quicky

Not feeling the best so this will be short. My stomach is still bothering me.....not sure if it's still the infection from the hospital so I called the dr today. Just waiting on a call back. Hoping he can give me something to fix it. The pain is sometimes just awful and it's so annoying. I can't seem to do anything. So, pray it goes away. And that the dr gives me something that takes the pain away completely. My next appt is Tuesday. Another long day of testing. Then, I get aditted on the 9th for a long stay in Columbus. So, keep those prayers coming. God is still working. Pray that Bri stays healthy as well!! =)

Praise God for awesome news!

The biopsy results showed no signs of disease which means it's time to move onto the transplant. So great!!! I'm excited yet nervous at the same time. It's crazy!!! My admittance date is June 9th. From there, I'll be in Columbus for quite awhile. They're saying 100 days so there goes my summer!! But, I'm getting a very good potential cure so it's worth it. I went through more testing today. We were there from 830-445. Way to long!! I go back for more on June 2nd. On that day, I have to get a PET scan as well as the IT chemo. Not looking forward to either of those but know they are necessary so I'll deal with it. I'm just so thankful to God for everything He's done. I pray that He continues to heal me and bless me through this. He is such an awesome God......wow. I am so thankful to Him!!!!

Tomorrow's the day!

Well, tomorrow is my dr's appt. I'll meet the transplant dr and he'll let me know whether or not I'm in remission, which God willing, I will be! So pray for good results!!! I've still been having quite a bit of stomach pain so I'm going to have to speak to the dr about that as well. Hopefully it's nothing but we'll have to see what he says. After my appt, I go and finish testing for the transplant. Apparently I'll be there until 4 which will make for a very long day. But that's ok since it's all leading to a cure!!!! Praise God for that!!!May He continue to heal me and bless me. Thank you for your prayers! Keep em coming!

Quick update

Biopsy today went pretty well. I was slightly nervous with someone completely new and different doing it but it went ok. She numbed it completely to where I couldn't feel a thing. I'm feeling it now though, let me tell ya!! I am so sore. I have to watch how I sit and lay. Not fun. But, I'm pretty sure it went well and with God's will, I'm in remission. I have an appt next Weds with the dr to find out and start going over stuff for the transplant. They want to get it going right away. This part I'm kind've excited about and also nervous. I'm so ready to be cured and back to a normal life! I'll have to spend another 3-4 weeks in the hospital, which I'm not looking forward to but hey-if that's what it takes!! =) God will continue to heal me and bless me. I am so thankful to what He's done so far with me spiritually. If it weren't for Him and my faith.....I don't know where I'd be today. =)

Biopsy

Tomorrow is the dreaded bone marrow biopsy day. We have to be at the James by 10:45am for the procedure. I'm slightly nervous because this is someone completely new and different doing this procedure on me......please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!! Pray that I get through it ok, with little pain! Also, that the results will say I am in remission and we can get going with the transplant!!!! I know God is still healing me and I am definitely in remission. And we'll be doing the transplant within the next month. God is so wonderful and good. He has truly blessed me throughout this and I am so thankful. Please pray we have a safe trip tomorrow, there and back. My car is all fueled up and ready to go. During the move, the passenger outside mirror got knocked off. Thankfully, my dad found another one and put it one yesterday. I was not very sure in driving clear to Columbus without one so I feel much better. This has definitely been a weird week. I've basically been scared to do just about anything, for fear of getting shoved back in the hospital. I know I'm crazy but I can't help it. I was there so long!! Plus, I still have that stupid stomach infection so my stomach has still been hurting. I've been having some low grade fevers, which are nothing to worry about but I do anyways. Like I said, I know God is healing me. He is healing me every day =) And I praise Him and give Him all the glory for it!! Keep me in your prayers!!!

Home

It feels so wonderful to be home!!!!!! Sleeping in my own bed, showering in my own shower WITHOUT all those tubes hanging from me. It's great! There is quite a bit to be done here though as I got moved while I was in the hospital. But, I'm not going to over do it and do to much at one time. I'm going to take my time with it and it'll all get done in a few weeks. Thankfully, my mom has been here with me today helping me. She stayed last night and is staying tonight so it'll be weird when it's just me. Especially after staying in a hospital for a month!!! Tomorrow I go and meet with a local oncologist in order to have a local place to get labwork and in case I need platelets or blood. Then on Friday, I go for the dreaded bone marrow biospy. Not looking forward to it but I know it's needed. So, let's pray I make it through as it's not my normal person doing it, it'll be someone completely new to me. I'm praying it goes well and I know it will show I am in remission. Then on the following Weds, I go and meet with Dr. Blum, who is the doc in charge of the transplant. He'll let us know the biospy results and what to expect next. So, we'll see. God willing, we'll get right in to transplant. God has been so great through all of this I know He will continue to bless me. But, keep me in your prayers. There's still a little bit to go yet!

