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.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Medical Update 5-18

Hi Everyone,
                    I really need you to pray about this painful side effect that I guess is from the lowering of the predizone. I'm have debilitating cramps in my hands, calves, and feet worse than anything that I have experience like that. My hands will literally look like I have cerebral palsy until the cramp passes. This is making it difficult to sleep, take care of Evalyn, drive, and to work. And I really need to catch up on work.
                    Energy wise I have been ok but I'm still exhausted from this whirlwind of this past weekend. I pushed myself this weekend since the transplant and it ws a good thing, but there is a price for everthing! My rash is looking a lot better but my feet are always swollen like they were when I was pregnant. I call them "piggy feet". Thank goodness I bought some choco shoes for myself. They wrap around 360 degrees and I can change them based on how my feet change. I love them and they have a life time warrenty.
                      I went to my local oncologist this morning to get my levels checked but I won't get the results till tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm taking some Calcium, crying, rubbing aspercream on myself, and trying to find some magnesium spray someone told me my help.

All in all it's not the worse thing I have been through, but it is not fun.

Love, Heather
                 

2 comments:

  1. I too have cramps in the same places. I again weaning off steroids. It's up and down. Are you taking prograph and cellcept? I am wondering if this causes cramps, cause I didn't have them much until I had to go back on these meds 2 weeks ago.


    charmaine

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  2. Nope not taking those. The calcium has helped some and someone told me fresh ginger tea (grate to root yourself) and magnesium spray which I have not found yet but my boss said she would get some. I just had some of the tea, it was yummy and calmed my stomach from some food that we had so wrongly picked up due to having a coupon...

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