Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year's Eve!  It's the last day of 2011 and I am so glad to see this year go.  2011 has not been good to us overall, at least we got Buster he was the best thing to have happened in 2011.  Besides getting cancer the year was pretty shitty, it was a hard time for us both.  Needless to say I've been waiting for 2012, I am a person who likes even numbers, and I am glad to be entering into an even year.  I believe 2011 was so bad because it's an odd year.  The only odd number I like is 13, in fact it's my lucky number.  13 is my birthday and I like the idea that it's supposed to be unlucky, for me it's not.

Anyway, we just came home from a walk, all three of us went down to the lake.  It was fun to show Eric the lake in our neighborhood.  There's even a little island with a cute little bridge.  Buster had a lot of fun and we saw two other dogs.  Unfortunately, there was a dog that got hit by a car, we didn't see it but we saw the blood which was sad.  It made me want to keep a tighter grip on Buster I couldn't stand to loose him.  I feel for the family of the dog, although somebody took him some where, maybe he lived, I don't know.  When we got home Buster started whining at the door, I thought well maybe he is trying to tell me something, sure enough we went out and he took a pee.  I really hope he is starting to learn that he has to go to the bathroom outside.  He has had lots of accidents in the kitchen and he is not aloud on the carpet until he is officially house trained.  Eric and I are both sick of cleaning up pee.

Well I hope you all have a safe and joyful New Years Eve.  We will spend our night together at home having a quiet New Years.  Love and peace to you all from 6119.

Friday, December, 30, 2011

Happy Friday, I hope you are all getting ready for New Year's Eve!  We aren't doing anything special, just celebrating at home with some Champagne and Beer.  Tonight we are going out with our friends Bob and Linda Williams, it's so nice to have people to get together with.

Buster and I are about to go on a morning walk.  I'm hoping to tire him out so he won't be so active today.  It's Eric's second to last day off from work and we want to enjoy the day.  I better take Buster for two walks since he'll be alone while we go out. At least this way he should just sleep while we are gone.

I'll have to have my home nurse come out today as my dressing almost came all the way off!  It's not supposed to get wet or have air hit it for fear of infection.  But when I sleep, I sweat and the adhesive doesn't hold.  I woke up this morning and it was hanging half off!  Oh well, that's why I have a nurse to begin with.

I know I say it all the time but I seriously love Buster.  He is the best thing that has happened to us.  I love how he makes me feel, like I'm the best puppy mom in the world.  When I come into the room he runs for me and wiggles his cute little butt.  Precious.  Yesterday, Eric was complaining that we have no life anymore because every second is devoted to Buster.  I said you are looking at it the wrong way, Buster is a blessing, he teaches us not to be selfish.  He agreed, it was just a moment of weakness.

Well Buster is whining so I better wrap this up so I can take him for a walk.  Peace out friends, from 6119.  

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous day.  Buster slept till 8:00 this morning, what a miracle!  Maybe it had something to do with the walk we took yesterday.  He did so well, he walked for a good half hour and saw lots of doggies.  He was afraid of a few but barked right back at a couple.  Buster even stopped traffic, as we were walking a car pulled over to say; "So cute! He just stops traffic doesn't he?"  I was a proud mama.  We even ran into my neighbor on the walk, we caught up, she now knows about my Leukemia.  I've been wondering what they must think when they see I have no hair.

Today we will go for another walk, he slept like a champ after yesterday's.  I'm not sure if we'll get two in today since it's kind of cold out right now.  Yesterday, I got to do a little shopping, I finally spent my last gift cards from the day care center (teacher appreciation gifts), one for Michael's and one for The World Market.  Plus, I bought a new charm for my pandora bracelet, an Owl!  It's so cute, it doesn't symbolize anything other than the fact that I am wise.  :)  It was a good day, I haven't shopped in forever!  Plus, how can you go wrong with free shopping?

Well that's it for now, I wish you all the best for today.  Love from 6119.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

It's a beautiful sunny day a little cold but then again, my sense of cold is not the same as it once was.  It's hard to believe I lived in Buffalo for six years, shoveling snow living in freezing cold temperatures, when it's so cold that you can hardly breathe.  I certainly don't miss the snow but I do miss the town thanks to the wonderful people there.  I call Buffalo my adult home town, it's where I grew up on my own and I have a Buffalo family made up of friends and family there.  So Buffalo will always have a soft spot in my heart.

Speaking of the wonderful people in Buffalo, I would like to thank Brian Radloff and Ron Serte (?) they sent me the best surprise, an autograph from Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres!  Tyler is the tallest player and he's a second year player, former rookie of the year.  It says "Jen, Keep Fighting, Tyler Myers #57".  I love it, he really is one of my favorite players and he's definitely one of Eric's favorites.  This bad boy is going to get framed and hung up on the wall!

Eric is golfing today in Greenville with our friend Jason Aldrich, it will be fun for them to get out and have some fun.  I plan on going to Pandora to get a charm for my bracelet, which I love!  Then Buster and I are going on our first official walk.  I think he's ready, we already explore the space behind our back yard and if it's a short walk that will be okay, it will all depend on him.

So that's it for today, I hope you all have a beautiful day.  Be thankful for each moment and show love to all those you meet.  I'll leave you with my favorite line from Dave Matthews Band, "If kindness is your king, then heaven will be yours before you meet your end."  Show some kindness today.  Love from 6119.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Happy Tuesday, I hope you all are having a great day.  It's rainy here in Charlotte, Buster's curled up sleeping on my lap, Eric is playing Golden Tee and I'm drifting in and out of sleep.  Buster has a way of making you sleep when he takes his naps.  We've already been to the store and are preparing for another quiet and lazy day.  Eric has the whole week off which is wonderful.  I'm trying to convince him to go see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I know he'll see it, it's just a question of when.  Eric doesn't like movies so it's rare for him to go but he knows how much I want to see this one.  Even though I saw the Danish version already, it's such a good story I'd see it again anyway so at least this time I don't have to read subtitles.

I want to give a shout out to my girl Kristina aka K-Dogg, she sent me a beautiful infinity scarf which I love.  Unfortunately, so does Buster, but he tends to like anything that hangs around my neck.  So thank you Kristina it's beautiful and I love that you picked it out.  For those of you who don't know Kristina is one of the most fashion forward ladies and always looks good.  Pretty much all of my Texas girls are fashionable, I'm lucky to have them for friends.

Anyway, I'm really diggin' my new hats and coat.  Today, I wore my silly cherry rain boots with my coat and I almost wore my Owl hat, Eric thought it might be a little too much.  I looked awesome for Walmart! I love my Owl hat it is quite cozy and it makes people smile, just like my boots do.  I guess one silly accessory is enough.

Well that's all for now, I hope you have a beautiful day.  Peace out from 6119.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Good Morning, I hope this day finds you well.  Perhaps you are already back at work or you are lucky to have the day off.   I am just enjoying some cereal and basking in the sunshine from my kitchen window.  I really had the best Christmas and I'm so fortunate to have so many blessings in my life.  I will forever be thankful and make sure to appreciate everything as a gift.

Yesterday, I finished my painting and I really want to start another one.  There is something very relaxing and peaceful about painting, it's good for the soul.  The only problem is Buster isn't allowed in my painting room and he doesn't like it when we leave him alone.  He's now started peeing whenever we leave him alone.  If we crate him, he'll be good but if we leave him in the kitchen he will do his business whenever he's mad at us.  It's a wee bit frustrating.

Well I don't have much else to say, I hope you all have a fabulous day.  Much love from 6119.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!  Oh what a day, we woke up at 7:00am, took Buster out and had a blast opening presents. Buster loved playing with the wrapping paper.  Now I'm enjoying a mimosa but we just ran out of OJ, guess we'll have to switch to straight Champagne.  I'm wearing my new beautiful coat thanks Mom and Grandma, and I'm also wearing my new cancer bracelet and Pandora bracelet.  I love them both, they go perfectly with my tree of life bracelet.  I feel like a gypsy with lots of silver bracelets.  It suits my personality and I'm super excited to begin collecting charms for my Pandora, I now have a butterfly, the leukemia charm, an angel and the tree of life charm.  It's perfect, I also got a fabulous rhino, picture frame and lots of great hats!  When it comes to hats, I'm set, which is great cause my bald head doesn't like the cold.

Now we plan on enjoying our day, we were going to go to church but decided against it for fear of being exposed to sick people.  Eric worries and he does not want me to get sick, that would not be good.  We will be having steaks (thanks to a great friend of ours) and wine tonight which is awesome, I can't wait!  It's the perfect Christmas dinner, I haven't had steak in a while and to have filet mignon with a nice meritage we've been holding on to, it will be wonderful.

Now Buster is sleeping and Eric is playing his new Golden Tee game, turns out you don't have to go to the bar to play the popular game, you can now enjoy the classic Golden Tee game on your own TV.  Thanks Mom, I think it's the best present you've given to Eric.  I plan on finishing my painting I started yesterday, which I'm very pleased with!  Later we'll have our fabulous dinner and be thankful for all the gifts we have all around us.  I hope you all get to spend the day with those who you love and are thankful for every moment we spend with our loved ones.  Merry Christmas from 6119.  

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas Eve!  I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas, I'm so excited!  We have lots of beautiful packages under the tree from our fabulous family.  I'm trying to convince Eric to open at least one present tonight, I think I'll win since we've done it before.  Buster slept all night again and he hardly made any noise!  He's playing with his new toy that looks like a piece of bread.  He is chasing it all over the kitchen as I type this.  We seriously love him so much, he's the best Christmas present ever.  We are up early this morning and we've already been to Dunkin Donuts and have enjoyed a donut and coffee.  This time I waited until we got home to eat my donut so I wouldn't risk sneezing my donut in the car again!  