Going Home-FINALLY

Going home today, and I could not be happier!!! Before I go home though, they decided that I needed to get a unit of platelets and a unit of blood. So, the platelets are in now we're just waiting on the blood to come up so we can start that. It's 12:30 right now. By time they start the blood and everything and it's all finished and I can FINALLY go home-it'll be probably around 4, maybe 5. But, that's ok cause I'm going HOME!!!! =) Praise God I'm going home!!!

TOMORROW!!!! =)

I GET TO GO HOME TOMORROW!!!!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!! And READY!! I'll have to come back the 15th for a bone marrow biopsy (let's all pray I'm in remission!! I know I already am with God by my side), then come back that that following Monday to meet Dr. Bloom (he'll be doing the transplant) and get the results from Friday's biopsy. We'll also go over stuff for the transplant and hopefully get it scheduled. The doctor I had a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Jones, said that if everything looks good with the biopsy, they'll want to hurry and get the transplant scheduled. And I'm so ready for this transplant and to be cured. Our God is an awesome God and He has been so great through all of this and I have no doubt that I will be cured with this transplant.

"You turned my way
You heard my cry
You turned my mourning into shouting
Sorrow may last for a night
But with the light I am seeing
I am singing
You lifted me out
You lifted me out
And set me dancing, dancing
Free, now I am free
Your love rescued me
Now it's the anthem I'm singing"

Good News

The doctor told me today that I'm probably either going home Saturday or Sunday!!! YAY!!! PTL!!! I am so excited! It'll probably only be for a week as they said at the end of the week, I'll have to come back for a bone marrow biospy....yuck. Totally hate them but totally needed in order to see if I'm in remission or not. Not sure exactly what will happen after that week but if I'm in remission, they'll getting ready to prep for the transplant. I've been having some testing done to get ready for the transplant. Today was to test my heart. The test was called something Muga? It tests your resting heart rate I believe and takes 3 pictures. Not too bad but I had to get up at like 7:30. Too early for me!!! I think there's a few more left but they said I'd do them as outpatient. I'm just so GLAD to be getting out of here!!!!!!! Get to my new apartment that I have yet to sleep in! I'm defintely going to need my mom to help me get things organized in my apartment since nothing is where I want it but oh well. We can take out time. I just want to relax and rejoice in being HOME!!!! Because when I come back for the transplant, I'll be here for 3-4 weeks......yikes. But, I made it through this time so I'll make it through with flying colors then. Plus, when I leave, I'll be in remission for good!! Wow, God is so great. I am so thankful to Him for healing me and for continuing to heal me.

Getting closer

I think my counts are definitely coming up!! On the 4th, my white count was 0.3, the 5th, 0.5, and today, 0.9. My hemoglobin and platelets keep fluctuating but for the most part, I believe they are coming up!! PTL, PTL!!! The doctor was definitely happy with what she saw. So-good news there! =) I also started my bone marrow transplant testing today, which means Bri will also have to do the same testing. Today was lung function. Tomorrow they are testing my heart. The reason they're doing all this testing is after the transplant is complete, if by some chance, something goes wrong (which God willing-we know it will not =) they have these tests to go back on. Like if something was wrong with my lungs, they'd go back and look at those tests. So on, and so forth. Plus, they want to make sure everything is functioning ok before the procedure as well. So, yeah. Not hard tests. At least not so far. Tomorrow's doesn't sound bad either. So we'll see. My infection is getting better I think. The pain in my stomach isn't quite as bad. I'm still on a couple different anti-biotics. But-I still have to say-I am so ready to come home!!!!!!! I know God is healing me from all of this and will continue to heal. I am still amazed at how awesome of a God we serve. He is so incredible, isn't He?

CT scan results

Well, I just spent over a half hour blogging and another page I had open froze and go figure.....I closed it and it closed all my pages. So, blog lost. UGH! So, we start over. And we wait to open any other pages apparently.

