Need Powerful Prayers

Since the last posting Andrea and J have become Aunt Andrea and Uncle J.! It was wonderful to welcome Levi into this world Dec. 22. Andrea's sister, Kristin, (who has been Andrea's stem cell donor twice), is doing well and I got to spend the first week with Kristin, James and Levi when they came home from the hospital. Levi is such a sweet baby boy.
Over the past two weeks Andrea has experienced progressive nerve damage on her right side. The doctors have run blood tests, spinal taps, and MRIs. Thank goodness some doctors work during the holidays.
Thank you God that all tests are CLEAR.
The diagnosis is nerve damage from the combination of radiation/chemo.
Even though Andrea hasn't had chemo since October, it is the long term affects of the treatment that is causing headaches, shooting pains on her right cheek, occasional nausea, and even additional balance problems that started this past week. Her kidneys are still having a hard time, too.
Tomorrow, Monday, we go to Memorial Hermann to see the Wound Care Unit where, hopefully, Andrea will be put in a hyperbaric chamber that will increase the oxygen flow in her blood stream that promotes healing. The MDA doctor said there were two cases in Israel that matched Andrea's case study that had marked improvement from the hyperbaric chamber. He thinks it is possible to stop this progressive nerve damage.
We know that with God it is possible (Matt. 19:26, Mark 9:23, 10:27), and we are so, so thankful for each and every prayer you lift up for Andrea.
Again she needs powerful prayers.

More Tests

Last Friday Andrea's neurology doctor at MDA printed out some MRIs for us to see how the this "chemo effect" is changing and evolving. He said it may take 18 months for it to diffuse. He also stressed again the importance of nutrition - we are what we eat! Right now the main issues they are trying to help her with are daily fatigue, headaches and shooting pains.

As we pray for each of you in your daily lives, Andrea is encouraged so much from your prayers.

Getting worse before getting better

Even though the numbness in the arm subsided a bit, Andrea is experiencing the stinging/prickly feeling in her cheeks and a stiff neck. The preliminary report on the MRI tonight was okay.
The brain doctor suggested foods to help re-build the nerve damage from the chemo. The headaches come and go often. Since she no longer takes steriods, the fatigue forces her to take naps. She is so good at doing everything in her power to get better.
As usual, we ask for your prayers.

Doing Good

This week Andrea's main doctor was pleased that her left arm is less numb than before. He said sometimes with neuro chemo, it goes away completely and other times it does not. Her blood tests showed improvement except with her kidneys. She really needs prayers for her kidneys. They are working about 30-40% capacity. They start dialysis when patients are at about 10% capacity. Andrea is still drinking loads of water a day, and her diet was almost exactly what the kidney doctor wanted her to be eating; however, he said all of us could probably benefit if we cut down on salt intake.
Andrea sees the brain and spine doctor on Monday, but we do not anticipate any more input, so have a Happy Thanksgiving.
We all are so blessed.

Keep on keeping on

Sorry I haven't posted lately but we were waiting for test results.
Andrea's kidney levels came down close to normal so they gave her a half dose of contrast on the MRI this time. It still shows a high intensity in the medulla of the brain which they continue to attribute to chemo. They are still concerned that it may be an infection or otherwise. So they ordered a spinal tap without chemo and it came back clear, just as it has before. Plans are to continue monitoring. Her left arm has become less numb and she can write again.
Andrea had her flu shot, but she still caught some bug that made her throat feel like golf balls had lodged during Tuesday night. She got a prescription to deal with that, so hopefully she'll be okay tomorrow.
Thanks for the emails, calls and asking about Andrea. You all are a wonderful support group praying for her, and we thank you for that.

