.
We appreciate your prayers so much.

Better Spinal Tap

As far as spinal taps go, this is the best one that Andrea has had to endure. The Pain Management doctors are anethesiologists who are well versed in the spinal column. They were so good, gentle and communicative with Andrea. The chemo methotrexate has not produced the excruiating pain like the Ara-C did.
We do believe that all your prayers were answered on this round of treatment. We appreciate all your efforts.

Better, But Not There Yet

As soon as Andrea feels "better", there is a set back of either a stomach ache or headache. She is up to 112 lbs., which is better than 110!!
Plans are for the spinal tap of methotrexate on Friday. She usually stays flat on her back for 5-7 days after a spinal tap, but Pain Management will be involved in this one and hopefully with a pediatric needle and blood patch, she will experience less pain. Prayers are a real blessing at this point.

New Plans

The stem cell doctor said he would be taking over Andrea's treatment totally since she does not have the Ommaya Reservoir in her head anymore. This is good news since we do trust him and his physician's assistant to help and follow up with Andrea like they did before. They will try a new chemo next week in the spinal cord. Spinal taps are horrible, but there will be a different approach this time. Andrea is feeling well enough now to eat, so I will be offering any and all foods she can tolerate to pack on some pounds.
Just please pray that all comes together to obliterate that tiny lesion in her brain!

Grasping for good news

Andrea went to the endocrinologist today and she had gained 1.9 pounds this past week. I was really happy because it was a lot of work for her to eat that much and keep it down. (She lost 25 pounds during the meningitis calamity, so she still needs 23 more pounds.) There are a few people who would like to just hand her a few of their pounds!
The bone density test she took on Monday was much better than the one a year ago. Even though she feels really weak and fragile right now, the gym conditioning and prescribed vitamins/minerals she took this past year has really paid off in her bones.
She is off to another doctor tomorrow, so we'll let you know what he prescribes.
Andrea feels blessed to have so many people still praying for her.

Slightly Better

The headaches and nausea are starting to subside, which is good; but either one pops up unexpectedly at any time. Thursday the doctor took Andrea off of some medicine that is very hard on her and said he would let her recuperate a week before recommending more chemo.
Thank you for your encouraging messages and prayers.

Home Again!

Today the doctor walked in and said the tests were not back yet, but to plan to go home Wednesday. Andrea looked at him with tears in her eyes and said all her medicines could be taken at home and Pain Management doctors have given her the relief from the spinal tap that she needed. After asking her to move her head and neck about and doing a quick visual assessment, he got the ball rolling and Andrea is at their home tonight with J.!
She still has a lot of healing to accomplish, so thank you for your prayers.

Awaiting Tests

As long as Andrea is laying down, her pain is zero. But the moment she raises her head, the pain instantly goes to the top of the scale - ten. That's what a spinal tap (also called a lumbar puncture) does. It takes a few days for the spinal cord to repair the assault. She has not had as fever ever since she got steriods from the Brain and Spine doctor on Friday. Since Friday the Brain and Spine doctors have been MIA. The immediate first look at the spinal fluid from Friday was that there was no obvious meningitis or bacteria but it really takes a few days for the tests results to show anything. I think she will be pushing her main Stem Cell doctor to let her go home tomorrow, but we will see how the night goes. The MRI report said that the AML lesion shrunk from 13 mm to 5 mm. They may have to change the type of chemo since she's had an extreme adverse reaction to this one.
Thank you for your prayers. They really encourage Andrea and we are hoping for best outcome.

Back in Hospital

Thursday when Andrea went to her primary doctor she had fever, chills, headache and a stiff neck, so he wouldn't let her go home and admitted her into the hospital. He called the neuro onclogy unit and talked to Andrea for a long time. He said he believed the Ara-C chemo was having abnormal reactions and needed to rule out the reoccurance of meningitis. She will have a spinal tap today. We know how spinal taps affect Andrea, and they will try to do it better this time around.
Please keep her in your prayers.

Moving around

Now that the spinal tap symptons are starting to fade, Andrea noticed a pain coming from a pinched sciatic nerve feeling every time she stands up, walks, or sits down. Once she gets situated, the pain dulls and she can relax. Next question for the doctor, "did he hit a nerve when he deadened the area for the spinal tap?" We see the primary doctor tomorrow, so we have lots of concerns to address. It just seems like one issue leads to another concern or problem right now. We are grateful she can get out of bed now.
Please keep the prayers coming, Andrea is still fighting.

Day by day

A spinal tap gives horrible headaches and immobilizes a person for days, but the chemo on top of that is almost unbearable. Andrea has fevers, chills, and even them both together. She was able to hold her head up today without having excruciating pain from her head and spine, so there is improvement. She still needs your prayers desperately to get through this.
We find hope and encouragement in knowing that you are praying.

Expected

The feeling from having chemo injected into the spine was expected and on target - extreme pain and fatigue. Andrea is fighting through it even though it is very difficult. We are trying to look at the big picture 4 1/2 months down the road with the last injection, but it is hard. We are more inclined to just get through day by day.
She really needs your prayers, and we thank you for all your kind encouragement.

Lots of doctors

Monday's tests showed that Andrea's adrenaline gland is still working which means the EXTREME fatigue is from side effects of radiation. Thank goodness the radiation has not ruined the glands, but she is still struggling to keep down food, have an appetite or energy.
The neuro oncologist wants to proceed with chemo in the spine tomorrow (Wed). He added two medicines to try to help Andera's energy, but the first one she took gave her a headache. Lots of help, huh?
Please keep her in your prayers as we are trying to find a balancing act with all her medicines, and attempting chemo one more time which has side effects that include headache, stiff neck and back. If this chemo is successful, she will have it administered once every 2 weeks 3 times, then once a month 3 times. Probably a total of 4 1/2 months of chemo, if this plan is followed.

Another Dr. Visit

All week Andrea's energy has been zapped and today the Dr. gave her special meds to take over the weekend, then they will run tests on Monday to verify his suspisions of the radiation effects. Hopefully it is temporary and the meds/tests will give her a better path forward.
Good news is that her chest x-ray came back Good, so no more pneumonia! She still takes 3 very strong antibiotics that are hard on her stomach, plus a spreadsheet of other medication. All in all she is keeping down the small amount of food she can eat.
Day by day, prayer by prayer - We thank God and you for them all.