Eric has declared today as football day and is already checking his fantasy teams. I think I'm going to paint today, it's been awhile so I think it's time.  Buster and I have been playing all morning, now he has just laid down for his puppy nap.  He fell asleep in my lap as usual.  I still can't tell you how good it feels to have him come run and jump in to my lap, he loves his mama which makes me so happy.  

It finally turned cold here it was only 35 degrees out this morning, quite a change to what we have been used to.  It's fitting for Christmas to be cold, last year we got snow but I don't think we will this year.  There is not much else to say, I hope you all enjoy this day.  Love and Merry Christmas Eve from 6119.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Happy Friday!  Buster slept through the whole night last night!  Oh joy we were so happy to get a full night of sleep!  We are so proud of him, he is such a joy to our lives.  I am officially done with Christmas shopping and shipping.  It feels good to be done now I can just relax.  Eric and I are looking forward to our Christmas together at home, it feels nice not to be traveling.  Though we miss our families we enjoy the quiet time and the luxury of doing whatever we want to for Christmas.

It's still warm here and sunny, it was a beautiful day today.  Eric's work shut down began today so he's on holiday through New Years.  We are enjoying spending so much time together, we are lucky to be together all the time.  I want to mention, I forgot to thank the United Azerty crew for the scrabble game and fleece.  We love those as well, I didn't mean to leave them out!  Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.

Well that's it for today, love to you all from 6119.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

It is still unseasonably warm here in Charlotte, no rain today which is nice.  I think I heard the high for today is almost 70!  Buster had his best night yet last night, although he is already sleeping again.  Eric says he doesn't sleep at night he just sits there and watches us between howls....  Buster was being incredibly lovable before dosing off to sleep.  Seriously, he makes us so happy and there is nothing better than the feeling you get when he runs up and plops himself down in your lap.  I still can't get over how fantastic he is!

Nothing new in the health department, I'm still feeling good just tired.  I am still trying to wrap up holiday shopping, I am really late this year.  I have to apologize to our family since most of the presents will be late!  I do want to give a shout out to our friends at United/Azerty, your the best.  We received a nice box of goodies from Amanda, Deb, Nancy, Tera, Amy and Chris for the fabulous slippers, blanket, books and coffee cup.  I love all of it and really appreciate the thought.  For those of you who don't know Eric and I used to work at United/Azerty and there are some really great people there who we miss.

Well I better get my day going, lots to do and another trip to the post office (which is always interesting this time of year).  I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday, almost the end of the work week!  Love from 6119!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

It's a rainy day in Charlotte and Buster has pooped and peed in the house!  Way to start the day, thank goodness he is so adorable otherwise I would be mad.  Other than that it's a good day.  I caught up with one of my best friends, Jaidee who lives in Buffalo.  She and her family are doing well which makes me happy.

Yesterday, I saw Dr. Miller and he was very happy about how I have recovered.  I am basically his star patient and he wished every one could have the same type of recovery.  I will be going for my next round of chemo on January 4th, which I believe is the same time as Norm.  It will be another five days like before and I'll start chemo in his office and then check in to the hospital around 4:30.  Hopefully, I'll react the same way and have a quick recovery this time as well.

Well Buster is barking and whining telling me it's time to play so I must cut this blog short.  I hope you all have a fantastic day.   Peace out from 6119.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Buster is sitting in my lap enthralled as I type on the keyboard.  He did a lot better last night.  He almost slept the whole night.  Now if only we could stop him from biting everything!  I know he's a puppy and he's teething but he's got some sharp teeth and some times he acts like I'm the chew toy!  Eric tells me I need to work on my discipline skills.  I'm such a push over for our cute little baby.

I would like to give a shout out to Geri and Dick Wnuk, who continue to spoil me with presents.  I love the green monster slippers and so does Buster, thank you!  He seems to think they are toys coming to get him, he barks at them, it's really rather cute.  They are super comfortable and warm which I love.  The nurses will love them when I'm back in the hospital for my next round of consolidation chemo.  I see Dr. Miller today so hopefully he'll let me know when I have to go in.  It's very important to keep my cancer in remission so the bone marrow transplant grafts to my body easily.  That's what they call it, grafting, when your body rejects the transplant they call it graft vs host disease, which is common and treatable.

I heard from Duke yesterday, they won't have my results until after the holiday.  They were hoping to be able to use the test from Dr. Miller but it was not deep enough so they will use the blood I gave them on Thursday.  That's fine since we figured it we wouldn't hear anything before Christmas.  Plus, I'll take all the  extra time with Buster!

I can't believe it's the week of Christmas!  I still have some shopping to do!  Today I plan on cleaning the house and then hitting the shops.  Hopefully, I'll get everything in the mail today just in time for Christmas.  I hope you all have a blessed day (as they say here in NC).  Love from 6119.

Monday, December 19, 2011

It's official, I no longer need to go the Blumenthal Cancer center!  I went this morning and my blood counts were good so Dr. Miller said I could stop the visits unless I start to feel like I need blood.  Yippee, no more 30 minute drives to the hospital three times a week!  I have an appointment with Miller tomorrow so it will be good to see what he has to say, if you ask me my recovery has been awesome.  I wish I could say the same for my buddy Norm, every day he needs blood and I get to go home.  Plus, he already has his next round of reduction chemo scheduled.  I assume I'll go in around the same time, I don't know for sure but I bet I'll find out tomorrow.

Buster continues to make us smile and I cannot get over how stinking cute he is, he has the best personality and gives the best looks with his expressive eyes.  Every once in awhile he'll give us a cute little bark, we don't mind that compared to the howling and crying he does at night.  Although last night he wasn't that bad, he still whimpered but he slept longer in between.  Of course he is sleeping right now, I try to keep him busy all day but he loves his puppy naps.  He loves to go outside but he's getting a little too brave and he keeps going out a little farther on our property, which isn't very big but it backs up to the main road in our neighborhood.  It terrifies me to think he could dart off in the wrong direction.  I think we will start putting him on a leash we just need to get him a collar first, he's so tiny the one we had doesn't fit him.

Well not much else to report, it's absolutely beautiful out (nearly 60 degrees!) Buster and I have been out several times already but we will go out again to enjoy this warm weather.  Although it doesn't really seem like Christmas is coming at the end of the week without cold weather.  Oh well, I'm still glad that I'm not shoveling snow.  :)  For those of you who are, I feel for you.  Love from 6119.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Having Buster home is the best thing that has happened to us.  He truly is the best dog, and I swear it's almost like he's already toilet trained.  He's gone outside every time!  Of course last night was a hard one for him, being his first night away from his brothers, sisters and mother.  He howled and cried all night long.  I kept thinking he'll pass out eventually, but even then he would still wake up and howl some more.  Of course, now he is sleeping in his crate like it's no big deal.  In fact we took him out, he did his business, we fed him and he walked right into his crate and went to sleep.  Oh well, he's so adorable it's impossible to stay mad at him, no matter how tired we may be.

I can't get over how small he is, but I'm looking forward to him growing up, he'll be the perfect size dog.  Right now he fits on your lap so perfectly, and he can practically crawl up in Eric's hands.  Eric says that Buster already favors me, which he does kind of.  :)  Of course, I try not to encourage it but I love it!  He will come to me and curl up in my lap, he won't leave me when he calls him.  Given the choice he'll go to me over him, I said, well we already knew he was a Momma's dog, now I'm the new Momma.  Either way I would say Buster is pretty lucky to have us for his new Mom & Dad, and we are just as lucky to have him.

Well I imagine we'll all do some snoozing today thank goodness for lazy Sundays. Love from 6119.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Tomorrow is Buster day, finally we are almost there, almost ready to bring him home!  Now that I know my time is limited with him I plan on enjoying every moment with him until I have to go for the transplant. I hope he doesn't forget me over three months!

Happy Friday to everyone, I hope it's been a good week and you have a great weekend lined up.   We certainly do!  Today when I get home I'm taking our Rainy Day jar of coins to Coinstar, the money will go to buying Buster a crate and bed along with some baby gates.  I want to find him the best bed so his crate is comfy and homey.  It will be fun to go shopping, I haven't done anything besides grocery shopping in a long time.

I'm at Blumenthal waiting to see if I need any blood products.  I'm expecting to need something, I couldn't be so lucky to get to go home again today!  Poor Norm was here until 6:30 on Wednesday, he was jealous that I got to go home so quickly.  He's getting blood again today so he'll be jealous again if I don't need anything.

It's still crazy to think about the transplant and what it means for the next few months.  There's a chance I'll turn 32 while in the hospital.  I'll be starting 2012 getting a brand new immune system, living in an apartment in Durham, without my puppy.  However, it will be the best thing for me and the beginning of the rest of my life.  Eric and I were talking yesterday how when all this started we didn't expect it to be so long and intense.  I mean nobody plans on going through cancer or what that entails.  We never imagined going through something like this or how it would effect our life.  It definitely makes us stronger and teaches us to appreciate our love and our life together.  Thank goodness we have each other, I couldn't go through this alone.

Well I just found out I don't need any blood or platelets!  I just have to wait for my white blood count!  This is awesome! I hope you all enjoy your day and do something special for yourselves.  Every one enjoys a little fun for themselves.  Love from Blumenthal.
 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

We just got home from Duke, it took a little over 2 hours to get there.  It was a nice visit, very informative.  We learned that I will need to be at Duke for at least 3+ months, originally told to us as 110 days!  Hopefully, I will be an outpatient for most of the time but they will keep me near by so I won't be able to go home and the worst part is I won't be able to have Buster.  Basically, the transplant will knock out my entire blood system, I'll be getting a brand new immune system which will be attacking my own system.  Any risk of exposure to infections is not allowed.  I'm devastated because I don't want to miss out on any part of Buster's life but I really don't have a choice.  Now we have to figure out what to do with him since he is a puppy and we will not board him.  I'm praying the breeder will work with us and board him because we know they love him and Buster would be familiar with the environment and be around his mother.  So let's all be hopeful that they agree to our idea.  I'll keep you posted on what happens with our baby.

