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

100% Donor (June 21)

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

Encouraging week (June 18)

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

Update 6-11-06

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

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

Going Home Today (6-6-06)

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

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

Tough Road as of June 3

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

Going Well (Day +21)

The afternoon of Day +19, Andrea's fever spike again. Then yesterday (Day +20) she didn't have a fever and today there has been no fever. The cultures from the lung procedure have not grown anything, but Andrea's blood from several days ago did grow some bacteria. Hopefully the antibiotics and fever took care of that and there is none left in her blood. The doctors said that it may take several week for her lungs to clear, but she is having no trouble breathing. Her lungs will not hold her in the hospital unless the cultures finally grow something. The doctors feel that if she continues the way she has for the last two days, she will be going home next week. Let's all pray for this to be the case. God Bless and talk to everyone tomorrow.

Fever is Gone (+19 morning)

This morning the fever was gone and Andrea woke up and had some french toast and yogurt for breakfast. We saw the infectious disease team and they said that all the cultures have come back negative, but we won't get the results from the procedure performed Saturday night till midweek. Then we should know if these fevers are related to fluid in her lung or just the engrafting of the new marrow. Let's pray for the latter.

We have already taken a walk and we just got done playing cards and checkers. Keep on praying for the doctors to figure out what is causing these fevers and that they will stop soon. Thanks everyone for the support and God Bless.

Fever is Back (+18 afternoon)

As soon as I tell everyone she is doing great Andrea spikes another fever. Hopefully the fever is just related to the grafting which can cause fevers. Around 6PM I left to go get Andrea and I some Italian food and when I got back she had spike another fever (104). I am trying to cool her down so she can get some sleep. Let's all pray again that the fever will break and that they are due to the grafting and not an infection. God Bless and Good Night.

Fever Break (Day +18)

Last night the fever broke and Andrea is feeling much better today. We just took a walk and she ate some quesadillas and a piece of angel food cake. No sign of fever today and she is in such a better mood. Hopefully the days to come will continue to be something like today. Please continue your prayers and we will have her out of this place before no long. God Bless and see you on the next post.

Please Pray (Day +17)

Yesterday Andrea continued to have a fever which finally broke this morning around 10am. Then she slowly developed another high fever today and the doctors have become concerned. They think that the bone marrow is grafting well but are trying to figure out what is causing these fevers. Here white blood cell count was 9.0 today and she did need platelets this morning. Today the doctors looked a current x-ray of Andrea chest and saw that there was some cloudiness in her left lung at the bottom. This is same lung that she had trouble with a St. Lukes.

Just a few hours ago they did a procedure to get a sample of this fluid and will running test to determine how to treat it. Currently she is not having any trouble breathing, but the doctors are trying to make the determination if she has pneumonia or not. Hopefully we got on this early enough that she will sail right through this and we can get her out of the hospital on the road to recovery. We should have results from the skin biopsy they did yesterday and the lung procedure they did tonight sometime next week. Please take time to pray for her especially tonight. Today she was really burning up with that fever so ask the lord to help her break this fever and comfort her in this time of need. God Bless and Good Night.

We Have Grafting (Day +16)

Yesterday, Andrea's white blood cell count went up to 0.7. Then in the afternoon she started having severe bone pain in her hips. It took them a while to control the pain and she developed a fever which went away in the middle of the night. The bone pain is a sure sign that the grafting has begun.

This morning her white blood cell count had risen to 3.2 and the normal range is about 5-10. This afternoon she started to have more bone pain, but not like yesterday. Again, this a sign that the new marrow has started to grow. She did develop another fever and it is beginning to go down. They pulled blood to run test but they assure us that this is not out of the ordinary. They also did a skin biopsy of her back since her skin was a little flush. The biopsy will tell them whether the skin reaction is due to GVHD or a medication she is taking.

Her throat has begun to fell better and she is able to get some lighter foods and drinks down the hatch. It won't be long before she is able to eat everything she wants. Thanks to everyone for the support and keep her in your prayers. Hopefully Andrea will be leaving this place before we know it. It won't be long. God Bless.