Help Me Lord!

Andrea is frustrated that she is not bouncing back as quickly as she had hoped. Each hospital stay and recuperation has been very different. I forgot to mention that the night before Andrea was discharged, that they gave a her a new antibiotic which she had never had before and she had an immediate severe allergic reaction to. Bone pain started in her lower back and went down her legs along with severe shaking and high fever. They counteracted it with Benadryl and pain meds, but it was like taking the last wind out of her sails. She came home, but her energy level has been so low that she is praying for strength and a positive attitude.
Please raise her up in your prayers for strength and healing.

Lots happening

Kristin, Andrea's sister, came to MDA and they said they needed "4 million" on Thursday. Friday morning they told us that Kristin actually gave 4.6 million of the stem cell components that Andrea may need. It is an awesome concept and week-long experience that Kristin can tell you all about should you ever want to save someone's life. Kristin is Andrea's hero as well as her big sister, so that makes it real special for them.

Since discharge on Tuesday, Andrea has made her way back up to MDA for check-ups and to her retina specialist today. It takes all the strength she can muster to get out and about, but she does. Her eye specialist said that her optic nerves and retinas had not changed and that most likely the blurry vision comes from the dry corneas, so she has some drops to use for that.

It was good to have Kristin here for the week and she and Jimbo are back safely in Tyler tonight.

Many prayers have been answered.

Home At Last!

Andrea was greeted at home by her dog, Zeus. They were both so happy. As I was getting her medicines sorted, J. came home and created a spreadsheet to keep us straight. Yes, that many multiple meds: Morning, Noon, Mid-afternoon, Evening and Bedtime. She has a very rigorous 2 weeks before the medicines slack off. But, thank goodness she is home. It is also her father-in-law's birthday, so we all had double reason to celebrate.
So far everything is going well with Andrea's sister, Kristin. She is taking the neupogen shots and hopefully will donate her stem cells on Thursday.
God has got us this far, so please keep on praying.

Homeward Bound!

The doctor came in today and told Andrea that she met the "numbers" for her to go home tomorrow afternoon. How's that for her determination and will power, along with special prayer power and cheers from all of you!!??!!!! Thank you, God!
This afternoon she will get a PICC line placed in her arm for the antibiotics she will need for the next week or two.
Even though Andrea is going home, she is still in the recovery mode and we appreciate your prayers so much.

Leveling Off

Andrea's temperatures and nausea roller coasters are leveling off closer to normal and she is telling her doctors she wants to get better at home. The pneunomia was not the real bad kind, so the doctors have her covered on the antibiotics she is getting. They are telling her maybe Wednesday, and she replies, "Tuesday?"
Your prayers, well-wishes and comments are boosting her morale and cheering her on.

"Do not be anxious"

The doctors feel the meningitis is under control and being eradicated. But the bronchitis-like lung infection has actually turned out to be pneumonia in Andrea's right lung. The fever and nausea is still on a roller coaster. She is being x-rayed or scannned almost every day along with being stuck for blood everyday, sometimes a couple of times a day. After 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital, Andrea is getting anxious to go home, and we are anxious to have her home. But, she knows it will be bad if she goes home too quickly.
On a more postive note, Andrea's sister, Kristin, is in town to give stem cells to freeze so Andrea will have them when and if that time comes. It is a week-long ordeal for Kristin, and we pray that it goes smoothly. Her big sister is her hero.
The first part of Phil. 4:6 says "Do not be anxious". The last part says "by prayer and petition, with thanksgivng, present your requests to God".
God hears every prayer and we thank you for yours.

Looking for the Positive

Andrea's temperature returned to normal today and she had no neck or head pain. We were also very glad that it was the last day of an extremely harsh antibiotic, although she is still on at least 4 other antibiotics. She is on so much medicine (which is very necessary), she cannot keep her food down. So far, she has lost 5 pounds. All the anti-nausea medicine has not worked, it just makes it worse.
Andrea is determined to get better and is aiming for release from the hospital on Monday. Your prayers and comments help so much.

Bummer Day

The fever is back and Andrea couldn't keep any food down. The nurses and doctors are baffled. So, today we took blood cultures, urine tests and xrays trying to find solutions.

On the lighter side Kathy buzzed Andrea's hair today to give her a new sporty look.

Please continue remembering Andrea in your prayers.

Yes, but....

Yes, there is good news in that Andrea has not had fever for a couple of days. But, there is a bronchitis-like infection brewing in her lungs. The doctors sent a sample to the labs to determine exactly what it is and they have us wearing masks and gowns for a couple of days until they figure it out. She still needs your prayers for total healing because I know that everyone's faith is strong that she can overcome this too.

Radiation - Last Day!

This is a happy day because this is the last day of scheduled radiation. This overcomes the rough night Andrea spent as she didn't sleep and is still experiencing head and back pain.

Hanging in There

Andrea is still in pain from the headaches and pressure in her head. She also has a rash from a reaction to antibiotics, which makes her look and feel like a bad sunburn that started on her face then spread everywhere. We're trying every lotion, gel and cream suggested by the doctors and other patients we've seen in radiation. The good news is that her temperature has returned to normal! She's on her way to radiation today and then she should have only one more to go. Almost all her hair is gone and will have it "buzzed" after the last radiation treatment. So you can see why we say "hanging in there"....
We are encouraged by your prayers.

Rough Night

Andrea had a rough night with fever spiking around 102. Then at Midnight they also decided to move her to the Stem Cell Transplant Unit where she had her original transplant in May 2006. They did that so her main doctor/nurses can monitor her better.
We're thinking of all of you as you travel and have Thanksgiving with relatives. We will miss being at Granny & PaPaw's house. Please travel safe and give as many hugs as you can!
Thank you for special prayers of God's powerful healing.

Out of Surgery

It is almost noon and Andrea is out of surgery, back in her hospital room, and asking for sausage cheese kolaches. She will not be denied her breakfast! The surgeon said the removal of the Ommaya went well without excess bleeding.
Thank you for your continued encouragement and prayers.

