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.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dec 2nd Medical MJ and Mental health!

Middle of the night, I was too excited to be able to be up that I couldn't sleep!
Hey everyone,
        Thank you for your prayers and know that I had some, a lot of, time to pray for you also. I have been laying in bed forever it feels like. The headache, or death ache if you want to call it that,  ended up being from the LP. Read all about it at this link.  It can go away with time, lots of caffeine, and with a blood patch. Did you know there IS caffeine in IV form? I know some of you are like " I knew it was out there somewhere". Caffeine didn't work, time probably would have but I couldn't go home just to lay in the bed for days. I drank enough cokes, took caffeine pills, then IV caffeine, nope. So for maybe the first time since the ALL hit, I broke down bailing my eyes out in front of 3 nurses. I told them that this was not directed at them but that if I didn't see anesthesiologist today to get a blood patch, I was going to have every nurse and doc in my family up Emorys Ass. Good one Heather. Well, they believed I was in pain, but it still look a while, all day. The blood patch was probably at least the 6th worst experience of my life, I can't even write about it right now. It wasn't the pain, although my back is really hurting since I have had so many sticks in my spine. My dear husband, maybe you had to go through that a few years ago, another day I'll tell you blog readers,  so that you could tell me the story and I would know so much about it.
           Although, it has been very frustrating to have to eat laying down, not be a able to organize my room, not finish Evalyn's hat, not play my guitar, not writing, not seeing my cousin, and not staring work like I wanted and feel like I need to do.  It has not been all bad. Sometimes you get what you NEED, right. Well, I needed to be reminded that this is not about me, again, and that I need to go with the flow more. So, just so happens that Stacy that works with Be the Match was working a donor drive, where, right out my window. She came up to the room yesterday and we had a great conversation and we are really excited about the Athens drives, that take money. Each test and filing of the DNA costs about $100 per person. No, if you donate you don't have to pay but someone has too. I will be asking store owners in Athens for money, if I can get it from the state of GA for my peeps, hopefully I can do it will a mask on. That's a blog in itself, just pray that God's hand will be on me during this time of "lets smile and give this girl attention time cause she has cancer and a baby and blah blah" and remind me that it is not about me. Always remember, tree in a forest.
                My mom came to visit and we talked about serious things. My mom decorated my guitar with the lights and brought me some food. She's going to start to think that I'm always sick, because it seems like the days she is able, I need her help the most. My mom also brought me the "it's been lovely now but I have to scream" button that I gave her before. My Dad came today while I still couldn't get up. Bless his heart, he gave me some Coke from work, ha ha. He worked hard last night and was tired but he loves me so much he still came to see me. More good news, I was suppose to get another LP tomorrow but Dr. K cancelled it due to basically have 3 in two days. So, I'm going home a day early if I'm ok in the morning.
                  Over the last two days I have been encouraged by so many believers and and staff. I have made friends here and they really blessed me and took care of me. The big booster for the day, no not another bag of Chemo, but that FOX is picking up the story. Michelle, one of my sister and my friends, tipped off the health reporter for Fox. It got the info together and ask my Dr. K, Stacy from Be the Match, and a successful BMT and cancer survivor, Mr. O, if they would be willing to do short interviews. They said yes, and I sent the contact info in. Beth, from Fox, called and said that her photographer would be up here today to take some shots here at the hospital. Today... I was laying in the bed all day waiting on the blood patch and this is the photo shoot of my life. Not funny God. Timing, done with patch at 3:30 pm, have to lay flat for 60 min, Fox gets here early at 4:10. My wonderful nurse, Laura, helped me put my shirt back on, and helped me with a little makeup. We couldn't find a mirror and I couldn't stand up, so I used the back of a CD! I got to met someone else here at Emory, Vince, and he knows my aunt Sharon, and I got to brag on her, again. So fun.  Reggie, from Fox, took pics of my pictures, of the cards that my people sent me, and a little bit of video. Fox is coming out the house on Tuesday so that Evalyn and Jonathan can be on there, and Wallace and Chloe, Yeaaa! Lola is going to be pissed, but she gets made at everything, that's our turtle.  It will probably be super short and not show the good side of my face, just Kidding, if it can save one more life, I don't care what it looks like! Nope, don't know when it is going on the Tele, I'll post it when I know.
            As you might imagine, I want to stay up all night and work, and write, and sing and make something out of nothing, and NOT be in bed. I'm seriously rubbing my eyes and my bald head trying to stay awake. I'm a kid, I tell ya.
I decorated my pole... didn't get to hall walk though, or put together a gang.

No comments:

Post a Comment