A Bigger Hiccup

With the higher kidney levels, Andrea started feeling more fatigued and nauseous last week; however, her greatest concern was when her left arm went numb. MDA ran an MRI of the brain and a spinal tap with no chemo on Monday. The good news from the spinal tap is that there are no cancer cells, but the MRI showed a new high intensity spot in the medulla of the brain. Basically, the neurologist said Andrea has had too much aggressive chemo which is causing the spot in the brain, numbness in her arm, throwing her kidneys off balance, and giving her massive headaches . We are meeting with a renal nutritionist tomorrow to help her plan a diet to combat all these issues. I think it is safe to say "No More Chemo"!
Let's just say with Andrea being left handed, she can recover from this quickly.
You know what's next.....pray, pray, pray. : )

One More Diversion

Andrea cannot have the spinal tap this month because her kidney function numbers are not in the normal range and her blood pressure has been a bit high. She feels good, but it is one of those silent obstacles that can be picked up from drawing the blood and monitoring the blood pressure. Her main doctor is setting up an appointment with a kidney specialist so he may have added suggestions other than taking her off as many drugs as they can.
We really appreciate your prayers.

3 More To Go

Today the spinal tap with chemo went well so far. Andrea is sleeping through the medication this afternoon. We just pray for no headaches or back pain when she awakes. The advanced practioner nurse was talking to us before the procedure and was surprised/happy when Andrea told him that after today, there are only 3 more scheduled spinal taps. We are all looking to the end of spinal taps and a great new year of 2009 with no more chemo. Her hair has grown back to a "boy cut" length, which I think is cute even though I know she prefers longer hair!
Thanks for checking this site and for your prayers.

Continued progress

Andrea went to her main doctor Thursday with the jab to the arm vein for all the blood tests. Some nurses are just better at jabbing than others. Her "numbers" are looking good now, but she does need to keep more hydrated. She has become conscientious about how many plastic bottles of water she was using and we have been trying out a variety of reuseable plastic bottles while using the filtered water from home. While in hospital beds along with recuperating and watching HGTV does have an affect on your views of a 'green earth'! An outing to a Home and Garden Show in Katy with Carter Oosterhouse, host of 'Red, Hot and Green" was fun this weekend. Reuse and recycle was the theme.
Andrea is feeling better and we appreciate your prayers.

4 More To Go

The spinal tap/chemo went well on Friday. Andrea has only 4 more of those, once a month through December. She has swollen ankles and appears to be retaining water, so we saw the main doctor Monday and he agreed with the pain management doctor to drop a medicine to see if that is the reason. Otherwise, she is feeling okay now, thank goodness!
The brain MRI was good, spinal tap fluid clear and bone marrow is 100% donor cells. We appreciate everyone's encouragement. It has been such a long process, and we are beginning to look forward to fall and cooler weather since we've been having a good dose of rain.

Friday is the Day

Andrea goes in for blood tests on Thursday, and if everything checks out good as it did Monday, then she gets the methotrexate chemotherapy in the spinal tap on Friday morning. Like I said before, she just wants to get on with the prescribed treatment and be done with it because she is feeling better. She does feel tired and fatigued, but that can be attributed to the chemo effects that last quite a while after it is given. Her MRI of the the brain this week looks very good, so they are confident the headaches were from low red blood cells. Thanks for your prayers, God listens!

More Rescheduling

The doctors are trying to get together again to reschedule more chemo since Andrea's white blood cells returned to normal, and even though the red blood cells and platelets are low, they are not so low that it would inhibit her from having the spinal tap. They also think the headaches could be from low red blood cells but have ordered an MRI to make sure they are on track. Please continue to pray that Andrea gets a boost in her red blood cells. We think of each of you wherever you are and pray for your families, t0o.

Well.....

I didn't think we'd be disappointed to NOT have chemo, but Andrea is at the point she would like for everything to go as scheduled so it will be fininshed. Today she could not get the scheduled spinal tap with chemo because her red blood count was too low. Most probable causes for this are the chemotherapies of the past, so we go in Monday to see what the blood counts are. We ate liver at Luby's at lunch to see if the iron in that boosts her system, and more yummy proteins this weekend are in store.....so we'll see what comes of it. Otherwise, she is feeling okay, so we'll be praying for a boost in her white and red blood cells.

