I made it home for Thanksgiving! The last 2 doses of chemo knocked me out. I was awake just long enough to order my meals and eat them before they grew cold. Then, I got a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin will most likely be very low. I was energized after all that sleep. The serving of blood also helped, I'm sure. (just like a vampire? :-)
I was discharged late in afternoon, but felt strong enough to join my cousin, Henry, and his family for Thanksgiving. They had it at his son's new house. We wanted to see the place, and it was also a chance for them to bid my sister farewell. We had Turducken for dinner. What was that?! Never heard of it before, either. Turducken is a turkey stuffed with duck and chicken. Interesting concept! We also enjoyed the jambalaya rice that came with it.
We are so blessed to have a plan B in case I didn't feel well enough to go out. My dear friend, Bessie, brought us ham that she had glazed with her special glaze (...and love). So, we're celebrating Thanksgiving again tonight! From plan B to take two! It is my sister, Verna's last dinner with us, so we have much to celebrate and much to be thankful for. Can't be too thankful for all our blessings!
Thanksgiving is that time of the year when we realized how blessed we are. We also get to appreciate what is truly important in life - family, friends, good health, salvation, faith, etc. One thing we are very thankful for this year is all the relatives and friends who have reached out one way or the other to help us out during this difficult journey. You are all very much appreciated. Even one single prayer means a lot to us. It is the combination of all our prayers that has made this journey as problem-free as it had been. I consider myself very, very blessed to have it relatively easy - things could have been a lot worse! We are also very blessed to have you all alongside us in our journey. Thank you once again!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
11/24/2009 - Round 3, Day 3
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
The extension of this round of chemo really worked out great for our family. I was concerned about the kids not being able to see me because of the CDC ruling, but it turned out better than I had expected. Katie and Ellie do not have school this week, so they were able to come visit me during the day, when it was still bright outside. We enjoyed feeding the fish again yesterday afternoon. I found out that the fish in the pond are koi fish. According to my sister, those fish can live over 100 years. There are over 50 adult fish and many more small ones. Yes, they will still be around long after all of us are gone. We also played with the floor chime in the rose garden. It reminded me of the oversized floor piano at FAO Schwartz in NY - remember Tom Hanks in Big? The chime is embedded on the ground, and we make different notes by stepping or jumping on them. We got creative and had a lot of fun - until Ellie slipped and scratched her elbow. We went to the nearest restroom at the Visitor Center to clean off the scratch.
Little did we know that we will be entering a historic building. The ceiling was beautifully painted almost 100 years ago. One of the walls had a mural that was last valued at $2.7M. It was painted by 2 young artists (Philip Goldstein/Guston and another artist) years ago. They have now become famous, thus the high price on the mural. There were many historic photographs of important people, like Eleanor Roosevelt, who went there. We got to chat with the manager of the place, who told us more interesting stories about the place and sent us away with some souvenirs and goodies - really nice lady. She also mentioned that Lamar Odom of the Lakers and his wife, Kloe Kardashian (reality show star) were there this afternoon to play basketball with the pediatric patients and signed autographs. I'm not a fan of either, but it was very nice of them to do it for the kids.
The chemo yesterday was uneventful. Thank you again for your prayers, and thank God! I slept a lot during and after the chemo. By the time I was alert enough to see my family, it was getting dark outside. So when Katie, Ellie and my sister came for a visit, we only spent time at the gift shop and ate at the bistro while I helped Katie with her school project. We also went to a nearby restaurant to buy dinner for the family. The kids like the spam musubi and Rob likes their loco moco at the Hawaiian barbecue joint. Shhh! Don't let my doctor or nurses know that I broke my parole. I may lose the privilege. :-) In case some of you got concerned, it was only a few blocks away, and the restaurant had only a few people there, so I did not take any big risks by going out. The biggest risk is writing about it - so no squealing please! Rob visited me last night, but was too tired to visit me tonight - no biggie.
The doctor gave the results of the cell match today - none of my 6 siblings is my cell match. Yep, not one. Oh, no! Maybe I WAS adopted! Or maybe it's true that they just found me in a trash can! Oh no, this may mean years of therapy! ha! ha! ha! All drama aside, it is not unusual not to have a cell match among siblings. I got a warning last week when the person I spoke with at my insurance company told me her husband had 10 siblings and none was a match. Now what? We don't know yet. I thought I could get away without a transplant if none of my siblings were a match, but God may have something else in mind. The doctor really wanted me to have the transplant because she's concerned about a relapse. Apparently, if I don't get a transplant, the relapse may happen in the next couple of years. The doctor looked at the national donor registry and she thinks we have a good chance of getting a 100% match from an unrelated donor. What do I do now? I will continue taking the last 2 rounds of chemo treatments unless we find a cell match. There's much to think about and more to pray about. Right now, we're just taking it a step at a time. Please pray that God will open the way, prepare our hearts, and make it obvious to us what our next steps should be.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family!
