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