CANCER FREE!

It's official! We got the news today - her bone marrow biopsy came back clean. She is officially cancer free!
It has been an unbelievable roller coaster, an amazing 8 months and a life change experience. All of the things that everyone says are true.

There really aren't words to express what each and every thought, word, prayer, praise and hug meant to all of us. We love you and we wish each of you all the best, may none of you ever be in our shoes.

Love,
Amie

Survivor!

Yesterday was Mom's appointment in Portland to have a bone marrow biopsy and meet with Dr. Fleming again. Everything went really well! They say the biopsy is just to confirm what the blood tests are telling them - no signs of leukemia!
She'll be going to Dr. Lee's once a month for a year for blood work and back to Dr. Fleming in January for a check up. She should be going back to work for a few hours a day on Monday if all the paperwork gets finished. She's slowly feeling better and getting stronger.

How amazing!

ps - if you aren't doing anything on Saturday, join us at the courthouse for the Soroptimist Walk for the Cause, Run for A Life. It starts at 9am.

What a great week!

The past week has been so good for Mom. Dave and Kari came on Saturday morning. Kam and I picked up Kari and took her to the lake in Prineville with us and Dad and Mom picked up Dave and took him back to Albany. We got home Monday afternoon. Dave, Kari and Mom headed to the beach on Tuesday and came back Wednesday...they had a great time! This was just exactly what Mom needed - a distraction!
Anyway, Mom finished up the last of her antibiotics Tuesday morning. This morning Kam took her over to have the central line removed (it barely bled) and have blood drawn again. Then they had a doctors appt with Dr. Lee. Great news - everything looks good, the counts are rising quickly and Dr. Lee says she is now without restrictions. She can eat, play, sleep, work...whatever she wants as long as she takes it all a little at a time. She goes back to Portland on the 28th for (cross our fingers) the last bone marrow biopsy to be sure there are no signs of leukemia cells.
I am cautiously saying - she is in remission! (technically she's been in remission since she left the hospital in Portland but now I can say it and feel like I can mean it). I'm still having a hard time with saying that it's over. This has been a life changing experience for all of us. It has affected the course of our lives and I can't say the journey is over, its just changing paths again. Life moves on and we go about our daily business but I think we'll all always carry this with us.

First day home again

Mom's first appt was this morning at 9:30 and her friend Vikki took her over to Corvallis. Mom said the gals in the infusion room were really bubbly and nice and had no problem with her line, other than to ask why she had that rather than a regular port. Mom and Vikki went out for coffee after and then Mom spent the rest of the day at home, resting up. She sounds so much better already!
Tomorrow is her 62nd birthday and I'm so glad she'll be at home to celebrate it. Dr. Lee even told her she could go out for dinner, not sure where they are going to go yet...The kids made her cards before they left for Prineville with Kam and I'm going to drop them off for her at lunch. I'll be gone after tomorrow, so no more updates until next week. Have a great Labor Day weekend!

After a long day at the hospital she is finally at home. She needed platelets before she left so they were planning on her leaving around 1. But with the IV antibiotics she needs they ran into a snag - apparently the infusion room at the Corvallis hospital doesn't know how to use the central line in her neck and they didn't want anything to do with it. Unbelievable to me that the hospital could use something that another section of the hospital doesn't know how to use! And this isn't the infusion room at Dr. Lee's - its actually AT the hospital. I guess they don't usually let people go home with them in, so the only people who use the lines are the nurses on the floors. But anyway, Dr. Lee was so up in arms over it she threatened to come in to the infusion room and dose it herself every day. The funny thing to me is that they told Mom if she was comfortable with it, she could actually use the line herself and wouldn't have to come in to get the dose every day...so it can't be that hard to use. The infusion room finally agreed to do it and she's scheduled to go at 9:30 tomorrow for the first dose. And they decided she only has to do it until the 7th instead of the 10th.

They got home about 5:45pm tonight and she wanted pork chops and mashed potatoes for dinner...we'll see how that went. :)

Getting out soon, we think!

The doctors say all the cultures and bloodwork are coming back clear, no signs of infection which is great news. Her WBC is only at .5 right now and her platelets go up when she gets a unit and then head back down - but she is doing much better. They are talking about letting her go home tomorrow to finish recuperating there. She'll have to go back to the hospital every day for 10 days to continue receiving antibiotics in IV form. Her spirits are pretty low right now and they think it may be better for her to go home and be out of the hospital. So we'll see how it goes, they are checking on her insurance to make sure they'll pay for the antibiotics if she isn't admitted...
Kam and I went over tonight to see her and she looks a ton better but the central line in her neck is really bugging her and keeps bleeding so they are keeping an eye on that. She had dinner there but it didn't look like she ate much of it. Her brother Dave called while we were there and that sure perked her up, he'll be here on Saturday morning with his daughter Kari. They'll be here until the 9th and she is looking forward to their visit.

Well, she is making it through this setback. Slowly but surely she is starting to feel a little bit better. Had a little trouble with her central line bleeding during the night but they did finally get it to stop. She had some yogurt in the afternoon which was the first real food she's eaten all week. The doctors think maybe Tuesday her blood counts will be high enough for her to leave the hospital but we'll have to just wait and see. She is really getting tired of being in the hospital - kinda cranky about it so I hope she can get out soon.
The girls and I went over and cleaned the house today so I should only have to run over there on Thursday or Friday to finish getting ready for Dave and Kari to come on Saturday.

Yesterday

Mom had the port removed around 2 yesterday afternoon. Everything with that went fine and she was feeling better, still with a fever but it was lower than it has been. She has an IV in her left arm but they needed to get another going in her other arm and her veins are all collapsed and weak and they stuck her a bunch of times. They finally decided that she needed a central line in her neck so she ended up back in surgery to have that put in. I guess it can stay in for up to 2 weeks and then will need to be removed, she didn't know if they would take it out before she leaves the hospital but I assume that they will. It is apparently a really easy procedure, said she was back in her room in about 15 minutes. She is really, really tired, all of this was pretty hard on her.
We still don't know when she'll be getting out of the hospital. We have to wait on the fever to go away and her blood counts to come back up, they are still really low.

The port is coming out

Well, they now think that the port is what is causing the infections each time. They aren't sure why but all things seem to point at it, so they are taking it out about noon tomorrow. She doesn't really need it now anyway, she has an IV in her arm. She still has the fever and she has to go under to have the port removed, so I'm a bit nervous about that. Dr. Lee seems confident that this will help and she will soon be on the road to getting out of the hospital.

Yesterday was about the same for Mom. She is still fighting the fever, up and down with the meds...I did talk to her a couple of times and she was mostly able to keep up with the conversations but I don't know if she'll remember them today. Dr. Lee said that she has the same infection as before and they don't know how or where she keeps getting it. Could be literally from anything.
So, we're just waiting for the medicine to fight off the infection for her and get that temp to stay down.

A little more info...

I went to see Mom this afternoon. Her fever is hovering around 103. She is on oxygen and some very strong antibiotics. She always has trouble with leg cramps when her counts are low, which is due to a lack of potassium. They have her taking a bunch of pills daily but with her going to the hospital in the middle of the night it looks like they got missed today and she is having a lot of pain in her legs. They have those leg stimulator things on her again but I can't really say they help much. I hope they got her on IV potassium after I left tonight.
She wants to go home so bad. Keeps saying she didn't ask for this...trying to tell us she'd be home tomorrow. I think we're all getting tired of seeing the inside of those hospital walls so I can't begin to understand what she thinks when she's in there.
They took a blood culture this morning but we won't have results back until tomorrow afternoon so we don't know what we're fighting for sure yet. Dad said they told him they would do another culture on Thursday to see if the antibiotics are doing their job.
That's about all I know for now...will check on her in the morning again.

In the hospital again

Well, we were so hopeful that she would make it through this time without having an infection but she ended up in the hospital early this morning. Dad said he took her in about 2am and had to leave about 5 to go home and go to work. He is trying to get caught up at work so he can leave again and head back to the hospital. I guess her temp was up around 104, not sure how she is doing or anything right now. Will find out more later this afternoon.

It's Friday already! Mom is doing really well! Kam took her to get blood work on Monday and Wednesday...Wednesday afternoon she got platelets. She has been feeling really good this week. Last night Rachel spent the night with them so she'd have someone at home in case she started feeling bad...this morning Kam and Rachel took her for blood work again. She just got some platelets and will be admitted at noon for 2 units of blood. She should be out by 8pm or so tonight and back home. Jessika is spending the night tonight so she has someone with her tomorrow while Dad is at work. When she gets a fever she gets really sick, really fast and we need someone there to watch her and call to get her to the hospital, she really can't do it on her own...

But we are certainly hopeful that she will get through this treatment without an infection and start feeling better again by the end of next week.

We got some really exciting news yesterday. Her brother Dave and his daughter Kari are coming for a visit! They'll be here from the 4th to 9th of September. For both Mom's and his birthdays! The last time Dave was here was for my wedding in 1994 and I think the last time we saw them was in 2001... (Mom and Dad may have been back there once since then but I can't remember for sure) so we are really excited!

Home again!

She broke free this morning sometime. When I called they were waiting on the IV nurse to come take it out and then they could leave, everything was done. I think they probably left about 10 or so. Kam is taking her over to get her WBC shot and have blood drawn in the morning...then we're on the downhill slide for the next week or so. We're just really praying that she makes it through this time without any set backs.
She is feeling pretty good right now, says she's better this time that she felt at this point in treatment last time. So maybe she won't have such a hard downhill battle this time.

The week's half over...

Well we are so close now! She is doing really well so far. The kids and I went over to see her Tuesday evening and had a nice visit. Then Wednesday they moved her to her own room (2405) so at least she has some privacy now...Today she said she is really tired but otherwise feeling ok...having a little nausea but it's been worse. So we've got 2 1/2 more days in the hospital and then home again to recuperate.