The extension of this round of chemo really worked out great for our family. I was concerned about the kids not being able to see me because of the CDC ruling, but it turned out better than I had expected. Katie and Ellie do not have school this week, so they were able to come visit me during the day, when it was still bright outside. We enjoyed feeding the fish again yesterday afternoon. I found out that the fish in the pond are koi fish. According to my sister, those fish can live over 100 years. There are over 50 adult fish and many more small ones. Yes, they will still be around long after all of us are gone. We also played with the floor chime in the rose garden. It reminded me of the oversized floor piano at FAO Schwartz in NY - remember Tom Hanks in Big? The chime is embedded on the ground, and we make different notes by stepping or jumping on them. We got creative and had a lot of fun - until Ellie slipped and scratched her elbow. We went to the nearest restroom at the Visitor Center to clean off the scratch.
Little did we know that we will be entering a historic building. The ceiling was beautifully painted almost 100 years ago. One of the walls had a mural that was last valued at $2.7M. It was painted by 2 young artists (Philip Goldstein/Guston and another artist) years ago. They have now become famous, thus the high price on the mural. There were many historic photographs of important people, like Eleanor Roosevelt, who went there. We got to chat with the manager of the place, who told us more interesting stories about the place and sent us away with some souvenirs and goodies - really nice lady. She also mentioned that Lamar Odom of the Lakers and his wife, Kloe Kardashian (reality show star) were there this afternoon to play basketball with the pediatric patients and signed autographs. I'm not a fan of either, but it was very nice of them to do it for the kids.
The chemo yesterday was uneventful. Thank you again for your prayers, and thank God! I slept a lot during and after the chemo. By the time I was alert enough to see my family, it was getting dark outside. So when Katie, Ellie and my sister came for a visit, we only spent time at the gift shop and ate at the bistro while I helped Katie with her school project. We also went to a nearby restaurant to buy dinner for the family. The kids like the spam musubi and Rob likes their loco moco at the Hawaiian barbecue joint. Shhh! Don't let my doctor or nurses know that I broke my parole. I may lose the privilege. :-) In case some of you got concerned, it was only a few blocks away, and the restaurant had only a few people there, so I did not take any big risks by going out. The biggest risk is writing about it - so no squealing please! Rob visited me last night, but was too tired to visit me tonight - no biggie.
The doctor gave the results of the cell match today - none of my 6 siblings is my cell match. Yep, not one. Oh, no! Maybe I WAS adopted! Or maybe it's true that they just found me in a trash can! Oh no, this may mean years of therapy! ha! ha! ha! All drama aside, it is not unusual not to have a cell match among siblings. I got a warning last week when the person I spoke with at my insurance company told me her husband had 10 siblings and none was a match. Now what? We don't know yet. I thought I could get away without a transplant if none of my siblings were a match, but God may have something else in mind. The doctor really wanted me to have the transplant because she's concerned about a relapse. Apparently, if I don't get a transplant, the relapse may happen in the next couple of years. The doctor looked at the national donor registry and she thinks we have a good chance of getting a 100% match from an unrelated donor. What do I do now? I will continue taking the last 2 rounds of chemo treatments unless we find a cell match. There's much to think about and more to pray about. Right now, we're just taking it a step at a time. Please pray that God will open the way, prepare our hearts, and make it obvious to us what our next steps should be.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family!
11/23/2009 - Round 3, Day 2
Thank you for your prayers. Our God is gracious and merciful. His lovingkindness never ceases. Great is His faithfulness!
I started receiving chemo on Sunday, sometime after midnight. The dose lasted 3 hours. The next dose was given 12 hours later. So far, the only side effect I got was minor rashes that went away this morning. My sister, Verna visited me yesterday. My friend, Bessie, also came and brought me some food. Other than being awake for the visits, I slept most of the day. The anti-nausea medication they gave me can make people drowsy.
By the time I woke up in the afternoon, it was already dark outside. I didn't think it would be fun for the kids to come and visit me at the lobby. They will not be allowed to come to the room because of the CDC regulation concerning the flu season. Besides, they were scheduled to visit me today anyway. We "visited" each other last night via webcam. I gave them the lazy tour of my room by moving the webcam around. Aaah, technology!
