If anyone ever get's a blood or marrow transplant, let me tell ya now - it's 6-7 days after the transplant that the chemo will get ya'.
His numbers are up and so is he, so to speak. (we are at +11)
We just got back to the hotel after Gil's 5 day stay in at Moffitt. Energy is real low, hair is falling out, and his digestive issues are getting under control.
But his blood is reproducing as expected:
White BC hit a low of .05k to, now, .99k (normal range 4.0-10.9)
Hemoglobin is up and down, low of 10, highest was 11, down today to 9.4 (range is 13.4 - 16.9)
Platelets keep fluctuating lowest was .7, currently at 18...below 10 he gets an infusion (he's had 2 so far - day +6 & day +9).
Neutrophils are up to .55k from nothing (range 1.8-7.8), I guess these are important buggers for the immune system 'cause that is the one they watch to let us know when he can resume normal activities...and to what extent.
Now, the other night my mom asked me a tricky question: How do we know if this all worked?
Are you asking was the transplant successful? His blood is reproducing, for the most part, so I would say the transplant was a success. Very high success rate with Auto transplant anyways because it's all your own cells.
In the way of curing his cancer? They wanted him in total remission before they started, so technically cancer free as of the beginning of this transplant process. So it really didn't cure the cancer itself, but should prevent him from ever having Hodgkin's again. There is a possibility of another form of cancer somewhere down the line - but only as much as the next person.
So WAS it a success? I guess we'll only know if he never has Hodgkin's again!
All I know is I hope he continues to bounce back. It should be about 3 months before life returns to normal - about a year for complete recovery. For now, we are still in Tampa till June 6th at the earliest, June 13th at the latest.
Saturday, June 01, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Bump
OK, so Monday ...He got platelets Monday morning. He wasn't feeling real well Sunday night, so I was really hoping the platelets would help, but, alas, as the sun went down his temp went up. It didn't stay there so we were in flux - do we call or not? do we stay and ride it out or go to the hospital?
At 100.5 we were supposed to call - it had hit 100.8, but went right back down to 98.7 (NOT radio stations here, kids). We called, they said try taking it again in about an hour. So about an hour later...99 ...few minutes later...101...a minute later 98.9...We called again and they decided to admit him.
They found some signs of VRE, an occasionally naturally occurring bacteria - some people have it, some don't, some are carriers...doesn't always make ya' sick. So special antibiotics by IV. The fever stayed down, and by Tuesday, the bacteria went away, but he definitely was not feeling better. Started the neupogen shots on Tuesday...thought we'd see some improvement Wednesday. Even a nice little prayer group from church came by and did some serious praying - I was sweating!
Today, Wednesday, I kind of see some improvement. When he's awake, he's pretty alert, but you can tell he is really nauseated. They've tried a couple of anti-nausea treatment...not much is working and they put him to sleep. They are also trying a motion sick patch because it happens most when he sits up. Basically he hasn't eaten for 2 days - lost almost 10lbs (not that we weren't prepared for that).
Although this is all fairly common and expected, no one likes feeling bad or puking their guts out. He's worn; really wants to eat something and have it stay down, let alone taste decent. This evening he had a vanilla milkshake. I'm sure it's not exactly your run of the mill milkshake, but, as of the time I left, he had managed to keep it down! YAY!
He had another neupogen shot today (these are white cell boosters), and his platelets were low (10) but not low enough for an infusion, so we'll see tomorrow morning about that. Hopefully all this is a very minor bump in the road and we start seeing some improvement tomorrow.
Hooray for the milkshake!!
At 100.5 we were supposed to call - it had hit 100.8, but went right back down to 98.7 (NOT radio stations here, kids). We called, they said try taking it again in about an hour. So about an hour later...99 ...few minutes later...101...a minute later 98.9...We called again and they decided to admit him.
They found some signs of VRE, an occasionally naturally occurring bacteria - some people have it, some don't, some are carriers...doesn't always make ya' sick. So special antibiotics by IV. The fever stayed down, and by Tuesday, the bacteria went away, but he definitely was not feeling better. Started the neupogen shots on Tuesday...thought we'd see some improvement Wednesday. Even a nice little prayer group from church came by and did some serious praying - I was sweating!
Today, Wednesday, I kind of see some improvement. When he's awake, he's pretty alert, but you can tell he is really nauseated. They've tried a couple of anti-nausea treatment...not much is working and they put him to sleep. They are also trying a motion sick patch because it happens most when he sits up. Basically he hasn't eaten for 2 days - lost almost 10lbs (not that we weren't prepared for that).
Although this is all fairly common and expected, no one likes feeling bad or puking their guts out. He's worn; really wants to eat something and have it stay down, let alone taste decent. This evening he had a vanilla milkshake. I'm sure it's not exactly your run of the mill milkshake, but, as of the time I left, he had managed to keep it down! YAY!
He had another neupogen shot today (these are white cell boosters), and his platelets were low (10) but not low enough for an infusion, so we'll see tomorrow morning about that. Hopefully all this is a very minor bump in the road and we start seeing some improvement tomorrow.
Hooray for the milkshake!!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Mile 18 ?
Almost like a newborn baby, Gil's immune system is pretty non-existent.
White blood cells at .07k (normal 4.0 - 10.9)
Platelets @ 31k (143-382)
They haven't listed the neutrophils (a type of white cell) for a couple of days now - probably because there aren't any (Neutropenia). Until those come up to about 500k he has to be on antibiotics.
Also all the chemo effects are becoming more apparent - but we won't go into those. All I can say is Gil is feeling pretty sick (but he still has his hair so far).
Doc wants him to walk about a mile a day. That's getting harder everyday, right now. His ankles and calves hurt, his hands and feet are cold, wearing a mask outside all make it very hard to get out and walk, but the warmth does him some good. Hopefully this won't last too much longer.
By next Tuesday, things should start improving a little bit. He will start getting neupogen shots again to give his cells a boost. By next weekend we should be seeing some real differences. It's getting hard to hold on. I guess you could say this is about like mile 18 or so in a marathon....your not sure, but you gotta finish!