Anyways........CT results came back today. Chest was clear, which is good. Stomach on the other hand-first off, the sample came back that I had an infection. So the CT of my stomach was abnormal. The infection that I have is called C-DIFF. And its been causing my stomach to hurt very badly, plus some other things. Thankfully they've started me on anti-biotics and I've been on pain meds which they increased due to how strong the pain was getting. So, very thankful it wasn't anything worse but glad they found it and it's being treated quickly. Definitely can't deal with this pain much longer. Plus, I really haven't been eating cause it makes it worse. And surprisingly, I'm not hungry. Thank the Lord for that. On top of the infection, I thought I had something in my eye, so, obviously I was rubbing it-hoping it would come out. Nothing. Used some contact solution-nothing. Nothing was working. Then I noticed a small blood spot on my eye so I called the nurse. She used her little light and didn't see anything but said not to rub it as it would make it worse. She called the doc and he said to put a cold, wet cloth over my eye and if it wasn't better by tomorrow, he'd take a look at it. So, I can not win. It's not bothering me at the moment, PTL. I still have the spot on my eye so we'll see what the dr says tomorrow. All I know is God is giving me such a testimony with all of this! This has been such a journey........wow.

Mom left tonight. I was so glad she was here for 2 days. Really glad she was here yesterday with everything I went through. I know she hates leaving and I wish she could stay longer but it's ok. I'm fine here by myself. And, God willing, I'll be coming home soon!!! My counts today were actually fairly good. Which could either be because A: I got platelets and blood yesterday or B: they're starting to come up. I' going with B and like I said, God is healing me and I will be going home soon!! We'll see what tomorrow's counts say!



*All things bright and beautiful You are
All things wise and wonderful You are
In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know that You are near is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

Weekend = ???

Well, this was a.....hard to say really. This entire week was just up and down with the testing and cultures they had to do......ugh. The greatest part of the week was finding out that Bri was my marrow match. And a PERFECT match at that!!! That, by far, was the greatest part of my week. But, this weekend was not the best. I had to have a total of 4 blood cultures done this week because at night, I would spike a fever of over 100 and they would kinda flip out. Well, by the 3rd and 4th culture, I was very annoyed. I told the dr the morning after culture #4 that the reason for the fevers was that my PICC was probably infected. If you recall, I had a hemed when I was first diagnosed that did the same thing as what the PICC was doing. I told the dr this info and finally today, she came in and said that they would take out the PICC today. Finally!! I also needed a unit of platelets and 2 units of blood today. I'm on my second unit right now. Taking the PICC out was not fun. They basically just pull it out of your arm as you take some deep breaths. Kinda sore. Then they re-accessed my port, and stabbed me in the hand to get another IV. My hand still hurts but I'll make due. I'm just glad to have that PICC line out. No more fevers or cultures!!! I had to have a CT scan today on my chest (to make sure there's no infection from the PICC) and also of my stomach (I've been having the worst stomaach pain). I had to drink this stuff that did NOT taste good lol. Praying that those results come back good. So, just been a rough week. My mom came last night. She got here about 845pm and says she isn't leaving until Monday. Which I'm very glad because I get kinda down and lonely and it's nice having her here. I am so ready to get out of here!! Which I know I probably say every blog but oh well. I miss my sister and my little newphews so bad. Yesterday was Brandt's 8th birthday. He's getting so big!! And Logan is so funny. And I'm sure Owen is getting big,. I miss working. The band went to state on Friday night and got a 1. WOOO HOOOOO!!!! Congratulations Dan and the band!!! I so wish I could've been there. I can't wait til next year when I'm cured. It is going to rock!!!! I miss my house!!! Granted, I've never slept there but still. It's home and not a hospital. God is healing me daily. I have no doubts about that. So, I will continue to praise God for everything He has done for me so far and continue to pray for my healing. We serve a mighty God and I am so thankful for that!
*What a Mighty God we serve, What a Mighty God we serve.
Angels bow before Him,Heaven and Earth adore Him
What a Mighty God we serve!!!!

quicky comin' at ya

Well the past fews days have not gotten better. I've had up and down days on how I feel. I've had to have 3 cultures done this week due to having low grade fevers. Last night was the most annoying because it was like 11pm and I just wanted to sleep!!! The night before I had a CAT scan (came back fine). I thought I was going to have a chest xray but they never came and got me so I forgot about it. WRONG!! They came and get me at ten til ten!! I was NOT happy. I missed the end of Idol!! And as far as i know, it came back fine as well. So, they're not finding any infections which is good but I'm getting sick of all this poking and prodding!! Today, my stomach is hurting very badly so they're checking both a urine and stool sample. Fun. Counts are stil the same.....just waiting it out. So, keep praying. Even though I'm getting so frustrated, I know God is still with me and is healing me. God is in control.