Surgery Tuesday

Sunday afternoon brought a roller coaster of Andrea's temperature, headaches, and head pressure through all day Monday. After it spiked over 103, the doctors agreed to take the Ommaya Reservoir out of Andrea's brain on Tuesday morning. The neuro ocologist said after the meningitis is gone, then chemo will be administered via spinal taps in the Flouroscopy Unit so they can give her a blood patch which will hopefully alleviate the horendous headaches she's had in the past with spinal taps. She has been continuing the radiation treatments and should have only 4 more to go.
We look for the positive in each day. Radiation is the pits but only 4 to go sounds good right now.
Thank you, as we lift up powerful prayers with you.

Doctors Talking

Andrea's pain level has come down enough for her to get out of bed and walk around the nurses' station in her unit and up and down the hallway with her rolling "tree" of medicine, antibiotics and pain reducers. Now the doctors are talking about putting in a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) which goes from her upper arm into her heart. They will use that line for the powerful antibiotics that she will need for at least 21 days. One doctor said she may be released to go home by the end of the week but did not want to get hopes up without talking with the other doctors. We should see the grand parade of all doctors Monday morning.
The bone marrow biopsy from last week came back with zero % leukemia cells. We were in the hospital room when we were told the results and it gave us such joy and relief from everything else that Andrea has endured the last few days.
The power of prayer and God's healing keeps us all going.

Still at MDA

It will take a couple of more days for the test results to come back, but the spinal fluid did show some bacterial meningitis, but not the contagious kind. Everyone is taking all precautions and the doctors are monitoring Andrea very closely. Andrea is being a real trooper again as the head and neck pain would be untolerable without the pain medication and antibiotics. Even with that, she is in quite a bit of pain. They have been continuing the radiation treatment so that is still on target for eradicating the lesion.
Please keep up the powerful prayers as we pray for all of you. There is a peace knowing so many people are praying.

Trip to ER

Things were going fine until Wednesday evening when Andrea took Tylenol and went to bed with a headache. She woke at 10:30 and took 2 more Tylenol. By midnight her head, neck and spine were in great pain. We took her to MDA emergency room and they started running tests and scans. Right now it looks like meningitis reactions to the chemo. Her white blood cells are so high that they plan to keep her admitted into MDA for a couple of days, and give all her neuro oncology, radiation and leukemia doctors a chance to watch her.
Thank you for your prayers as we pray for you and your loved ones.

Back on Track

This is Andrea writing today-- giving poor, tired Kathy a break! I am happy to say that I was able to avoid another brain surgery today! Dr. Conrad has the magic touch and was able to administer the chemo in my port (in my head). My blood ventricles in the brain are still small, making it difficult but we can at least still go through the Ommya instead of the spine. I can't tell you how much of a relief this was. It's not a comforting feeling when everyone in pre-op knows your name...that means you are having too much surgery!!! I wanted to post J.'s and my wedding picture so that everyone knows things haven't been all bad since we quit posting blogs in June. I was able to finally marry J. this summer and that was a truly memorable experience. J. is a gift from God that I will forever be grateful for. He has been a rock by my side and a huge encouragement. I'm not going to lie, physically this time around is better, but not necessarily emotionally. There is this indescribable fear when you get diagnosed with cancer for the second time that you will never be able to be rid of this horrible disease. J. and our families have been so good with helping me cope...and prayer of course. Thanks for all of your prayers. love, Andrea

One Down, Just a Couple More to Go

The first week of radiation is finished and just a couple of more weeks to go.
The CT scan on Friday showed that when the nurse drew fluid from the Ommaya on Thursday, the brain ventricle collapsed around the Ommaya needle. So, Monday the neuro doctor will try to put fluid in the Ommaya without drawing anything out. If he cannot get it to work, then Andrea has a surgery time scheduled at 11 a.m. for the neuro surgeon to open up her repertoire to get it to work. We are all hopeful and prayerful that it will be smooth-going.

Hiccup

Wednesday, yesteryday, Andrea had the 12+ stitches (which is U shaped) removed from her head that covered the Ommaya reservoir. Today she went to have chemo inserted into the Ommaya and it was clogged. Bummer, hiccup, oh rats. (They tested it last Thursday and Friday and it worked!)
Tomorrow, Friday, she will have the normal radiation in the morning and then go for blood work and a CT scan of her brain to determine if the clog can be fixed or if she will need to have a new Ommaya reservoir put in. We are praying for the unclogging!!!!
Needless to say, the Brain and Spine unit is so much different than the Bone Marrow Transplant/Stem Cell Transplant Unit. Andrea is bouncing back and forth between the 2 units now. You've sometimes heard the comment, "well, it's not brain surgery"; Well, this IS brain surgery, and we are confident that Andrea (with God) will prevail again. Thank you for your encouragement. Every day, we have heard from one of you and that really, really helps.
Love to all, as we also pray for you and yours.

why, why, why

It still baffled me why - after clear blood, bone marrow and spinal fluid tests since June 2006 - that Andrea had an AML lesion show up in the corpus callosum (white transverse fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres). The stem cell transplant doctor said blood in the central nervous system has a barrier against toxins in the circulatory system. So, the chemo Andrea went through before did not rotate around the brain. But, there was a possibility that a drop of blood during the DIC collapse in December 2005 had escaped in that area and is now showing up in this pesky little lesion. (He called this a unique case again.)
Well, "day 2 radiation" transpired as normal and the bone marrow biopsy went well. Thanks to Betty, Andrea got to all appointments and Betty made them a delicious meal since a biopsy with sedation requires no eating after midnight before the procedure. It will be at least a week before we know the results of the bone marrow biopsy.
We all know how valuable prayers are as we also pray for you and yours.

First radiation

Andrea had the first radiation Monday, 11/05, for about 30 minutes. She wore a special mask and plans are to have the 30 minutes sessions every day until November 28 except on Saturday and Sundays, and she gets to skip Thanksgiving Day. Then we went to the Stem Cell Transplant doctor. He needs a bone marrow biopsy which will be today, Tuesday 11/06, after the radiation treatment. He also said the plans for chemo have been changed. After radiation Friday, Andrea will receive the first dose of chemo.
Thank you for your prayers.

pictures - not the smiling kind

The doctor tested the Ommaya reservoir Thursday and Friday. He inserted a dose of isotope (i.e. radioactive fluid) and then had a scanner take pictures to track the flow through Andrea's body at 3 3-hour intervals on Thursday and 2 3-hour intervals on Friday. Needless to say, it made the day drag out long. Next step is radiation for the rest November.
Andrea is strong and we all are encouraged by your prayers.