White blood cells at .07k (normal 4.0 - 10.9)
Platelets @ 31k (143-382)
They haven't listed the neutrophils (a type of white cell) for a couple of days now - probably because there aren't any (Neutropenia). Until those come up to about 500k he has to be on antibiotics.
Also all the chemo effects are becoming more apparent - but we won't go into those. All I can say is Gil is feeling pretty sick (but he still has his hair so far).
Doc wants him to walk about a mile a day. That's getting harder everyday, right now. His ankles and calves hurt, his hands and feet are cold, wearing a mask outside all make it very hard to get out and walk, but the warmth does him some good. Hopefully this won't last too much longer.
By next Tuesday, things should start improving a little bit. He will start getting neupogen shots again to give his cells a boost. By next weekend we should be seeing some real differences. It's getting hard to hold on. I guess you could say this is about like mile 18 or so in a marathon....your not sure, but you gotta finish!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
...and a time to heal
Or as Gil calls it, the Rise of the Phoenix, but since I've been going with Ecclesiastes 3 and the forest fire theme...
The fire has burned out leaving very little in it's wake. Some seed, some re-planting and wait for the earth to regrow.Waiting for the return of new, green growth in the scorched ground.
It is day 0, Transplant day, and a day to celebrate. Gil's cells are returned and we wait to see how he heals. This is also the very vulnerable stage as he may react to the preservative used when freezing the cells (DMSO), he has no immune system, and the chemo's effects are going to be at their worst for the next days. Then we wait for engraftment: The process of transplanted stem cells reproducing new cells. This should take 2-6 weeks, during which (and he already started) he takes quite the cocktail of anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial drugs. This engraftment process is very hard on the body...so we'll see what happens next.
Gil has breezed through so far, and I believe things will continue to go well. The hardest part right now is getting proper sleep - with long days laying in a hospital bed, showers and Chlorhexidine gluconate wipe downs, our normal timeline has been a little disrupted. But now it's all healing. Hopefully no more day's at the hospital - just quick check-ups in the morning!
In the meantime, have a party, celebratory run, or whatever...it's another Birthday for Gil!
By the way - had a little fun today visiting at church - I called Gil on my phone and shared a little FaceTime with the staff at TTUMC. That was entertaining!
Forever on my calendar - HAPPY PHOENIX DAY!
UPDATE: My RunVie team did a celebratory run for us - Thanks guys, you all are great!!
The fire has burned out leaving very little in it's wake. Some seed, some re-planting and wait for the earth to regrow.Waiting for the return of new, green growth in the scorched ground.
It is day 0, Transplant day, and a day to celebrate. Gil's cells are returned and we wait to see how he heals. This is also the very vulnerable stage as he may react to the preservative used when freezing the cells (DMSO), he has no immune system, and the chemo's effects are going to be at their worst for the next days. Then we wait for engraftment: The process of transplanted stem cells reproducing new cells. This should take 2-6 weeks, during which (and he already started) he takes quite the cocktail of anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial drugs. This engraftment process is very hard on the body...so we'll see what happens next.
Gil has breezed through so far, and I believe things will continue to go well. The hardest part right now is getting proper sleep - with long days laying in a hospital bed, showers and Chlorhexidine gluconate wipe downs, our normal timeline has been a little disrupted. But now it's all healing. Hopefully no more day's at the hospital - just quick check-ups in the morning!
In the meantime, have a party, celebratory run, or whatever...it's another Birthday for Gil!
By the way - had a little fun today visiting at church - I called Gil on my phone and shared a little FaceTime with the staff at TTUMC. That was entertaining!
Forever on my calendar - HAPPY PHOENIX DAY!
UPDATE: My RunVie team did a celebratory run for us - Thanks guys, you all are great!!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Can steroids make you diabetic?
Evidently, yes they can!
Since Gil has been doing chemo his glucose (sugar) levels have been going up. Normally right around 100 (below 100 is optimal), lately it's been up over 200! Learned today it's a steroid he had not had before and that it has properties that can affect the blood glucose levels, so Gil now has to be careful of his sugar intake and is being given insulin on top of everything else. Yay. Actually he just learned today how to check is levels and give himself insulin. Double Yay!
The Dr's are real impressed that he is handling the chemo so well.They want him to keep moving, keep exercising, so we've been going for short walks. He hasn't been sick at all, and hasn't needed to take any of the anti-nausea drugs. If only all cancer patients could handle chemo so easily. SO different than how it went 7 years ago - when he was allergic to one of the drugs.
Well, if you need a reason to throw a party, here's one. Tuesday is Transplant Day!! Yeah!
So throw a party in Gil's honor.
If ya really do we'd love to see pictures. We can also Skype or FaceTime if you want us there...sort of.
Since Gil has been doing chemo his glucose (sugar) levels have been going up. Normally right around 100 (below 100 is optimal), lately it's been up over 200! Learned today it's a steroid he had not had before and that it has properties that can affect the blood glucose levels, so Gil now has to be careful of his sugar intake and is being given insulin on top of everything else. Yay. Actually he just learned today how to check is levels and give himself insulin. Double Yay!
The Dr's are real impressed that he is handling the chemo so well.They want him to keep moving, keep exercising, so we've been going for short walks. He hasn't been sick at all, and hasn't needed to take any of the anti-nausea drugs. If only all cancer patients could handle chemo so easily. SO different than how it went 7 years ago - when he was allergic to one of the drugs.
Well, if you need a reason to throw a party, here's one. Tuesday is Transplant Day!! Yeah!
So throw a party in Gil's honor.
If ya really do we'd love to see pictures. We can also Skype or FaceTime if you want us there...sort of.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A time to kill...
The forest had old growth and now new growth that has been thinned out and set aside. FIRE! The forest burns for 6 days, burning down to the ground to the ground, killing all growth, snuffing out life...almost.
Minus 6: we count down toward transplant. Day -6 is the first day if chemo. BEAM: BCNU (carmustine)/Etoposide/Cytarabine/Melphalan.
Today was to be a 3 hour chemo (that evidently didn't include some of the pre-chemo stuff). The next 4 days will be 12 hours, 2 sessions with a break in between, and the last one, Melphalan (day -1 - may 20) is also about 3 hours.
That gives a whole new meaning to "2-a-days".
This also means keeping track of every thing that goes into and out of his body. Wiping everything down with Clorox wipes - CLEAN environment.