Day (+12) and Day (+13)

Another delayed post. Yesterday Andrea had a pretty good day but today was difficult. Her throat is still giving her problems and she hasn't been able to eat. Last night and today her stomach started bothering her and she threw up several times. She has been in a high level of pain for the last week. Today she received platelets and blood. The grafting hasn't taken place up to this point so please keep on praying. Today her white blood count remained at 0.1. Like I have been saying, as soon as this occurs she will start improving fairly quickly. Hopefully this will happen in this next couple of days. Please keep your prayers coming her way and God will pull her through this. Thanks again for all the gifts and she send her love to each and every one of you. God Bless.

Another Morning (Day +11)

We are awake once again. Last night I spent another night with Andrea here in the hospital. We spent most of our night talking about what kind of house we are going to buy. Then we finally made it to sleep around midnight. Yesterday she did receive platelets and a unit of whole blood. Her mouth and throat continued to hurt and she was only able to eat Italian Ices and popsicles.

Today her platelets are at 48 and her hemoglobin is at 8.7 so she will not need a transfusion. Kidney, Liver, and Lungs seem to be working great and we are just waiting for the grafting to take place in her marrow. As soon as this happens we will see the increase in her white blood cell count. Currently her WBC is at 0.1, and the neupogen shot she is receiving each day is suppose to cause the cells to begin increasing.

Let's all pray that this happens very soon so that her throat and mouth will repair their selves and she can begin pigging out. Her spirits are still high and she continues to make me laugh all the time. She still needs platelet and whole blood donations so if you feel the urge please go to one of the MD Anderson blood bank locations to donate. Her patient number is 667690 which will give her credit for your donation. Thanks again for all the support and keep the prayers coming her way. She loves each and every one of you so much. Have a wonderful day and God Bless.

Morning of Day +10

We just woke up and ordered breakfast. Actually I ordered breakfast and Andrea ordered a milkshake. Her throat still hurts. The doctor just walked in while we were laying in Andrea's bed and didn't seem to mind. We had to get close for the time being. Andrea is still right where he expects her to be and he thinks the throat will get better sooner than later. Her platelet count and hemoglobin this morning were 19 and 7.8 respectively. Therefore she will receive a unit of each today. Other than that it will be normal day and we will continue to pray for Andrea's throat to heal quickly. Thanks for all the support and I will update everyone further when the day is over. Good Morning and God Bless.

Day (+8 and +9)

Sorry for the delayed post. Yesterday (day +8) Andrea's throat hurt even worse than the day before and she couldn't swallow anything. She couldn't even swallow her own saliva. The doctors reassured her that this was totally normal with the chemotherapy that she received and when her new white blood cells begin to reproduce again this will go away. Yesterday her platelets were at 9 and hemoglobin was at 7.8. Like I said before when these are below 20 and 8 respectively they are going to transfuse her with platelets and whole blood. Therefore yesterday she received a unit of platelets and whole blood.

This morning (day +9) her platelets were at 35 and hemoglobin was at 8.7. Therefore she didn't need a transfusion. Today she said that her throat isn't as bad as yesterday, but she is still not able to eat anything except Italian ice. The doctors aren't two concerned and they are confident this will be a short lived situation. As soon as her white blood cells rebound, her mouth will heal, and she will be pigging out again. Let's all pray that her throat gets better quickly and she can get back to packing food away.

I spent my whole day up at the hospital and right now I am laying down on the pull out bed. Andrea is already asleep on the other side of the room. I appreciate everyone's support out there. The presents have really helped keep her spirits up and she looks forward to the moment each day. I didn't think I would have enough presents when I decided to do the gifts. I was wrong. In fact I have been giving more than one gift since the beginning and I am no where near running out. Andrea truly has some wonderful friends out there and we pray for each and every one of you each night. Keep the prayers coming our way too and God will continue to bless us all. Good Night and God Bless.

Day (+7)

As to be expected Andrea's platelet count dropped to 20 today and she will most likely need a transfusion. All this is something that the doctors are used to for bone marrow transplants, but it sure is rough. Due to the chemo Andrea's throat hurts extremely bad. She is on pain meds 24/7, but this is said to reverse itself after the new marrow starts to graft. The doctors say around day +10 to +14 day. She started receiving Nuepogen shots today to stimulate the new marrow.

As far as donating platelets, I would advise you to go to the location on Fannin which is a more equipped facility. The blood center in MD Anderson at the Medical Center doesn't operate the most efficiently for the most part. You should be able to find the link and more information on donating platelets in the post before this one.