Long day...

After a 12 hour day at MDA, Andrea did well through the Ommaya Reservoir placement into her right side-front skull. As anethesia wore off, she described it like having a knife inserted into her head but by the end of the day; it was more like a hatchet. Appropriate for Halloween, huh???? She has pain meds for tonight, so we're hoping it is better by morning.

Her eyes were bothering her after procedure, so the ophthalmolgy doctor checked her out and she was okay.

She also went to the Radiation Unit to have a special form-fitting mask made for her face to protect areas of her head while radiation is zapping the AML. Plans are to start radiation on Monday to the whole brain at a moderate dose for 2 weeks, then approximately 1 week for a more intense dose to the lesion site. The radiation doctor was reassuring and dispelled my fears with years of clinical trials and best practice under his direction.

Tomorrow and Friday we go back to test the Ommaya Reservoir to make sure it will function as they need it to.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for (Heb.11:1)

I am sad to be starting the blog again because it means that the acute myleoid leukemia (AML) is back. The Brain and Spine doctor thought it might be lymphoma from the first signs of the biopsy from Andrea's right callosal lesion (1.2 x .9 x .2 cm) in her brain, but it came back AML after days of breaking it down to identify it.
Wednesday, 10/31/07, Andrea will have a Ommaya Reservoir implanted on the top right side of her head that will transport chemotherapy to the brain. But before she gets any chemo, the doctors will administer radiation at intervals for 3 weeks. Then the chemo to the brain begins. When that is over, Andrea will go back to her original Stem Cell Transplant doctor for what he calls a "boost" bone marrow transplant like she had before just to insure that it is not anywhere else. So far, it has not shown up in her blood or spinal fluid.
We have so many wonderful friends and relatives on both sides of our families who also lift up awesome prayers. We thank you so much.
Love to all,
Kathy

Final Good News

Hello to all,

I'm writing this blog because it will be the last entry. I wanted to let everyone know that the results of my bone marrow biopsy came back perfect! I'm still 100% donor cells and I never expect anything different from now on!! Thanks to God.

As for my eyes, I'm still seeing double, and I don't think that's going to change. Instead of two seperate images, the images I see overlap. It drives me crazy sometimes, but I have honestly gotten used to it and the idea that this is how it's going to be. I keep praying that one day our technology will be so good that I can fix the problems. J read an article saying there might be some crazy things happening in about 5 years with stem cell transplants for the retinal tissue. If that's the case, I might have a chance for normal again.

I now have a pair of driving glasses which has helped me gain a little independence. They are a pair of wire frames with no prescription. Their sole purpose is to hold a binocular above my right eye....super cool. When I'm driving, I "spot" with the binocular if I need to read a sign. Sometimes I get funny looks from the people driving next to me and when I'm at stop lights. These are the people I like to mess with. It's fun for me and it leaves them totally confused! My driving obviously comes with a lot of restrictions. I only drive during the day, and I don't go over 45 mph. Needless to say, I'm limited to doing several things, but it's leaps and bounds from a year ago.

I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for all of the prayers. It's the only reason why I'm here today. I had to close out this blog sometime, but be on the lookout for my book that I'm going to start writing in August. Seriously, if it takes me five years to write it, it will be done. How else can I spread what God has done to a large audience? I'll give you a sneak peak to the end quote:

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind but now I see."

With love,
Andrea

More Progress

One month after her left eye surgery, Andrea was examined by Grand Rounds again at Texas Children Hospital. Her left eye has straightened out, just like the doctors expected it to, but she is still seeing an overlapping image from her left eye. At least it is better than the double image that she was seeing before. We've also been back to the U of H Eye Institute where Andrea got what she calls her "really cool" (not!) eye glasses that she uses only when she drives. After a year and a half, she is starting to drive again on familiar streets and is doing well.
Praise God for another step forward in the healing process.
Thank you so much for your prayers.

Happy Birthday

Today is Andrea's 1 year old birthday. A year ago today she received her sister's marrow which saved her life and gave her a fresh start. When you look back at all the little things that she has gone through since, you realize that her life itself is the most important thing we have. Unfortunately she has to receive a bone marrow biopsy this morning at 10AM, so pray for her to be without any pain. What a wonderful birthday present? I don't know how see does it, but she takes everything like it is no big deal. Get me in there and I would be fighting and screaming. Don't forget the other new post below that covers the eye surgery she had last week.

Still Working On It (Perseverance)

On April 30, the specialist operated on 3 of the 6 left eye muscles to try to eliminate double vision. Andrea's left eye would tend to drift left and he wanted to align it straight to get rid of double vision. She said this last eye surgery is the worst of all eye surgeries to recover from. When she took off her patch, her eye was swollen shut. After a few days when she could open it, the eye was blood red and the conjuctiva (the outer clear layer that protects the eye) was swollen and raised over her iris. Because of this, it felt like there was something foreign in her eye at all times. Now, her eye is feeling better but the redness is still there. Instead of two separate images, now the objects are overlapping each other. The eye tends to look inward now, but by the end of the month at the Grand Rounds again with all the doctors, her surgeon anticipates it will staighten out more. We just pray that the overlapping images will come together competely and that her eyes will align properly.
Again we appreciate your prayers. Words cannot express how much your prayers mean to us.

Finally...

After a month of conversing with the Texas Children Hospital doctors and team, Andrea plans to have surgery on her left eye muscles to alleviate double vision in that eye on Monday April 30. She has been doing well with her new eyeglasses this past month, but it is easy for her to overdo and strain her eyes which has caused headaches.
We are asking you to remember her in your prayers, as we also think of all of you.
Thanks for checking the blog and thanks for your prayers.

Unique, once again

I have postponed updating the blog until we met with the third eye specialist as we are trying to get Andrea to regain as much sight as possible. The cataract eye doctor referred us to a Texas Children's Hospital eye muscle specialist. He said Andrea's case was quite unique. That is what we have been told by numerous doctors since November 2005! After receiving records from 7 eye surgeries plus the Low Vision Clinic evaluations, next month this new eye doctor wants Andrea to come in for a consultation with 5 other doctors plus "the Chief" in order to assure that she receives the best path forward. I am totally amazed when I go to these specialists and observe what they are doing to help so many people. I had never known there were so many sight impaired little children until I walked into this place. Amazing. My prayer life has certainly grown in this experience. Please keep the prayers coming. Miracles do happen!