Mask whenever he goes out and about
Hot food kept hot, cold food kept cold, pasteurized eggs & milk, no delivery, no buffets, no deli foods....well, foods from a deli (like handled on a slicer that has sliced who knows what)
He got his little goodie bag today. A couple of plastic basins, box of masks, gloves, saline solution mouthwash, tooth brushes, thermometer. So much fun!
OK, all my athlete friends - quiz: What things here do you also hear with running/training/events?
(hint: there are at least 2)
Well, time for a walk. Gotta keep him moving - at least a little.
Today was to be a 3 hour chemo (that evidently didn't include some of the pre-chemo stuff). The next 4 days will be 12 hours, 2 sessions with a break in between, and the last one, Melphalan (day -1 - may 20) is also about 3 hours.
That gives a whole new meaning to "2-a-days".
This also means keeping track of every thing that goes into and out of his body. Wiping everything down with Clorox wipes - CLEAN environment.
Mask whenever he goes out and about
Hot food kept hot, cold food kept cold, pasteurized eggs & milk, no delivery, no buffets, no deli foods....well, foods from a deli (like handled on a slicer that has sliced who knows what)He got his little goodie bag today. A couple of plastic basins, box of masks, gloves, saline solution mouthwash, tooth brushes, thermometer. So much fun!
OK, all my athlete friends - quiz: What things here do you also hear with running/training/events?
(hint: there are at least 2)
Well, time for a walk. Gotta keep him moving - at least a little.
Monday, May 13, 2013
And a time to uproot....
As the trees are planted in the forest grow, they must be thinned out.
Just as they made the cells grow, today they collected them. About 9 hours on the machine and anther few hours waiting to see if the collected enough. So what did they collect? What is a stem cell after all? Well, in regards to blood...
Blood Stem Cells: Cells found in the blood that can grow into a red blood cell, a white blood cell or a platelet. (Also called hematopoietic stem cells)
It felt a little weird going about my day, in Tampa, away from home, not really knowing what to do without him with me. Not that I didn't know what to do...went for a run (I guess too short), picked up a few things, tried to take a nap, talked with mom & dad via Skype....just, you know...I'm here for him and its not really home. I still kinda feel like I'm drifting through all this. Everyone is so worried about us, but I'm kind of not...a little, but I know it really is under control, sort of...am I taking it too easy? I wonder if everyone else is ready. That's why posted on Facebook some of the words from "once in a lifetime" by talking heads
"You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? " 'cause I keep wondering that. I actually downloaded the song because it really fits how you drift through life and one day look around a wonder "what the heck is this?"...being taken out of the routine of life, it's more so.
I can't even really fathom what Gil is truly going through. I know he's hungry a lot of the time (when he's at the hospital for hours he tends to not eat), tired. But as for emotions, or mindset...he seems pretty stable, but he may be like me and just kind of drifting through this...like its all some kind of weird dream...a bad dream.
Next...and then....
This morning started with an early wake-up, off to Moffitt for a very full day.
First 5 vials for blood work (7am).
Next - line placement for tunnel catheter (9am...actually we were a little early).
And then....Back to Moffitt for his last neupogen shots (5pm).
First 5 vials for blood work (7am).
Next - line placement for tunnel catheter (9am...actually we were a little early).
Then, "What to know about outpatient transplant" & caregiver class and the question of will he be in-patient or out-patient (10am, although we were late from the surgery so closer to 10:30)
And then....A little snack, meet the PA @ 2pm and over to the treatment center for more information about his new 'line in'.
And then....Home for a snack and nap
And then....Back to Moffitt for his last neupogen shots (5pm).
And then off to CDBs for pizza!
Musical Mayhem in CDBs- Mexican music from the kitchen and pop music from somewhere in the dining areas.
What's next? Back to our apartment and sleep sometime soon, I hope. Apheresis tomorrow!
Friday, May 10, 2013
a time to plant...
Like a forest in the spring, all green and new, bringing forth new life, Gil has been given the first in a series of 4 shots to make the blood cells grow. In a few days they will harvest the cells needed for the transplant.
I guess this is it - the great adventure that is a Blood & Marrow Transplant. Seems all a little surreal now that it is really happening. I guess being put off last time kind of made it seem like things would change, that we wouldn't have to do this. But here we are at Residence Inn, Tampa and already paid one visit to Moffitt for his first white cell booster - Neupogen (filgrastim).
It was hard to leave home. Hard to leave a big chunk of our life and our 'kids' in the care of someone else! Snoopy kind of figured it out. As we packed up the car he started hovering around Gil. Gil was fit to be tied when we left - that's his pup! And to go a whole month without him is going to be near torture.
It's a pretty nice room - 1 bedroom, queen bed & queen pull out, if we need it; kitchen with a full size fridge, 2 burner stove, microwave, dishwasher and sink. We have internet access, but Gil is having a problem getting the xbox to work online.
Well, bring it on - we are here for the great adventure.
"...For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." ~ Jeremiah 29:11
I guess this is it - the great adventure that is a Blood & Marrow Transplant. Seems all a little surreal now that it is really happening. I guess being put off last time kind of made it seem like things would change, that we wouldn't have to do this. But here we are at Residence Inn, Tampa and already paid one visit to Moffitt for his first white cell booster - Neupogen (filgrastim).
It was hard to leave home. Hard to leave a big chunk of our life and our 'kids' in the care of someone else! Snoopy kind of figured it out. As we packed up the car he started hovering around Gil. Gil was fit to be tied when we left - that's his pup! And to go a whole month without him is going to be near torture.
It's a pretty nice room - 1 bedroom, queen bed & queen pull out, if we need it; kitchen with a full size fridge, 2 burner stove, microwave, dishwasher and sink. We have internet access, but Gil is having a problem getting the xbox to work online.
Well, bring it on - we are here for the great adventure.
"...For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A day of fun!?
16 vials of blood today for various blood tests - they don't call it a mega lab for nothin' !
Talked to our lodging person and should have voucher for our room by Thursday of next week. Did that while we enjoyed a little snack at the Starbucks in Moffitt.
Psychologist entry interview, cognitive testing and met the Dr. Jones-Booth.
