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.