In progress

I'm reminded of the bumper sticker, "Don't give up on me, the Lord isn't finished with me yet".
We had a good report from the Bone and Joint Clinic. Everything was normal on Andrea's soft tissue and muscle MRI. The broken ribs in her back are healing and she no longer has a cold so she does not cough to irritate those bones.
The visit to the Low Vision Clinic was also successful. Andrea got one pair of glasses that she uses to read the computer. The bifocal glasses will not be ready until next week. We just keep praying day by day that the retina swelling continues to go down and her sight improves.
We appreciate the encouragement from every single person. You all are dear to us. Thank you.

Hallelujah day!

I was surprised when Andrea did not jump up from the eye doctor's chair and dance a jig when he examined her eye and told her "Andrea, you do NOT have to put dilating drops in your eye anymore". It was a moment of anticipation and relief, though. He is pleased with the progress of the last operation, and said he hoped for more improvement with time. This doctor is very conservative and very, very good, so when he says there is more hope for improvemnt, I believe him. Patience. And time, and prayer.
We also went to St. Luke's today for a MRI on the soft tissues and muscles on Andrea's back. The bone and joint doctor will give us his last verdict before sending us back to MDA, but he did tell us from the bone scan that Andrea has broken 3 ribs in her back, so that is the most likely cause of the pain she has been experiencing. She is on estrogen, calcium and vitamins. All that will also take time to build up her bones that seem to break as easily as I break a toothpick.
We ask for your prayers as we continue to pray for all you, too. We are in this healing process together!

Back to baby steps

Andrea's eyes have been dialated since her last eye surgery, January 23. She has 1 1/2 more weeks to go before she sees the retina doctor again, and maybe by then he will let her quit dialating her eyes. He's the expert, and we trust him. We have had gorgeous sunshine this past week in Houston, but with dialated eyes, it is hard to enjoy it. She is seeing a bit clearer each day.
Also, Andrea's back pain has gone from irriating to a lot worse. She quit physical therapy and saw several doctors this past week. St. Luke's will take a total bone scan Wednesday to try to figure out if it has to do with her bones, or just her muscles. Then, back to the doctor a week from today to see what he thinks.
Her cold turned out to be the RSV virus that a lot of babies get due to not having immunities built up in her system. Since her bone marrow transplant wiped out all bodies' defenses, Andrea can start getting the baby MMR and other baby shots on her one-year-birthday-from-transplant, May 10, 2007. Nothing like starting over, right?!?!
Despite the aches and pains, Andrea is still a joy to be around. Zeus helps by keeping us laughing.
Thank you all for your prayers and we'll continue to pray for you all too.

Keep On Keeping On

Andrea saw the cataract doctor on Monday and her retina doctor today. Both doctors are pleased with the way the surgeries went. Healing is a slow process, though, and will take weeks or months to know just how the retinas will settle down. The steriod shot has not totally absorbed, so Andrea still sees a haze, plus she has to keep her eyes dialated at least 3 more weeks, which is a real obstacle to knowing what she is seeing. The scan showed considerable shrinkage of the swelling on the right retina, so we were very, very pleased about that.
Andrea has been going to physical therapy for several weeks and the muscle pain in her back is getting worse. Plus she has a very bad cold that makes her feel rotten all over.
We appreciate your prayers, so we will "keep on praying on" for you all, too.

The cloud is lifting

This is the 6th day after surgery and Andrea told the doctor that the cloud now looks more like a haze that she is seeing through. After his usual thorough examination, he noticed that she was reading the letters that she could see faster than before. That is a good indication that the membrane peel took away some of the blank spots she was experiencing before. It is still going to take time for the rest of the steroid to absorb, swelling to go down and the retina to settle. She sees the doctor again in 10 days. In the meantime, she is going to Physical Therapy at M.D. Anderson to strenghten her back and feet. It is unreal how much the body can get de-conditioned in 61 days and how long it takes to try to regain strength.
Thank you for continuing to check the blog and pray for Andrea's sight. It means so much to her and all of us. We continue to pray for you too.
Love to all,
Kathy

One step back but hopefully more than 100 forward

Since it had been less than a week at St. Luke's for Andrea's left eye cataract surgery, she had to bandage up her left eye. Then after surgery for her right eye Tuesday, she was a 'sight to be seen'! Everything is blurry for her now since it took the doctor nearly 2 hours to peel off scar tissue and put in a steroid injection to try to minimize swelling that has persisted for a year. He said it would be a week for the steroid to absorb and even longer for the retina to settle down. Nonetheless, we are prayful and hopeful. We take tasks day by day, and Andrea has a great attitude attempting to deal with everything. It is a great comfort to know you are praying. Thank you!
She sees the doctor Monday for an interim assessment.

Awesome Marathoners!

Linda and Ann finished the marathon! They are the two in the purple jerseys. We caught the picture of them between mile 8 and 9. They still had smiles on their faces! We are so appreciative of them. Thank you for your dedication.

Andrea's Jan. 17 cataract surgery went as the doctor planned, but when the patch was removed Thurday, she is seeing crooked and double. The doctor said the left eye could/should/maybe work itself out in the next 3 months, but if it doesn't, there are more surgeries they could do. In the meantime, Andrea is gearing up for a retina surgery on Tuesday Jan. 23 on her right eye. At present she can see 20/70 near vision with this eye. Her retina doctor is striving to get Andrea driving again with her right eye. I feel like a broken record, but please pray for this surgery Tuesday. Everyone has been so wonderful to pray. We have prayers of thanks for you, and including your life struggles.
Love to all,
Kathy

Cheers for the "Marathoners"

We are so grateful for Linda Jarnagin and Ann Locke. They have been preparing for Sunday's Chevron/Aramco Houston Marathon for months. Both Linda and Ann raised their goal for their generous donation to the Texas Gulf Coast Leukemia Society which provides so much support to the fight for lives and research for a cure. Also, we give a special thanks to all who donated to this worthy cause. We need to pray for good weather because the forecasters are not sure when the wintery blast will hit Houston. Linda and Ann said they are taking all kinds of weather gear. We have confidence they will make it through! A local TV channel will cover the event Sunday morning and the online site is www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com where you can go to "athlete alert information" to follow their progress. These are two very special ladies who are driven by Andrea's struggle for life and health, and we appreciate them so very much.