Please continue to pray for Andrea and she will make it through this tough week. I will post another update sometime tomorrow. God Bless and Good Night.

Day (+5) and Morning of (+6)

Yesterday Andrea started to feel bad which is to be expected. Her counts continued to drop and she had a hard time keeping all of her food down. Her throat started to bother her again. When I visited yesterday she was still in a pretty good mood and we watched tv till about 10PM.

This morning I talked to her and she said that her counts had dropped again (this is still what the doctors are looking for). Her throat was hurting more than yesterday, but she said that she had kept all her food down. Her platelet count was at 32 this morning and when it drops below 20 they will infuse her with a set of donor platelets. It is now a good time to start donating platelets on her behalf at MD Anderson. If you don't have time to donate platelets or would rather donate blood feel free to do so. Remember to specify that the donation is for Andrea Luthringer. More information about donating can be found at this link http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/bloodbank/dIndex.cfm?pn=0A133F7B-C05C-4906-A3B0DB0161B9CD6C. If you have any questions or concerns please email me at jmartiniv@houston.rr.com.

Thanks for all the support and will update everyone again after I see her this afternoon. Take care and God Bless.

Day (+4) - Still going well

Yesterday Andrea was feeling fine with the occasional period of nausea. We slept in till 10AM or so and had breakfast around 11AM. Then we played a game of checkers and spades till around 5PM. The surprising thing was that we never turned the tv on until Andrea had to watch her normal shows (Desperate Housewives and Gray's Anatomy). Andrea and her mother had Mother's Day dinner provided by MD Anderson. The day flew by and we moved closer to the day when Andrea gets to go home. Best case scenario she will be going home on May 31st. Lets all pray that this is the case.

Her counts are still dropping but still haven't bottomed out. All organ functions are where they need to be and her spirits are high. Thanks again for all the support and gifts. She really has enjoyed all the gifts and it continues to brighten her day when she opens a new one. You guys are really great for sending each and every gift. Please continue your prayers and we will make it through this one day at a time. God Bless.

Day (+2) and Morning of (+3)

Andrea's count continue to drop just like the doctors want. Her immunity is very low at this point and will probably get lower before it comes back. Overall she is doing well battling the nausea and discomfort. During the night her throat was hurting so the nurses gave her some pain meds. The doctor checked her out this morning and saw no mouth sores, but will keep an eye out. This morning her immunity reached a lower point, but this is all expected.

Please keep Andrea in your prayers and God will pull her through this trial. Again she thanks everyone for the gifts and messages. The ride so far has been so much better than her time at St. Lukes. Let's keep it that way. God Bless.

Day (+1) - All is Well

Everything is going fine with the new bone marrow. Andrea's counts have not completely dropped, but they will eventually. Today she still is experiencing nausea, but it seems a little better than yesterday. She was able to eat a little more today than yesterday.

She continues to get up and get around just fine and her organ function is perfect. Hopefully everything will continue to go well and we will be out of the hospital in 21 days. Andrea has been in for a week now today. Emotional she is doing well and she says the process has gone by faster than she expected.

Please continue your prayers and I will keep you updated. Thanks again for the outpouring of gift and she really liked the messages everyone sent yesterday. Like I said in my last post you send messages to her through MD Anderson using the link to the left. God Bless and keep the prayers headed Andrea's way.

Day (0) - Happy Birthday Andrea!!!

Mark it up in your calendars. Andrea had her new birthday today (May 10th, 2006). Around noon the transplant was complete and Andrea is full of new marrow. She received over 200 million new cells today all on the behalf of her sister Kristin. What a miracle.

It will probably be several days (7-10) before her immune system bottoms out and then the new marrow starts to produce new blood cells. There have been no complications and she continues to get out of bed to walk, shower, watch tv, and go to bathroom. All is well and keep praying for things to continue in this fashion.

Andrea is real trooper and has the heart of champion. If you feel like cheering her on you can send her a message through the link I placed on the left side of blog homepage. A volunteer will personally deliver the messages each day. Also the nurse said everyone who is into giving platelets should get ready when her platelets drop. As of now she is ok, but it is inevitable that she will need some platelets later on. Thanks for all the support and keep on praying.