Back at it again!

So Mom is all checked in to the hospital again. This time in room 2417, with a roommate. We'll hope they move her before the week is over. She's just kind of resigned to being there...but really looking forward to making this the last time.
The kids and I are going over to see her tomorrow after work. She should still be feeling good, it's usually the 3rd day that the chemo starts kicking in.

Mom and Dad said they had a great time camping this weekend. I'm really glad they took the weekend and got out of town. I'm hoping they might get another weekend in before the end of the summer, but we'll see.

So much for making plans...

Dr. Lee called and asked Mom to come in for a blood test today to see where she's at and when they should schedule the next chemo treatment. She said that Dr. Fleming is really pushing for sooner not later and they were kind of at a stand off over when to get started again.

So Mom went in and had blood drawn and Dr. Lee said that if her platelets were at least 50 they could go ahead with chemo next week but was thinking they would be in the 30-40 range and she would need to have blood drawn again on Thursday.

About 6:00 tonight she called Mom back and said the platelets are just over 80! That's up from 29 on Tuesday last week. So Mom has this weekend of freedom, which they are taking advantage of by going camping with Dick and Marjean, and then it's back to the hospital on Monday. It's hard to believe that we are already looking at this last(we pray) treatment.

Someone said a couple weeks ago that they prayed for a sense of normalcy for us...it's amazing at what becomes "normal". I'm having a hard time with thinking ahead, of what could be "normal" for us soon. All I can see is the fight that we've been in...and I don't want to get ahead of this process. I don't know if I'll ever be able to be rid of that sense of fear and move on from this.

Another check up in Portland

Tuesday was time again to go up to Portland to meet with the doctor there. He was very pleased with her progress. Her blood counts are steadily moving up even though her platelets are still pretty low at about 29. I asked what he said about the infections and he just kind of shrugged his shoulders and said some people end up in the hospital every time and some don't ever get an infection. So he wasn't concerned about it. He said that Mom could go back in for the last chemo anytime in August but I think we are sticking with sometime around the 15th of August. We'll see what Dr. Lee says after getting this doctor's assessment back.
Her next appointment in Portland is September 28th. This is when they'll do the bone marrow biopsy and we'll know if she's done with treatment. That is assuming that all goes well between now and then. So, we can see the finish line just have a few more hurdles to jump first.

Mom is really feeling much better. She took the kids to town yesterday for lunch and to do a little shopping. After they came back out to our house and did a little swimming...she was still here when I got home from work. They all had a really good time.

On the way up!

Yesterday Mom headed back over for blood tests at Dr. Lee's office. She is doing really well now. Her WBC was over 3.0. Her platelets are still low at 21 but are at least on their way up.
This morning Mom and Dad ran some errands, had breakfast out and even went to the farmers' market. They bought fresh fruit and veggies...then this afternoon we went over there and had bbq burgers and potato salad and fresh green salad. She said it was yummy! Dad said she finished her whole plate at breakfast and he thought it was just because she was so excited to eat something besides his cooking or packaged food. :)

She goes back to Portland on Tuesday for a check up and then shouldn't have to go back to the doctor until the 13th of August provided everything goes smoothly between now and then. It's looking like the 15th of August or so for the last round of chemo.

We giggled over her hair today - she's got just a little bit of white, white stubble now. Not sure if its going to stay or fall out again...she was just getting enough eyelashes back to actually see them again but she said they are starting to fall out now. She said there were 2 women in the infusion room yesterday that are on their last rounds of chemo (for different types of cancer) and they both had at least an inch or so of hair...Mom is just hoping she has enough for family pictures this fall but I said it didn't matter, hats are cute!

She's home again!

I keep forgetting to update this for some reason...she got home Tuesday afternoon. She said Dr. Lee was so excited for her to go home, told the nurses to hurry up and get the paperwork done so Mom could leave. :)
Her WBC was at .9 on Tuesday so she is still on a restricted diet and not going out in public yet, but at least we are on the way back up!
She was feeling pretty good last night, had done a little cleaning in the kitchen, but is still really tired and can only be up and about for 10-15 minutes at a time...but this is the cycle we go through each time.

Thank you to those who have sent books for her to read, she should be good for a little while now. :)

I took Kasey and Rachel over to see Mom this afternoon...Kasey brought "Guess Who" with him so they played that while she ate lunch. She is doing really good! One of the infections doctors stopped in while we were there and said that her infection is gone and they are just waiting on her WBC to come up. It had marginally improved but is still basically at 0.00 He is thinking that Dr. Lee will probably want to give her some sort of shot that boosts bone marrow production to try to give her body a little help in getting those counts up. She is on a liquid diet and doing pretty well in keeping things down now. We're just in a holding pattern for now, until she can get to producing those white cells again...

She's had a few visitors over the last few days and has really enjoyed that. Makes the days go by a little faster for her...she says she's really tired of talk shows and re-runs. :) If anyone has some new movies I bet she'd enjoy borrowing those too...

Just saw this article on Yahoo and thought I'd share it...oh how I wish that no one would have to go through this!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100718/ap_en_ot/us_broadway_child_actor_leukemia

Today

Well, the fever did not stay gone and she is pretty darn worn out but she is still hanging in there. She sounded a little "down" today, more so than yesterday, but I take that as a good sign - at least she cares she's in there now, before she was so sick she didn't care where she was. The doctors say the infection is gone and she won't have to have any other blood cultures. She's still on antibiotics and was receiving a bag of platelets when I talked to her tonight. I think that makes 5 bags of red blood and 3 platelets now.
She's still hoping she'll be out of there before the weekend is over; I think it'll be closer to Monday or Tuesday but we'll see.

The latest...

I talked with Mom last night after work and she was doing a little better. Her fever had come back strong yesterday afternoon but then it seemed to break and was down to 97.9 around 5pm. They have taken her off one of the antibiotics as they don't think she needs both, her blood culture from the day before seems to have come back clear and they think the infection is about gone. Her WBC is still at 0.00 so she won't be getting out of the hospital any time too soon but I think we are again on the way up.

She is in need of some different books to read so if anyone has a few they'd be willing to share please either call me or drop some off at my house or their house. :)

Thanks for the support and prayers, we love you!

Today's update

Well lets see what I know now...
Mom said she took her temp on Sunday night before bed and it was about 99.4 but she went to bed and slept all night. When she woke up in the morning she had the chills and a temp of 101something. They were over to the hospital a little after 6 and in ICU by 9. She said she didn't know where she was yesterday until they told her today.

Dad went to see her this morning and she was still in ICU. He didn't know a whole lot more than yesterday but she DOES have an infection and is on oxygen.
I called at 11:00 and she had been moved from ICU to another floor but I wasn't able to talk to the nurses as they were just getting her settled into her room and were busy. I was able to get off work at 4 and headed over to the hospital. I called on my way to get a room number and found out she had been moved again. Back to "our" wing in 2SW where she usually stays while in the hospital. She is a bit more stable now than yesterday. She was asleep when I got there but was able to sit and stay awake for the 45 minutes I was there.

I walked out about 5:15 and was talking with the nurse when Dad walked by me and headed to her room...So the nurses tell us that she has an infection and they think it is the same type she had last time and they are fighting it with the same meds. Her fever is still running pretty rampant, was up to 104.8 during the day today and is still up around 102.5 late this afternoon. She has received 4 units of blood and 1 unit of platelets. The nurse was waiting for a call back from Dr. Lee to see if they should give her another platelet tonight or wait until tomorrow morning. They did an EKG today but looks like it came back normal so that is good.
Her arm looks like hell. With the lack of platelets she bruises easily and they bruised the living crap out of her arm...it is about the worst bruise I've ever seen. I took a picture on my cell phone of it, it's really bad! I guess Dr. Lee got very upset about it and yelled at the nurses in ICU, good for her!
She'll be in the hospital probably for at least a week. They can't let her out until her fever is gone for at least 24 hours without meds, and they won't let her out until her WBC and neutrophils are up to safe levels again.
She is on oxygen and is having a hard time breathing and is on liquid potassium, saline and antibiotics. But all in all, I think she is doing ok. She seemed ok and I feel better having been able to go see her today.

Keep praying for her!

Cancer sucks!

Chemo is the worst means to an end that I can possibly think of. It isn't fair that the medicine that can save you can be the worst part of the illness. I can't begin to scream out how much I despise what this chemo is doing to her.

Mom is back in the hospital. Dad took her in about 6 this morning with a 102.3 fever. By 9am she had been admitted to ICU with a blood pressure of 87/31. Things have been a roller coaster today. She has received 2 (or maybe 3 now) units of whole blood, 1 unit of platelets, 4 different types of antibiotics and at least 2 bags of saline. They don't believe she has an infection, although they have taken blood samples for testing but instead think that her blood counts dropped too low over the weekend. She got a unit of platelets last Thursday(Kam spent that day with her at the infusion room) but wasn't scheduled to go back in for more blood tests until today. You would think that by now they would know that she can't go 4 days without blood but what do I know...
Anyway, we'll know more tomorrow but for now she is mostly sleeping and trying to fight to get the fever under control. When I talked to Dad about 6:15 her blood pressure was up to 104/45 and her fever was down to just over 100.

So tonight we'll pray again for healing for Mom and knowledge for the doctors and nurses and other teams taking care of her.

Independence Day!

Yesterday really was independence day for Mom. She was able to leave the hospital yesterday morning and we went over and spent several hours at lunch time. We ate lunch and sat on the back porch and enjoyed the great weather.
She is really pretty good, much better so far than last time. But the doctor says this may be the longest recovery time and it's possible that it may be the end of August before we can even do the next treatment. That would push the bone marrow biopsy to the end of September. So we'll just have to play it day by day and see how the month goes.
For now she's at home resting and enjoying this sunshine(finally).

