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.