Gil did remarkably well on the cognitive tests - she even called him intelligent (not that I had any doubts). Did find out we had kind of gone through 3 social workers - 2 subs and we have yet really to meet the one assigned to Gil's case, but we've talked to her on the phone. Guess I had raised a few flags with our last meeting with a social worker - I did have a lot of questions, but nothing impractical. Hmmm.... Well I am glad Gil found out he is as intelligent as he thought he was. As for being normal? Well, normal is a relative term. HA!
Love, hugs a kisses as always, dear. :* 😘
Oh well - now to Dr Ball for a last round of blood work!
Although I wasn't able to get a pic of Gil & his mega lab, I did snap this shot of him at Dr. Ball's office, Fl. Cancer Specialists.
Talked to our lodging person and should have voucher for our room by Thursday of next week. Did that while we enjoyed a little snack at the Starbucks in Moffitt.
Psychologist entry interview, cognitive testing and met the Dr. Jones-Booth.
Gil did remarkably well on the cognitive tests - she even called him intelligent (not that I had any doubts). Did find out we had kind of gone through 3 social workers - 2 subs and we have yet really to meet the one assigned to Gil's case, but we've talked to her on the phone. Guess I had raised a few flags with our last meeting with a social worker - I did have a lot of questions, but nothing impractical. Hmmm.... Well I am glad Gil found out he is as intelligent as he thought he was. As for being normal? Well, normal is a relative term. HA!
Love, hugs a kisses as always, dear. :* 😘
Oh well - now to Dr Ball for a last round of blood work!
Although I wasn't able to get a pic of Gil & his mega lab, I did snap this shot of him at Dr. Ball's office, Fl. Cancer Specialists.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Human Conditon
I keep thinking about the whole Boston marathon bombings and stuff a wonder: should I hate them for the damage done or thank them for uniting us all again?
I have never been a part of any major tragedies or had any great, huge life changing experiences (that I am aware of). My brother & sister were affected by the Northridge earthquake in California 1994 and in 2004, closer to home, hurricane Charley damaged my parents residence moving them closer to me which impacting Gil and I a bit. We had a minor fire in the house, but nothing was really damaged. I moved a lot as a kid, learned to fly when I was young, but failed at learning to land (once was enough). When I was young my dad had cancer and I learned quickly people don't like to deal with life & death situations, especially when you are around 13 years old; Break-ups are hard enough, who wants to deal with a parent on death door. (my dad is still alive, by the way - 91 years old now, WWII and 3x cancer survivor!)
Even though I found a deeper faith in Christ in college, I learned then that life goes on and as long as you keep moving, no one will really notice when anything is wrong; even if you stop for a moment, everyone has their own problems, they don't really notice or want to notice yours. It's cynical, but kind of how I've learned to live; learned to cope. We're pretty much on our own; God is probably the only one listening.
This is Gil's second go around with Hodgkin's. 7 years ago, the chemo made him pretty sick. His allergy to one of the drugs was rare and probably contributed to his overall sickness. The only real support system we had in place was family and church, but there were a lot of emotions to overcome and a lot of distance. A lot of people asked about his health and we had a pretty good tech team at church, but there were few offers of assistance. Life went on, we got through and here we are again, 7 years later...a different strain of Hodgkins and slightly different circumstances.
The chemo Gil started out with actually went pretty smoothly, considering it was supposed to be a more aggressive mix - 3 days on with one being a 24 hour drip, 18 days off, for 2 cycles.The first week of the cycle was the worst, but the rest a piece of cake! My run team has been super supportive, the coaches and others asking if there is anything they can do to help. Church has been more supportive with the pastor actually getting upset with Gil being at work at times. Even my parent's church, whose pastor is dealing with his wife's cancer, has been praying and supporting us!
When the bone marrow transplant was suggested, family and friends actually asked about donating. When the transplant got pushed back, everyone was very understanding - my sub at school, the girls that were going to housesit, the county (risk management?) and school secretary for having to change my family medical leave. Gil was put on a new 'designer' chemo that takes the wind out him, but we kept going.
Now, as we prepare for the second time to move to Tampa for the transplant, I've been blown away by the continued support. Mary Wilson, who was my sub, was supposed to start her vacation in May. She and her husband put off their vacation so she could finish out the rest of the school year for me. People at church are supporting us in various ways; offering housing, visitations, deliveries...
This has blown my mind. 7 years ago I was angry and upset at how little help and support we had; now we have more support than we know what to do with, but as we face the unknown with the bone marrow transplant, we may need it. Groceries, laundry, a moment to go for a short run (we'll be staying near Lettuce Lake park!), our Tampa family may be called on quite a bit. When we come home I'm not sure what kind of help we'll need, if any. We've heard best and worst case scenarios - be we won't know how we'll handle things till we get there.
Hope you all aren't totally 'prayed' out yet. I know this feels like it's been going on forever, but I'm keeping my faith and you all have helped me renew my faith in man.
I'm not gonna lie. As we face this bone marrow thing, we're a little scared. I try not to think about the 'what-if's', Gil can't help but think about them. We are dealing with it all one day at a time.
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 NLT)
I have never been a part of any major tragedies or had any great, huge life changing experiences (that I am aware of). My brother & sister were affected by the Northridge earthquake in California 1994 and in 2004, closer to home, hurricane Charley damaged my parents residence moving them closer to me which impacting Gil and I a bit. We had a minor fire in the house, but nothing was really damaged. I moved a lot as a kid, learned to fly when I was young, but failed at learning to land (once was enough). When I was young my dad had cancer and I learned quickly people don't like to deal with life & death situations, especially when you are around 13 years old; Break-ups are hard enough, who wants to deal with a parent on death door. (my dad is still alive, by the way - 91 years old now, WWII and 3x cancer survivor!)
Even though I found a deeper faith in Christ in college, I learned then that life goes on and as long as you keep moving, no one will really notice when anything is wrong; even if you stop for a moment, everyone has their own problems, they don't really notice or want to notice yours. It's cynical, but kind of how I've learned to live; learned to cope. We're pretty much on our own; God is probably the only one listening.