So much better this time around!

Well it's Friday already. This week has flown by for me. For Mom I think the week has dragged by but she is doing really well. Wednesday she was fighting nausea but they changed her meds a little and it has really helped keep it under control. The girls and I went over to see her after work tonight and she is looking really good. I told her that she looks so much better this Friday than the Friday from the last round...so now we all need to get together and remind her to STAY AT HOME for the first 2 weeks after treatment. She thinks as long as she's feeling ok she should be able to go out and about...ugh!

Anyway, she should be out of the hospital on Sunday morning sometime and Cale's family and my family are headed over there for a BBQ in the afternoon as long as she continues to feel well and none of us get sick between now and then.

Chemo round four

Well, this is the 2nd to the last round. She got there this morning and they started chemo about noon today. She'll be there until Saturday night/Sunday morning.
She's currently in room 2403 which is a private room, but who knows if she'll get to stay there all week or not.
So far she's doing ok, said she had some back spasms and leg pain today but they gave her "something" and it was feeling better. Not sure what happened but hoping its just a one time thing.

A few questions answered, I hope. :)

I've been asked a few times now - whats in fruit and veggies and flowers that she can't have. The answer is not what's IN them but whats ON them. Bacteria collects on them and when she touches them she can get sick. She "could" eat a banana or other fruit that has a hard skin but cannot touch the food until it has been washed with anti bacterial soap and peeled by someone else. Yeast and mold and other bacteria can grow in the dirt of flowers or in the water in vases and become airborn and make her sick.

The second question I get alot is what do the blood count numbers mean...
A normal person has a white blood count of between 4500 -10,000 (or 4.5 to 10.0). When mom first went to OHSU her WBC was in the 40,000 to 50,000 range because that is where the leukemia cells grow.
White blood cells are made up of several types of cells with the largest percentage being neutrophils and lymphocytes.
Neutrophils are the first response team - they do the actual work of fighting infection, they are the first to arrive on scene. In a normal person the range is between 2500 to 7000 (or 2.5 to 7.0).
Lymphocytes also help fight infection and range from 1700-3500(1.7 to 3.5) in a normal person.

Chemotherapy drugs kill blood cells to give the body a chance to create new healthy cells instead of the sick ones. Chemo cannot differentiate between the healthy cells and the sick ones so it kills them all. The body produces new cells all the time which is why they can give chemo to you and it doesn't kill you (as long as it is given in the correct dosage).
What this means is that temporarily the blood cell levels get down to dangerous levels until the body has a chance to recover. With Mom's first infection her WBC was down to .2 (or 200) and her neutrophils were at .00.

Platelets (what helps the body clot blood) are the final key indicator...in a normal person levels range from 150,000 to 450,000. After chemo Mom's levels have gotten down to 6000, anything below 10,000 and you can bleed out and die. This is why we don't leave the infusion room without finding out if she needs platelets and why Dr. Lee fights so hard with the blood bank to get them for her.

So hopefully that gives some perception on those things.

Back for more chemo

Mom had another blood draw this morning. Her numbers are moving up steadily now and her platelets are over 100. This means that she is well enough to have chemo on Monday, so she'll be headed back to Corvallis for treatment again. Another 6 days of chemo, 2x a day, stuck in the hospital again. At least this moves us one step closer to being done with this process...

new photos

I uploaded some new pictures today. For some reason the slideshow isn't working right so here is a link to them on flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7288844@N08/sets/72157624306365800/

Phew, what a month this has been...I started my new job at Allied Waste on the 8th (which is going good, very busy and lots to learn but I'm getting there). We've had 3 birthdays (Rachel turned 12 on the 8th, Kam turned 36 on the 13th and Jessika turned 14 on the 14th), an 8th grade graduation and this week is the first of four weeks of interviews for our church Pastor (I've been on the Call Committee since last September and we're finally to the interview stage). Jessika leaves for Washington DC on Sunday and Kam starts school on Monday...busy, busy, busy! Mom has been doing really well - going to church, coming to the birthday parties and just enjoying being able to go out and about a little.

Mom had another blood test on Monday, her platelets were still on the low side at 78 so Dr. Lee has decided not to do chemo next week. Instead she'll be going in on the 28th. We're headed to the Relay for Life event at West Albany High School tonight to see all the luminaries, hopefully I can get some good pictures.

I pray daily for comfort and healing and strength for everyone who has this horrible journey to take. For our friends Renee and Jon and for the Rupperts who have recently lost their loved ones to cancer, I pray for you to find comfort and joy in life, to remember the good times and not the bad. Love to you all! Amie

OHSU appointment

Yesterday was Mom's check up with the doctor at OHSU. She had blood drawn again and her numbers are improving but slowly. Her neutrophil # is 1.65 and should be at least 1.8 for her to eat and move about freely...her platelets are now at 51, they want at least 80 before the next round of chemo. Her WBC is 3.1 which is up substantially...Dr. Lee had called last week and let him know that we wanted to postpone chemo until after the 16th, which he said wasn't a problem, in fact she probably wouldn't have been ready for it by the 14th anyway. It's looking like it will probably be the 21st when she goes back in. I asked if he was mad about the infection and he just said well, most people end up back in the hospital 3 out of the 4 consolidation therapy rounds so we'll just hope that it's only 2 out of 4...

Otherwise she is doing really well...feeling good but tired still. She said she is tired of being tired. :) So, she's up for visitors now as long as you are healthy...just give her a call before stopping by.

Rachel's birthday

Tuesday is Rachel's birthday and Mom has been upset about not being able to participate in the party festivities this year. (Kam and Jessika's birthdays are the 13th and 14th too). So Mom talked Dad into bringing her out to the house tonight for a little while to visit and watch Rachel open her presents during her birthday party. We had a fire going in the backyard and the kids were all playing outside with the unexpected good weather. It was so nice to sit out there and visit with Mom and see her laugh at Jessika and Madison being teenage girls and Rachel and her friends playing volleyball and Kasey and his friend playing in the pool...finally a moment of normality.
She was only able to stay about 45 minutes before she had enough and needed to go home, but it was so nice...in fact, it was the first time that Jessika and Kasey have seen her since Joyce was here at the end of April...

Doing better

Mom has been doing well the last couple of days. She is very, very tired but that is expected after what she went through last week. I took her to the doctor's today. Her blood counts are increasing. WBC was 1.5, neutrophils at .9 and platelets at 15. Dr. Lee decided not to give her any blood products and believes she is past the worst of it for this round. She's still on antibiotics and potassium but that's it for now. She goes back to OHSU next Tuesday to see Dr. Fleming again. Then back to the lab on Monday the 14th for blood work again...depending on her counts that day either she'll go back on the 18th and then in for chemo again on the 21st OR she'll go back for blood tests on the 23rd and in for chemo on the 28th.
She was very excited to hear that she'll be able to go to Jessika's promotion ceremony and have some time to be around the kids again. She's feeling very down in the dumps right now, not depressed but sad about how much she's missed this spring. I've been taking lots of video but its just not the same. So hopefully we'll get a little break and get to enjoy spending some time together, not just talking about chemo and cancer and blood and insurance...

SHE'S HOME!!!

She was able to go home this morning. Dad left work and went to pick her up so she has been relaxing and enjoying being at home this afternoon. She is doing pretty well, Cale and Rheanna and Gary are over there now helping keep her company while Dad is at work. They were even able to get her to eat a little soup.
Not sure what the plan is from here, we've got to wait until tomorrow to talk with Dr. Lee. We're hoping that they won't want to start her next chemo until around the 20th of June, to give her a good long time to heal. (and so she can go to Jessika's 8th grade graduation ceremony on the 16th).

Finally some better news

Friday I talked to Mom in the morning and they had decided that they were going to go ahead and remove the port just in case as they really couldn't find anything else that could be causing the fever and infection to keep returning. So they were trying to get a team together (on a holiday weekend) to do the surgery yesterday. In the meantime, Rachel and Dad headed over there to spend some time with her in the afternoon. Apparently, Dr. Lee finally got Mom's blood tests results for Saturday back and was frantically calling the hospital/nurses/surgeons to cancel the surgery as her numbers are finally starting to rise to safe levels...she even called Mom's cell phone to tell her to NOT let them wheel her in for surgery, just in case she couldn't get ahold of the right people to get it canceled in time...so anyway, they have decided that it isn't necessary to remove the port and her fever has now been gone for about 48 hours and her platelets, WBC and RBC numbers are moving in the right direction and she seems to be getting better finally.
Today she is feeling a bit better, just having a hard time with eating as nothing tastes good and is hard to force down.
We are hoping that they may let her out of the hospital tomorrow, or possibly on Tuesday...she is so ready to be home again.

ugh...

Well if I had updated this last night I would have said that we were on the road to recovery. The CT scan did not show anything and she was starting to feel better....but today her fever came back and she isn't feeling well again. They have decided to do another chest xray tomorrow because she definitely has a rattle in her lungs and they can't decide if it is "anything" or "nothing to worry about". So for now she's stuck in the hospital indefinitely. I'm really hoping that her fever is short-lived and she's back on the road to recovery soon.

Better today...

Her fever broke yesterday late afternoon and has stayed down all night and into this morning. They decided to do a CT scan last night to see if they had missed anything. She has been coughing and having a little shortness of breath, plus on Monday some of the nurses noticed a little raspiness when they listened to her lungs. When I called this morning they didn't have the results of the scan back yet so we're still waiting...but I'm holding out hope that the little switch in antibiotics they made yesterday did the trick and we are on the road to recovery now.
It's been a tough week but maybe she'll be out of the hospital by Friday and that should lift her spirits.

not much new news...