I was thinking this whole deal would take one month, now I hear I will be completely out for three months, to the point where I will need a care giver for twenty four seven care.  I'll be super weak and feel like crap and it will take awhile for my body to recover and for the new immune system to completely take over and adapt to my body.  The whole thing is a slow and day to day process, and it's a big deal not everyone goes through a transplant.

Now, we wait while they test my blood and search the database for a donor match.  They expect to find a match but if they don't they will go an alternative route and use the blood cells from a babies umbilical cord.  Both methods are equally effective.  Either way the transplant will be a long road to recovery but we'll get through it with the help of family and friends.

It will take about two months to get the donor matched and lined up so at least I'll have two months with Buster before I have to go up to Duke.  It will be a huge adjustment for us to basically live in Durham for three months but we'll do what we have to do.

A lot of you have asked how you can sign up to be a bone marrow donor, now I finally know the answer.  All you need to do is call your local Red Cross if they don't have a program for marrow donors they'll know where to find one.  I also learned there are millions of people in the donor database already so finding a match is very likely.  The funny thing is who ever is your match will be a long lost ancestor of mine.  After waiting a year after my transplant I'll be given the option to meet my donor as long as they agree to it.  I think that would be cool.

So all in all it was a good day but I am tired, we left the house at 7:15 which is early for us!  So I hope all of you had a good day!

Love from 6119.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Today is a great day!  I am already back home from the Blumenthal center. Turns out I don't need any blood products today and the best part is my white count is at 4.6 which means I'm technically not nutrapenic any more, meaning I can now venture out in the world again!   Hallelujah!  I'm so happy to be free and it's a good sign that my body is already recovering from the chemo.  Tomorrow, we go to Duke for my initial consultation appointment.  I'm looking forward to this as I'm hoping we will have a lot of our questions answered and hopefully schedule this transplant.  Our appointment is at 10:30, it takes about 3 hours to get to Duke so it will be a long day for us.

In other news, it's a beautiful day here, 50 degrees with a high of 65 and of course it's sunny with NC blue skies.  I never got my walk yesterday so maybe I will today.  Eric told me I could practice the Buster route, we plan on walking him twice a day together.  It will be our daily family outings.  It will be good for all of us as Eric and I are lax when it comes to exercise.  Only three more days until Buster is home, oh I just can't wait!

I hope you all have a fabulous hump day, I know I am already!  Love from 6119!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Hello everyone, sorry for the late blog post.  I've been feeling bad today, my teeth and jaw are killing me.  I do grind my teeth, which sucks and is super annoying not to mention the damage it causes to my teeth, my dentist says someday I'll grind them all away!  Anyway I called my Dr. and spoke to Anastasia (my nurse), I told her how I felt and she had no idea why I would feel this way and as long as I'm not bleeding I'm doing okay.  I have to say it is nice to have such an accessible nurse who I know and trust, I really do love my Dr. and all the office staff.

Yesterday, I received two bags of platelets, so I was at Blumenthal from 8:30 to about 1:45.  Not as bad as all day and it went by pretty fast.  I used the time to color, I've been making little cards with birds on them.  They are full of color and I'm going to make a sort of mosaic out of them.  It's been fun making them and people seem to like them so I think my overall project will look pretty good.  My buddy Norm also received two bags of platelets, it's nice to have him as company everyone laughs at us cause we are on the same schedule.

Just four days left until we have Buster home with us!  I seriously cannot wait, we are going to have so much fun with him and I know he will add so much joy to our home.  Eric is equally excited for Buster which is awesome, we can't wait to have our puppy, our baby!

Well that's all for now, I hope today finds you all well.  Peace out from 6119.  

Monday, December 12, 2011

I'm back at the Blumenthal Cancer center, this time I'm enjoying a caramel brule latte.  I'm just waiting for the results on my blood counts.  Hopefully, I won't have to be here all day again but if I do I brought lots of goodies to keep me busy.  This week will be a good one, on Thursday I go to Duke for my transplant consultation and then Saturday we go get Buster!  Plus, the breeder sent us new pictures, he's growing so fast!  She says he loves to be near his mama, hopefully he'll be able to transfer that feeling to me.  I just can't wait until he is home with us.  Buster will make our family complete.

We had a good weekend, the house is now decorated and clean.  We were able to relax and enjoy each other.    Although, I am going a bit stir crazy being stuck at home, at least I can go in the car, just to be able to go somewhere.  Eric and I are both addicted to Bejeweled, it took us long enough to get hooked, we now play both on the computer and our phones.  It's amazing how that game can suck you in for hours of mindless fun. I just found out that I don't need blood, yay!  Still waiting to find out if I need platelets which only take 30 minutes so I know I won't be here all day again!  My white blood cells are at .5, which is down from Friday, that doesn't make me happy.  They are supposed to be growing, oh well hopefully this is the lowest my count will go.

Well, I guess I brought all my stuff for nothing!  I'm just so happy that I'll get to go home!  Hope you enjoy the new pictures of Buster.  Have a great Monday!  Love from the Blumenthal Center!

Sunday December 11, 2011

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope this day of rest is all it's cracked up to be for you.  We don't have much going on here, just planning on watching some football later.  It's sunny out so if it's not too cold I may go out for a walk, don't worry Mom I'll make sure I bundle up.  It's so exciting to think that next weekend our little Buster will be home!  I keep imagining him running around the house, he's going to keep me busy and I can't wait!

We were planning on going to church this morning but that's not possible with my low white blood cells.  Tomorrow, I'll get my counts checked again so hopefully it's moved up from .7.  It seems like it took a long time to get my counts up when I was in the hospital, I'm hoping it won't be that long this go round.  Although in the hospital they eventually had to give me a shot in the stomach every day until my counts jumped so hopefully I'll be alright without the shot.   

Well not much else to say here, I hope all have a great day.  Love from 6119.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Ah Saturday, my favorite day of the weekend.  We went out to get Dunkin Donuts this morning and then we went on a drive, out in the country.  We also made a stop at Bob & Linda's card shop but I stayed in the car since I can't go anywhere.

Of course, I did have a moment this morning that was not so good, I sneezed twice both times with donut in my mouth which sprayed all over the car.  For those of you who don't know Eric's car is his baby and today I blew snot and donut all over his sanctuary.  Yikes and gross, sorry if this is too much information.  Needless to say Eric was NOT pleased.  So when we got home the first thing we did was clean the Cadillac, now it is spotless and "pristine" as Eric likes to say.  What a mess, it was horrible I couldn't stop the sneezes and I didn't get to enjoy my donut and coffee!  Oh well, the truth is when we stopped to get napkins, as Eric left the car I busted out laughing since it was kind of funny, after the fact.

Anyway, yesterday I spent my whole day at the Blumenthal Cancer center, I got there at 8:30 and left at 4:45.  Crazy huh?  It takes two hours per bag of blood plus a half hour for each bag of platelets add that to the hour it takes to match your blood type and you have a long day.  At least I brought lots of stuff to keep me amused and it was a plus that A&E was running a Criminal Minds marathon, love that show!  All in all it wasn't a bad day but it's a long day, which I'll have to do that three days a week!  Hopefully, each time I won't have to have as much blood, it just all depends on my blood counts.  Anyway, this is the life of a cancer patient waiting for a transplant.

Please pray for my white blood cells to come back, I need to be at 6 to be out and about again and right now I'm at .7, I have a long way to go.  Thanks for your prayers and support it means the world and helps me to stay positive.

When I came back from Blumenthal Eric had put up the Christmas tree, that made me happy.  There's just something nice about coming home to a Christmas tree in the front window.  I can't believe it's almost here and soon enough our Christmas present, Buster, will be here!  Today we will decorate the tree while listening to Christmas music!  I just got A Very She & Him Christmas, and it's awesome lots of great classics.  I'm in love with Zoe Deschanel or (however you spell it) and I want her hair, it's beautiful.  Anyway, I have a great day ahead of me and I hope you do too.  Enjoy the weekend!

Love from 6119.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Today, I'm writing from the Blumenthal Cancer center at CMC. It's bigger than the Infusion room at my Dr.'s office but about the same.  Norm is here too, we are both enjoying our lazy boys while we wait for our blood results to come back.  It takes an hour and half to get my blood typed and crossed, which is what they do to select my blood donor.  It will take a half an hour to determine if I need any blood products.  They gave me a nice little red bracelet with my blood number on it which is good until Monday.  I have to come back Monday, starting my three days a week routine.  

I remember when Dr. Miller told me this whole process would go on for 6-8 months and that I wouldn't be able to work, now I understand why.  No job would allow me to take off three days a week for treatment and then there's the risk of infection.  Working with children is definitely out of the question.  So I will enjoy this time since I can't imagine another time when I will be not allowed to work.  Thankfully, Eric is able to support us I can't imagine what we would do if he couldn't.  Now covering the hospital bills is another issue, our insurance is good but it doesn't cover everything.  Given that a month long hospital stay costs over $100,000, I can't imagine what we would do without insurance!

It's finally cold in Charlotte, I'm enjoying wearing warm sweaters and it's starting to feel like Christmas.  We haven't put up the tree yet but the Christmas village is up and we will have the tree up by the weekend. First, we plan on doing a super cleaning of the house so we can prep for Buster coming home.  I cannot wait until December 17th!  Of course, we still need to pick up a few things to puppy proof the house.  We've decided to keep Buster downstairs so we will be putting in some baby gates and we still need a crate and some more chew toys.

