Today was Charmaine's 2nd day of round #5 of chemo treatment. She has had a wonderful day totally uneventful for side effects!!!!!!!!!!
Also, she had her 1st spinal tap with chemo today and did not even feel it. She had no headache afterwards. Both of these are miracles. Has one more spinal tap on Friday.
Natalie is with her tonight.
We will probably get to come home late Friday or early Saturday morning.
Could not hope for things to be going better. Please pray the rest of the week will be the same.
I miss her terribly at home when she's gone.
Thanks for reading, caring, and praying for her.
Sam
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday June 29th...Back in Emory 5th Round Chemo
We checked in this morning at 9am for her 5th and final regular round of chemo. She has reached full remission much earlier than normal and is now ready for the transplant. This round will take 5 days. Hope to come home Friday. She will have to come back in about a week for 6 days of recovery then will be at home for 30 to 45 days just resting and getting strong for the transplant.
Feeling fine now just waiting to get chemo started.
Will keep you posted on progress.
Sam
Feeling fine now just waiting to get chemo started.
Will keep you posted on progress.
Sam
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday June 26th...Clinic visit..Great News!!!
Charmaine is feeling fantastic. Best since since she was diagnosed.
We went to the clinic today for scheduled lab test on her blood #'s. All checked out good.
Her main Dr. came in today and told her some really great news. First of all, she is still in full remission. That means she is still responding well to the treatments and is ready for the transplant.
He also said that she would only have to have one more round of chemo before the transplant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We will check in Monday at 9am for the 5th round. That will take 5 days. Then we come home for 4 or 5 days then go back for 5 or 6 days of recovery.
After that, she will have 30 to 45 days here at home to get stronger and rest for the transplant which he said will be mid to late August. I am sure during that time we will be going back to the clinic for tests but no more chemo till the transplant.
I can't tell you how excited she is right now. It is very possible that by Christmas she will be feeling well and be able to be with the family.
She will be in the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks for the transplant. Then we have to go back to the clinic every day for 100 days afterwards.
Thank God He spared her going through all 8 regiments of the chemo to reach remission.
Pray that the donor will be able to keep the schedule the Dr. has planed.
Thanks for all your prayers.
Sam
We went to the clinic today for scheduled lab test on her blood #'s. All checked out good.
Her main Dr. came in today and told her some really great news. First of all, she is still in full remission. That means she is still responding well to the treatments and is ready for the transplant.
He also said that she would only have to have one more round of chemo before the transplant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We will check in Monday at 9am for the 5th round. That will take 5 days. Then we come home for 4 or 5 days then go back for 5 or 6 days of recovery.
After that, she will have 30 to 45 days here at home to get stronger and rest for the transplant which he said will be mid to late August. I am sure during that time we will be going back to the clinic for tests but no more chemo till the transplant.
I can't tell you how excited she is right now. It is very possible that by Christmas she will be feeling well and be able to be with the family.
She will be in the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks for the transplant. Then we have to go back to the clinic every day for 100 days afterwards.
Thank God He spared her going through all 8 regiments of the chemo to reach remission.
Pray that the donor will be able to keep the schedule the Dr. has planed.
Thanks for all your prayers.
Sam
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday June 25.......Update
I am so sorry for not updating the post for the past couple of days.
Charmaine is still home and feeling great. She has had two near normal days. She says it feels so good to feel good again. This is the first time since this started in March that she has felt near normal for any length of time. It has give her new hope and a much better outlook for the future.
We will go back to the clinic Friday but do not think she will have to check back in for round #5 until Monday or Tuesday.
We also hope to get more information about how the transplant process in progressing. A sample of the donor's blood was supposed to have been sent to Emory this week for preliminary testing. We'll see. She won't be able to know who the donor is or where he is from for one year. Then they will tell both the donor and Charmaine about each other.
I read something I want to share with you in closing:
"When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only 1 of 2 things will happen. Either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!"
Sam
Charmaine is still home and feeling great. She has had two near normal days. She says it feels so good to feel good again. This is the first time since this started in March that she has felt near normal for any length of time. It has give her new hope and a much better outlook for the future.
We will go back to the clinic Friday but do not think she will have to check back in for round #5 until Monday or Tuesday.
We also hope to get more information about how the transplant process in progressing. A sample of the donor's blood was supposed to have been sent to Emory this week for preliminary testing. We'll see. She won't be able to know who the donor is or where he is from for one year. Then they will tell both the donor and Charmaine about each other.
I read something I want to share with you in closing:
"When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only 1 of 2 things will happen. Either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!"
Sam
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday June 22....Home and Happy
Today Charmaine had one of the best days she has had in a while. Her body is recovering from the powerful drugs she is having to take. The heat made her have to stay inside, as it did many other people.
We will go back to the clinic tomorrow at noon for lab test. Then back Friday. She is hoping they will let her have the weekend at home and start again Monday or Tuesday on next reound of chemo.