I wish I had more of an update today...but really I pretty much know what I did yesterday. She is still fighting the fever and not feeling well. They think they have 3 basic possible scenarios for what kind of infection she has. It could be from what she ate, it could be from a sore she has on her lip or it could be from her port. So they have taken a bunch of blood and are doing cultures on everything so we have to wait for the cultures which can take 24 hours or so. If it is the port, they will need to remove it.
If they are not able to get the fever down and keep it down without meds, they will most likely move her to ICU until they can get her stabilized. She is not aware of this possibility as she is already upset about having to be in the hospital. She is still holding out hope that she could go home tomorrow which just isn't going to happen.
I wasn't able to talk to her this evening, so not sure how it has developed but at 3:45 she didn't know anything more. Hopefully we'll know more in the morning.
I hate the nights because I feel out of the loop and am worried about her being OK overnight. It's a long time to go without contact with her or the hospital and a lot can happen.

Infection update

So Mom has been fighting this fever since Saturday morning. I talked with Dad this morning early and he said they had not been able to get it under control and that we won't know more about where the infection came from until tomorrow.
After church this morning I called back and he said that the fever had broken and they THINK that the infection is from a meal they had on Friday night - take out. Dr. Lee was very emphatic that they do NOT eat out or have meals brought in for the first two weeks after treatment from now on. She will need to have all meals cooked at the house and no veggies/fruit/flowers start as soon as she leaves the hospital after chemo.

I talked with Mom tonight about 9 and she said the fever is back. She got the chills right after Dad left late afternoon and they haven't been able to get it under control again. She is not sounding very good at all...very shaky and weak. So I guess for now, we just have to wait and leave it in the hands of God and the doctors to help her get through this.

Another infection

Well, Mom ended up back in the hospital this morning with a 103.8 temp...I don't know a whole lot, just talked to Dad on the phone after I got off work. She has another infection and they are treating her with IV antibiotics and gave her some sort of shot to try to fight it off. Will try to get some more info tonight and find out exactly what is going on. This sucks!

More blood

Well Millie took Mom over to have blood work done this morning. She needed two units of blood so she was admitted to the hospital for the day and will get the blood over the next six hours. She should be able to go home tonight around 9 or so if they got her started by 1. I may go get her after I get off work or Dad may get her if it doesn't get too late. While they were over in Corvallis I was able to get over and clean their house again, so at least she'll come home to a clean house tonight.
She said she is feeling a little better, food still tastes funny but at least it is staying down.

New look

Well, the hair is gone. Mom's got a new look. I went over today and shaved off what little she had left, the pile was less than I have when I get a trim...it was really getting to be more of a nuisance for her, coming off in clumps and getting all over the place. So I took over my clippers and scissors and now its gone. It was tough. But she looks cute in her hats!

I've been slacking in getting any updates done but she got out of the hospital on Sunday morning. She hasn't been feeling well at all this time around, lots of stomach cramping and nausea and tiredness. Today was a little better. I took her over for blood tests this afternoon and she had to get a bag of platelets. Her WBC is down to .2 and her neutrophil # is .1 - so back to no flowers/fruits/vegetables and staying away from people. We had quite a long afternoon over there, the blood bank was being stingy with the platelets, said emergency patients only. So Dr. Lee had to get on the phone and tell them that Mom WAS an emergency and we needed it NOW. Her appt was at 1:30 and we finally got the platelets at 4:40...left the office at a little before 6. Made for a very long afternoon for her, I hope she ate some dinner and then laid down.

Anyway, emotionally she's hanging in there. She's sad that she's missing out on so many of the things the kids are doing. We're not sure if she's going to get to see Jessika's confirmation on Sunday or not. She says she's going to sneak in and watch from the back, but I told her that we need to play it by ear and see how she's feeling that day. My Aunt Sheri and Uncle Mike(dad's brother) are coming from Nebraska on Saturday for a week, so she really wants to be feeling well enough to visit with them. Anyway, she said it seems silly to miss all this stuff, she doesn't really need to, and I said um, yes you DO! We'd rather have her miss one year's worth of stuff than forever, tough to say...

Almost done again...

Well only one more full day in the hospital and we'll have another round of chemo under the belts...Mom has definitely been feeling the effects this time around. Lots of nausea and tiredness...they've been giving her anti-nausea meds to cut down on it some but she still isn't feeling really great. I was able to get over there yesterday and spend a little time with her but not today and won't be able to tomorrow, so we'll have to wait to see her again after she gets home from the hospital on Sunday.
Dr. Lee says that her blood counts are doing better this time so we're hopeful that she won't need as much blood or platelets as last time. She is also better prepared and will be monitoring things more closely so hopefully Mom won't need to go to the hospital for large amounts, just in the infusion room with a bag at a time.
Next week looks to be very busy with trips for blood tests and check ups again.

Chemo is kicking in again...

Mom has been feeling pretty good so far but the chemo is starting to kick in again. Today she had a little bit of nausea and is feeling really tired, and bored...with me working I haven't been able to get over to see her and keep her occupied during the day so the days are dragging by for her.

So we're getting there - August feels like a long ways away but really it isn't, June is almost here already and then July and then we should be done with this nasty chemo crap.

Round 3

Well this morning was the beginning of round 3 of chemo. Mom and Dad went to the hospital about 7am and by 9:15 she was being wheeled in to have her port installed. I made it over there about 9:45 and Dad and Dave Olson were sitting in the waiting room. By 10 they had called to say she was being moved to recovery; by 10:30 Dad and I were up in her room with her. She was wide awake and doing great. No pain, just hungry. :)
Dad left to head to work and I stayed until about 1:15. About 1:45 they got her first dose of chemo going, she will do another round of 1 dose every 12 hours for six days. So she should be out of the hospital next Sunday.

In other news...
Kam started a job today. He is working for Advanced Mechanical in Brownsville. This is temporary thing for now but we are very hopeful they will like him and keep him on in a more permanent position. There is even a possibility that he could get into an apprenticeship program with them, on the job training type of thing with the ability to earn a millwright card at the end of two years, so we are very hopeful!

I was also offered a job today. I am going to be working part time at Bing's Kitchen restaurant in Lebanon as a waitress. Not my forever job, but its money in our pocket as my unemployment is set to run out (with no further extensions) at the end of this month. I'll be working evenings and weekends, which in some ways is a blessing as I'll still be able to take Mom to doctor's appts and run errands and go to school functions during the day and work in the evenings...

It really is a world where its not what you know but who you know...without the help and caring of some really terrific people neither of us would have these opportunities for work. While neither of them "fix" our financial situation, they certainly bring hope that things are turning around. So thank you Chad and Chonda, Tami and Sara - we love you!

Car Show Benefit

Albany Wheel & Exhaust/B & B Speed Shop hosts:

Get Together 2010
a Benefit Car Show for Karen Wetzel
Saturday May 22, 2010
4pm - ???
at the corner of 10th & Geary in Albany

BBQ with Dogs, salads, chips, pop
Custom Exhaust Raffle
Live Music

All for generous donations to support Bill & Karen's hospital expenses

(Big, big thanks to Mike Brenneman and family for hosting this event)

Nice break this week

Mom has been doing really well! She has been able to go to church, go to a couple of meetings and even sing at choir practice. She's been out and about town and doing a little visiting, she even stopped by our house today and got to sit and visit with my mother-in-law and the kids. Its been a great week, which makes it so much harder to see Monday coming around.
This week has been great for us too, I've been able to concentrate on things around the house and stay home during the day and relax a little, we're even getting out of town to do some camping with friends. A much needed break for us all.

Amazing what a week will do

Mom is doing sooo much better this week. She had a doctor's appt on Friday and her blood counts were really good. Her WBC is up over 4. Her platelets were 141 and her neutrophils were 2.something...so she is feeling much better, her energy is coming back and she has a whole week off. She'll be going in on May 10th to have her port installed. As soon as that is done she'll be admitted for chemo and we'll start this process all over again.

Friday night she was able to get out of the house and have dinner at Dick & Marjean's...then Saturday morning they went out for breakfast and did a little visiting. Last night they went to a 60th birthday party. I'm guessing that today she is wiped out and will need a little down time but its really great that she can have some "normal" time, that we can all take a little break from the treatment.

Better news today

They finally figured out what kind of infection she has...it is a rare bacterial infection that I think was called "stephanomonas" and they had to have an infection specialist come in and verify their findings...Dr. Lee wasn't sure of the correct dosage for antibiotics and had to wait to have that verified as well.
So finally about 3 this afternoon they decided Mom could leave the hospital. Joyce and I were there so we helped her get her stuff together and by 4:30 we were out of there. Really she is feeling pretty well and was so thankful she could go home.
Kasey and Jessika had games tonight so I left Mom and Joyce back at home, dropped off her prescriptions and went to the games. Afterward we headed back to Mom and Dad's and brought some crockpot stew with us and got to enjoy a final meal with Joyce who is headed home tomorrow after a week here...Mom was pretty disappointed that she had to spend 3 days in the hospital while Joyce was here, but nothing we could do about it. I tried to keep her as occupied as I could. :)
Anyway, we are taking her up to the airport tomorrow then back to see Dr. Lee on Friday for a check up and to set up a time for the port to be "installed". Looks like this infection is only going to set us back about 2 weeks which all in all isn't so bad.

Sunday again

Well another week has begun. Each day brings new and different joys and pains and unexpectedness. I've learned alot in the past few months. I've have had many lessons reaffirmed the least of which is to never be surprised by the generosity of others. Last night's fundraiser was successful beyond my imagination. We had over 100 people come to support my parents. Each was generous and kind and thoughtful in so many ways. I was perhaps most stunned to see the young man whom Wayne and Debbie helped with a previous benefit. He does not know my parents; he came only to pay it forward. He and his parents are special, special people. It was overwhelming the love in that room last night. And not only did we raise alot of money, we had fun and joy and laughter when lately those have been few and far between. It is a night I will never forget.