Yesterday, I had a moment when I forgot I was bald.  I received a coupon for extra bonus points if I get a haircut and color at the local Ulta store. I thought oh a haircut and color would be nice and then I remembered I have no hair!  Ha!  I still get random compliments from people about my head a nurse asked me today if she could touch it, it seems I pull off bald well.  Which is nice since it looks like I'll be bald for a little while.  My hair is definitely not growing and is still falling out a little.

Well I guess that's it for today, I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!  Love from Blumenthal!

Thursday, December 7, 2011

I slept in this morning which was very nice.  It's wonderful when you get to wake up on your own time, especially when the sunlight is shining in as if to say, wake up and enjoy the day!  Spoiled, I know but I plan on enjoying every second of this time, it's one of the good things that comes from having cancer.  Besides "I have cancer", is my favorite excuse for everything I do now, it's the ultimate trump card for getting what I want.  Eric just laughs and says "Well you don't have it any more since your in remission." but the excuse still works.  

Yesterday, I had a moment when I couldn't breathe very well, my chest and throat felt like they were restricting.  I definitely had labored breathing but eventually it passed, it was just scary for a bit.  Poor Eric, he didn't know what to do, neither did I.  Thankfully, it has not happened again and I'm feeling good today.  Tomorrow, I go for my blood checks and I'll find out what my counts are, I'm hoping my white count comes up so I can venture out in to the world again.  It's weird to not be able to run to the store and I want to see a movie, "My Week with Marilyn" looks good and I love Michelle Williams.

Anyway, happy Thursday everyone, hopefully you have had a good week and are making plans to enjoy the weekend.  Love to you all from 6119.

Wednesday December 7, 2011

Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope your day is going well.  Sorry for the late posting as Eric is telling me, I'm slacking on the job!  Yesterday, I received a nice packet from Duke Medicine, giving a nice overview of the transplant program and what I can expect from the whole procedure. I have my initial consultation on Thursday December 14th. This is when they will test my marrow, and start the search for a donor.  They will explain the transplant procedure and we will plan when the actual transplant will happen.  They said the appointment could take 5 hours, so bring something to entertain myself while waiting.

I want to give a huge thank you to Tech Data, specially to Melissa Lang who informed Eric of their company's blood and marrow donor drive which is going on today.  Melissa let Eric know of the event and he in turn asked everyone he knew to get swabbed for the marrow database.  So thank you to all of you who did, I appreciate you adding to the national database, who knows maybe one of you will be my match!

Other than that I'm just counting the days until we get Buster, I seriously cannot wait to have him home with us!  I have his picture framed in the living room and another on the fridge, and I love getting more pictures from the breeder so I can watch him grow.  I'm already a puppy mom and he's not even here yet!

Hope you all have a good hump day!  Love from 6119.

Tuesday December 6, 2011

It's a rainy day here in Charlotte but it's still nice to be out of the hospital.  Today, I'll have a visit from my home nurse to get my dressing changed and have new ports put on my hickman.  Other than that it will be a quiet day.  I'm not allowed to leave the house, I can't be around people who might get me sick so I'm home bound.  Once I go in Friday to have my blood counts checked I'll find out if I can go out in the world again.  Until then I have plenty to do to keep me busy.  Like decorate for Christmas!  I'm also finally working on putting our wedding album together, you would think after three years I would have done this already but no, I am a procrastinator.  It's fun going through the pictures again, they take me back to that amazing day with family and friends.  Thanks to my good friend, Matt Morrissey, I have beautiful pictures of the whole day!

I'm feeling pretty good today, they told me this week may be a hard one, that I should feel the full effects of the chemo but I don't feel that different and my chemo rash went away, so once again I'm fortunate.   Yesterday, I was really tired and felt a little bad in the afternoon but nothing I can't handle.  I took a super long nap in my bed which was fabulous!

Well that's all for today, I love you all.  Peace out from 6119.

Monday December 5, 2011

Oh happy day, I'm back home already!  I was afraid it would take longer to get checked out of the hospital but we just walked into the house and it feels so good to be home.  I don't know if it's just being home but I don't feel as bad as I did in the hospital.  My last chemo bag ended at midnight and then they gave me a shot in the stomach this morning to help boost my white blood cells.  The shot might make me feel like I have the flu but it's worth the trouble.  Friday, I will go in for my first visit to the Bloomenthall Cancer center, I'll have to go there three times a week to have my blood counts checked and to receive blood or platelets as needed.  My buddy Norm will also be there Friday so it will be good to see him again.  It turns out he has a 10 year old boxer, we plan on getting the dogs together once we are healthy enough.  That's the funny thing about all of this, we've been fortunate to meet some really good people in a town where we had few friends to begin with.  I guess it just goes to show you, there's always some good that comes from the bad things that happen to us.

It was funny being back to the hospital, back to the "Quad in 4Tower" as they call it.  I had a smaller room this time but I was lucky to still have a view.  Plus, knowing all the nurses and staff was a bonus and everyone remembered me.  Everyone told me how I looked beautiful even with out hair and they couldn't believe how good I looked given the leukemia.  It makes you feel good when people remember you and compliment you, it's how friendship begins too.  It turns out I'm a very easy patient so all the nurses wanted to have me.  One nurses aid told me I don't look or act like a patient and that's what she liked about me.  My positive attitude has done me well, it's helped me fly through this disease and treatment, right into remission which is where we will work on keeping me.  Once I have my transplant I'll be good to go once and for all.  

I want to say, though belated,"Happy Birthday Nathan!", who is my wonderful nephew who turned 6 on Saturday.  We love you, sorry for the delayed shout out! We miss him along with his brother and sisters Timmy, Stephanie and Sarah in Buffalo, NY.    

Thank you to the Peterson's, Patti, Kirk, Alex and Eric, who have been family friends all my life, well really they are family.  They sent us a beautiful Boxer calendar, which is full of cute Boxer puppies, some just like Buster!  Speaking of Buster, I have posted new pics from the breeder, he's growing!  Thank you for the cards of encouragement they make me feel great, it means a lot to be reminded that I'm not alone!  

That's all I have for today, I'm going to relax and enjoy being home.  

Love to you all from 6119!

Sunday December 4, 2011

Today is going better than yesterday, I'm on my second to last bag of chemo now.  Unfortunately, I received the news this morning that Tucker is not a match for the bone marrow transplant.  While Tucker and I are super bummed, Dr. Miller doesn't think it will be hard to find a match for me in the national database.  So I'm going to trust him and not worry about finding a donor.  Now, the next step is to have my initial appointment at Duke where they will retest Tucker and begin the search for a donor.  Hopefully, Dr. Miller's nurse has already set up the appointment for the week before Christmas, I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to going home tomorrow and Dr. Miller says it should be in the morning so hopefully I'll be home by lunch.  Now I'm going to attempt to beat Eric at gin rummy while we wait for the football games to start.  Hope you all have a great Sunday and get a chance to relax before starting the new week.

Love from room 4908.

Saturday December 3, 2011

Today was a hard day, my nausea has bothered me all day and I spent the majority of the day in bed.  My chemo rash has started, this time on my feet and legs, I had no energy and hardly left my room.  Eric golfed today so he came up for dinner, the only thing I could get down was some cornbread and chicken noodle soup.  At least tomorrow is my last full day here, although I've been trying to convince Eric to help me with a jail break, I figure there's at least two hours between nurse checks so no one would notice.  Eric is being responsible and telling me not to think about it and besides I get released Monday.  I'm just ready to go home.

Even though I feel so bad I'm staying positive and know this treatment is what will keep me in remission.  It's hard to think that two months ago I could have died but that's what makes remission so important, that word represents hope and keeps me going every day.

Love to you all from room 4908.

Friday December 2, 2011

Happy Friday everyone!  I am back on my chemo today, I'll have one bag this morning and one tonight.  I thought my off day would be boring but I slept all day and night, I forgot how exhausting chemo can be.  Luckily, I was not sick, my buddy Norm (who is also being treated for Leukemia) was puking all day yesterday, I've been lucky to just have nausea.

We received more information on my bone marrow transplant.  Originally, we thought the transplant would be over Christmas but we learned today that I will have my initial appointment at Duke the week before Christmas.  The initial appointment is to take my blood test and explain the procedure, if Tucker is not a marrow match they will begin the search using the marrow database.  I won't have the actual transplant until 2012.  This means I'll be home to celebrate Buster's first Christmas, which I'm looking forward to.

After I am released Monday, I will go in once a week to have my blood checked to determine if I need blood transfusions or platelets.  Based on my blood counts I may have to have another round of consolidation chemo just to make sure I don't relapse.  Since my genetic mutation makes relapse more common and difficult to treat, Dr. Miller will be aggressive with the chemo treatments.  If I did not need the transplant I would be having chemo once a month for the next 6 months or until my tests consistently come back clean.

That's all I've got for today, I hope you all have a great Friday!  Love from room 4908.

Thursday December 1, 2011

Happy Thursday Everyone, gosh I can't believe it's December already!  I'm officially checked into the hospital now, I was lucky yesterday since my chemo ended at 12:30 and wouldn't start again until 9:30 I got to go home before officially checking in to the hospital.  I had all my stuff with me so I went ahead and checked into my room but escaped before they could tell me otherwise.  I told them Dr. Miller said I could go home and the nurses didn't like that, they said well Miller doesn't work for the hospital.  I said well if you don't like it, I'll just run away and check back in later!  The nurses agreed to look the other way, it was nice to go home and have a little rest before heading back to the hospital.  

Today I'm on my off day, I'll start chemo again tomorrow but today is kind of boring since I don't receive any treatments, they don't even draw my blood anymore.  We didn't have much to talk about when Dr. Miller stopped by, so far I'm doing well just a little nausea which is to be expected.  It's nice to see my nursing friends again and my favorite nurse Mary made sure she was the one to admit me yesterday.  Unfortunately, Mary is off now and I won't see her again while I'm here but it was nice to catch up with her.  We plan on getting together sometime when I'm out of here.  