This is Gil's second go around with Hodgkin's. 7 years ago, the chemo made him pretty sick. His allergy to one of the drugs was rare and probably contributed to his overall sickness. The only real support system we had in place was family and church, but there were a lot of emotions to overcome and a lot of distance. A lot of people asked about his health and we had a pretty good tech team at church, but there were few offers of assistance. Life went on, we got through and here we are again, 7 years later...a different strain of Hodgkins and slightly different circumstances.
The chemo Gil started out with actually went pretty smoothly, considering it was supposed to be a more aggressive mix - 3 days on with one being a 24 hour drip, 18 days off, for 2 cycles.The first week of the cycle was the worst, but the rest a piece of cake! My run team has been super supportive, the coaches and others asking if there is anything they can do to help. Church has been more supportive with the pastor actually getting upset with Gil being at work at times. Even my parent's church, whose pastor is dealing with his wife's cancer, has been praying and supporting us!
When the bone marrow transplant was suggested, family and friends actually asked about donating. When the transplant got pushed back, everyone was very understanding - my sub at school, the girls that were going to housesit, the county (risk management?) and school secretary for having to change my family medical leave. Gil was put on a new 'designer' chemo that takes the wind out him, but we kept going.
Now, as we prepare for the second time to move to Tampa for the transplant, I've been blown away by the continued support. Mary Wilson, who was my sub, was supposed to start her vacation in May. She and her husband put off their vacation so she could finish out the rest of the school year for me. People at church are supporting us in various ways; offering housing, visitations, deliveries...
This has blown my mind. 7 years ago I was angry and upset at how little help and support we had; now we have more support than we know what to do with, but as we face the unknown with the bone marrow transplant, we may need it. Groceries, laundry, a moment to go for a short run (we'll be staying near Lettuce Lake park!), our Tampa family may be called on quite a bit. When we come home I'm not sure what kind of help we'll need, if any. We've heard best and worst case scenarios - be we won't know how we'll handle things till we get there.
Hope you all aren't totally 'prayed' out yet. I know this feels like it's been going on forever, but I'm keeping my faith and you all have helped me renew my faith in man.
I'm not gonna lie. As we face this bone marrow thing, we're a little scared. I try not to think about the 'what-if's', Gil can't help but think about them. We are dealing with it all one day at a time.
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 NLT)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Getting ready...again
Well, it's been a pretty busy week, but it's about to get busier.
Last week was 10th grade FCAT for me at work. 3 sessions a day, 70 minutes each...0ver 500 kids tested...and that's just the 10th grade class!
Gil has been busy helping is parents get ready for Mom to go home from re-hab, which happened Thursday April 18th.
My mom turned 84th Thursday, so Gil & I and the dogs all went to Pt. Charlotte for a birthday dinner, overnight at Banana Bay, and breakfast this morning.
In the midst of all this we got Gil's new prep-schedule.
Gil has chemo Tuesday, April 23rd, then he/we meet with the psychologist on the 30th, CAT scan & Dr. on May 1, neupogin shots start on the 10th and apheresis on the 14th. We have received a phone call from the social worker and they are arranging for our housing to start May 10th.
OK, all that aside.
I know from looking at the stats for this blog that I get a lot of traffic from overseas. I thought maybe I was making more of an impact than I was aware of, that this was helping someone overseas. I get all of the comments by e-mail as well seeing them here - but fortunately for you dear reader, you do not see all of the comments. The 'robots' for blogger do a good job of keeping the erroneous odd comments from showing up. It is really strange when you get a comment in very bad english and it has really nothing to do with the post being commented about. "aw, thanks [name]. check out my website..." or "to better do this, you should post pictures" on a post that didn't require pictures. All of these type of comments have a website attached. So annoying - why do they really bother?
There was one that did make me think - they were asking for advice on writing a blog. If that one is/was real - all I can say is just do it. I'm no expert at blog writing. I'd like to think my background of creative writing helps, but - mostly this is just for my family & friends to stay updated on Gil's condition and any other great adventures that come our way. If it really does help someone who is dealing with cancer or whatever in life - well, that's just icing!
love to all.
hmmm....maybe someday I'll start a story thru here. that could be interesting.
Last week was 10th grade FCAT for me at work. 3 sessions a day, 70 minutes each...0ver 500 kids tested...and that's just the 10th grade class!
Gil has been busy helping is parents get ready for Mom to go home from re-hab, which happened Thursday April 18th.
My mom turned 84th Thursday, so Gil & I and the dogs all went to Pt. Charlotte for a birthday dinner, overnight at Banana Bay, and breakfast this morning.
In the midst of all this we got Gil's new prep-schedule.
Gil has chemo Tuesday, April 23rd, then he/we meet with the psychologist on the 30th, CAT scan & Dr. on May 1, neupogin shots start on the 10th and apheresis on the 14th. We have received a phone call from the social worker and they are arranging for our housing to start May 10th.
OK, all that aside.
I know from looking at the stats for this blog that I get a lot of traffic from overseas. I thought maybe I was making more of an impact than I was aware of, that this was helping someone overseas. I get all of the comments by e-mail as well seeing them here - but fortunately for you dear reader, you do not see all of the comments. The 'robots' for blogger do a good job of keeping the erroneous odd comments from showing up. It is really strange when you get a comment in very bad english and it has really nothing to do with the post being commented about. "aw, thanks [name]. check out my website..." or "to better do this, you should post pictures" on a post that didn't require pictures. All of these type of comments have a website attached. So annoying - why do they really bother?
There was one that did make me think - they were asking for advice on writing a blog. If that one is/was real - all I can say is just do it. I'm no expert at blog writing. I'd like to think my background of creative writing helps, but - mostly this is just for my family & friends to stay updated on Gil's condition and any other great adventures that come our way. If it really does help someone who is dealing with cancer or whatever in life - well, that's just icing!
love to all.
hmmm....maybe someday I'll start a story thru here. that could be interesting.
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Rough week
The first 24 hours after Gil's treatment (Tuesday) wasn't too bad, but later Wednesday evening, after his booster shot, it started to hit - nausea, chills, shortness of breath, backache.
No vomiting and his hair is still growing, but his appetite and level of activity were definitely diminished.
He is sleeping harder bur is feeling much better today. We managed to put some dirt in the backyard to fill in where Snoopy had run ruts into the ground from playing.