I know that my mom and dad do not have the words to express their gratitude and appreciation and love for each person who took the time to be there.

Mom is hanging in there. They were not able to give us any more information today. The blood tests are not completed, we're hoping for tomorrow morning. So Mom is stuck in the hospital for at least one more night. Another lesson I've learned is to just (in the words of Paul McCartney) Let it Be, so we'll see what tomorrow brings, tomorrow.

Good night all and God Bless You!

Infection

Well unfortunately I don't have good news to report. Mom has an infection in her PICC line. For those that don't know, it is an intravenous line that runs from your inner arm to your heart through a vein. They use this to both draw blood samples and deliver chemo, blood and other IV products so they don't have to "stick" her every time. This has been a concern of ours since the minute she left OHSU. We have no way of knowing how the infection started but the end result is that the line was removed this morning. Joyce, Dad, Rheanna and I were all there when Dr. Lee came in to talk about what was going on...basically all treatment is on hold until the infection is cleared up, hopefully will only take a few weeks but they are waiting for the final blood work to come back to know for sure what we are looking at...possibly E Coli but not sure yet. We do know that it is not a yeast infection which is a very good thing as it takes a year before treatment can be restarted...and we don't have a year to wait. Dr. Lee was very good to Mom today, rubbing her hair and reassuring her that she will be fine, that she will make it through this. Most likely she will remain on antibiotics for the next several weeks(hopefully she will at least be able to come home tomorrow or Monday but unsure right now), and then she will have a port or portacath(a small medical appliance that is installed under the skin with a catheter that connects the port to a vein and is used for the same reasons as a PICC line.) installed and treatment can resume next month sometime. According to Dr. Lee ports are less likely to get infected and do not have to be flushed and cleaned as often as a PICC line.

Needless to say, Mom was pretty upset. First because she is stuck in the hospital again, second because she was doing so well a few days ago and third because well, it just sucks! And it's scary and depressing and all those other things...we just don't know what is going to happen now. The whole "routine" is thrown out the window until this is taken care of. We don't know for sure she'll be able to continue to receive the chemo and if she can, when...

So, I'm home for a little while now but gotta go get ready for the big party tonight. She wants to be sure that everyone knows she's thinking of them, she loves them and is so overwhelmed by all the love and support she has received. She's sorry she can't come tonight, she really wanted to be there...but we'll go and we'll have fun and take lots of pictures and maybe even raise a little money to help them out. But for me, its so much more important that she knows how much everyone cares, just how much everyone is pulling and praying for her to come through this. And that's why I want this night to be successful.

Bad day today...

Yesterday Mom was feeling great. All of us(Cale's family too) went out to the house for dinner and she was doing well, just a little tired after a long day. I didn't call this morning as I figured she and Joyce would call me if they needed anything and I had some things to take care of at home today.
About 2 my dad called from work and asked if I could head over there...Mom had developed a fever over night and wasn't feeling very good today. He said she spiked to 102.5 in the middle of the night and had chills and the shakes a couple times today. But she was being stubborn about calling the doctor because the fever would go down after taking some Tylenol...well, by the time I got there she had called the doctor. She told us to go over to the Corvallis ER and she would meet us there.
We got over there and into an ER room about 3:30. They took several blood samples to run tests and do a culture on, plus a chest x-ray and urine sample. Her temp was up to 104.5 for several hours and she was having BAD leg cramps and chills. She was shaking so bad her teeth would chatter. They gave her Tylenol about 5:30 but she wasn't able to keep them down. (If you haven't seen the vomit bags in the hospitals, I gotta say they are about the coolest invention I've seen, wish I had some to put by the kids' beds). About 6:30 Dr. Lee got there (who had a very sad story to tell about a patient she lost today) and they tried to give her some potassium pills for the leg cramps but they didn't go down well either. They finally got the IV antibiotics going about 6:30. All of the tests so far have come back normal so they aren't sure what is wrong with her, said we might know more tomorrow after the culture is completed. In the meantime, she has to stay in the hospital and will continue to receive IV antibiotics every 8 hours or so. We finally were able to move out of the ER and into a room at 8. Dad came over about 8:30 and Joyce and I left at 9. Not sure how long Dad will stay with her tonight - last temp check she was down to 101.9.

I wonder sometimes about how much info to share on here...what's too personal and what's too graphic...but I want to be able to remember what happened and how I was feeling and details that I might forget about later, so I write what I feel like writing at the time...

Today was really, really hard for me. Joyce was there and we tried to keep the mood light but Mom was really, really sick. She would lapse in and out of reality, she would moan and rock back and forth in pain. She was singing to herself and would talk in some made up language and then all the sudden she would be back and would hold a totally normal conversation. It was hard to watch. I didn't break down until I got home - I made Kam put the kids to bed before I walked in the door so they wouldn't see me crying...it was hard, really hard. I know that these are symptoms of a high fever but it doesn't make it any easier. So now it's almost 11 and I'm still up, I'm exhausted and have a long day ahead of me but it is what it is and we'll get through it one day at a time.

Doing good!

Forgot to write an update last night when we got home from Portland...what a busy couple of days this has been.
We left town about 9:45am to head up to pick up Joyce from the airport. After that we headed over to OHSU and has some lunch and wandered around the hospital for a bit waiting for 2 for Mom's appointment with Dr. Fleming. Joyce and I stayed in the waiting room and chit-chatted until they were done.
Her appointment went well. She is reacting just as she should and everything is going as hoped for. Her WBC was 2.0 yesterday and her platelets were up to 29. The neutrophils were at .5.Her WBC had doubled in 24 hrs. Dr. Fleming reassured Mom and Dad that he was in close contact with Dr. Lee and was watching closely how the treatments are going. He also explained why she was receiving the 12 doses instead of 6. Any patient over 60 has a greater risk so they really try to kick its butt. Anyway, she had to go back to Corvallis this morning for blood tests again...after waiting from 9:15 until 11:45 for the results, most of the numbers were the same...except for the neutrophils, which are now at 1.0. This was great news and it means that her immune system is now functioning on its own and the flowers/fruits/vegetables restriction is lifted until after her next treatment. It also means that she isn't house bound, although she does still need to stay away from large crowds and sick people - she has an immune system but it is very fragile.
She was very excited about it as it means that she CAN go to Casino night this Saturday.
So the plan right now is to give her about a week off, she doesn't have to go back for tests again until a week from Friday...then depending on her blood counts she'll go back for chemo again on May 3rd.

Lots of tests, lots of time...

Mom had a 9 o'clock appt again this morning for another round of blood tests. She was fully expecting that her numbers were up and she wouldn't need anything. WRONG! Her WBC is now 1.0 but her neutrophils are only at .5. Her platelets were 7 and she needs red blood too and her potassium is still low.

The doctor wanted her to get the platelets right away but said we could maybe wait on the red blood until Wednesday or Thursday. She has a doctors appt in Portland tomorrow so we couldn't do it tomorrow. Mom and I both really didn't want to see her go backwards since she is feeling pretty well, so we asked if it could be done today too...so she's back in the hospital right now getting her first of three units of red blood.

We sat in the infusion room for about 2 1/2 hrs waiting on blood tests and for the blood bank to say if they have the platelets and blood to give her. I finally gave up and left her there and went to her house to get some cleaning done. She was able to get the platelets in the infusion room and was done with them about 1. She called to say she was headed over to the hospital to be admitted for the rest of the day. I finished up at her house and headed back over to Corvallis...they finally brought in the red blood about 3:45 and we are hoping she'll be done with all 3 units around 11 tonight. I'm going to go back over there around 9 to hang out with her until she can leave. We didn't want her to stay overnight in the hospital because we need to leave for Portland about 9:30 in the morning and there is NO WAY you can count on the hospital to do things in a timely manner.

As I sat there with her today and as I left her so I could get something else done I kept thinking about my situation...I've been free to do whatever needs to happen with Mom. I WANT to continue to do this. It is a burden to ask others to go to these appts, it isn't like asking someone to go to a doctor's appt, you never know what is going to happen...sometimes we're done in an hour, sometimes it's an all day thing...and it can be scary too when things don't go as we thought.
But eventually a job will come my way and I'll have no choice but to take it. It's so hard to look ahead, each day is different and unexpected and I cannot imagine how it will look when I'm trying to hold down a full time job too. So for now, we'll take each day as they come - I'm doing that in many, many aspects of life right now, planning for the future just doesn't seem possible.

Another week down...

This week has been a roller coaster, lots going on and mind spinning in a thousand directions. But Mom is feeling better and even decided to go to church this morning. She did really well but was tired after...hopefully it didn't wear her out too bad.
Thank you again to everyone who stops by and chats with her, who calls to check in with her and with me - it really does mean everything to know there are so many people in this community who care.
Back to the doctor in the morning to check her blood counts again, then to Portland to pick up Joyce and see the doctor up at OHSU on Tuesday. Just gotta wait and see what this week brings us.

Casino Night is almost here!

Don't forget to get your tickets to come to Casino Night next Saturday(the 24th). We have had a great response from the community with donations, now we NEED people to come! Come, have fun, see my mom and enjoy a night out!
For tickets call either Debbie Hanslovan 541-926-9331, Marjean Johnson 541-926-1941 or myself 541-928-0230.

Tickets are $10/person, evening starts at 5:30, auction starts at 8.
Riverside Community Hall, Riverside Dr in Albany

Back to waiting...