Gaining Strength

Andrea is feeling better and gaining momentum.
However, today was a bit exhausting just in the waiting game to have blood taken, get a bone marrow aspiration, and see the doctor. Total time for all of those takes about 30 minutes, but we were at the hospital today for 6 1/2 hours, all without Andrea eating during that time because she has the bone marrow aspiration with sedation. We were glad to get home!
On Friday, she gets the once a month spinal tap with chemotherapy. So far, those have been going well and we pray for the same. Thank you for your continued prayers. God listens!

Continuing Improvement

Today is J. and Andrea's first wedding anniversary and we are so happy for them that they are celebrating it with a positive health outlook. The doctor dropped more medication, so Andrea is taking about 11 pills a day now. She has her major burst of energy in the morning and usually has a list of things to be done, then rests some in the afternoon. Andrea has even driven her car some on streets near her home, which shows boldness for any driver! Thank you for your ever-continuing thoughts and prayers.

Getting Better

Andea is off the immunosuppresant drugs and her platelets have returned to normal. What a relief! Her kidney creatinine level function is still little high, so the main doctor is not going to give her the Vidaza shots now. So, Friday they removed the Central Venous Catheter line that was just below her clavicle. With that line out, it is just so much easier to take a shower. She still needs to drink at least 3 liters of fluid a day, and is taking about 14 pills a day. With all that said, Andrea is 'on the mends' and feeling better. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Seeing past the discomfort

Tomorrow, Friday, is the day for the once a month methotrexate chemotherapy spinal tap. We somewhat have that routine down now and can anticipate what will happen and how careful Andrea needs to be the next few days.
Monday the plans are for her to take the Vidaza shots once a day for 5 days. She's been drinking as much water as she can so her creatinine levels are good in order to take those shots, so we'll see what the blood tests reveal tomorrow. As with most of us, a good motto may be: "work in progress".

Trade Offs

It has been a relief not to report to MDA everyday to receive meds and fluids. However, that means that Andrea has to drink at least 3 liters of water/fluid a day. Anyone who has actually measured that out knows it is one of the greatest weight loss or weight control measures of all time. It is difficult to be hungry enough to eat at meal time, and she needs to gain weight. Plus she is still taking about 20 pills a day. She has a good outlook on what she needs to do each day and is trying to eat healthy meals.
Even though Andrea does not have to go to theATC, she is still at MDA often to test her blood levels, have the Vidaza shots 5 consecutive days each month, and the spinal tap chemotherapy once a month. The spinal tap chemotherapy should be finished by the end of the year. The MRI of the brain came back normal again, so the spinal tap chemotherapy is a reassurance of no relapse.
She was happy this week when they said she could eat salad again. Great gains and great hope. Thank you for your prayers.

100 Days

As 100 days from the stem cell transplant approaches on Wednesday, June 25, Andrea continues to feel better. They have her reporting to M.D. Anderson once or twice a week instead of every day to check her blood levels and take care of any other health concerns that arise. Also this marks the time that they reduce the immunosuppressant drugs so she can start building up her own immunity system. We're hoping the amount of pills taken a day drops from the 20's down to the teens. She is still receiving medicine through the central venous catheter. It is a long process that takes time and lots of patience.
Thank you for your continued prayers as we realize this is a long time to keep praying!

Wouldn't you know

Wouldn't you know as soon as I said that Andrea had not needed blood or platelets, she needed a red blood infusion on Friday. I noticed that the red blood cells she received stayed good until July 10, so they do not expire as quickly as platelets do. Anyway, if anyone wants to give blood or platelets, just tell MDA you are giving on behalf of Andrea Martin. She is feeling better and is working hard recoup.

