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, August 11, 2011

Do you want the good news, the bad news, the cool news, the depressing news, or do you just want to watch the news and not read this blog...

Muscadines are now in season.... picked some up at a stand.... this makes me very happy.          

        I woke up with the monks again last night. 3 am is an interesting hour. I'm never sure what to do with myself. Sometimes I pray for people, sometimes I watch a cool documentary that Jonathan would care nothing about, or read some, or blog, or just sit there for a little while and think, "seriously, is this really happening, has this happened." The latter is what I did last night, and then fell asleep in the recliner till 4 or so. That gave Jonathan a chance to sleep since I'm officially a snorer. See the swelling from the prednisone is making me snore, at least that is what the docs are saying but we won't know for sure until I'm off the meds. The new medication, Exjade, is making me feel about 10% more like I have chemo brain and making me a little sick to my tummy.
             Someone gave us some money today to help with finances, then I got a speeding ticket.... I was really sick to my stomach and was trying to get home. The Cancer card, nor the sick card, worked on this officer, maybe my eyebrows are a little to thick now. Anyway, I have to go to the court date to try not to get the points on my licence, so I will be dying my hair a crazy color and then shaving it before the court date. Hey if I have to be part of the system I might as well work it. I'm going to get the Dr. to write a note proving that I indeed just started this medication and was in all likely hood about to poop my pants. I don't generally wish for vomiting but dang, I wish it was coming on that way so at least I could have got it out while I was parked and maybe out of the ticket.
              I found out  today that I am indeed singing the National Anthem at the Be the Match run on Sept. 24th!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited. This is the third musical opportunity I have had in the last week. God is good, and since I'm not typing so much for work, I feel like playing my guitar since my hands don't hurt so bad. I did however, pull a muscle in my hand spray painting a flower pot I got at a yard sale. Who knew spray paint could be so dangerous.
                 Tomorrow, at my Emory appointment, I hope a few things. One, that he will tell me these side effects will go away, because I feel like crap. That he reduces my prednisone and I don't break out into a rash or have more GVHD that causes me to stay on it, that he will tell me I can vacuum, that I can clean fish, that he will donate lots of money to my Be the Match Run team, and that I don't have to come back to see him for at least 3-4 weeks. Oh, and I want to win the lotto, I must play first, so that I don't have to deal with insurance, cobra, SSDI, medicaid, and whatever else paperwork is being given to me.
                I'm driving myself in the morning so pray for that and I'm super excited about going to breakfast with a girl that had a stem cell transplant the week after me and we have kept in touch. She is finally able to get out more and we are going to celebrate. I look forward to seeing the staff at Emory, they are always so encouraging and I love that they know me, I feel like VIP there ;) Of course, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar and I can lay down some honey, but isn't that so much easier anyway?


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