Mom's numbers were a little bit better today. Her platelets have risen to 12 from 6 on Monday. Her WBC and neutrophils are still extremely low, with only the WBC moving to 0.3 from 0.2 on Monday. But things are starting to go in the direction we want them to now. She did not have to have any blood products today and doesn't have to go back in until Monday. In the meantime she is stuck at home and is getting pretty bored...not feeling too bad but can't go out in public. A neighbor brought over 21 goats to eat through the field so she is keeping entertained by them...there is a 2 wk old that is just sooo cute! :) But they'll probably be gone again next weekend.

So for now, we are watching for rashes, fevers and mouth sores and keeping antibiotics and potassium supplements in her and waiting for her numbers to come back enough so she can do a little visiting.

The last few days I've been feeling that we made the wrong choice in going to Corvallis for treatment. Things haven't been going smoothly and the comfort that I found at OHSU and the staff and routine there has been missing. But after this morning's meeting with Dr. Lee I've realized that this is just the way it goes with consolidation therapy. OHSU ordered the treatment schedule that we followed, 12 doses in 6 days, instead of what originally thought of 6 doses in 6 days. Dr. Lee was just as worried about her numbers from Friday as we were. She called Dr. Fleming and voiced her concerns but he reassured her that the numbers are normal, the timing is normal and things are going as they should. She would have been at home this week no matter where she received this last round of chemo, and we would have had to drive to Portland last week for blood tests, instead of Corvallis. Dr. Lee is in constant contact with the doctors at OHSU and they are keeping an eye on her - phew!
So anyway today's blood counts...um, not what we expected! Friday before she went to the hospital her WBC was 0.2...today it was still 0.2. Her neutrophils were 0.0 on Friday and today still the same. Her RBC is up a little from Friday but still not where they should be. And lastly her platelets were down from 9 to 6, so we're going backwards even after 2 units of platelets last week. So Mom and I spent 5 hours at the doctors office this morning; she received another unit of platelets and got her PICC line dressing changed(which looks a ton better this week).

We go back to have tests done again on Wednesday and most likely Friday. Then next week she goes back to Portland to meet with Dr. Fleming. Dr. Lee says that they will do a CBC there and depending on the results, she may either have a bone marrow biopsy done up there, or if the numbers are still low, Dr. Lee may do it at her office around the 23rd or even the next week. Her next round of chemo can't be scheduled until after her numbers recover. It may be the week of the 26th or maybe the week of May 3rd or later, we just have to wait and see.

Home

Mom was able to leave the hospital yesterday morning, Cale went over to pick her up. She is feeling MUCH better. You don't realize how much and how fast the blood supply can affect your well-being. She rested at the house yesterday and I think was able to get some good rest.
Today we are all going over there to have lunch with her. She is really missing everyone and we are all healthy right now, so lets take advantage of it while we can!

Back to the hospital

Well, the last day or so hasn't exactly gone how we thought...Wednesday evening she got a fever and had some bleeding issues so we've been watching her VERY closely...She called the doctor and they said to keep an eye on it but she didn't need to go back in immediately. By morning her temp was back down and no more bleeding. Yesterday she was very tired and no energy but not feeling "bad".
So this morning she had to go back to the doctor for more blood tests. (I couldn't take her so her friend Millie did)...I just got off the phone with her and they are keeping her at the hospital. Her blood counts did not improve. Her platelets went from 6 to 9(even with a bag of them on Wed afternoon) her WBC is down to .2 from 1.2 on Wed and her neutrophils are down to .00. So they are getting her prepped for a bag of platelets and 3 bags of whole blood right now, and I think they'll start her on IV antibiotics also. Don't know how long she'll have to stay there yet.

UPDATE***She will be in the hospital for the rest of the day and should be able to come home in the morning as long as her blood counts come back up some by morning. Her color looks ALOT better now than it did 3 hours ago, so I take that as a good sign. She is in isolation for now, back to masks and gloves in the room with her...and definitely no flowers or uncooked/unprocessed fruits and veggies.

ups and downs

Yesterday Mom was feeling pretty good. She was pretty tired but the nausea has settled down and the heartburn is much better. She said she was really bored yesterday. This morning I called and we had planned to go get a bite to eat to get her out of the house for awhile. She called me back a little while later and said she had a rash on her legs, was not feeling very good and had called the doctor. We went in about one o'clock for blood tests. Her platelets were down to 6 - anything below 10 is tricky and so she was in need of platelets immediately - the doctor had to get on the phone with the blood bank and tell them it was an emergency and we needed it at the office NOW. Her WBC was down to 1.2, anything below 1.0 and she goes back in the hospital...also her neutrophils were down to .09 and at .05 she has to go back to the hospital and be put on IV antibiotics. So we are right on the edge right now...she goes back to the dr office on Friday to see if things have leveled out. In the meantime, she needs to take her temp every few hours and watch to see if the rash gets worse. BTW, the rash(which is a bunch of red dots just under the skin) is due to low platelets, so its a good thing she saw it when she did. When I left her a little while ago she was really tired and not feeling well at all. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Home again

Mom is home and resting for now. She hasn't felt very good the last two days, really tired, a little nauseous, a little dizziness and weakness, sore stomach and esophagus(who knew that would be a side effect?). We have to keep a close watch on her throat, a common and pretty serious side effect is sores in the mouth and throat. Her eyes have been bothering her a bit - I read the pamphlet about the eye drops, they say they help with blurred vision but they may also CAUSE blurred vision, huh? - so she's just not feeling really great. I took her to the doctor this morning to get her PICC line flushed and dressing changed; she had a bad reaction to the bandages she had previously so her whole upper arm is pink and broke out so now we have that to keep an eye on too. She had a shot to boost WBC production, which is pretty standard after chemo...it causes achiness and discomfort in your bones for awhile. She had blood drawn too, her WBC(white blood cells) is down to 2.2(normal is 4-11), her platelets are down to 21 (normal is over 100), so she'll have platelets given to her on Thursday when we go back in for another round of blood tests. I know more about blood and what it does and how it works than I ever thought I'd need to know...
I met Dr. Lee today too, she seems like a very nice, very caring doctor. She was very gentle with Mom and took a good long look at her arm, which reassured me, as the nurses in Portland didn't speak very kindly about the staff down here taking care of the PICC line(apparently it isn't used as often down here) and with it being a little less than perfect looking right now, well...

Hopefully we'll get through this week and she'll start feeling better again. I have to keep reminding her that this is a long, serious process - it's ok that she doesn't feel good right now but it will get better. She's been a little more emotional, which I think can be a side effect, but I also think could just be that the longer we all have this stress, the harder it gets to deal with it.

Happy Easter!

Church was great - the bells played and the choir sang and were lovely...now we are home and are planning a Guitar Hero tournament with the kids for the rest of the day. Not our usual Easter Sunday but is what feels right, right now.

The last few days seem to have flown by. Mom has been feeling a better, they've been keeping her full of anti-nausea meds which seem to do the trick. The girls and I went over yesterday afternoon and spent about an hour with her, she was getting antsy to be home. After we left there we went over to the house and did a quick cleaning - sweep, mop, vacuum, etc...to get ready for her to come home.

This morning we headed to church about 10. A few minutes after we got there she called and said they released her and her and Dad were on their way to church to eat some breakfast with us. She came in and ate and then left again, she decided she didn't think she could make it through the service. So they went home and she is resting, I don't think we'll go over to see her today but I'll see her tomorrow. She goes back to the hospital tomorrow for some meds and to have her PICC line cleaned. I think she goes in again later in the week for blood tests. Her WBC and platelets are getting pretty low now(which is good) so she may need a transfusion soon too.
Because this treatment is a little different from the last round, she has antibiotics to take at home(she had them in the hospital too) to keep illness at bay, plus they now have her on eye drops to keep her eyes healthy, the chemo can create problems so she'll continue to do the drops during treatment. That's all I can remember for now, I'm sure I'm forgetting something that's coming up. :)

This is the day that the Lord has made; Rejoice and be glad in it!

Tuesday night was a rough one for Mom. She has had quite the selection of roommates while in the hospital. Tuesday night she had a 90something lady who hallucinated and talked all night long. They ended up having 2 nurses in the room with her all night to keep her from trying to leave. She would go from wanting to go home to asking if they liked the puppy in the corner to crying, so needless to say Mom didn't sleep much. They finally moved Mom to a new room yesterday afternoon but the rough night really took a toll on her. I had planned to take the kids over to see her but she just wasn't feeling up to it. She has had a little bit of nausea. When Dad was there after work she got sick, and she wasn't able to eat much last night. I talked with her this morning and she was feeling a little bit better but I think things are not going as well as she had hoped and its starting to get her down. I'm glad she only has to be in the hospital for a couple more days. So, I'm on my way over there now to try to help take her mind off it for a little while, play some cards or something...
We are also very excited because Mom's best friend from Nebraska is coming out to stay with them for a week...she gets here the 20th and will be here for casino night (which Mom is really hoping she is up to going to)...so glad that Joyce will be here soon!

I almost forgot to mention, her new room# is 2402-2, the extension to her phone is #2432.

Casino Night Info!

Debbie Hanslovan and friends are hosting a benefit night for Mom. Here is all the info, if you'd like to purchase tickets to come please contact either myself 541-928-0230, Marjean Johnson 541-926-1941 or Debbie 541-926-9331. Thanks!

Saturday, April 24th
5:30pm for Games and Appetizers
Live Auction begins at 8:00pm

Riverside Community Hall, 35283 Riverside Dr, Albany
Tickets $10 per person includes: appetizers, non-alcoholic beverages and $5 Casino script

Sponsored by friends of Karen Wetzel. All proceeds go to offset medical and other costs in Karen's fight against Leukemia.

One bag at a time...

