Hey Everyone,
I'm being discharged today! The treatment went well this trip and I'm so ready to be with my family. My sister, Jennifer, was already planning on coming to Athens today to see me so she is taking me home.
**Medical MJ** We got the results back from the spinal test they did the other day when they did the LP, and it was negative, meaning I still don't have any cancer in my central nervous system. I never did, it is just usually the next place that it attacks. All these LP's (chemo in the spine) is hopefully preventing that from happening. I have another LP this morning and my favorite is doing it again so I'll be ok. Other treatment news is that after this A round I have a small round of chemo next Tuesday that will be done over at GA Cancer center. I will also have 4 days of steroids, not my favorite, but usually that would be the week that I'm super tired, so maybe I'll get some work done, ha ha.
This week has been pretty good especially compared to the last treatment week. I have been pretty tired this week but I think that has to do with the anti nausea medication that they have been giving me. This is the round I had trouble with that first week, so I thought I should take it. I realized that I really don't like the way those meds make me feel, so I refused the medication yesterday during the day and felt so much better! I took it at night so ward off any nausea, but it was great not to feel like a zombie during the day. They warned me that I may be playing catch up if I got nauseous if I didn't take it, but hey they are experimenting on me, so why can't I. It ended up being a good choice.
I'm on a different floor, 7E, due to 6E being full when I came in on Friday. Even though I miss the staff that I know on the other floor, I have met some great people up here. 7E is the medical oncology floor so there are a lot of different kinds of cancers being treated up here. My doctor this week is Dr. H, but I have not seen very much of him and I'm of course disappointed that I have not seen Dr. Khoury again, but it is the holidays and it is super busy here. I know that he is looking over my chart and would be up here in a heartbeat if anything was wrong. Dr. T is the medical doctor that sees me sometimes, and it is always good to see him. I live vicariously through him, gardening, since I can't do that for quite a while. I believe that I'm going to readmitted for treatment again around Jan. 7th. In the mean time, I hope that the migraines from the oral chemo do not come back. I have been on the meds since Sat and they usually hit between 1 to 1.5 weeks after I start the meds. I need the medication so we just keep trying. The other medication that I was hoping to try is not approved for the stage of cancer I'm in. No word yet on my donor status, till not sure how that works.
**FLAGGED** I was flagged again this week by the food police. I very sweet girl, the new dietitian, came up here to check on me. I'm not sure who relays the news when I don't eat my food, but I have my hunches. I keep explaining that I bring food and have people bring me food and also pick and choose what I eat off my plate. See the food here is full of preservative, additives, and the meat, well, I don't think it is meat. I just can't eat most of it. I got a real flag this week, the flags here are little green slips of paper that they put on your plate to explain your type of diet. Mine is general, non restrictive. So the card basically says, "hey you, you can eat any of our delicious food so choose a well rounded diet, yada yada" I took a picture of it, I'll post it later.
** Visits** I had some nice visits this week. My brother came to visit on Sat, I think I wrote about that somewhere else. I think I will keep him :). My cuz Shanna came to see me, always a treat, I didn't take a picture :(. I had planned for us to do some singing together but that stupid med was making me sleepy. I love the earrings that she brought me, they are super cute. My parents came to see me on Sunday and brought me some steam-able veggies and the green bolt house smoothie, yummy. I don't remember a lot from that visit, stupid medication. Again, now I know. A college friend of mine, Cristain came to see me. We have not seen each other in over 8 years, Crazy! It was just like we didn't skip a beat, he is such a great guy and I'm thankful that we met up again. He is teaching tennis here in Atlanta and is going to visit his family soon in Chilie. He recently got back from France where he saw my college boyfriend Camilo. Camilo
It has been harder this week being away from Evalyn for some reason. Maybe because I'm at home 24/7 so we got closer after me being away for so long. I can't wait to see and kiss everyone. My poor puppy Chloe has something wrong with her eye and Jonathan took her to the vet yesterday. Just what we need, another medical bill, but hey she was my first baby girl. We had some help this week at the house to give Jonathan a break, he seems to be in good spirits. He is such a good Dad!! Wallace misses me the most of course, he is my snuggie puppy. And oh temperpedic, I didn't forget about you, I will be home soon.
WELCOME
Hello,
Welcome to my Blog! Yes, I have been in the fight of my life against Leukemia, insomnia, depression, side effects of medications, molting skin, pooping my pants and this list goes on.... however, I still love my life, and that's what this blog is about Real Life. I hope to meet others who trails have brought them closer to the Lord and molded them for the next step in God's will. In January 2011 , my family, physician, and Be the Match was featured on a Fox 5 news story about bone marrow donors and transplants. In March, I was interviewed on Atlanta and Company along with Be the Match. I was chosen to sing the national anthem at the Be the Match Run last year and will also be doing it this year, along with some other songs. My team, no thanks to me, raised over $4,000 and raised more than any other team! Please join my team this year or consider donating here at the Run those Stem cells out ! Team I was also chosen for a patient advocacy panel for the international council meeting at Be the Match in MN in November. How exciting!! I ended up not being able to attend due to the relapse. I had hoped I could help raise awareness about how easy it is to sign up to be a donor and how many people need your help! Please go to bethematch.org and sign up! I was able to have my bone marrow (same as stem cell) transplant at the end of March thanks to a 22 year old donor oversees that I hope to meet her one day. As I came up on my 6th month mark and continued to add more normal activities to our lives, I relapsed, meaning that the that the cancer had mutated and the leukemia came back. I spent 2 more weeks at Emory and some other nights here and there and now I'm on a drug from the FDA. I have a compassion waiver so I am able to get it. I have to take it day by day sometimes hour by hour. Time keeps moving and my little girl is growing up. I'm lucky that I'm getting to see it. I continue to praise God for his wonderful blessings he has shown us including my wonderful husband Jonathan, baby girl Evalyn Rose, supportive family and friend, great medical care, new readers, and the chance to make a big difference, even if that means being a Lab Rat.
God Bless You!
Please read, comment, enjoy, learn, grow, LOVE LIFE.
Most Recently I have started a booth at a local consignment store with handmade jewelry from friends, crafts, and my own art from recycled materials. It is called DAY by DAY. God was very clear with me starting this. Please look over to the right of blog and click on Day by Day to see some pictures. I'm just getting started but I am taking orders from people that I know. You will be able to personalize items, etc. I just haven't decided how I will be selling them via internet yet. But for now, the jewelry is at A Weekend A'fair in Athens, GA and will hopefully be at some stores downtown soon.
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