Better Christmas this year!

We received the final reports from the bone marrow biopsy with an "All Normal and Merry Christmas" note from M.D. Anderson. What wonderful news!
Andrea goes to the retina doctor this week and the doctor who removes cataracts just after the beginning of the year. The left eye cataract surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, Januaray 17, 2007. Progress is slow but we are still hopeful Andrea will be able to drive again. Please keep her eyes in your prayers. God has answered so many of our prayers. Praying and believing are so important to us all.
We wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Feeling Blessed

Andrea was thrilled to attend her cousin's wedding with J. recently. It feels so good to plan to go somewhere else other than the hospital!

Feeling Better

Andrea was feeling better in October and went to the Grand Canyon to cheer on her PiPhi sister, Brooke (far right) who Hiked for a Cure.
Thank you, Brooke, for all you've done this year!
Lisa is in the middle and works for the Leukemia Society to set up these much needed events.

Closer to Normal

Thursday, Nov. 16, Andrea went through blood and bone marrow biopsy tests as part of the 6 month tests from the bone marrow transplant in May. She continues to be the doctor's "prize patient". He took her off all drugs so she now takes vitamins and eye drops. It will be a while before tests are back from the biopsy, but from all other indicators, the doctor expects those to have great results. He gave her the okay to eat whatever she wants. Andrea says since she hasn't had a salad since April, that's what she want to eat for the next 6 months!

Please continue to pray that her retinas in her eyes heal as quickly as her body has. She needs at least one more cataract surgery in her left eye, which should be in the next month or so. She asks for prayers for "sight to drive again".

We give Prayers of Thanksgiving for all of you, and all praise to God.
Kathy

Tuesday, 11-7-06 Surgery

Andrea had left eye surgery Tuesday and the doctor did everything he planned to. He peeled a membrane in the back of the eye that had scar tissue on it, cleaned the vitreous (jellylike fluid in the eye), took the oil out of the eye and gave her a steriod shot in the eye in hopes of easing the swelling behind the retina. There is scarring that he cannot remove. She could see 20/200 when he removed the eye patch on Wednesday, and we do not know if it will be correctable because of the scarring. Prayers of healing and time will tell.
Andrea is looking forward to the cataract surgery in the left eye, which may be sometime in December.
Thank you for your continued concern and prayers. You are wonderful and so uplifting to us.
Love to all,
Kathy

Rollercoaster

At the 3 week check up of Andrea's cataract surgery, the best corrected vision check was 20/80 in her right eye, which was worse than the day after surgery. This disappointed us even though we know the retina can be very tricky and takes time to heal. This event reminds us that this is a healing process with ups and downs. Patience and perserverence is necessary to endure. We are blessed that all of your and our belief and prayers are sustaining truths that allow us to look forward with hope.

Tuesday Nov. 7 Andrea is scheduled to have the oil removed from her left eye. She will need to heal several weeks before having cataract surgery for that eye.

Your prayers are still crucial for Andrea's sight. Many of you share your health-related stories with us and we are praying for you too. With the ups and downs of daily living, we are blessed to be here for one another.
Love to all,
Kathy

Good Things Happening!

We have had such wonderful support from friends and family. We simply could not have made it this far without your prayers.
Now I have exciting news - Linda Jarnagin, (Taylor High School classmate of Andrea, Ryan Jarnagin's MOM)is in training to run a half marathon in January 2007 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of Andrea. This is Linda's website: www.active.com/donate/tnttxgc/tnttxgcLJarnag
The Leukemia Society is wonderful and is all about helping those with the disease and providing research to cure it. If you can, please help us support Linda in her marathon.
Our doctor at MDA is wonderful. He has been there a long time and we have a suspicion he could retire, but he doesn't because we feel he knows with more research just one more life could be saved. We are sure glad he stuck around for Andrea! When Andrea wrote and read him her poem on her 100th day after bone marrow transplant and exit from the Ambulatory Transplant Clinic, he said, "Andrea, you are our prize patient". He saw what condition she entered MDA, and is so very pleased about the progress she has made and where she is right now in healing.
When we went to MDA Monday, Andrea was dismissed from her Prograf pills which suppresses the immune system for the transplant to "take". The doctor was able to do this since Andrea is not showing any signs of rejecting her sister's bone marrow. She got her flu shot and is also gaining weight. These are such positive steps in her recovery.
Your prayers are working, God is listening. Please keep them going!
Love to all,
Kathy

More to praise God for!

Today we went back to the retina doctor. He tested Andrea through a filered lens and she tested at 20/60 without corrective lenses. For the first time since we met him in January, he said "Andrea, I believe you will be able to read again". What joy! Then she admitted she was using a magnifying glass Thursday night to test herself, and she could read a magazine briefly before her eye was becoming strained. Then he said he wanted to take the oil out of her left eye November 7, ahead of schedule. Andrea is healing quickly, praise God again.
You all have been so good about praying for Andrea. She is with us today and reading because God listened to your prayers. Please put Nov. 7 on your calendars, too for her left eye. We really feel the power of your requests granted by God.
J. is still there, every step of the way and going to work through all this. Andrea continues to be blessed by the Martin family.
Love to all,
Kathy

20/125 Amazing Grace

It was so exciting when the eye patch was removed today and the doctor measured Andrea's vision at 20/125. He wants her eye to heal for 3 weeks and he will give her a prescription for eye glasses. She said everything looks slanted right now, but that should straighten out with the healing process. She is seeing, though, praise God! - And attmepting to read a magazine with a magnifying glass for the first time since last November. The surgery involved removing her damaged cataract lens and putting in an acrylic lens in her eye. It corrects only distance vision, so that is why she'll be getting glasses for close up vision.
We also went to MD Anderson and her blood counts continue to look good. Again, praise God!
It was a very successful 'doctor' day!
Thank you for your prayers,
Kathy

Lifted Up and Uplifting

The Grand Canyon "Hike for a Cure" weekend was wonderful. Brooke raised over $4000 and her unit raised over $450,000 to help find a cure for leukemia. We rode a bus shuttle to fantastic views as the hikers went to challenging trails, then we ate dinner with them at night. The survivors were inspired by the love and concern of the hikers raising money for research to save just one more life and the hikers were inspired by survivors telling their story.