Right now her white counts are near normal. I am going to try to take her out to dinner one evening. We can go early and not be around a large crowd. Her appetite is slowly getting back to normal.
Thank You all for all the special prayers you have said for her. You can be sure that God hears the prayers of His children.
Found out today that the donor for her transplant is giving a blood sample to be sent to Emory this week for testing. They have chosen the donor. The process is underway for the transplant. All we know is that it is a young male. That's the best choice for a donor.
More tomorrow,
Sam
We will go back to the clinic tomorrow at noon for lab test. Then back Friday. She is hoping they will let her have the weekend at home and start again Monday or Tuesday on next reound of chemo.
Right now her white counts are near normal. I am going to try to take her out to dinner one evening. We can go early and not be around a large crowd. Her appetite is slowly getting back to normal.
Thank You all for all the special prayers you have said for her. You can be sure that God hears the prayers of His children.
Found out today that the donor for her transplant is giving a blood sample to be sent to Emory this week for testing. They have chosen the donor. The process is underway for the transplant. All we know is that it is a young male. That's the best choice for a donor.
More tomorrow,
Sam
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday June 21st........Coming Home
During the month of May Charmaine was at Emory Hospital 15 days. So far in June she has been there 17 days. Some how her spirit has remained pretty good. The food there is good but eating the same food everyday starts to get old.
This stay from Wednesday night at the ER to now was unscheduled due to her fever going over 101.5. This morning, providing no temperature spike, she will come home. We will go back to the clinic Tuesday for a lab check then back Friday for another. I am hoping they will let her stay home until next Monday or Tuesday before starting round #5 of chemo and let her rest some. We may have to check back in Friday.
Unless another surprise happens, she should feel quite well this time at home. Her white count was up to 1300 yesterday which means her immune system is not as compromised as it is with low counts. As I have said before, a healthy persons white count is usually 6000 to 10,000. These are the cells in the blood that fight off infections. She did have to have 2 units of blood yesterday as her red count was down.
During her last stay she got 5 transfusions of platelets and 2 units of blood.
It's 6:30 am now. I'm about to leave to go to her. She has stayed by herself the last two nights. I know it's lonely there by herself.
Will keep you all posted on any new developments.
Sam
Update...Charmaine was home today by lunchtime and had a good day visiting with family. She and Dad were exhausted by tonight, and went to bed early. I would like to send a special thank you to her prayer warriors...you know who you are!! :) We are so blessed to have friends like you.
Stefanie
This stay from Wednesday night at the ER to now was unscheduled due to her fever going over 101.5. This morning, providing no temperature spike, she will come home. We will go back to the clinic Tuesday for a lab check then back Friday for another. I am hoping they will let her stay home until next Monday or Tuesday before starting round #5 of chemo and let her rest some. We may have to check back in Friday.
Unless another surprise happens, she should feel quite well this time at home. Her white count was up to 1300 yesterday which means her immune system is not as compromised as it is with low counts. As I have said before, a healthy persons white count is usually 6000 to 10,000. These are the cells in the blood that fight off infections. She did have to have 2 units of blood yesterday as her red count was down.
During her last stay she got 5 transfusions of platelets and 2 units of blood.
It's 6:30 am now. I'm about to leave to go to her. She has stayed by herself the last two nights. I know it's lonely there by herself.
Will keep you all posted on any new developments.
Sam
Update...Charmaine was home today by lunchtime and had a good day visiting with family. She and Dad were exhausted by tonight, and went to bed early. I would like to send a special thank you to her prayer warriors...you know who you are!! :) We are so blessed to have friends like you.
Stefanie
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday June 19th...Still in Hospital
After the temperature spike and the trip to the ER Wednesday night they kept her here. So we are back on the 6th floor. She will probably be here until late Saturday or Sunday before going home again. We just finished the recovery time so this stay is an unscheduled one due to fever. Her blood counts and platelets just have not consistently recovered this time as they have before. They are mostly looking for a pattern of rising and just have not seen that yet. They say this is very common and may intensify after each round of chemo. Nothing to really be alarmed about.
In the month of May Charmaine was here at Emory 18 days. May be more in June.
Her fever has broken now, but yesterday she was tired and weak from loss of sleep in ER all night before.
I hope she will have a few good days at home before we start round #5 probably next Friday.
The transplant process is underway in that they are narrowing the best of the 2 donors and will contact them for scheduling. Will take some time.
Thanks to all for your continued prayers, care, calls, notes, and acts of kindness.
Thank You Casey for cutting my grass.
Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day weekend. Be safe.
Sam
In the month of May Charmaine was here at Emory 18 days. May be more in June.
Her fever has broken now, but yesterday she was tired and weak from loss of sleep in ER all night before.
I hope she will have a few good days at home before we start round #5 probably next Friday.
The transplant process is underway in that they are narrowing the best of the 2 donors and will contact them for scheduling. Will take some time.
Thanks to all for your continued prayers, care, calls, notes, and acts of kindness.
Thank You Casey for cutting my grass.
Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day weekend. Be safe.
Sam
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