Grateful

We have so much to be grateful for and your continued prayers and support are part of the top of the list. If anyone in Houston wants to give blood or platelets on Andrea's behalf, M.D. Anderson is ready to accept them at 1515 Holcombe, 2nd Floor, near Elevator A. All you need to do is call 713-792-4531 to make an appointment and they will tell you what medicines you can and cannot be on to give blood. It struck a heart string to know Pi Phi sisters (who may not even know Andrea) are interested and praying.
Praise God that Andrea didn't need any this week because she sustained the minimum that she needs. If Andrea does not use any blood donated in her behalf, just know that the blood you donate is going to our fellow Ambulatory Treatment Center friends or to the surgeries that they perform daily to battle these awful cancers.
Andrea is feeling better even though her energy level is low. Her stamina will grow with God's help, your prayers, time, good food and the TLC she has been getting.

Small Gains

Even though Andrea's blood count numbers are low, she gained a few points from the 30's last week to 41 platelets today. We are encouraged that she made her own platelets. The spinal tap went okay last Friday and did not cause extreme pain like it has before. This week she takes the Vidaza shot every day Monday through Friday and is taking infusions of extra daily fluids to be able to take the drug.
Please pray that this new treatment will work in her favor.

Steady

Although the platelets are not normal, they have held steady for a week and a half, and Andrea has not required an infusion. This is good news but low platelets causes extreme fatigue. Andrea is not in pain, but has a very low energy level. She is just so grateful not to be hurting that she does not complain, but she wants to do so much more.....You know her....... Please pray for her to make her own platelets!
Also she has to have the chemo spinal tap on Friday, so special prayers would be appreciated for healing and no pain then, too.

Forward

After a long frustrating day last Friday of receiving meds and platelets, Saturday was the turning point when Andrea did not have pain. She didn't have it all this week either, so when the tests came back with no detection of the viruses yesterday, Andrea was doubly relieved. Her platelets continued to drop this week but at a much slower pace. She does not have to have the continuous hydration 24/7 and is free from the pump and bag of saline. What a relief! So now, with God's help, onward with healing.

Better than Last Week

Andrea is feeling better now than she did last week. She received platelets on Friday and they seem to have "stuck with her" through the weekend. She will be having tests this week to determine if the viruses are still lurking and how much additional medicine will be necessary. Without the additional meds, she takes between 25-30 pills a day. So, prayers for her platelets and strength are so much appreciated.

Bacteria Down, 2 Viuruses to Go

MDA protocol keeps plugging on, as Andrea strives to feel better. After 2 "all clear" test reports, we can safely say the bacteria is gone.
Tomorrow and Friday are her regular days for treatment of the 2 viruses that are so pesky and take all day and then some at MDA hospital Ambulatory Treatent Center. Pain management has helped with the side effects of the viruses somewhat. However, side effects of this helpful medicine include dizziness and loss of concentration, which Andrea makes into a joke at times that us both laugh at what could be a crying situation.
Your prayers help the best, so please keep them coming!

Baby steps

Andrea had to receive blood and platelet infusions today since both were very low. Her kidney function level was slightly high, so they would not give her the once a week treatment for the virus. She will receive fluids and meds at home this weekend and they will try to see if her levels improve enough by Monday to get the virus medicine.
On a more positive note, the new medicine from pain management has helped enough that she is not in constant pain. There continues to be a dull pain, but she can sleep for a couple of hours at a time without interuption....which is at least an improvemtent.
Thank you for your prayers.

Pain Management

Andrea went to the MDA Pain Management Doctor today to see if he had anymore suggestions to ease the pain she is faced with. He actually had a different medication to try and had some moral support since his wife is undergoing treatment for cancer at this time, too. It is a really tough road to go down right now, but I truly believe Andrea can turn that corner to feel better soon.
Your prayers and support are so much appreciated.