Day (-1)

Andrea had another good day with no complications and was able to get her day of rest before the transplant. The actual transplant will be just like getting a unit of blood. They will hang the bag and the marrow will drip for a hour or so. Please continue to pray that Andrea's body will take Kristin's marrow with no complications. Tomorrow truly is going to be miraculous day. Lets all stop and say a prayer for Andrea.

Andrea is still getting around just fine. She gets out of bed to use the restroom and take walks throughout the day. She has lost part of her appetite but that goes with the territory. There has been no concern about her organ functions like last time. Heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs all look good.

Thank again to everyone who sent gifts. I continue to take her one each day after work and it sure does brighten her day. I am truly amazed by the spirit Andrea shows through these hard times and it sure does make my life a little easier. Even during times like this Andrea is very concerned about everyone else. She is such a caring person and loves each and every one of you so much. God Bless.

Day (-2)

Today I didn't get to spend the whole day with Andrea, but I got up to the hospital around 4PM. This was the last day of chemo and they started her on Prograf, which is a drug that helps prevent Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD is a condition in which the donor's marrow attacks the recipient of the new marrow. Overall today was fine even though she began to get a little more nauseous throughout the day. This is definitely something to be expected throughout this treatment. Her immune system hasn't made the quick dive yet, but that will inevitability happen in the near future. This will prevent Andrea's immune system from attacking Kristin's marrow.

Today when I wasn't there she tried running down the hall will her IV stand and got a bunch of laughs from several doctors walking by. She also tried doing lunges down the hall. Later today she told me that she wants to be the most active transplant patient on the floor. I can say that I haven't seen any patient doing lunges or trying to make any runs. Every two hours she breaths on her incentive spirometer to prevent her from getting pneumonia and washes her mouth out with salt and baking soda to prevent mouth sores. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and she will receive Kristin's marrow on Wednesday. Everyone should pray for great miracles on this day. Just ask the Lord to lift her up and let Kristin's marrow cleanse her veins.

Her spirits continue to amaze me, but she does mentions things about being normal again from time to time. I tell her that she is normal and everyone has trials throughout their life, but most are never as tough as the one she was dealt. Also I stress to her that life will continue and we will put all this behind us eventually. She is really tough and I mean tough. If I was in her shoes I would have probably giving up ages ago. Maybe not with her by my side though. I know she would do exactly what I am doing for her and most likely more. I will continue my journey with her and I am continually amazed by her courage and spirit. God is truly working through her and it is definitely working. God Bless.

Day (-3)

If you are wondering about the title this is bone marrow transplant terminology. The negative three means we are three days away from the actual transplant. Today Andrea received another dose of chemo like she did the two prior days. She continues to be lively like always and we walk three times a day. Everything is working properly and her spirits are high.

Since she started receiving everyone's gifts on Friday, she began to wonder what was going on. Today I told her about what we have all been doing and it really brightened her day. Every time I give her a new gift there is just a huge smile that comes across her face. It make may day and more importantly her day a more special one. Thanks again for everyone support and continue praying for a successful transplant and a quick recovery.

Tomorrow she will receive her last infusion of chemo (2 drugs today) and then Tuesday she will rest. Overall things are right where they need to be for the transplant and no complications have arisen. On to the next update and God Bless.

Andrea, Dad, John, and Chris 

Andrea, The Heads, The Barber, Betty, and Zues 

Andrea and Chris 

Andrea and Dad 

Andrea and John 

The Journey Begins

Last night we got Andrea situated in her room at MD Anderson. The room seems so much more pleasant than the one at St. Lukes. Not to knock St. Lukes but it sure was loud in that hospital and privacy was to a minimum. Her room at MDA is quiet and more private.

Last night after I left they started an IV to begin hydration. She went to sleep around 10:30PM and I talked to her this morning around 8:00AM. Every four hours they take her vital signs which means they woke her at midnight and 4am. Everyone who enters her room has to wear a mask and gloves. Visitors are to be kept to a minimum.

Today they will begin chemo which will be a four day process. The next four days she will receive Fludarabine for 30 min/day. Then on the fourth day (Monday) she will also receive Melphalan for 30 min. On the fifth day she will get to rest and on the sixth day she will receive Kristin's bone marrow which will probably take around an hour. Then the recovery process will begin.