She's still doing great. She is feeling pretty well, had a little nausea last night and couple minor moments today but overall feeling well. She's now had 3 bags of chemo, 9 to go. We played the "golf" card game for about an hour, sat and chatted for awhile. I think being in the hospital again has brought back the sense of fear, of worry in all of us. We had a little break from reality over the past couple of weeks as she started to feel good again. Now we're back in the middle of it and all the feelings we had before have come back full force. We've started talking about bone marrow transplants and medical directives and blood counts and platelets and all the other stuff that goes with being in the hospital. So, its hard to know we're going to have this emotional roller coaster over the next few months, along with her physically feeling so up and down. But for now, its one day at a time, one bag at a time...

Round Two

So Mom reported in for duty at the Corvallis hospital at 8 this morning. They weren't ready for her...it was after 9 before she was admitted, she sat around until 10:30 to get her PICC line flushed and it was one o'clock before they gave her the first dose of chemo. She will receive one bag every 12 hrs for the next 6 days. Each bag takes about 3 hours to empty into her system. It'll be something like 1500cc of chemo by the end of the week.
This time around she has to share a room (right now with an 18 yr old girl who has Lupus)...it definitely isn't the same vibe as it was at OHSU. Things are pretty chaotic, it feels like she is just one of many patients - the nurses at OHSU were very caring and very careful with everything they did, they specialize in bone marrow treatment. I'm not saying they aren't taking good care of her in Corvallis, its just VERY different over there. She isn't in a cancer wing, she's just one of many patients with a variety of illnesses...glad she only has to be there for a week. Good news is there are no visitation restrictions, the kids can go see her...and we don't have to suit up!

So far, she's just bored and just hanging out waiting until she gets to go home. Easter is Sunday and we're hoping that they finish up the chemo Saturday night so she can go home early Sunday morning.

Her room # is 2416-2. You can call her at 541-768-5000, then wait for message to enter the 4-digit Patient Room#2437. Visiting hours are from 11am until 8pm, but the nurse told me they are pretty flexible as long as we aren't disturbing other patients. :)

Casino Fun Night!

Wayne and Debbie Hanslovan are planning a Casino Night to help raise money for Mom and Dad.

It will be Saturday, April 24th at the Riverside Grange Hall on Riverside Drive in Albany. (more details coming soon)
If you would like to help Debbie with any of the planning or selling tickets or gathering silent auction items please contact her at 541-979-7600.
Thank you!!!

The next phase...

Mom and Dad went to see Dr. Lee Friday afternoon. She was very impressed with how Mom is doing and was SOOO surprised by how much hair she has left.
Mom has one week of free time, then its back to work. Monday, March 29th she will check in to the Corvallis hospital and will remain there for 6 days for treatment. She will receive liquid chemo 2x a day and when that is done she'll be able to come home and recover there. They say she will feel pretty good while she is in the hospital but the worst of it will come after she gets home. She will have about 3 weeks at home while her white blood counts recover, then she'll go back into the hospital again. She'll need to do this 4 times, hopefully the last time will be sometime in July. She should be able to do 3 of the treatments in Corvallis, but probably the last one in Portland so they can do another bone marrow biopsy at the end of it.

So, its almost time for more cribbage and movie watching in the hospital, at least this time its only a 15 minute drive to see her. In the meantime, she's been keeping busy. She drove to church Wednesday night to watch the handbell choir play, Mom and Dad drove over to the coast yesterday to spend the day with us at South Beach campground, and she got her hair cut this afternoon. All in all, she's doing really well. Spring break is this week so we're going to try to get a few afternoons of fun in with the kids before she goes back.
Thank you to everyone who has brought food over to them, it is SUCH a help. They'll still need some help over the next few months as she goes up and down through the chemo cycle. Just give me a call if you'd like to help out.
Love to all!

REMISSION!!!

Yep its official! She is in remission! What that means is her latest biopsy came back with no detectable leukemia cells. They do not consider her cured though; she will need to continue with chemo treatments probably through the summer. This will be a continuation of one of the types of chemo she has already received, just in different doses.
The other good news is that she will be able to complete at least the next few treatments in Albany/Corvallis and will not be required to stay in the hospital. She will be calling Dr. Lee tomorrow to set up an appointment to go over the treatment schedule and get a little more info about how it all will work. It will most likely be a week of treatment, a week of "down", and two weeks of recovery, then start over with each treatment becoming a little easier on her.

Moving along

Well, haven't posted any updates all week so thought I'd better say how the last week has gone. She is feeling so much better. Food is staying down, its tasting better and she is feeling stronger every day. I so wish that she didn't have to go through any more chemo. Its so hard knowing that she will have to do this over and over again but its the only way to get her healthy in the end. She's had visitors off and on all week and everyone is doing a great job of staying just long enough but not too long. Its so nice to know that they have such great friends who care so much. I took Mom on a drive Wednesday afternoon and she said it really helped to be able to get out of the house and just enjoy the sunshine and Spring-like weather. Yesterday was Kasey's birthday so we went out to the house and had some cake and ice cream with them, Kasey had been so worried that she wouldn't be out of the hospital in time for the big day, so was special for him.

Tomorrow she goes back to the doctor to find out what is coming next. We'll be moving on to the next stage soon.

Meals

We've had several people ask if they can bring meals over for Mom and Dad.
If you would like to deliver a meal to them, please give me a call 541-928-0230 or email me amie663@yahoo.com to set up a day. That way we don't have too many or all at once. :)
Thank you again for all the support.

Homecoming!

Kasey and I met Dad about 7:45 yesterday morning to go to Portland. When we got to the hospital about 9 Mom was up and waiting for us. Kasey had to stay out in the lounge outside the unit, so he took a book and we took turns leaving the room to go check on him. The biopsy was scheduled for 11:30 so we had to hang out until then. Dad took Kasey down to ride the tram and Mom and I played cribbage until the nurse came to give her a sedative. Once the biopsy was over she slept and we went down to have lunch and ride the tram again(Kasey thought it was pretty darn cool). After lunch we got everything packed up and then waited for the nurse to go over discharge papers. Got the prescriptions straightened out and we were out of there. Kasey was waiting just outside the unit doors, and he was the first person to get to give her a hug without the gown, the mask and the gloves on in 5 weeks. Mom even walked the whole way - from her room, down the elevators, through the halls and to the front door. It was pretty powerful for her to see other people, be in the middle of all the commotion of the hospital, after being isolated for so long. We had a great drive home, it was sunny and nice and warm. So we were home by about 4:30...and she was worn out and ready to sit in her own home, in her own chair.

I talked with her this morning already and she had a good night. She's feeling better every day.

She goes back to OHSU next Tuesday to map out the next steps. But for now, SHE'S HOME!

Mary Kay Fundraiser

My Aunt Barb(Dad's sister) is hosting a fundraiser to help raise money to pay medical bills. 30% of all Mary Kay orders placed through her or her website between now and March 21st will go to Mom. (if sales reach $500, 50% of proceeds will go to Mom).

You can place an order by going to www.marykay.com/bbwetzel or calling or emailing me and I'll get it ordered for you.
Order between now and March 21st for delivery the week of March 28th.

Also, if anyone would like to host their own MK event, and books it in March(to be held in April), she will contribute 30% of all sales from those parties as well. And don't forget all the gift opportunities coming up: Mother's Day, Father's Day, grads, brides, etc. Mary Kay has 90+ products $10 & under.

Thanks for your support!

Day 32

SHE'S COMING HOME!!!!!!!!

I got the call this afternoon after church; they are going to do the biopsy first thing in the morning and then we can get her discharged...so Dad, Kasey and I are headed up early to go get her. She is SO EXCITED and so are WE! We'll have lots of continuing care to do and life will turn upside down again but she'll be AT HOME! WOOHOO!

As for the rest of the day...
I hadn't been to church since before she was diagnosed, knew it would be hard to go but I had some meetings to attend today so it was time to go. I was doing just fine, chatting with everyone, getting hugs, answering questions...and then we went in for the service. I made it through the first song but then it just hit me that she is missing this, this which is so much an important part of her life, so much HER...I just couldn't bear the thought that I was there singing and listening and being a part of it, and she couldn't be...it just isn't fair. Then we got to the prayers and her name was read (along with a HUGE list of others, so many people need our prayers) and Kasey broke down and had to leave...such a kind and tender heart on that boy.

After church the kids sat with our friend Tami who tried to teach the kids how to crochet a hat...COMEDY! but they stayed with it and the hats should be done in a couple of days...such a nice thing for them to get to do. Then I got the call from Mom and we packed up and left...we already had plans for dinner with friends so we headed over there. We left the kids with the guys and Tania, Isla and I went to Mom and Dad's and cleaned the house one more time...wiped down everything with disinfectant and got it ready for her to come home tomorrow. Even got some balloons to hang from the steps...so the house is ready, we're ready, she's ready - its finally time!

Day 31

Well Rachel and Dad left about 7:30 this morning to go up...said she was just finishing breakfast when they got there. She has been feeling better the last few days, still fighting nausea and I hate to minimize it cuz it isn't fun and its affecting her eating, but really is so much better than it was. She's been eating most or all of her plates the last 2 days which is sooo much better.
Rachel said she had a good time, they played cards and went on walks...Rachel and Dad went on the tram again, she said it was more fun this time, not as scary.

I don't want to pin down anything yet...but lets just say that her home coming is getting very very close (barring any unforeseen setbacks), they took her off the antibiotics today and if she goes without a fever for at least 24 hours we're one step closer...the doctors and nurses are all hinting at it, and some are guessing at which day it'll be, but we won't know for sure until probably the day she's ready. Her next bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for Monday but now they are saying that she could maybe come home without the results of that if all her other numbers and such are in line...so we just wait each day and watch her numbers rise.

