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.