We officially told Dr. Miller about Buster and showed him a picture.  He said oh you got a guinea pig...I said NO, he's a dog!  He had no issues with Buster, which was nice since previously he said he would have to think about it first.  I think he was flattered to know Buster's full name is Buster D. Miller, he said but you wont call him that all the time, I said only when he's in trouble and I have to pull out the full name!

There's not much else to say, I'm a little tired so I'm going to take a nap now.  Hope you all have a great day!  

Love from 4908!

Wednesday November 30, 2011

As I type this, I'm reclining in a lazy boy, with a chai latte and an iv pump hooked up to me.  It's the beginning of my reduction chemo, I'm in the "Infusion Room" at my Dr. office chilling out for three hours.   Once, I'm done they will check me into my hospital room and I'll have another round at 9:00 tonight.  It was kind of funny to drive myself to the hospital to check in for chemotherapy.  Eric will meet me up here once I'm in my room. This time the chemo shouldn't wipe me out completely and I'll be going home on Monday morning.  I'll just have to keep getting my blood checked to make sure I don't need any transfusions and wait until the bone marrow transplant is scheduled.

In other news, my poor brother has to get his blood drawn again!  The hospital received his blood yesterday but because it wasn't labeled the lab would not accept the blood.  So poor Tucker and Dad will have to run around again today to get the blood shipped out again.  Of course, it's not cheap shipping blood overnight and now Dad has to pay for it twice!  Yikes, shouldn't the hospital take more responsibility considering they are the ones that lost the blood in the first place.  They lost it in their own lab.....poor Tucker has blood sitting all over the place.  So thank you again Tucker & Dad for all that you have done for me!

I'd also like to thank Pam, Alice, Bob & Jim for the awesome cuddly sheep, it is so soft and comfy it's perfect for cuddling with while I wait for Buster to come home!  I didn't have enough hands to carry it in with me this morning but I'll have Eric bring it to me when he comes to the hospital.  I'm sure he'll love carrying the large fluffy sheep pillow through the hospital!

That's all for now, hope you all have a great day!  Love from the "infusion room"!

Tuesday November 29, 2011

Yesterday, I got some great news, I'm officially in remission!  My bone marrow biopsy results came back clean!  I'm so excited to finally be able to declare remission, tomorrow I'll start my reduction chemo which is standard procedure.  Once I have the bone marrow transplant, I'll be on my way to living cancer free!  

I want to thank Dad and Tucker for scrambling to come up with another blood sample to see if Tucker can be my bone marrow donor.  Since the hospital lost his original sample, Tucker had to draw more blood and Dad had to fedex the vials of blood to my hospital.  Crazy huh?  Thank you Dad for finding a Dr. for Tucker and setting up the appointment so quickly.  Hopefully, we will get the results back while I'm in the hospital.  

Today is my last day of freedom so I plan on painting, relaxing and I may even go see a movie.  I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday!  

Love from 6119.

Monday November 28, 2011

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday, we sure did!  We loved having Eric's parents, Kathy & Chuck, in town we enjoyed great food, good company and lots of laughs.  Of course the holiday was even better given we got to spend some time with Buster.  I still can't get over how cute he is and know that he is going to bring great joy to our home.

I don't have much to report today, I'm feeling good and positive.  I'll check into the hospital Wednesday but it should be a quick stay plus, I should find out more about the bone marrow transplant.  In talking with my good friend Nadine, who happens to be an Oncologist I feel a lot better about the whole process, the transplant will really be the best way to rid myself of the cancer for good.  I'll have a long recovery process but it will be well worth the time.  Hopefully, my brother Tucker will be the donor; we both think it would be cool to share marrow and an immune system.  He's been such a great support during all of this, along with all my family and friends.  I'm so thankful for all of you and for each day as I know now more than ever, each day is a gift and I'm so blessed to have the life I have, cancer or not.

Hope you all have an excellent week!  Love from 6119.

Saturday November 26, 2011

Today was Buster day!  We just got home from our trip to visit our little baby, I can still smell his cute puppy breath!  Buster is so beautiful, he's the biggest & the most adventurous of the litter.  He already walks with a proud gait.  The long drive to Effingham, SC (yes, Effingham) was well worth it we were able to play with Buster and his four siblings.  After about a half hour they all started passing out in our arms and laps.  I hope you enjoy the pictures, we are so very proud of our puppy and can't wait til Dec 17th when he'll be able to come home!

Peace out from the happiest new puppy Mom, love to you all from 6119.

Friday November 25, 2011

Today has been a good day, after sleeping in we enjoyed a little late afternoon shopping followed by another round of Thanksgiving dinner.  Now we are watching the Sabres play wishing they would get their heads in the game and start scoring!

I'm super excited for tomorrow morning as we are going to visit Buster!  He is about two and a half hours from here in South Carolina.  I can't wait to meet our baby, the breeders claim he is the most beautiful and their favorite out of the litter.  I'm so glad I get to visit him before going back in to the hospital and it will be nice for Kathy & Chuck to meet their new grand puppy!

Thank you Elanor Ferris for the awesome Rhino chopsticks, Russel Stover's Chocolates and hair wraps.  I love all of it, we all have been enjoying the chocolates and the tin is beautiful!  If anyone could find Rhino chopsticks, it would be you Elanor!

That's about it for me, sorry for the late posts, thanks for sticking with me.  Lots of love to you all from 6119.

Thursday November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I hope you are all enjoying this day and celebrating all the things to be thankful for in life.  Here are the pictures of my bald head, sorry I couldn't post them last night.  It took a lot longer to shave my head than we thought, the clippers kept dying!

I'm also posting pics of us with Eric's parents, they were so nice to come down from Buffalo to spend the holiday with us.  Thanks to them we have a 22 lb turkey in the oven which makes the house smell delicious!

I hope you all have a great holiday and get to enjoy it with the ones you love.

Happy Thanksgiving from 6119.

Wednesday November 23, 2011

I have just returned from my first post hospital visit with Dr. Miller.  I had another bone marrow biopsy and they checked my blood counts.  While they did not see Leukemia in my blood, the results from my genetic testing show I have a genetic mutation that greatly increases my risk for relapse.  Due to this mutation, I will need to have a bone marrow transplant.  My brother Tucker was tested as a donor while he was here, unfortunately, the hospital lost his blood test.  So he will have to be retested at his own doctor in Wichita.  Hopefully, he will be a match as it's much better to accept the marrow from a sibling.

This genetic mutation is called a FLT3, without a bone marrow transplant the chance of my recovery from a relapse would be much more difficult.  As Dr. Miller said this isn't a set back, it doesn't change my prognosis, it's just disappointing and means the fight will be harder to reach a cure.  I will check back into the hospital a week from today for my first round of reduction chemo which will last five days.  If I did not have the FLT3 mutation, this would be my first step towards remission.  Dr. Miller will work on setting up my bone marrow transplant and my second round of reduction chemo.  Hopefully, we will get all this done before Christmas.

This wasn't the news we were hoping to hear today but we will continue to think positive and I know I'll be able to make it through this new challenge.  I hate to leave a disappointing post the day before Thanksgiving, but I'm still thankful for the progress I have made in fighting this cancer.  Each day is a gift and I intend on enjoying the next 7 days to the fullest before checking back into the hospital.  The good thing is I know all the nurses and they take good care of me, I've already asked for my old room but it's occupied, at least this time I won't be in as long.   In closing, today Eric will shave my head, I'm tired of leaving a trail of hair every where I go.  We will post pictures later today.

Love to you all from 6119.

Monday November 21, 2011

Happy Monday, gosh the weekends fly by so fast.  Now the start of another week, but at least we have Thanksgiving to break it up a bit!  We are looking forward to our visit from Chuck & Kathy, they left Buffalo this morning and will be here this evening.  It will be so nice to have family in town for the holiday.    I don't have much to report today, I guess I could have skipped the blog altogether but it's become part of my routine now.  I'll be busy cleaning house and getting ready for our guests.  I hope this Monday goes by quickly for everyone.

Much love, 6119.

Sunday November 20, 2011

The year 2011 has been full of plenty of hard ships but it's given me a new love of life and a stronger bond with my husband and those who love me.  I look forward to 2012, originally, we were hoping for a baby in 2012.  We've had baby on our minds for awhile now but the AML has taken pregnancy out of the cards for a little while. Thankfully, we will have a new baby this year, Buster D. Miller (his full name is a tribute to my cancer Dr.) will be home with us by Christmas!  We plan on spoiling him since he's our present to each other.  More like he is Eric's present to us, since he's the one who makes money around here.  Either way, Buster is our baby and I'm so excited to be a doggy Mom.

This weekend has been wonderful, while in the hospital weekends were the hardest on me.  Now, I'm able to enjoy them for what they are, mini vacations with my hubby in between work weeks.  I'm so lucky to have such a fun relationship with Eric, we truly enjoy each other's company.  Some say we are lucky, I  say we are in love and I couldn't imagine it any other way.  With that I will end my thoughts.  I hope you enjoy and appreciate your loved ones today and every day.  

Peace out, 6119.

Saturday November 18, 2011

This morning we went for Dunkin Donuts followed by a country drive.  Enjoying two 'double doubles' and glazed donuts was a great way to start off the morning.  We love taking our country drives, I love to see all the trees in their beautiful fall colors and Eric just loves driving.

Last night we had the most delicious dinner all thanks to our good friends Bob & Linda Williams.  I've included pictures, that's how much we enjoyed the meal, we had to take pictures.  Bob & Linda thought of everything, a crock pot full of Buffalo Chicken Dip soup, bread bowls, a salad & home made dressing, dessert and a 6 pack of Labatt Blue.  It was the perfect meal for a Friday night and even more appropriate to enjoy before watching the Sabres beat the Hurricanes!  Seriously, thank you Linda & Bob it was a wonderful meal and was such a sweet thing for you to do for us.