I'll probably be headed over to their house on Monday morning to do a thorough cleaning and disinfect the kitchen and bathrooms - just in case!

Day 30

I went to see Mom again today. Our days are starting to become routine now, but soon we'll have some new routines to start. She should be home one day next week, at least that's what we're shooting for. She is feeling stronger and is more alert than she has been, its easier to hold a conversation with her now...she said that when she first got there and looked out at the view, everything was a blur, a maze...now she is able to figure out where she is and what she's looking at - so that is a good sign!

I was able to speak with the doctor again today. He was patient with me and my questions, but wanted to be sure I understand that anything he says is only a possibility, we have to take it one day at a time because so many things can affect the course of treatment. But it did help to at least be able to hear directly from the doctor what "should" happen next. Her white cells are steadily climbing, although a bit slower than they'd like, and her eating is getting a little better so we're solidly on our way to getting her home, its just a matter of time. Treatment going forward is somewhat mapped out, but by no means set in stone, we have to make sure that she is in remission first.(Leukemia patients are either untreated, in remission or relapsed). Once they have determined if she is in remission(no leukemia cells measured) they will decide on the next course of treatment for sure. That should be next week after the bone marrow biopsy.

Dad and the girls had planned to go up again in the morning but yesterday Jessika came down with a cold, so its just going to be Rachel and Papa...she is very excited and so is Grandma...Jessika is taking it pretty well, especially knowing that she may get to see her at home soon.

Days 28 and 29

Today was Mom and Dad's 38th anniversary! Rheanna called and sent some balloons to the room and I called the nurse and asked if there was anything special that could be done for them. She was able to call down to the kitchen and they sent up a special cake for them to share at lunch. They both sounded very surprised and happy! I was glad that Dad was able to get the day off to share it with her.

Things continue to move along in recovery. She is gaining strength back daily(she doesn't think so, but we see a marked improvement), she's walking more laps now than she could when she first went in to the hospital. Her white blood cell counts are coming back as they should, so once the eating and drinking are under control, they'll let her out to come home. That doesn't mean that we are out of the woods or that she is cured, but we are well on the road to recovery and winning this fight! Many more long days are ahead of us, but we are strong, we are confident and WE WILL WIN!

And next year at this time, who knows - maybe they'll be in Hawaii for their anniversary!

Day 27

Yesterday seemed to fly by. Went up to see Mom again. She was pretty tired yesterday, had a hard time getting motivated to get moving but we got all the normal stuff done and she ate a decent lunch. We played a little cribbage and then she got sleepy so I ended up leaving a little early and she took a nap. They say when you start getting bored its time to go home...she's there! She's still receiving blood products though so not time to come yet, but the nurse said her white cell counts are coming back, so its just a matter of time now.
Going to start getting the house ready for her to come home. I talked to the nurse a bit about what has to be done to get ready...what to expect when she gets home. She can have visitors and can go visiting, just not in large crowds...she can go to the store but avoid peak hours and take her sanitizers with her. No plan yet for her continued treatments, but we'll know more after the next biopsy.

Days 25 and 26

The last two days have been pretty good. Mom is feeling a little better each day, just still having trouble with eating. She will have one more bone marrow biopsy next week(probably on Monday) and if the results of that come back as expected(good) then she should be able to come home around Wednesday the 10th.
I posted a couple pictures of Kasey from the OSU game yesterday. We had a really good time, weather was awesome(no rain) and the seats were incredible. He was amazed at how fast they could throw the ball...said one time "I don't understand how it keeps happening, he hits it and starts running and then the other guy gets the ball and throws it and he gets out." Not quite like 4th grade bball, hehe. :)

Day 24

Mom continues to do pretty good. They think they've found out what is causing her to be so nauseous and not like the smell of food - one of the antifungal or antibiotics they are giving her...so they are trying some new combinations and hoping that she is able to eat and keep things down better now. We'll see.
Dick and Marjean went to stay with her today as none of us were able to go. Mom said they had a good time, played cribbage and such...she was very glad to see them and happy that they were able to stay all day with her. Dad goes up tomorrow and Cale's work trip was cancelled so he is going up on Monday, so I'll see her again on Tuesday.

I've been asked a few times about what happens after Mom gets home from the hospital...really we don't know for sure, it depends on how well her body recovers from the chemo treatment but here is some info about the consolidation treatment phase(after she gets home from the hospital), so far all things point to her being in the low risk therapy...

"Even after complete remission is achieved, leukemic cells likely remain in numbers too small to be detected with current diagnostic techniques. If no further postremission or consolidation therapy is given, almost all patients will eventually relapse. Therefore, more therapy is necessary to eliminate non-detectable disease and prevent relapse — that is, to achieve a cure.

The specific type of postremission therapy is individualized based on a patient's prognostic factors and general health. For good-prognosis leukemias, patients will typically undergo an additional 3–5 courses of intensive chemotherapy, known as consolidation chemotherapy. For patients at high risk of relapse, allogeneic stem cell transplantation is usually recommended if the patient is able to tolerate a transplant and has a suitable donor. The best postremission therapy for intermediate-risk AML is less clear and depends on the specific situation, including the age and overall health of the patient, the patient's personal values, and whether a suitable stem cell donor is available.

Relapsed AML

For patients with relapsed AML, the only proven potentially curative therapy is a stem cell transplant, if one has not already been performed. "

Day 23

The long days and sleepless nights are catching up with me, so I thought I'd better write this now before I fall asleep sitting up. :)
I went up to sit with Mom again today. She had a really good day, food stayed down, we walked, played cribbage, talked. She didn't sleep the whole time I was there but she was pretty tired when I left.
The doctor came in while I was there(a new one, they rotate or something)and he is Eastern European and somewhat hard to understand...but he did a nice job of explaining what they are doing to her, and what the next little while is going to be like...basically they are keeping her body going while it recovers, with blood, antibiotics, fluid, platelets, etc...but he thinks she should be recovered in about 10 days and then we'll talk about going home and what will happen in the next stage of treatment - called consolidation therapy(more chemo)...with a break in between.

Day 22

Mom had a better day today. The fever is gone and she seemed to have more energy, sounded a bit more like herself. Still having trouble with keeping down her food, but all in all, was a pretty good day. It looks like we are just in a waiting game for her body to recover from the chemo. No real new news to report, we are just hanging in there.
A friend told me about Costco's collage posters, so I went online and ordered a couple of posters with pics of the kids and us to hang in her room, to make it more homey...and I think the girls are going to work on some art projects for her over the weekend. I'm headed up tomorrow to see her again but then won't be back up there until Monday, too much stuff going on here in town this weekend.
I know she reads all the emails and cards she has been getting, she just doesn't always have the energy to reply to them, but keep them coming, she loves reading them. (one of the staff at the hospital commented on how many cards she gets, which made Mom smile). :)

Day 21

Let's see, what happened today...Well, last night I received the nicest gift! 2 tickets to the opening OSU baseball game for Sunday - just for Kasey and I, as a way to make it up to him for not getting to go see Grandma. Thanks Wayne and Debbie!!! I'm very excited about it! I talked to Dad last night and he had the nicest gift himself - someone came over this weekend and mowed his yard and field (found out this morning it was their neighbor, Marv) so THANK YOU! It still amazes me the kindness and generosity of everyone.

Mom developed a fever over night last night, the nurses say 99% of patients develop one, so its not necessarily something to worry about, but it is an automatic trip to the xray room to peek at her lungs. As far as I know, everything came back normal. She is having a really hard time keeping down the oral meds so I think she may have to go back on IV drip for awhile until they get the fever under control.
As for the spinal test and the biopsy, I don't really have much to report. The doctors came in after Dad left tonight and Mom was pretty sedated and I was having a hard time understanding her. She said they told her everything was normal and doing what its supposed to be doing. They did mention that she MAY be able to come home in 10-14 days but it really is a day by day process, just have to wait to see if anything else develops. I'm going to call up to the nurses and see if I can get a little more info from them.

Day Twenty

So wow - 20 days into this thing...hard to believe how much life changes in the blink of an eye and how fast the days go by. A month ago Kam and I were considering moving to Montana, getting ready to head out on Amtrak to begin a new adventure. Start over and begin again. Now, Montana seems like a lifetime ago.
Now we have a new journey and new direction and new worries and new stresses to go along with all the rest. It can be overwhelming to think about, so I have found that I just have to take one thing at a time and worry about the next thing when its time comes. My mind wanders alot and I find that I can't remember things or see things that are right next to me(I yelled down the hall for Kasey last night and he was sitting on the other end of the couch). I'm glad I have this blog to get down my thoughts each night before I forget them.

I drove up to see Mom this morning. She is looking more pensive now, ready to go home. The days are running together to her. She said she really doesn't remember the first 3 or 4 days she was there. We played a card game for awhile and watched a movie(well I watched it while she slept) and we walked 4 laps...
Her nurse today was able to get her IV stopped during the days, so she only has to be hooked up to fluids at night while she sleeps now, as long as she continues to eat and drink...which is her biggest struggle right now. Nothing tastes good, smells good, sounds good - so getting her to order her food takes awhile. A dietitian came in today to go over what she has been eating and what they can do to help her eat more. Her protein and fat intake is too low and they won't let her go home until she can stabilize her weight, she's lost 10lbs so far. They are going to automatically send her snacks and diet supplements 2x a day, I think if its there she'll at least try to eat.
They say they'll have all the test results in tomorrow afternoon but the initial results "look good". No word on what that means for her continued treatment and stay in the hospital though.
Her hair is coming out now. Although she still looks like she's got most of it, if you run your fingers through it they come out covered in hair. I'm going shopping tomorrow to find her some more short sleeve, button down pj tops so she can quit wearing the hospital gowns, eww! At least she'll look cute in her hats and pj's. :0)