Andrea is required to walk around the unit for 10 min/day three times each day. Every two hours she must do breathing exercises with a incentive spirometer to keep her lungs clear. Also she must rinse her mouth every two hours with baking soda to keep her mouth clean and prevent mouth sores which are very common with chemo treatment. There are many more requirements which will all help her stay healthy.

Thanks to everyone for all the gifts and I will start giving them to her today. She is good spirits and continues to make all of us laugh. I think she is going to be comedian when she conquers this disease. In the mean time she will continue to amaze us. Thanks for the support and I will keep you all inform to the best of my ability. Have a wonderful day and God Bless.

Oh I forgot to tell everyone. On Wednesday night my Dad, Bob (Robert), and Chris McIntosh all let Andrea shave their heads. They look great and I will post a picture when Bob emails them to me.

After two days of tests

Hi. This is Kathy. Andrea's appointments start at either 7 or 7:30 a.m. this week, so we are tired just from the early hours of trekking down the Westpark Tollway. After two days of tests, Andrea is still set to enter MDA Thursday. So far good results have come from blood tests (she gave 12 vials), echocardiogram, EKG, chest x-ray, and a complete pulmonary function test. We won't know the results from the bone marrow aspiration and biopsy for another day or so. Wednesday morning she is set to have the subclavian catheter inserted where she will receive the chemo and meds. Andrea is in good spirits. Last Friday the eye doctor told us he is looking forward to surgeries in the fall or just as soon as Andrea can tolerate them.
We all thank you for your continued faithful prayers,
Kathy

Thirty Days of Gifts

As Andrea's Mom said in the last post, Andrea will start her thirty day stay at the hospital on May 4th. She will receive four days of chemotherapy followed by a day of rest and then she will receive Kristin's bone marrow. During this time I will be able to see her, but we will have to seriously limit the visitors.

To make her stay more pleasant I thought we could all come together and do something special for her each day. I was thinking we could have a special present for her to open each day of her stay in the hospital. It would be something to look forward to each day and make her day a much brighter one. Like I said her first night at MD Anderson will be the 4th of May so lets start this on the 5th of May. If you are interested in participating, please send a gift to my parent's home in Katy:

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

I will be sure she has a gift each day to open and enjoy. Please don't send flowers our items that might make her sick. Good ideas are:

-Things to decorate her hospital room
-Pictures of times you shared with her or just a picture of yourself
-CD's
-VCR tapes/DVD's
-Books on tape
-girlie Magazines (she really likes gossip Hollywood mags)
-Use your imagination and if you have questions email me @ jmartiniv@houston.rr.com

If you are interested in participating please comment on this blog topic so I know an estimate of how many gift I need to buy. Let's make this stay a more enjoyable one and keep the prayers coming her way. Thank you everyone for your support and we will get Andrea through this obstacle.

Andrea's heroes, please keep praying

Hi. This is Kathy, Andrea's mom, posting tonight. So much has been happening with Andrea continuing to get check ups and growing a bit stronger each day.
Plans now are for her to start the bone marrow transplant process May 1. It is supposed to last 100 days, with at least 30 of those being admitted to M.D. Anderson Hospital.
I thank each and every one of you reading this blog for praying for Andrea and saving her life. There was only so much that the doctors and nurses could do at St. Luke's Hospital and it was you who prayed with us for God to perform His miracles to keep her alive again and again. You are her heroes. God heard you and saved her. While at St. Luke's, Andrea got the boost she needed to survive from the platelets from J., Mark and Debbie. What special heroes! And each of you who gave blood to Andrea, thank you. I read the list to Andrea of over 100 of you who gave blood and we cry with gratitude. What heroes! And many of you gave over and over again. Thank you so very much.
Kristin, Andrea's sister, is a her hero by donating her bone marrow. There is only a 25% chance that a sibling's marrow will match, so when the pathologist personally delivered the great news that Kristin was a match, we were all elated. Thank you, Kristin, for undergoing a week's hospital rigorous process and turning your arm black and blue to give the gift of life. Thank you, Jimbo, for being such a support through this process. You are our heroes.
The whole Martin family has heroically supported us through the daily process of physical and emotional needs. Thank you for being there, time and time again. It is awesome to witness and experience sacrifical love being poured out upon Andrea.
The special cards, messagaes and telephone calls are so much appreciated.
Our church friends, Jim, Jim, Cheryl, Randy and Beall, were our heroes getting us moved into our house and we really, really appreciate that. Perry is not only a good wig coordinator, but a good room organizer, too. Thank you so much to each of you.
I could go on and on about how wonderful you all are, so I'll make it short by saying that thank you to each of you will never be enough. One thing for sure, though, I do see the love of God and Christ shining through each of you. For those of you who live far away, we do feel the blessings of your prayers. God is listening. He is healing. Please keep praying for Andrea's sight and for complete cure.
Love to all,
Kathy