Yesterday, I had to have my Hickman re-dressed thanks to a huge scab finally coming off.  I apologize if that is too much info.  I'm glad I called the home nurse otherwise I would have been uncomfortable all weekend.  Plus, the scab coming off means it's healing well.  Today, I must flush my Hickman ports, which is just a standard cleaning of the lines using saline & hepren lock.    It's strange having three long lines running out of your chest, they kind of get in the way since they hang about 18 inches.  I feel like I need to be plugged in to something.

Today has been named "Modern War Fare day" by Eric who plans on dominating this new game on the Xbox.  So I will be drawing and painting.  It's about time I picked up my old paints again.  It's a nice cold fall Saturday which I intend to enjoy.  I hope you all enjoy this day to the fullest!

Much love from 6119.

Friday November 18, 2011

Happy Friday!  It's a beautiful but cold day here in Charlotte, there's frost on the ground!  No more rain so perhaps I'll get out for a walk today.  I'm feeling really good, I get a little tired but that's nothing a nap can't fix.  It's hard to believe that only three days ago I was in the hospital.  Now, besides the Hickman port in my chest I feel normal, minus the ever growing bald spot on the back of my head.     

You never know when a doctor's appointment could turn into admission into the hospital with a cancer diagnosis.  Just like you never know when it will be your turn to get checked out of the hospital.  Life happens to us all, the only thing we really have control of is our reactions and emotions.  So even though it seems like we have no control really we do, it's up to us to turn whatever life throws at us into something good.  For me, AML has shown me how loved and supported I am, which means I'm never alone even when it feels like I am.  AML has taught me that life is fragile and should be appreciated every day.  This disease has brought my family closer in so many ways.

Today, I hope you all will have a moment when you can just breathe and appreciate your life.  Take all the good and bad and mix it together and be thankful for it all.  I know I am.

In closing, I must thank Mom & Mike for the wonderful care package we received yesterday!  The Boxer book, food bowls, leash, brush and toys will be perfect for Buster.  Thanks also for the wonderful relaxing candles and bath bubbles, I do love a good bath and now I have all that I need to enjoy a nice soak in the tub.

Much love from 6119.

Thursday November 17, 2011

Happy Thursday Everyone!  It's been raining for three days here so I'm looking forward to a sunny day so I can get out and take a walk.  I still relish every moment of being free from the hospital, especially sleeping in my own bed!   I've been eating everything in sight so I'm pretty sure I gained back the 10 lbs I lost in the hospital.

Fall is so beautiful here all the trees are in bright colors.  Of course, our lawn is covered in leaves but until it stops raining we can't do much about them.   Well there is not much to report today, but I do have new Buster pictures!  We are expecting to meet him a week from Saturday!  Until then, the breeder sends me pictures when she can, which I love!

I also want to take a minute and thank my amazing husband, Eric.  His dedication to the blog and the words he wrote touched my heart and I know his work was appreciated by all who have been keeping up with my experience.  I feel my words don't have the same flow as his but I will continue to try to work on my blogging skills.  This thank you is long over due and well deserved.

I hope this day finds you all well, love to you all!  Signing off from 6119.

Wednesday November 16, 2011

Today I had my first visit from my home nurse Becky, she is very nice and will be coming over once a week to change the dressing on my Hickman port.  She also brought me lots of supplies and taught me how to flush my port lines every three days.  Other than that, there's nothing new to report, except I expect to be bald soon as I finally have bald spots and the hair keeps falling out.  I expect to be wearing a lot of fun hats this winter!  Eric is back to work and I'm back to doing laundry but still enjoying being home!  

Signing off with love from 6119.

Tuesday November 15, 2011

Hello Friends & Family!  Sorry for the delay in posting, I am officially taking over the blog now that I am home and Eric will be back to work full time tomorrow.  This morning I enjoyed the simple pleasures of sleeping in & the best sleep I've had in a month.  I will admit that I did wake up expecting my nurse visit at 6:00am, followed by my vital check at 7:30am and then breakfast at 8:30am.  Oh how nice it is to be home!  We got home from the hospital at about 1:30 yesterday, then we enjoyed our favorite Thai Taste meal before heading out to Walmart.  It was a beautiful day and I loved just being outside, seeing different views and feeling the sunshine.  Now today we are spending the day relaxing and enjoying our time together.  I'm not sure if I'll keep the post going daily since I won't be getting daily Dr. visits and reports.  Although, I will be getting a home nurse to take care of my Hickman (iv port), she comes tomorrow and then every three days.  I have my first weekly Dr.Visit for Wednesday of next week where I'll have another bone biopsy.  Let's hope it comes back clean again!  Thanks to Kristina Acuna for the beautiful scarf from NYC, fun stationary and nail care tools.  I love all of it and of course the beautiful card!  Also, thanks to Angela Wiens Holdeman for the big bags of Skittles, M&M's, puzzle book and awesome copies of pics from grade school (which I might have to scan and post!) I have already eaten half the bag of skittles and will most likely finish it today.  I can not thank you all enough for all the love and support both in prayers and thoughts as well as cards and gifts.  I am constantly overwhelmed with happiness when I read the cards enjoy the gifts, which I know has been key in helping me fight this cancer!  Signing off with love from house 6119!

Monday November 14th, 2011

JAIL BREAK!!!

Jenn is officially leaving the Carolinas Medical Center today!!!!  YES TODAY!!!  OH MY GOODNESS; TODAY!!!!!

We are packing up Jenn's room right now and are just tickled to get out of here.  The Dr's have been outstanding and we are looking forward to seeing them as visitors when we come back for Jenn's weekly visits.

We would like to thank Dr Miller, his assistant nurse Anastasia and of course Dragos the pharmacist.  They were all fantastic and Dr Miller and Dragos won't soon be forgotten.  I even gave them both a business card so that we can golf and have a couple beers here someday soon.

Sorry for the short blog today, but I have to help Jenn pack and get home ASAP!!  WooHoo!

Thanks to everyone for all of the love and support and please keep Jenn in your prayers as this battle is far from over.  But getting Jenn at home is one huge victory in this war on Leukemia.

Lots of Love from Room 4912!!  (This blog will continue daily, but not with this sign-off... haha)

Sunday November 13th, 2011

This is the last Sunday that Jenn should be here at the Carolinas Medical Center!

Jenn's weekend Doctor, Dr Briggs, came in today and told Jenn that her white blood cell count was 3 and that Jenn needs to get up to 5-7 before they can release her.  This is great because Jenn was at 1.3 up till today, so the Dr thinks that mid-next week is still very practical and most likely when Jenn is going to be released.

Other than that, Jenn's hemoglobin is holding and her neutrophil count is rising as well.  Not too much to update today, which is great news.

Other than that, Jenn and I are just looking forward to picking up Buster on December 17th and we will continue to update the blog with new pictures this week.

God Bless and Much Love from Room 4912!!

Saturday November 12th, 2011

Good morning everyone!

Jenn saw Dr Briggs this morning and she had some good news for Jenn.  The shot that she received yesterday to help stimulate her bone marrow must be working, because Jenn's white blood cell count went up from .9 to 1.3 since yesterday and her Hemoglobin counts came up on their own as well!

Dr Briggs told Jenn that if this keeps up that Jenn should expect to be released early this upcoming week.  What a relief that would be for Jenn and something I have been looking forward to for a couple of weeks now.  We forgot to tell everyone that our good buddy Norm whom I met the first day when Jenn was admitted to the hospital here; was released on Thursday and he left us a nice note so that we can keep in touch.  He was very cool and inspirational for Jenn as he would walk 3 miles each day on this 4th floor... military style and at a rigorous pace.  I am very happy for Norm and wish him the best moving forward.

We are going for a walk now to get a coffee at Caribou downstairs; one of our favorite things to do here.  I have gotten to know all of the barista's and they definitely hook us up with the coffees, etc.

Things just continue to look up for Jenn and us, so we just relish in the fact that we are so blessed.

Lots of Love from Room 4912!!

Friday November 11th, 2011

Today is the wait and see day.  Dr Miller is going to give Jenn a drug today that should boost her immune system to some extent to see if she produces enough white blood cells in order to release Jenn from the hospital!!  Yes we are talking about Jenn actually leaving the building for good.  :)

Jenn doesn't need any blood products today and she is once again creating enough platelets that there probably won't be a need for platelet transfusions any longer in the future.  Dr Miller told us today that Jenn doesn't have any Chromosomal defects and given Jenn's young age, he feels very confident that Jenn has cleared the biggest hurdle that she might face.  The induction chemo is typically very tough on most people and per Dr Miller can even be life threatening for some patients.  But Jenn did her Chemo and made it through that step like it was a walk in the park.  As we all know, Jenn had very few side effects because of the chemo and even today she has a full head of hair. 

Now we were warned that the hair will start to rapidly fall out, so we might shave Jenn's head this weekend.  She is going to be gorgeous with or without  hair; Jenn knows that the bald head at this age is a badge of honor and that she has successfully kicked this cancer so far.

We also have chosen a breeder that has Boxer puppies available and we already have "Buster" picked out... We will attach a picture today via this blog site.  He is absolutely adorable and he is so small right now that he has yet to open his eyes. We like to think that he is just waiting to see us before he decides to see the world for himself.

Jenn would like to thank Melanie Davis for the iced animal crackers; they are definitely Jenn's favorite and made her oh so happy!!  Also thanks Mel for the book "Change Your Thoughts; Change Your Life", also thanks for the nail polish as Jenn loves to paint her nails while here in the hospital. 

