8/25/09 - Sister's here!

This has been a good day. I woke up in a better mood than yesterday. I guess it just takes time to accept the fact that I will most likely have to go through bone marrow transplant. If God thinks that that is the best thing for me, so be it. Now my siblings will have to be tested to find my cell match. It takes a long time to get the logistics ready for a bone marrow transplant, so the most likely scenario would be the following:
- Once my blood cells go up to an acceptable level, and when I have no more problems with my body, I will get to go home for a short "vacation".
- While on "vacation", I will have to meet with a bone marrow transplant doctor who will explain all the pros and cons of the procedure. Then, I'll have to decide whether I want a transplant or not.
- I will also have another biopsy to see how well my cells are growing back - office procedure only.
- Then, it's back to the hospital for another round of chemotherapy, similar to my first chemo, but with a stronger dose of the same drugs.
- Then, depending on what we decide to do, I could have a few more rounds of chemo or move on to having the bone marrow transplant done.

My white blood cell count is inching up slowly, and my platelets have gone up nicely, so the doctor thinks these are good signs that my bone marrow is recovering. The rashes from chicken pox and allergic reaction to some medications are disappearing. There is still inflammation in my colon - this is a common side effect. So, I'm still being loaded with antibiotics. The doctors expect my condition to improve in the next several days. That means I may be able to go home soon! Home sweet home! I do miss lying down in my own bed, with soft sheets and nice comforters. These are some of the simple pleasures in life. Of course, food is up there, too. Once I realized that one of the things getting me down was the unpalatable hospital food, I have started asking Rob to bring food for me from restaurants when he comes to visit. I was craving for chinese comfort food, and now I can have it. yey!

The best part of my day was seeing my sister, Verna, in my room this evening! She came to visit with my family. I could feel the love from hundreds of miles away. She couldn't wait to come see me, so instead of getting an economy seat in September (yes, that was the first available seat), she got herself on business class just so she can be here sooner! I am so blessed to have her as my sister! She arrived this afternoon with gifts for my kids and for me. It was a happy reunion despite the circumstances.

That's it for today. Thank you all for your prayers, words of encouragement and bible verses that make this journey less difficult and lonely. To all the people who have helped us with our groceries, and preparing food for the family - a big thank you to you all! For people who sent cards and gifts, thank you, they do help more than you know. For friends who call or text to check-up on me from time to time, I really appreciate it - they do cheer me up. We are truly blessed to have so many people who are willing to go on this difficult journey with us and who support us in so many ways. May God bless you all!