My first week back to school was filled with a lot of surprised staff & students, and a lot of testing. I think they are glad I'm back for testing, because I was left with a lot of testing responsibilities (like I had a choice? It is in my room, after all). 8 weeks of testing - yay! Oh the places I could go with that, but that may be a different post.
Gil has a Dr. appointment Tuesday for blood work; I'll be curious about his white cell count. There is also an appointment at Moffitt for the Apheresis on May 14, which is sooner than I figured, but that will be based on his next CAT scan, which has not been scheduled yet. BUT one thing at a time....have to get thru his next chemo treatment first (April 23).
No vomiting and his hair is still growing, but his appetite and level of activity were definitely diminished.
He is sleeping harder bur is feeling much better today. We managed to put some dirt in the backyard to fill in where Snoopy had run ruts into the ground from playing.
My first week back to school was filled with a lot of surprised staff & students, and a lot of testing. I think they are glad I'm back for testing, because I was left with a lot of testing responsibilities (like I had a choice? It is in my room, after all). 8 weeks of testing - yay! Oh the places I could go with that, but that may be a different post.
Gil has a Dr. appointment Tuesday for blood work; I'll be curious about his white cell count. There is also an appointment at Moffitt for the Apheresis on May 14, which is sooner than I figured, but that will be based on his next CAT scan, which has not been scheduled yet. BUT one thing at a time....have to get thru his next chemo treatment first (April 23).
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Acedris
So after a crazy holy week of a rental light board, power outages at church resulting in a true service of darkness on good Friday, and 3 services on Easter Sunday, we finally got a little down time Sunday evening. But, Monday it was back to school and "surprise" to many a student and teacher, and much explaining.
Tuesday, today, we started back at testing. Things weren't quite as prepared as I would have hoped, again. Today was also Gil's first turn with the new chemo, Acedris (aka brentuximab vedotin). So far so good; he's a little tired because they gave him benadryl with it as a preventative - it's a fairly new drug, so they were being proactive? Outside of being tired he has said his feet and ankles got a little tingly while playing with Snoopy outside and his head itches a little (well, the hair is trying to come back). I was going to take Snoopy for a short run, but it's getting a lot warmer quickly and he was willing to throw the wubba (dog toy) instead, so...
Moffitt seems to have started a schedule. We/he has an appointment for apheresis on May 14th. We'll see how it all fills out soon enough.
Tuesday, today, we started back at testing. Things weren't quite as prepared as I would have hoped, again. Today was also Gil's first turn with the new chemo, Acedris (aka brentuximab vedotin). So far so good; he's a little tired because they gave him benadryl with it as a preventative - it's a fairly new drug, so they were being proactive? Outside of being tired he has said his feet and ankles got a little tingly while playing with Snoopy outside and his head itches a little (well, the hair is trying to come back). I was going to take Snoopy for a short run, but it's getting a lot warmer quickly and he was willing to throw the wubba (dog toy) instead, so...
Moffitt seems to have started a schedule. We/he has an appointment for apheresis on May 14th. We'll see how it all fills out soon enough.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
yet another set-back
I was very proud of myself at one point last week. Gil had gone to the oncologist to schedule his new chemo. When he got home he had an info sheet for a different drug than what the Dr. at Moffitt had mentioned. Now, I realize the Dr. at Moffitt has a strong hispanic accent (from Colombia?) and I almost got the drug name wrong, so I was sure our Dr. had gone by what she heard on the phone and not read his notes yet. So I called, left a voice message and later, when they called back, they confirmed that, after reading Dr. Ayala's notes, Dr. Ball ordered the Acetris for Gil.
Brentuximab and Rituximab (generic names) can sound very similar. I was glad to get everyone on the same page!
Well, today he was supposed to have chemo, but it turns out it is a special order drug and needs paperwork done and signed off on, so....it's on order now! No chemo today, next week.
Gotta call Moffitt so they can change our schedule again.
In the meantime, we are enjoying spring break (not doing much but church stuff) and some unusually cool weather.
Brentuximab and Rituximab (generic names) can sound very similar. I was glad to get everyone on the same page!
Well, today he was supposed to have chemo, but it turns out it is a special order drug and needs paperwork done and signed off on, so....it's on order now! No chemo today, next week.
Gotta call Moffitt so they can change our schedule again.
In the meantime, we are enjoying spring break (not doing much but church stuff) and some unusually cool weather.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Holy hell week, Batman!
Some days I'm just beside myself. Yesterday, our church had a family fun day. Egg hunts, bouncy house, bunny pictures, games...something we've done for the past few years. I was taking pictures, did bunny duty (as the bunny as well as became the bunny attendant), then Gil called for me. There was a problem in the sanctuary. The night before there had been a big storm and the church got struck as it often does. The house lights would work, but the stage or alter lights didn't. Everything else worked fine, but no lights up front, and our church is built without windows or natural lighting in the alter area. It is a bit of a theatrical set-up, but we are one of those churches who needs it. After a bunch of troubleshooting, unplugging & replugging, restarting....nothing. We think it's the light board.
As it was, we had one light Gil had just changed a lamp in, one at home because it wasn't working and was causing others to stop working and one of the 'smart bars' that the lights plug into.
And now this?
But it's Holy week!! We have Palm Sunday services (which went really well by candle light), Maunday Thursday dinner & play, service of darkness for Good Friday (fitting), and 3 Easter services!!
And more storms to come, and I'm not just making an allegory, that's part of life in Florida!
Plus we got turned down for financial assistance from Moffitt (darned retirement fund?) and the earlier news that changed all our plans. I hit the wall - Just shut down.
Most of the time I can distance my feeling pretty well, keep it all logical (go Spock), just keep going and get it done. Then, all it takes is a burnt dinner or something and I lose it....shut down, get pissed, or just start crying.
There is just so much going on, and so much to do, I just lose the will to do it. I still feel like I should be preparing to leave, but I know we have another 8 weeks. This week is spring break, but it's going to really throw me off come Monday April 1st...no joke, it's back to school!
One day at a time, sweet Jesus.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ~ Isaiah 55:8
OH...just a little add on, Gil starts a new chemo on Tuesday (Acetris), and there's also a school that is ready for an install (sound equipment). YAY!?