Thanks to Michael Svoboda as well for the amazing selection of gourmet cookies and cakes, they all look amazing and I personally cannot wait to eat some here shortly.  One thing Mike... This isn't about you, so BOO on the Tampa Bay Lightning comment... We own you guys at hockey, just check out the record in the past few years.  Buffalo is 46-19-5 against your Lightning... So even if the Lightning were to win the next 26 games in a row; you would still be a game behind us in the overall records.  We Buffalonians LOVE playing the Lightning... Can we play them all year??  Just kidding, thanks for thinking of Jenn!!

Special thanks to Jenn's Dad Scott for sending the CD; she listens to Father and Daughter and cries while thinking of you... VERY COOL!

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Thursday November 10th, 2011

Weather update from Charlotte... Drizzle and 60 today; so no walks outside for Jenn.

Jenn will be receiving two units of blood today as her Hemoglobin is below 8 today, but as we all know from previous posts, these transfusions actually give Jenn a lot of energy and make her feel a lot better.  The only way I can describe how Jenn feels when the Hemoglobin gets this low; is that she feels a little like being hung-over.  The body is slower and she gets headaches, too bad some cold pizza and a Gatorade won't fix it all up...

The Dr's keep laughing and telling us that Jenn's room is always so interesting.  We talk about beer, sports, how to make gummy bear shooters, Romania (Dragos is from there) and of course a little about Jenn's health.  Actually a lot about Jenn's health, but you know that we need to keep it on the lighter side of course since Jenn is doing so very well!

We have found out that Jenn really loves Mounds bars (She is a coconut lover!) and Caribou coffee (Hazelnut Latte), so this morning we went downstairs and got her both.  :)

Other than that, I would like to personally thank Epson so being such a great company to work for and being so understanding in this time of need for Jenn and I.  My boss (Clark Broyles) has been nothing short of amazing and his ability to allow me some time away while still covering my accounts with internal resources is just astounding and greatly appreciated.  Also, Jennifer Swendell deserves huge hugs and kisses for being that resource that is covering my accounts.  She is an amazing person and even better co-worker; thanks Jenn from the bottom of my heart!  Lastly my HR department is super supportive and really stepped up when they heard that Roswell wouldn't work with the insurance.  It thankfully was Roswell that wouldn't work with the insurance and not the other way around, United Healthcare is great and I appreciate the fact that Epson provides good health care coverage even for out of state employees.  Many thanks to my Epson family in this time of need!!

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Wednesday November 9th, 2011

Update - Jenn has left the building...  Ok, before we get too overly excited, Jenn was just allowed to go outside yesterday with me for 15-20 minutes.  She was so happy just to breathe some fresh air and watch the water fountains and look at all of the beautiful flowers.  It was 75 here yesterday and today is looking much the same, so I expect to see Jenn outside yet again today.

Jenn is doing really well still and we are just waiting for a visit from Dr Miller here this morning.  He is later than usual because the lab lost Jenn's blood draw from this morning, so they just came and took some more to have analyzed; STAT! haha

Other than that, Jenn would like to thank Colby and Angelica for the awesome mix of CD's that were sent and the note that was beyond funny... And yes Colby, Jenn does deserve to chill when she gets out of here!  :)

The medical update for today is that Jenn is naturally producing platelets now, here count went from 14.7 to 23.0 overnight. This is GREAT news so we are getting closer and closer to seeing Jenn back at home real soon.  Dr Miller basically said this is the last weekend that Jenn should be in the hospital!!!  WooHoo! (That was Jenn saying that, she is getting giddy at this point and I don't blame her one bit!)

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Tuesday November 8th, 2011

Today was just like the past week or so has been. Very good news and Dr Miller even saw a neutrophil in Jenn's blood which is a great sign.

Today's lesson of the day...

Neutrophil: A type of white blood cell, specifically a form of granulocyte, filled with neutrally-staining granules, tiny sacs of enzymes that help the cell to kill and digest microorganisms it has engulfed by phagocytosis. The mature neutrophil has a segmented nucleus (it is called a seg or poly) while the immature neutrophil has band-shape nucleus (it is called a band). The neutrophil has a lifespan of about 3 days.

Dr Miller won't release Jenn from the hospital till her Neutrophil count is up and so far Jenn only has 1 Neutrophil per blood smear... Not high at all, but 1 is more than Jenn has had because the Chemo kills off all of the Neutrophils and most of Jenn's white blood cells in general.

We are hopeful that Jenn will be released from the hospital by next weekend.  So at this point it is just important to get Jenn out on daily walks...  We did so yesterday and went to another medical building on the campus here in Charlotte and we are about to go out for another walk now to see what else we can find.

Jenn is not receiving any blood products again today, so she is just moving along at a great clip.

Jenn would like to thank Geraldine Wnuk for her new Giraffe print scarf that all of the nurses just love and for the Buffalo PJ bottoms as well; very cute!   Also Jenn would like to thank Allie and Doug for the awesome smelling Toasted Coconut Coffee... We cannot wait to brew some here in the next couple of days.

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Monday November 7th, 2011

Jenn just keeps getting more good news and we are loving it!!

Dr Miller and Dragos (Still my favorite name in the world) came in today to tell Jenn that everything looks great and she won't be needing any blood products at all today.  Jenn was also told that she can leave the floor and wander around the hospital as long as she wears her protective mask to avoid any possible germs.  This provided the biggest smile I have seen on Jenn's face since she was admitted to the hospital.

Think about this for a second from Jenn's perspective...  She was rushed into the hospital on Friday October 14th for what was thought to be Acute Leukemia and hasn't stepped foot off of this floor in almost a month now.  So the only thing I can relate this to is a prisoner being able to go outside from solitary confinement or something like that.  What a relief!!

Jenn asks everyday when she can expect to go home, so today Dr Miller committed to having Jenn out of here before Thanksgiving week.  So more great news!

We have been talking about getting a puppy, since that is what Jenn wants more than anything right now... So we think we are going to get a Boxer puppy sometime in the next few weeks.  We already picked out a name and it is "Buster".

I am trying to get the "Bald Boys" pics added to the site today as Mike and Tucker clearly had there heads shaved before me, so I want to make sure they are represented on the blog as well.  What a great extended family I have... VERY SUPPORTING AND VERY LOVING!!

For anyone looking to send something to Jenn, at this point I would send them to the house address.  If you need that address, just please send me an e-mail to eric.pyjas@gmail.com and I will provide that for those who need it.

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Sunday November 6th, 2011

Just in case anyone forgot... Daylight savings was last night and thus you should have set your clocks back an hour.  If you didn't, I don't claim to know you... HAHA

Jenn had a great day yesterday, even though she lost at Rummy for the second straight day to me.  In all seriousness, Jenn had a great day and walked around the hospital floor on three separate occasions.  Jenn now knows were the sky bridge is to another building, so she likes to hang-out there and watch the ambulances come and go from the ER drop off area.

Jenn is going to receive platelets today, which is totally normal at this point to receive them every other day.  This helps with clotting and without the platelets Jenn tends to get bloody noses or her gums will bleed; so they are quite necessary.

We cannot wait to watch the Bills game on TV today, since the Panthers are on a bye week, we actually get to see a Bills game on TV for the first time this year... WooHoo!

Jenn would like to thank Lisa and Joe for the books, warm socks and useful toiletries.  I will have to start to post some pictures on the blog as we have the "bald boys" pics and the room full of spirit (All of the gifts and cards, plus balloons) which all of the nurses comment on.  The outcry of support is humbling and we sooo appreciate it!

God Bless and Much Love from Room 4912!!

Saturday November 5th, 2011

Jenn is feeling great today, she cannot wait to get out of here already.  Jenn was just sitting in a chair when I arrived, so she is getting back into her daily routines like showering, painting her finger nails, etc.

The Dr told us yesterday that Jenn's body is already producing white blood cells and that this type of recovery actually puts her ahead of schedule, so there is a small possibility that Jenn could get released next weekend.  :)

Jenn would like to thank Linda for her Sabres Socks and Buffalo necklace as well as Kathryn for sending the funny candy cigarettes (I haven't seen those since I was a little kid) and the Mad Libs and various fun books as well as the leopard ring.  I think she might use the ring against a nurse or hospital staff employee when she gets mad... That thing could really do some damage!!

Other than that, Jenn and I are going to take our daily "Tour De'Floor" walk to make sure she keeps the blood moving and keeps on trucking.  I just keep singing that Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes song "Home" in my head because it won't be long before Jenn is home and enjoying her freedom yet again.

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Friday November 4th, 2011

Jenn is feeling a little blah today as her Hemoglobin was at 7 and that means it is time for a blood transfusion.  The Chemo really knocks the crap out of you both physically and emotionally, so Jenn should perk right up after this transfusion here this morning.  Other than that, Jenn and I are awaiting a visit from the doctor, but seeing as where we got some exceptional news yesterday, I think we are now on the last to visit list for Dr Miller.  Good thing for sure, but just makes for a longer morning in anticipation of his arrival and news for the day.  We always want to hear what Jenns white blood cell count is for the day as she needs to get over 1 to be released from the hospital and she was at .9 yesterday and steadily climbing since she hit rock bottom at .6 a few days ago.

Jenn will still be in the hospital for at least 10 days, if not two weeks, so I am trying to keep Jenn's mind off of the length of the stay and just focusing on each day as it arrives.  Jenn is watching movies and reading a lot, so she has plenty to keep her occupied.

We would like to thank Grandma Jodi for the lovely red sweater; Jenn just adores it and cannot wait to wear it out for a dinner.  Also, Kelly and Erik sent Jenn some great reading materials and an awesome Buffalo Sabres Gnome.  Thanks To Kirbi for the great puzzle books as well, these are keeping Jenn busy when she is feeling bored.

