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.