Andrea would be honored to have her name added to Light the Night program banner in Oklahoma October 14. It is truly touching to know all of you continue to pray for her progress.

In the morning, Wed. Oct. 11 at 7:30 a.m., Andrea will have surgery to remove cataracts in her right eye only. We pray that the retina has not only unfolded, but has had time for miraculous healing. The doctor puts a bandage on that will be removed Thursday afternoon. Andrea asked him, "But can I peek?" He laughed and told her that unfortunately, she cannot peek.

Thank you for your continued prayers,
Kathy

Cheers for bikers, climbers and runners

Our hearts are truly touched and uplifted as sweet, big-hearted people raise money for the Leukemia Society.
As soon as Kelly Fox, (a counselor at McDonald Jr. High where I used to work), heard about Andrea in November 2005, she signed up to ride a bike from Houston to Shiner, Texas in honor of Andrea.
Now we are going to Flagstaff, Arizona tomorrow to cheer on Brooke Sawyer,one of Andrea's sorority sisters, as she climbs a wall of the Grand Canyon. Some other TCU and high school girlfriends will be there. Andrea will speak at the Leukemia Society dinner, so we are all planning on having a great time.
Two of Andrea's high school friends' moms, Linda Jarnagin Ann Locke, are in training for a run in January 2007.
We are amazed at the energy that goes into each of these events to raise money to help people with leukemia and search for a cure for this awful ailment.
Thank you just does not feel adequate, but each of these ladies know we truly appreciate every step and ache and pain they have while doing so much for others.
Love to all,
Kathy and Andrea

Sooner rather than Later!

We went to the cataract specialist Friday, Sept 29 and he wants to remove the cataracts from Andrea's right eye on Wednesday, Oct 11, but we needed to get approval from the retina specialist. Today (Monday Oct. 2), the retina specialist did a sonogram of her eye and he said it would be okay to go ahead with the Oct. 11 cataract remvoval. The cataracts have gotten so bad that Andrea cannot see anything out of it. Other than the sonogram image, the doctors cannot see in to know what is going on throughout her eye.
We are asking again for your faithful prayers for Andrea to see. Her positive spirit amazes me as she relies on God to get her through this. She was really happy to be getting this surgery 5 weeks after the oil was removed, rather than waiting the full 8 weeks for healing.
Love to all,
Kathy

Good Report

Preliminary reports from today's blood draw at MD Anderson are better than lab tests two weeks ago. One thing we learned quick was there will be mountaintop highs and valley lows, so we rejoice and thank God for good reports.

Thank you all for giving names of doctors and encouragement for more eye surgeries. Just like her retina specialist predicted about her right eye, the refractory is very different now and with post surgery she has to keep it dilated for a month. We just pray with the cataract surgery in November that all the blur will be gone.

Andrea and I followed your other good advice also. While J. is at work, we've gone shopping. I'm at a loss sometimes trying to describe what she is wanting to see and buy, but she's managed to spend a bundle anyway.

We have faith your prayers for Andrea's sight is at work. I feel like the blind man's miracle of seeing was recorded in the Bible so that we too have hope.
Prayers of thanksgiving for you,
Kathy

What will we do? or Who is the next doctor?

I took Andrea to the eye surgeon and MDA today. Both doctors checked Andrea very thoroughly and said, "You are doing well, and I do not need to see you for a couple of weeks". We walked out of those visits, kind of dancing on Cloud 9, and by the time we left the last parking lot, Andrea had a list of things she wanted accomplished in the next couple of weeks. She is a full time job with doctor's visits and a long list of meds, but going somewhere else other than the doctor's office will be great!
Please keep the prayers coming, especially for Andrea's sight. Her eyesight is so very, very blurry at this time. The retina specialist gave us one name of a cataract doctor, but he said we could choose one of many good ones in Houston. If any of you know of a wonderful cataract specialist, we would like to hear your story.
Thank you for your continued faithful prayers,
Kathy

Eye Check-up Wed

This morning the surgeon took off the eye patch from yesterday's surgery. He explained that the gas bubble he put in will dissolve within a few days, but now it is a "black hole" that Andrea is trying to see around. The gas bubble keeps the retina in place as it gets used to the absence of the silicone oil. The cataracts are getting worse, too, so needless to say, her vision is still very blurry. But, we know that progress is being made and God will see Andrea through this. Her left eye isn't much help since there is not central vision, and the cataracts in that eye causes double vision. She is still happy that the surgery phase has begun and we have a lot to look forward to.
Thank you for your continued prayers,
Kathy

1st Eye Surgery Complete

Andrea was the first eye surgery with her surgeon Tuesday morning and we were home by 10 a.m. The surgeon removed the silicone oil and cleared the vitreous which is the clear jellylike substance between the retina and lens. He said the retina was back in place and unfolded. Andrea has 3 stitches which will dissolved on their own, so her eye will feel itchy or scratchy for a few days. The bandage will be removed tomorrow morning when we go to the doctor's office. We are already looking forward to the cataract surgery in 8 weeks.
A realization about health during this long period illness is that as you or your parents have health problems, please know that we are praying for you too. We know how much it means to us and we care about each of you too. Thank you for your faithful continued prayers.
Love to all,
Kathy

Free as a Bird

Well, not quite free as a bird, but that is how Andrea felt as she left MD Andreson today. Her blood count numbers looked very good after a week of no additional fluids or medicine. The doctor ordered the CVC line taken out of her chest and it was a very happy day.
Andrea is now scheduled for one day a week at MDA for testing and doctor visits. She takes about 13 pills a day and has to drink liquid all day to keep her body hydrated because of the medicine.
So, with MDA visits minimized, we go to St. Luke's Hospital tomorrow for pre-admission for her 1st of 4 eye surgeries on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
One step at a time, and we thank you so very much for your continued prayers. All you great prayer warriors are getting us through this! We really feel God answering our prayers. Thank you.
Love to all,
Kathy