As it was, we had one light Gil had just changed a lamp in, one at home because it wasn't working and was causing others to stop working and one of the 'smart bars' that the lights plug into.
And now this?
But it's Holy week!! We have Palm Sunday services (which went really well by candle light), Maunday Thursday dinner & play, service of darkness for Good Friday (fitting), and 3 Easter services!!
And more storms to come, and I'm not just making an allegory, that's part of life in Florida!
Plus we got turned down for financial assistance from Moffitt (darned retirement fund?) and the earlier news that changed all our plans. I hit the wall - Just shut down.
Most of the time I can distance my feeling pretty well, keep it all logical (go Spock), just keep going and get it done. Then, all it takes is a burnt dinner or something and I lose it....shut down, get pissed, or just start crying.
There is just so much going on, and so much to do, I just lose the will to do it. I still feel like I should be preparing to leave, but I know we have another 8 weeks. This week is spring break, but it's going to really throw me off come Monday April 1st...no joke, it's back to school!
One day at a time, sweet Jesus.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ~ Isaiah 55:8
OH...just a little add on, Gil starts a new chemo on Tuesday (Acetris), and there's also a school that is ready for an install (sound equipment). YAY!?
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Set-back
Well this was a little unexpected. Due to his tonsil still showing signs of disease, they don't want to do the transplant yet. They want him in total remission before moving ahead with the transplant process.
What does this mean?
2 rounds of a new chemo therapy (Brentuximab vedotin/Adcetris) and moving the BMT to late May.
Lots of change of plans - our leave from work, cancel the house sitter - or at least reschedule, don't have to worry about housing for a while, summer plans change too.
He shouldn't have to go through organ testing again - yay - but do we cancel our appt with the social worker today? Evidently, No
The class & psychologist tomorrow? Yes
Ugh ....
Social worker: ok, so turned in the paperwork for any financial assistance. Once we have new dates, we can out in a request for lodging. Convenience would be to be in place (in Tampa) prior to transplant ...when he's getting the neutrogin shots, then after transplant is mandatory.
Sometimes you just want it done and over, not more waiting. 😓
What does this mean?
2 rounds of a new chemo therapy (Brentuximab vedotin/Adcetris) and moving the BMT to late May.
Lots of change of plans - our leave from work, cancel the house sitter - or at least reschedule, don't have to worry about housing for a while, summer plans change too.
He shouldn't have to go through organ testing again - yay - but do we cancel our appt with the social worker today? Evidently, No
The class & psychologist tomorrow? Yes
Ugh ....
Social worker: ok, so turned in the paperwork for any financial assistance. Once we have new dates, we can out in a request for lodging. Convenience would be to be in place (in Tampa) prior to transplant ...when he's getting the neutrogin shots, then after transplant is mandatory.
Sometimes you just want it done and over, not more waiting. 😓
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Prepping
All this prep-work has Gil little overwhelmed. He's been poked and prodded so much this last week it made him really tired yesterday. Although he is feeling good - he did some work at church changing lights, doing musical arrangements - he still tires out easily.
All the testing this week (PET, CAT & Muga scans, about 12 tubes of blood for tests, pulmonary function...), meeting the financial officer (Yikes! This is expensive), social worker (who was out sick, so had a sub), has left us a little worried and confused. We will be applying for financial assistance that may cover our lodging among other things. Some of the info regarding visitors and giving me (the caregiver) a break was a little confusing so I hope we find out more this week.
I started my leave of absence from work. Getting a note from the Dr.'s office has been more challenging than expected. Thought I had everything settled a week ago, but they haven't sent it yet (that I know of), the dates are all wrong for what I put in for - but I'm his primary caregiver so I can't work the entire time I'm with him, not just for his basic treatment! Frustrating!
And wouldn't you know it, I caught a cold. I'm doing everything I can to get rid of it quickly, but better now than while he's in treatment, right?
I'm guessing that overwhelmed feeling Gil has had this week will hit me soon enough. Maybe I can keep myself distanced enough, but I gotta keep my head on and clear.
This week's schedule:
March 20: Meet with Dr. 10am - 11am
March 21: Class 10 - 11:30am, Psychologist 12:30 - 2:30pm
If you are interested in the gift of giving, please give to your favorite charity! Some that are currently near & dear to us are:
American Cancer Society - they fund Hope Lodge among other things
Leukemia & Lymphoma society - they fund some of the best research and have been a great source of information.
Also, Team in Training is a great fundraising athletic group for the LLS - I am an alumni and if you would like to help support an athlete supporting the LLS, I will happlily give you information.
And of course please support Moffitt Center - the hospital that will be caring for Gil is a non-profit organization itself.
As we find out more we will let you know. As we prepare for our move we may ask for a little help from our friends. And if you want to give the gift of entertainment (who knows what kind of time we'll be spending in our housing) we are fans of iTunes and Amazon gift certificates!! :)
We thank you all for your continued support and hope this blog may help someone else understand their experience - you are not alone.
All the testing this week (PET, CAT & Muga scans, about 12 tubes of blood for tests, pulmonary function...), meeting the financial officer (Yikes! This is expensive), social worker (who was out sick, so had a sub), has left us a little worried and confused. We will be applying for financial assistance that may cover our lodging among other things. Some of the info regarding visitors and giving me (the caregiver) a break was a little confusing so I hope we find out more this week.
I started my leave of absence from work. Getting a note from the Dr.'s office has been more challenging than expected. Thought I had everything settled a week ago, but they haven't sent it yet (that I know of), the dates are all wrong for what I put in for - but I'm his primary caregiver so I can't work the entire time I'm with him, not just for his basic treatment! Frustrating!
And wouldn't you know it, I caught a cold. I'm doing everything I can to get rid of it quickly, but better now than while he's in treatment, right?
I'm guessing that overwhelmed feeling Gil has had this week will hit me soon enough. Maybe I can keep myself distanced enough, but I gotta keep my head on and clear.
This week's schedule:
March 20: Meet with Dr. 10am - 11am
March 21: Class 10 - 11:30am, Psychologist 12:30 - 2:30pm
If you are interested in the gift of giving, please give to your favorite charity! Some that are currently near & dear to us are:
American Cancer Society - they fund Hope Lodge among other things
Leukemia & Lymphoma society - they fund some of the best research and have been a great source of information.