All is Well 4-5-06

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I have been out of town away from the computer for some time. Andrea was unhooked from the chemo on Saturday and she went to see the doctor on Monday. From what I understand all is well and she is not having any complications. She will return to MD Anderson tomorrow to have another check of her blood. Please pray for good results tomorrow.

Andrea's sister came in on Wednesday of last week to get prepared for the bone marrow harvest. They gave her some shots for several days and ran tests. Yesterday they completed the harvest and we found out today that the doctors recovered the amount they need for Andrea. Thank God Andrea has a sister that is so generous and would bend over backwards to help her only sister at the drop of a hat. It surely must be such a rewarding experience knowing that you are saving someone's life and especially your sister's. Not all of us will get to make that kind of contribution in our life, but it is truly a miracle when the chance arises. We should all get test for bone marrow donation and when the chance arises save a life.

Today Andrea is off to the eye doctor since she began seeing color. I am sure that he will be amazed at the progress she has made is the last several weeks. She is excited about going back and showing him what she can see. Her glasses did come in last week and they are helping her see even more. I have not seen her since she got her glasses, but I will give a better update when I do.

Please continue your support and prayers. God Bless.

Chemo Today 3-27-06

Last week Andrea said that her eyes changed dramatically. She claims that she can see all the color in the world now and everything is a little blurry. She visited the Low Vision Clinic in Houston early last week and they gave her a prescription for glasses. On Friday we went to Eye Masters and picked out frames for her lenses. They should be in this week so we'll see how she does with those. This is a huge improvement and one I honestly didn't always expect. Truly another miracle has occurred and will continue to occur forever.

Last Friday Andrea and I went to an Italian restaurant with a group of friends to celebrate her 25th birthday. Her birthday is not till Wednesday of this week, but we wanted to do it before she started her chemo treatment. We all had a great time and she loved it. On Saturday Andrea and I went to Fort Worth for one of her friend's wedding reception (Alex and Bart Hall). We stayed at her friend Erin's house in Bedford and had a wonderful time.

Today Andrea begins her second chemo treatment. She will be able to do it at home as long as there are no complications or precautions that must be taken. Please stop sometime today and say a prayer for Andrea. Continue these prayers throughout her treatment and we will keep her out of the hospital and on the road to complete recovery. Thank you so much for your support and prayers. God Bless.

Me and Andrea 

Andrea at the Lakehouse 

Dustin's Wedding 

The Weight is On

Andrea has made significant improvements over the past week. She has described it like a switch turned on inside of her. She has not gotten sick in ten days, and she has been pigging out. Not only has she gained nine pounds in one week, she has been able to see a lot more color. Andrea is thrilled about the changes and it shows in her attitude and energy levels.

This weekend was her first trip away from Houston. We went to one of my best friend's wedding, Dustin Duhon, in Austin, Texas. We also went to my parent's lake house on Canyon Lake on Saturday. She has not visited there since the week before she was in the hospital. I will post some pictures of the weekend on the blog very soon.

Andrea's doctor has decided to do a half dose of chemo next week to keep the leukemia from coming back before the bone marrow transplant. She was also informed that the doctor would like for her to do the transplant in about two months. Please continue to pray for her and we will bring her through this terrible ordeal. She would like to thank to all of you again for all the support and prayers.

All is Well 3-12-06

The surgery went well and hopefully Andrea's trachea will heal properly now. She spent the weekend recovering and catching up on her movies. We think we might have nailed down which medication was causing the nausea. The dosage of the medication will be complete tomorrow so we are keeping our fingers crossed that this will allow her to start gaining some weight. We will keep everyone informed if anything comes up this week. Keep praying for her tummy and eyes. Good night and God Bless.

