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