Today is my "rest" day from chemo. The next chemo starts at midnight. My doctor gave me permission to leave the hospital twice for an hour each time. I'm only allowed to stay within the campus. Come to think of it, how would they know? Hmmm... I better stick to the rules, though, or I may lose the privilege. Don't want to break my parole. he! he! I'm glad they don't let me go around in orange or striped uniform over here. :-)
My sister came to visit with the girls this morning. We went around the campus a little bit. First, we took the tram to the Japanese garden. The girls enjoyed feeding the fish and watching the turtles. They have lots of koi or carp fish here, and their mouths can open almost as wide as their faces. You'd think they don't feed the fish here. Imagine 50 big mouths all trying to catch fish food - quite a sight. The turtles didn't have a chance at the food. There were 2 turtles that couldn't care less. They were busy making a family. I'm glad the girls didn't ask what they were doing or I'd blush (not!). They will be coming back this afternoon to feed the fish again. Instead of paying 25 cents for a small handful of fish food for each of the girls, my sister will go to the 99 cent store to get a whole bag - now, that's being practical. The fish will just love the kids! We'll try not to overfeed them.
The next stop was the Sculpture garden to see some interesting sculptures. My favorite was the one that looked like rocks were floating in air - very interesting. Then, we went to the Rose Garden where they must have over 50 different breeds of roses - impressive. The place reminds me of the Huntington Gardens - just a miniature version of it. The statue of Pope John Paul was in the Rose Garden, near a bigger statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The pope's statue was dedicated about a month ago, with Andrea Bocelli singing during the dedication. I'm sure it was a beautiful ceremony.
What impressed me the most in the campus were the research centers. It seems like everyone wanted his/her own reseach center. Instead of having a 30-story research building, there must be 20 to 30 different one to two-story research centers each bearing a different donor's name. Mabe it is just a city regulation. It seems like people could not throw enough money to this place. I am reminded of a donor every other minute. In the building where I get my blood transfusion, each waiting room was named after a donor. In addition, the decorations were mostly donated. The walls also list names of donors. This morning, we saw that even the walkway had names plates on the curb. Maybe I can also be a donor someday. That will be nice. Now that I know what it is like to have cancer, I would like to be able to give back or pay it forward, just like the people who helped fund the research to find a cure for Leukemia. I owe my life to them.
Great news: my sister was able to extend her departure back to Manila until Saturday. That will give us a few more days to bond, and I will be able to see her off at the airport! She is such a huge blessing to us!
That is all for now. I will rest for a while, then the girls will be back to feed the fish. Please continue to pray that my remaining chemo treatments will be uneventful and free of side effects. Also please keep praying for my family and I as we go through this journey.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
I started receiving chemo on Sunday, sometime after midnight. The dose lasted 3 hours. The next dose was given 12 hours later. So far, the only side effect I got was minor rashes that went away this morning. My sister, Verna visited me yesterday. My friend, Bessie, also came and brought me some food. Other than being awake for the visits, I slept most of the day. The anti-nausea medication they gave me can make people drowsy.
By the time I woke up in the afternoon, it was already dark outside. I didn't think it would be fun for the kids to come and visit me at the lobby. They will not be allowed to come to the room because of the CDC regulation concerning the flu season. Besides, they were scheduled to visit me today anyway. We "visited" each other last night via webcam. I gave them the lazy tour of my room by moving the webcam around. Aaah, technology!
Today is my "rest" day from chemo. The next chemo starts at midnight. My doctor gave me permission to leave the hospital twice for an hour each time. I'm only allowed to stay within the campus. Come to think of it, how would they know? Hmmm... I better stick to the rules, though, or I may lose the privilege. Don't want to break my parole. he! he! I'm glad they don't let me go around in orange or striped uniform over here. :-)
My sister came to visit with the girls this morning. We went around the campus a little bit. First, we took the tram to the Japanese garden. The girls enjoyed feeding the fish and watching the turtles. They have lots of koi or carp fish here, and their mouths can open almost as wide as their faces. You'd think they don't feed the fish here. Imagine 50 big mouths all trying to catch fish food - quite a sight. The turtles didn't have a chance at the food. There were 2 turtles that couldn't care less. They were busy making a family. I'm glad the girls didn't ask what they were doing or I'd blush (not!). They will be coming back this afternoon to feed the fish again. Instead of paying 25 cents for a small handful of fish food for each of the girls, my sister will go to the 99 cent store to get a whole bag - now, that's being practical. The fish will just love the kids! We'll try not to overfeed them.