Medal of Honor

The nurses at MDA Ambulatory Treatment Center gave Andrea a medal and a ribbon because her doctor graduated her from this phase of treatment. She passed the test of skipping days of fluids and now they are testing her this whole week without fluids.
We will see the doctor in his regular clinic at MDA on Monday to see if Andrea needs more fluids or if they can take out the CVC line in her chest. That will also be another huge step for Andrea to take.
Next week we will be also working on preadmission to St. Luke's for her Sept. 5 eye surgery. Andrea will not be able to wear her eyeglasses because the refractory will be so different. Please pray for her sight. We know the miracles that can happen.
Thank you for your faithful continued prayers,
Kathy

Testing, testing

This Friday is Andrea's "100th day" from bone marrow transplant. The team of experts at MDA are having her skip a day or so of fluids and other meds to see what her system can do on its own. It is very exciting yet tense for us standing by. "All things are possible through prayer".
Even the nurses at MDA have commented on how Andrea's hair is starting to grow. It is about 1/4 inch long now!
Thank you for checking in on Andrea and continuing in prayer.
Love to all,
Kathy

Great news

Andrea had a bone marrow biopsy Monday morning. The prelimiary tests came back with Zero Blasts, no leukemia present. Thank you for continuing your prayers and thank you God for answering our prayers!
Andrea went grocery shopping with me today which tired her out (and me!). This humid summer heat is enough to tire any of us..... She is in good spirits and a joy to be around.
She needs lots and lots of prayer for her eyesight.
Love to all,
Kathy

Slow and Easy

Andrea received encouragement from her eye specialist on Monday. He said the retinas had unfolded completely now, which means he still wants to go ahead with the first of four operations in September when MDA gives him the okay. He'll take the oil out of the right eye, wait for an 8 week healing process, then remove the cataracts. There'll be another 8 week healing process and do the same on the left eye. Andrea still does not have central vision in her left eye that he does not think she'll recover, but that is where we know great things can happen with the power of your prayers. As many of you know with eye operations, the doctor said 4 operations with a 2 month healing time in between each does seem to draw out the process, but the eyes can't be rushed.
MDA also said Andrea is progressing nicely and she will need to come in on Tuesday and Friday of this coming week for blood draws, fluids and meds. I will give her the fluids at home each day that we are not at MDA.
We have great faith in more healing to come. Thank you for your continued faithful prayers.
Love to all,
Kathy

Working through the valleys

Andrea is progressing, but it is such a struggle at times with bouts of nausea and fatigue. She is such a go-getter, Type A personality, that it is hard for her sometimes to concentrate on being still and healing. Friday she broke the 110 lb. stalemate to weigh in at 111.8 lbs. Yeah!

We are asking you to especially keep her eyesight in your daily prayers. The cataracts got worse during the bone marrow transplant and she is seeing some objects differently. It is frightening to go from perfect vision in November to where she is now. I wrote down some "Fear Not" verses from Greg's Sunday lesson for me to concentrate on - Hebrews 13:6, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:13, Proverbs 29:25, Psalms 46:1- 2.

Please continue your faithful prayers for Andrea to see so she can read and drive again. Right now it looks like the surgeries may begin to take place in September. Her specialist said he plans to start with two surgeries in each eye, then he will determine what comes next.
Andrea feels the power of your prayers.
Love to all,
Kathy

Hike for a Cure, Pray for a Cure

Thank you all so much for your response to Hike for a Cure. Brooke has a great network and we appreciate her so very much. Please continue to pray for her good works. So much good will be done from the money she has raised and will raise for the cause. In Andrea's fight for her life, we sense everyone's need at M.D. Anderson for a cure every day that we are there. We have met so many amazing doctors, nurses and other patients.
We still go to MDA half of the week for Andrea to have blood drawn and receive meds and fluids. I am able to give her fluids at home with a battery pump the other half. Hopefully after the "100 days" from her transplant in mid-August we will only have to go once a week. We are always looking for the next positive step to take.
We still appreciate your never-ending prayers so much. They keep us going, literally. Andrea is very positive and anxious to feel better again. There are still so many after effects from the chemo and the drugs she takes now to keep her system at a level that will not reject Kristin's bone marrow. We thank God each day that Kristin matched Andrea's bone marrow. Andrea's hair is starting to grow just a little bit again and that is so good.
We have had some inquires about Zeus, and he is just fine. I fuss at him when he gets too "close" to Andrea and he acts so funny and "what did I do?" that keeps me from being too protective. Betty and John did such a good job of taking care of him during Andrea's hosptial stay that I need to watch how Zeus wants to take care of Andrea. All of you who have beloved pets know what I mean. Pet therapy is great. And by the way, on Wednesday and Fridays, Andrea's physical therapy is going pretty good, too.
Please continue your faithful prayers.
Love to all, Kathy

Hike for a Cure

For those of you who don't know, one of Andrea's sorority sisters, Brooke Sawyer, is hiking the Grand Canyon in Andrea's honor for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Several people have asked me what they can do to help and one of the things you can do is help Brooke raise money for her hike. You can do this by going to her website @ http://www.active.com/donate/hfddms/hfdBSawyer where you can donate and monitor her progress. Brooke is an ambitious and courageous person and we thank her for her support and determination.

Andrea continues her treatments at MDA for the next several months. We appreciate all the continued support and prayers. Please also pray for one of my fellow coworkers, Jane O'Connor, who just completed three treatments for colon cancer and will receive nine more in the following months. She too is a courageous lady who I admire and thank for the support she has provided me through this tough time. The power of prayer has and continues to work like I would have never imagined.

New month, continued healing

Andrea continues to go to MDA everyday, get a blood draw, receive fluids and then additional medication as needed. It takes about 5 hours and sometimes longer, depending on her blood levels each day. This weekend she was able to bring fluids home with her and I hook up a portable pump for fluids to run for 4 hours each day. Hopefully, Andrea will be able to do this more and more. It is such a long process that takes a lot of patience.
Thank you so much for your patience in continuing to pray for Andrea. She says she feels the power of prayer, and knowing that each of you continues to do that is awesome and reassuring. God bless you.
Love to all,
Kathy