Also, Team in Training is a great fundraising athletic group for the LLS - I am an alumni and if you would like to help support an athlete supporting the LLS, I will happlily give you information.
And of course please support Moffitt Center - the hospital that will be caring for Gil is a non-profit organization itself.
As we find out more we will let you know. As we prepare for our move we may ask for a little help from our friends. And if you want to give the gift of entertainment (who knows what kind of time we'll be spending in our housing) we are fans of iTunes and Amazon gift certificates!! :)
We thank you all for your continued support and hope this blog may help someone else understand their experience - you are not alone.
God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can [minister], we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully. ~ Romans 12:6-8 (CEV)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Crazy Day!!
After the time change, I don't know how Gil's day has gone, but a quick stop at Starbucks this morning, and my day got off to a crazy start. PERT testing (a college ready-ness test) was this morning and we weren't quite ready for it. Passes didn't go out as we (guidance counselor & I) had hoped so things did not get started as we hoped. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
I was hoping Gil might pick up Dani so I could go for a run, but he had a lot going on: His dad going to the nursing home to visit mom, a run thru of the Easter play at church, including setting up a black-out curtain, and then meeting up with a friend of his from Tallahassee (Hi Alan!!). So when I got home I went for a run with Snoopy.
I had been waiting to hear about Dani's new family, and when on the third lap around Datsko park, I let Snoop off leash for a bit. That's when I got the call...and snoopy disappeared. I had just passed a dad carrying his kid on his shoulders and I think the extra large person scared snoop and I was on my phone about Dani's new family and didn't react quick enough!!
After freaking out for about 20 minutes, wandering around the park, calling for him, asking if anyone had seen him. Called Gil, got him all worried too. Finally called Danielle and asked her to take a look outside and within minutes she called me back...he was home.
I didn't record how fast I ran home, but it was fast, I think. I just know I was so happy and relieved when I opened the door and Snoopy greeted me. Dani was kind of funny. She said she opened the garage door and he charged at her from the neighbors yard. He was so happy to be home...and I was happy when I got home and he was there safe & sound.
Finally, got our lead on Danielle's new family. It's been a while coming, but it looks like we finally have a home. We will be moving her tomorrow evening. I have 2 meetings tomorrow after school so Gil may have to do the move. That will make a busy day for him after day full of appointments at Moffitt.
Otherwise we are doing fine. It's going to be a busy week as Gil starts his organ testing this week, plus all the Easter stuff starting up.
March 11: easter play; experiment with blackout screen
March 12 starting at 8am - 2:30 pm
PET scan (no food), financial, pre-visit screening, meg lab?, social worker (maybe that's the psychologist?); Hopefully we'll find out about housing at this point and I'll get with our potential house sitters; Move Dani ??
March 13 starting at 8:30 am - 11 am
Muga scan, NVO?, EKG, Pulmonary function test (no caffeine)
March 14 starting 10:30 am - 2:40 pm
prep instructions, CT Scan
My substitute should visit school sometime around the end of the week to see how it all works and answer any questions.
March 18th I start medical leave; another Easter play practice ...the rest is yet to come.
At least today is over...almost.
I was hoping Gil might pick up Dani so I could go for a run, but he had a lot going on: His dad going to the nursing home to visit mom, a run thru of the Easter play at church, including setting up a black-out curtain, and then meeting up with a friend of his from Tallahassee (Hi Alan!!). So when I got home I went for a run with Snoopy.
I had been waiting to hear about Dani's new family, and when on the third lap around Datsko park, I let Snoop off leash for a bit. That's when I got the call...and snoopy disappeared. I had just passed a dad carrying his kid on his shoulders and I think the extra large person scared snoop and I was on my phone about Dani's new family and didn't react quick enough!!
After freaking out for about 20 minutes, wandering around the park, calling for him, asking if anyone had seen him. Called Gil, got him all worried too. Finally called Danielle and asked her to take a look outside and within minutes she called me back...he was home.
I didn't record how fast I ran home, but it was fast, I think. I just know I was so happy and relieved when I opened the door and Snoopy greeted me. Dani was kind of funny. She said she opened the garage door and he charged at her from the neighbors yard. He was so happy to be home...and I was happy when I got home and he was there safe & sound.
Finally, got our lead on Danielle's new family. It's been a while coming, but it looks like we finally have a home. We will be moving her tomorrow evening. I have 2 meetings tomorrow after school so Gil may have to do the move. That will make a busy day for him after day full of appointments at Moffitt.
Otherwise we are doing fine. It's going to be a busy week as Gil starts his organ testing this week, plus all the Easter stuff starting up.
March 11: easter play; experiment with blackout screen
March 12 starting at 8am - 2:30 pm
PET scan (no food), financial, pre-visit screening, meg lab?, social worker (maybe that's the psychologist?); Hopefully we'll find out about housing at this point and I'll get with our potential house sitters; Move Dani ??
March 13 starting at 8:30 am - 11 am
Muga scan, NVO?, EKG, Pulmonary function test (no caffeine)
March 14 starting 10:30 am - 2:40 pm
prep instructions, CT Scan
My substitute should visit school sometime around the end of the week to see how it all works and answer any questions.
March 18th I start medical leave; another Easter play practice ...the rest is yet to come.
At least today is over...almost.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Good news!
Gil got the results from his PET scan. All nodes are gone except his tonsil which was 2.5cm is now 1.7cm - nice reduction. We are very, very happy with this!
Dr. Ball was also surprised to hear that Gil had an easier time with this chemo than the previous one 7 years ago - this was harsher, but either the Emend anti-nausea drugs were very good, or he just was very blessed. The roughest time was chemo week - days 1-10.
Also, looks like Danielle may have a new home as of this week.
Nice to get some good news for once.
Dr. Ball was also surprised to hear that Gil had an easier time with this chemo than the previous one 7 years ago - this was harsher, but either the Emend anti-nausea drugs were very good, or he just was very blessed. The roughest time was chemo week - days 1-10.
Also, looks like Danielle may have a new home as of this week.
Nice to get some good news for once.
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