Ups and Downs

One day "this" is feeling better, but then "that" is not, then the next day "that" is feeling better but "the other thing" is not. So, "there" is the life of healing day by day, baby step by baby half step. This transplant is especially hard on Andrea, and I am amazed how she is braving through it. The advanced practitioner nurse and her doctor are keeping close tabs on her daily progress as she goes to MDA each day, but that does not ease the pain she goes through. She had to have platelets on Friday and blood infusions on Saturday at MDA.
Just please keep praying because God listens to us and we believe His miracles prevail.
We had a nice Mother's Day at our house and are blessed by our children.

Powerful prayer request

With the immune suppresant drugs Andrea is taking for the stem cell transplant to take place, she is fighting 2 viruses and a bacteria that are trying to take over her system. We need powerful prayers as she goes into MDA tomorrow for new drugs and the will to fight these adversaries. She wants so badly to feel good again; and with God's will, her tenacity and your prayers, we know it will happen. Thank you for your powerful prayers.
Matt. 7:7-8 Ask, seek, knock. For everyone who who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.

This past week has been very difficult for Andrea. The virus continues to cause discomfort and for her to loose sleep. The doctors have a plan to help her get rid of this but it is causing pain in her kidneys. Please pray for this to clear up. She also received a spinal tap with chemo this past Friday. She's really been going through a lot and is exhausted.
In addition to all this, Andrea is in a new clinical study in which she will receive the new Vidaza shots Monday through Friday.
We appreciate all your prayers.

The good news and the bad news

I really hestitate to post good news because of so many other things going on. But.....
There really is good news, like Andrea making her own plateltets now, (and thank you to all those who contributed, because of privacy laws we do not know exactly whose platelets she got, but she got a real boost from some of you who I KNOW were in there on particular days....). Andrea is above 100 platelets and has been making her own for the last couple of days now, which Great News. (140 platelets is normal, so she still has a few more to go on her own.)
Her bone marrow biopsy also came back very encouraging with all donor cells in 40 percent of bone marrow. (Yeah!)
But, she is having difficulty in some other areas she did not have during the last transplant process. Some irritations and viruses are popping up that are causing havoc, so she continues to really need prayers for comfort and healing. The itchiness, burning or sleeplessness is awful. Any and all of these are "normal" for stem cell transplant patients, but that does not really help when there is no real relief other than "time".
We do thank you for each and every prayer.

Hey, how about that?

I just mention the possibility of Andrea getting to take home her backpack of fluids, everyone keeps praying for her, and it happens! Andrea had been going through a routine of receiving platelets and gradually losing them by "15" each day until she hit bottom and needed them again. Well, Friday for the first time since her transplant, Andrea gained "3" instead of losing "15". So, that meant that she did go home and J. became the one in charge of hooking up bags of fluid and medicine with a battery powered pump over the weekend so Andrea could stay at home instead of reporting to MDA.
She is slowly regaining strength each day and we appreciate you thinking of her.

One Month Down

Today is April 17, and Andrea received the stem cell transplant on St, Patrick's Day, March 17. One month down, and she feels awful in many ways but the doctor and nurses say that she is doing Good. But, then they want to know how, when and where the yuckiness is and how bad, so they can determine how they can help. This is the ritual for the next two and a half months which make up the 100 days release time out of the hospital, which was April 1. No fooling. Last time I counted, Andrea was taking 24 pills a day, which did not account for the IV fluids she is hooked up to. They are talking about sending Andrea home Friday with a backpack of fluids with a pump to sustain her so she will not have to tumble out of bed Saturday morning to come to the hospital. We'll see....
So, please keep praying, as we do believe in the power of God over all.
We send love to all who keep reading this blog and keeping positive thoughts coming our way.

Rough Week

We haven't posted any progress because it really has been much of the same pains and all the strength Andrea can pull together to get up each morning and go to MDA for the whole day receiving the meds and fluids she needs.
But, Sunday night she had a major rash outbreak from her ankles to the back of her ears. Her main Stem Cell Transplant doctor made a special visit during his regular clinic lunch hour to the special MDA unit Andrea goes to each day to verify that he thinks it is the "graft versus host" syndrome that transplant patients need in order for the transplant to work. It causes extreme itching which they can try to control with medication. They also took a biopsy of her skin which will help confirm it is "graft versus host". We are just hoping that this, too, will pass with the best results possible and total healing.
We continue to keep Andrea updated on your prayers and comments. They are such a comfort.