Pray Today 3-10-06

This week has been much better than last. Andrea doesn't have the headaches anymore and is beginning to hold more and more food down. She did visit the eye doctor this week and some improvement have been made since the last visit. The doctor also told her that at this point he is not trying to correct her vision, but stabilize her eyes for the bone marrow transplant. Once the transplant is over he can go back in and focus more on correction of her vision to some degree. This was very encouraging to Andrea.

Earlier this week the doctors at MD Anderson discovered a small amount of bacteria on Andrea's trachea site and put in a pick line so that she could receive an antibiotic drip from home. She returned to MDA yesterday and saw a head and neck doctor. They decided to do a minor surgery today to help close her trachea site and help it heal more quickly. She will be going into surgery today (Friday) around 11:30AM. Please pray especially for this procedure and we will get her through another obstacle. Hopefully the procedure will not set her back a bit and we will continue on the road to recovery.

Thank you for your support and please keep Andrea in your prayers. God Bless.

A Little Set Back 3-6-06

On Monday of last week Andrea had a spinal tap to determine whether the leukemia was in her nervous system. The good news was that test was negative, but the bad news was the spinal tap caused extremely painful headaches. They lasted all week and she couldn't keep any food down during that time. We started all over in the weight gaining arena.

Saturday the headaches ceased and she had a great time with her friends that night. Monday we went back to the doctor and the IV fluids from the week before lowered the Calcium level but not the Creatine in the kidneys. They found bacteria around her trachea and prescribed a drip that can be done at home.

She will be resting and eating as much as she can all week. Please continue to pray for her kidneys, tummy, and eyes. She loves each and every one of you. God night and God Bless.

Another Week 2-27-06

This past week was somewhat uneventfully, but Andrea continues to show signs of improvement. The cough that she had been battling since we returned from the hospital finally ceased, even though she has developed some sinus pressure. They did any MRI on the brain last week and it showed no signs of trouble. MD Anderson also did more blood work and there was 0% blasts in the blood. They did discover that her creatine (kidney number) was elevated and today they started a four hour drip of NaCl for the next three days. Hopefully the drip will take care of the problem. The doctors tell us that they want her back to atleast 90% before the bone marrow transplant and we are not real clear on what this means. The main thing we are focusing on is getting her to gain weight. She needs to put on another 10-15 pounds so that she will weigh 90% of what she did when she arrived at the hospital in November. She has experienced a hard time eating larger meals and holding all of it down. Let's all pray this changes soon. In my opinion her eye sight continues to improve. She is not using her hands as much to get around and lately she has begun to recognize more color. I am truly impressed with the strides her eyes have made over the last few week. Well enough about the medical stuff.

Emotional she is doing better and the support has been wonderful. Perry has a done a great job taking her shopping and helping her find wigs. This weekend she got another wig custom made and it looks great. This coming weekend Andrea is going to have a group of girlfriends over to spend the night which should be really fun. I will be taking off to do a little hunting with some of my friends.

Please continue to pray for Andrea's blood, tummy, eyes, and kidneys. We really appreciate the support everyone has provided in this time of need and I don't know how to repay each and everyone of you. Just know that Andrea and I are so thankful to have a group of people out there that care for us the way you all do. God Bless and keep the prayers coming.

All Week 2-19-06

This past week Andrea went to MD Anderson and had an MRI of her abdomen on Wednesday. We have not heard the test results yet, but we will keep you all posted. The only other doctor she saw this week was the eye doctor. Even though her vision is extremely blurry she is gaining more central vision with her right eye instead of just peripheral. She ordered one of her wigs on Tuesday and she picked it up Thursday.

The day before Andrea got sick and went the hospital, we picked out a ring for our engagement. While she was sick I went and bought the ring so I could give it to her when she felt better. I expected to give it to her much sooner, but she was feeling horrible and couldn't see all that good. On Valentines day this week I decided the time had come and I gave her the ring that she picked out months ago.

On Saturday night we had a wedding shower (really just a party) for one of my best friends and his bride to be (Dustin Duhon and Cheryl Sparks). Lupe's Tortillas Mexican restaurant catered the party and we had about 50 guests. Andrea was able to see many familiar faces and chatted all night long. She also got wear her new wig and makeup (courtesy of Perry) for the first time.

We don't know what our schedule looks like this coming week, but we will keep you all informed. Please continue your prayers for Andrea's eyes and tummy. God Bless and goodbye.