Thanks to everyone that follows the blog and for all of the great comments and well wishes we have both received from the onset of this Leukemia.  I am a firm believer in God and all that he provides and grant us each and every day.  While I know I joke a lot, I am very spiritual but not so much religious; that doesn't mean that I don't pay respect to God all of the time and he certainly deserves much praise and adoration for the miracle he has delivered so far to my wife, life partner and best friend.  Keep praying for Jenn, we have only cleared the first of many hurdles so this journey will continue for a while.

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Thursday November 3rd, 2011

GREAT NEWS!!!

We just found out that Jenn's bone marrow looks "clean" per Dr Miller's analysis and the lab results.  :)

Now while this is positive news, they did see some blasts in the marrow, but they appear to be recovery blasts and not the Leukemic blasts at all.  So at this point, Jenn will be in the hospital for another 2 weeks or so just to ensure that she is strong enough to go home.

There will still be another bone marrow biopsy (Jenn's least favorite and most painful procedure) before she goes home to officially declare this cancer in remission.  Jenn will also need another short round of Chemo once she goes home, but the next round is only 5 days and is always part of the out patient therapy for Leukemia.  We are sooo excited and quite relieved, but we also know that this road is still long and that home therapy will last 5-6 months with weekly check-ups, etc.

Wow, did I tell everyone that Jenn's bone marrow looks clean!!!  :) :) :)  I still cannot believe it and I am so happy that they were able to catch this in one treatment so far!!! YIPPEE!!

We will also be waiting for the genetic testing to come back as well, once those results are received they will be able to determine if Jenn needs the bone marrow transplant or not.  Tucker, we haven't heard the results yet from your test for a match, but we hope to get those by the early next week.

Jenn asked Dr Miller if she can have a glass of Champagne, he just laughed and failed to give a response... So I am going to get some sparkling champagne today and have a little non alcoholic celebration with Jenn this afternoon.

Keep Jenn is your prayers as we are not totally out of the woods by any means, but this was basically the best news we could have hoped to receive and we are very happy for that!!

Lots of Love from Room 4912!!

Wednesday November 2nd, 2011

Well it's official, the bone marrow biopsy was taken just minutes ago and Jenn is feeling good.  Dr Miller did a fantastic job and allowed me to stay in the room during the procedure.  Jenn is unreal in regards to her pain threshold.  She barely winced during the entire procedure and considereing they take a hollow needle and twist it and twist it and twist it until it taps the hip bone to take a marrow sample; she really is nothing short of amazing!!

The doctor warned me that Jenn might wiggle and scream, but she just kept slowly breathing and made it through the procedure like it was a jagerbomb at the end of a good night out drinking... all in stride!  :)

We might get results today, but more than likely the results will come tomorrow morning when we see Dr Miller next.  He did mention if the results came back today by 5PM that he would stop over and tell us the news either way.

One small concern today was that a single blast showed up in Jenn's blood samples from yesterday and today, but Dr Miller said that could just be an early recovery blast and sometimes those are normal in Leukemics.  Either way, the bone marrow will tell us everything we need to know.  As long as the blasts in the marrow are low or zero, then Jenn is through phase one.  If there are a lot of blasts in the marrow, then we will be starting the second round of Chemo.

I have been reading up a lot lately on Chemo treatments and most of time a second round of Chemo is almost a certainty, so we are ready for the results either way.

Jenn did receive a book yesterday called "The Last Time I was Me" and whoever sent the book was not listed... So if you sent this great book can you please throw us a comment so we know who to thank; appreciate it!!

Jenn's room is now decorated in all of the cards and well wishes she has been receiving, they really make Jenn feel amazing and all of the nurses and staff love to see the wall of cards grow each day.  Thank you soooo much to everyone who has sent cards and gifts, we truly appreciate them all and someday hope to support you as much as you have supported us.  :)

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Tuesday November 1st, 2011

Good news!!  Jenn is going to have her bone marrow biopsy tomorrow and we should have the results back on Wednesday or Thursday.

Even better news... Jenn most likely won't need a bone marrow transplant after all.  Dr Miller has decided as long as the bone marrow biopsy comes back negative that he would pass on the bone marrow transplant for now.  Basically the bone marrow transplant would be a last resort if the leukemia came out of remission.  Then they would perform the marrow transplant and put Jenn through Chemo again.  It is much better to save that transplant for a time when it would be absolutely necessary and I agree with Dr Miller on this move 100%.

Jenn is crazy excited today and for good reason.  Her appetite has been great and her attitude couldn't be finer.  I know I must sound like a broken record at this point, but Jenn is "strong like bull" and really has been inspirational, motivational and just plain outstanding through this journey so far.

Thanks to everyone who mentioned the positive attitude and frame of mind, as Jenn has truly been exhibiting those traits and continues to be a beacon of strength and courage.

We both are really looking forward to tomorrows test and even more so the results.  I refer to this part of the journey as reaching the initial peak... We have almost climbed the mountain to what we believe is the peak; but until we reach the top, we have no idea what else might be in-store.

Keep Jenn in your thoughts and prayers as this clearly isn't over; but certainly is looking better and better each and every day.

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Monday October 31st, 2011

Happy Halloween!!

Jenn is doing quite well again today and Dr Miller is now back from his seminar/vacation.  We originally thought that Jenn would be getting another bone marrow biopsy tomorrow, but Dr Miller is thinking he might hold off a few days.  I asked why we would do that (because clearly we want to know that this is in remission already) and Dr Miller's response was that he is "thinking about it"... this isn't bad news at all.  He mentioned that if he felt likeJenn was in trouble that he would administer the biopsy immediately. 

We asked about the bone marrow match test that was performed on Tucker (Jenns brother for those not in the know) and Dr Miller is going to see if those came back yet.  Even if Tucker is a match, they would let Jenn go home first to recover a bit before performing a bone marrow transplant.

All in all, Jenn is not having many side affects from the chemo and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst day after her initial treatment.  Jenn might need a blood transfusion tomorrow for her hemoglobin counts, but other than that she is just trucking along.

We got warned today that we needed to "hide" the coffee pot that Jaidee sent down, but we won't be taking it home... It just has to hide out till we need to brew more Horton's. YUM!

Lots of Love from Room 4912!!

Sunday October 30th, 2011

Jenn had another good day yesterday and really continues to impress everyone.  There was an unexpected platelet transfusion because the nursing staff felt it might be necessary in order to prevent any internal bleeding.  This isn't overly shocking news though as her team of doctors have been warning us that platelets will be given quite often through this journey.

My dad and Dave Hino are now on their way back to Buffalo through all of the snowy territory that received that nasty Nor'easter yesterday.  I would like to note that Buffalo didn't receive any snow for once; it's about time that the rest of the northeast catches up on those snowfall totals... Meg Glenn gets serious kudos from myself as she is one fantastic cook.  Meg sent down two amazing dishes and the Turkey Taco Lasagna was devoured last night by us boys. Meg you might want to start your own restaurant as that dish was awesome and I cannot wait to heat up the other dish today for the football games!! :)

I will be off this week from work staying here at the hospital, so for anyone local that wants to visit, this will be the least busy week in the hospital room.  So please feel free to stop by and wish Jenn well.

Jenn is still off of the IV's today, the only time she needs to be hooked up is when receiving her antibiotics that take a couple of hours and then she is free of those lines the rest of the day.

God Bless Room 4912!!

Saturday October 29th, 2011

Jenn is completely unhooked from her IV's today!!  :)

This is only temporary, but is a significant relief to Jenn and has made her extremely happy.  They will only hook the IV back up for Jenn's antibiotics and transfusions when necessary.  Jenn does have a rash that won't seem to go away on her neck and chest.  Fortunately the rash isn't spreading beyond that and isn't too terrible, but more so just annoying.

The Boys (Tucker, Scott, Chuck, Dave Hino and I) went out to watch the World Series last night. It was also the last night that Scott and Tucker were here; so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and made a great evening out of it.  It was great to see Scott and Tucker again, they are so loving and caring; it made this past week completely enjoyable.

Jenn is looking forward to the return of Dr. Miller next week as she will be getting her biopsy done and that is the next hurdle we are looking forward to overcoming.  As soon as the results come back, I will update the blog immediately and obviously call everyone in the immediate family.

Thanks for all of the gifts and cards, these absolutely make Jenn's day and she wants to thank everyone for all of the cards and gifts received to date.  Jenn wants to thank Carole for the T-shirt that has Rosie the Riveter and says "F*ck Cancer" as the caption. Jenn would also like to thank Tommy, Lesley and Lindsey for the very cool Sabres Snuggie blanket!!

Much Love from Room 4912!!

Friday October 28th, 2011

Jenn got some good news today from the doctors.  After yesterdays transfusions her platelet count is up to 26 and her hemoglobin was at 10.  These are great numbers as the platelet count is well over the 15 that she needs to be at and the hemoglobin will slowly fall, but 10 is the highest Jenn has been at since she came into the hospital.

Jenn is in great spirits and Tucker, Scott and my great friend Dave Hino are all here today visiting this morning.  We left my dad at the house to clean-up after watching that crazy World Series game last night.

The Sabres won last night 4-2, so that always brings a smile to Jenn's face.  She is currently reading the last book in the Stieg Larsson trilogy called "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest" and has already watched the first two movies as well.

I am so happy that everyone has been sending goodies and gifts, those really make Jenn happy.  Much love to Jenn's great friend Jaidee for providing Timmy Ho's (Tim Horton's for everyone outside of the northeast) and a bunch of other goodies.  Meg Glenn also deserves big hugs and kisses for sending down some food that I can only describe as scrumptious looking, we will be digging into those dishes over the weekend!!  :)

Also Jenn wants to personally thank Monica Townes for the warm socks, Jenn absolutely loves them.

Much Love from Room 4912!!