+21 days

On this 21st day from the stem cell transplant, Andrea is experiencing bone pain (maybe from stem cell grafting) that was bad enough for her doctor to prescribe 2 more medicines. On the last transplant, she was still in the hospital with a pain pump and nurses and doctors around the clock. This time, she is working it through with us and about 5-8 hours at the hospital each day getting fluids and platelets while a nurse monitors the blood draw numbers and calls the doctor when medicine needs to be prescribed. It has been a week since we saw a doctor and tomorrow we finally get to actually see him again. She is still in a lot of discomfort tonight. We pray for better days ahead!

Encouragement

Thank you all for your encouragement. Andrea's stomach, head and bones are still very sensitive and anything (or who knows what....like medicine, the rest of the chemo in her body, or grafting cells) can set off a an adverse reaction. She has averaged platelets every other day in the Ambulatory Treatment Center 10th floor outpatient unit. It really is like a full time job going to it all day to receive fluids and meds, then returning home at night. She even has to go over the weekend. BUT at least Andrea gets to sleep in their own bed at night and that alone is worth A LOT.
It is great you keep praying for her strength each day. She feels it.

No April Fools!

No April Fools joke: Andrea is at home tonight, getting to sleep in her and J's own bed! The new doctor "on rounds" saw Andrea when she was out this morning doing her exercise walking and was impressed by her spunk even before he got to her room to do her assessment. He looked at her blood draw numbers, nurses' reports and by what she was telling him that she felt better today than yesterday, he let her go home.
Now, she has 100 days of returning to MDA each day for fluids, meds and assessment to really get well again..... but at least she can go home each night to sleep peacefully.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and an extra thank you for those who gave platelets because Andrea is still receiving those platelets and will be assessed each day to see if she needs more. You ALL are terrific!

Different Doctor

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

Great Gain

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

Doctor's Report

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

There's Sunshine Behind the Clouds

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

Got Platelets!

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

MDA needs platelets and blood

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

Really Yucky

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

Platelets Again Today

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

Even Wtih....

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

Ups and Downs

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

Rough Night, Better Day

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

Successful Transplant!

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

Working Out the Kinks

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

Day -4 until transplant

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

Checked In

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

New Chemo Okay, So Far

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

Subclavian Catheter is in!

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

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

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

Good News, Bad News, Again!

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

Second successful chemo/spinal tap

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

Chemo This Week

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

Good Spinal Tap News

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

So Far, So Good

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

Better Spinal Tap

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

Better, But Not There Yet

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

New Plans

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

Grasping for good news

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

Slightly Better

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

Home Again!

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

Awaiting Tests

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

Back in Hospital

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

Moving around

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

Day by day

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

Expected

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

Lots of doctors

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

Another Dr. Visit

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

Help Me Lord!

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

Lots happening

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

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

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

Many prayers have been answered.

Home At Last!

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

Homeward Bound!

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

Leveling Off

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

"Do not be anxious"

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

Looking for the Positive

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

Bummer Day

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

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

Please continue remembering Andrea in your prayers.

Yes, but....

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

Radiation - Last Day!

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

Hanging in There

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

Rough Night

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

Out of Surgery

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

Surgery Tuesday

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

Doctors Talking

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

Still at MDA

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

Trip to ER

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

Back on Track

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

One Down, Just a Couple More to Go

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

Hiccup

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

why, why, why

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

First radiation

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

pictures - not the smiling kind

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

Long day...

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

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

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

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

Thank you so much for your prayers.

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

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

Final Good News

Hello to all,

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

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

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

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

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

With love,
Andrea