Back from the Ranch 2-13-06

This weekend we went to the ranch and Andrea rode on the 4-wheelers. She had a great time relaxing by the outdoor fire and breathing the country air with friends. We grilled steak, chicken, and baked potatoes. Zues had a wonderful time running wild around the house. In the morning she watched the guys shoot skeet and rifles. She really enjoyed getting out the house for a change of scenery.

When she returned to Katy on Sunday she was happy to see her father who had returned from overseas for good. Today was a good day and we don't have any appointments this week. This week will hopefully be a healing week and we can just relax. We will let everyone know if anything changes and please continue your prayers. She needs everyone support for her eyes and for her tummy to except more food. Continue your prayers and God Bless.

Going to the Ranch 2-11-06

This week was full of more doctors appointments and Andrea's condition is being tested. My Mom bought an elliptical machine and she was able to stay on it for 45 seconds! She is beginning to walk to more of her appointments without the aid of the wheelchair. Everyday we have been taking walks down the street and we lengthen them each time.

The cardiogram done on Tuesday looked good, but she struggled a little bit with the lung test on Thursday. This is due to her cough which is slowly getting better since the doctor prescribed her new antibiotics. The blood tests this week are looking better and better. Her calcium levels still look good and the deposits on her hand and arm are going away. The liver numbers are down again and almost normal. At one time her liver numbers were nearly 30 times what is normal. Her white blood count is normal and indicates that her body is not fighting any sort of infection. Andrea's eye sight is still very limited, but we are keeping the faith that over time she will gain more and more sight. Earlier this week she found a magnifying glass that helps her see. She was able to see detail for the first time since November. She could actually see my face.

Tomorrow we are going to get Andrea out of the house for a full night. We are planning to take a short trip to my parent's ranch in Wharton, TX. It is probably going to be really cold, but I still plan on doing a little fishing. This will be good chance for us to relax in a different setting with several friends. Andrea and I send everyone love and appreciate all the cards, gifts, and comments on this blog. God Bless and good night.

Getting Better 2-7-06

Andrea had a great weekend and continues to improve. She gets more and more energy everyday and gains more strength on a daily basis. On Friday her friend Krista came over and spend the night with her and they watched movies and chatted all night. Saturday I stayed with her and she was doing so good. On Sunday we went to her friend Perry's house and watched the Superbowl. She has begun to eat more each day and is having a better time keeping the food down. On Monday she didn't have any doctor appointments and continued to relax. Her cough is getting much better and her Calcium level has come back to a normal level. Today she went to MD Anderson for a liver ultrasound and a heart cardiogram. Everything at MD Anderson seems very promising and we are glad to be at one of the best hospitals in the world. Tonight Andrea decided she wanted to go out to eat at an Italian restaurant and she had a great time.

The one thing that is still bothering Andrea is her sight. She continues to see more and more, but it is such a slow process. Please pray for her sight to improve and for her health to continue to improve. She loves all of you and appreciates all of your support. God Bless and good night.

Wiggin'out

Today Andrea went with Krista and her mother to start looking at wigs, she wants to play around with colors but let's just say she's not a blonde! After that she had a doctor's appointment at MD Anderson to check out the calcium deposits on her hands and arms. The doctor was not absolotuly positive on how to get rid of it & wanted to run more tests before he could prescribe medication. She found out from xrays this week she has broken 2 of her ribs from coughing. Tonight she is having friends stay over and plans on spending the rest of the weekend shopping for wigs and gaining more strength. Love, Hugs, & Prayers.

Remission!

Andrea went back to MD Anderson today thank God she is still in Remission! We just have to get our baby to gain weight so she can get stronger, as well as getting rid of this nasty cough before we can proceed with the bone marrow transplant. The doctor was very optimistic when the results came back from her bone marrow biopsy...only 3 blast cells (5 & below are normal). It was a very long day for Andrea, she was at the hospital from 10 AM to 6:30 tonight and is very happy to be home again. Tomorrow the doctor will be examining the calcification on her hand and arm, so far it appears to be healing. Right now her major challenge is he nasuea, which is caused by all of the anti-biotic medication they had her on, hopefully we found a way to remody this today with new prescriptions. Andrea really appreciates everyone's thoughtful prayers, they are truly working & we love you all for that!