The next stop was the Sculpture garden to see some interesting sculptures. My favorite was the one that looked like rocks were floating in air - very interesting. Then, we went to the Rose Garden where they must have over 50 different breeds of roses - impressive. The place reminds me of the Huntington Gardens - just a miniature version of it. The statue of Pope John Paul was in the Rose Garden, near a bigger statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The pope's statue was dedicated about a month ago, with Andrea Bocelli singing during the dedication. I'm sure it was a beautiful ceremony.
What impressed me the most in the campus were the research centers. It seems like everyone wanted his/her own reseach center. Instead of having a 30-story research building, there must be 20 to 30 different one to two-story research centers each bearing a different donor's name. Mabe it is just a city regulation. It seems like people could not throw enough money to this place. I am reminded of a donor every other minute. In the building where I get my blood transfusion, each waiting room was named after a donor. In addition, the decorations were mostly donated. The walls also list names of donors. This morning, we saw that even the walkway had names plates on the curb. Maybe I can also be a donor someday. That will be nice. Now that I know what it is like to have cancer, I would like to be able to give back or pay it forward, just like the people who helped fund the research to find a cure for Leukemia. I owe my life to them.
Great news: my sister was able to extend her departure back to Manila until Saturday. That will give us a few more days to bond, and I will be able to see her off at the airport! She is such a huge blessing to us!
That is all for now. I will rest for a while, then the girls will be back to feed the fish. Please continue to pray that my remaining chemo treatments will be uneventful and free of side effects. Also please keep praying for my family and I as we go through this journey.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
11/21/2009 - Round 3
I was finally admitted tonight at the City of Hope for my next round of chemo. As you know, I was supposed to be admitted on Thursday, but they didn't have a room available until today. I'm not complaining, though. "All things work out for good for those who love the Lord." The delay actually worked out well for us. We all got to enjoy more family time, Ellie got more time to prepare herself for my hospital stay, I got more time to get stronger, and we also got to spend more time with my sister who will be leaving next week. I will not be able to see her off at the airport, but that's not such a big deal.
I was also able to meet with the girls' teachers for their evaluation. Just like Ellie, Katie's evaluation came out great! She was expecting all A's and that was what she got. We are blessed to have kids who enjoy learning, and don't need much help or prodding from their parents to do their schoolwork. They were very happy to get their surprise reward - new stuffed animals! It is wonderful to see how easy it is to please children.
Answered prayers: I was admitted to the new hospital! Not the old and not-so-nice medical center that they still send patients to when they're fully booked at this new one. And although I was initially assigned to a room with the view of the freeway, they moved me to a room with a mountain view! The nurse here remembered that I liked the room with the mountain view when I came to check out the hospital, so she switched my room. Woohoo! It is too dark to see the mountains tonight, but I look forward to seeing the mountains tomorrow. Thank you, Lord!
My sister and kids dropped me off tonight. Robert was playing with his friends - the poor guy needs to unwind, too. We'll use the webcam to call each other tonight, then they will visit me tomorrow afternoon. Although they are not allowed to come to my room, I assume that I will be allowed to see them at the lobby. I have to get a permit from the doctor, but it should not be an issue unless my blood count is really low.
My chemo hasn't started yet. The nurse is still waiting for my blood test results. The doctor wanted to make sure my blood count is still good, and that my liver and kidneys are still okay before starting the chemo. I don't expect anything to have changed significantly since Thursday, so I should be getting my chemo in the couple of hours. This means unless I get a fever or some other side effects that require me to me stay in the hospital, I shall be home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner. We had to cancel our Thanksgiving/birthday lunch party at Robert's cousin's place, and I may have to cancel the Thanksgiving dinner invitation at my cousins' place. I may not feel up to going anywhere but home after the chemo. It looks like we'll just have a nice, quiet Thanksgiving dinner at home. The celebration may be simple, but we will definitely celebrate! There is just so much to be thankful for!
Among the things I am most grateful for are the people who have been praying for me and my family. If it weren't for your prayers, things would have been much more difficult for us in many ways. Please continue to pray for us during this round of chemo, that the kids will not have a hard time with the new visiting rules, that I will not have no side effects, and that the doctors and caregivers will have the wisdom to give me the best care.
Thank you for your continued concern and prayers and may God bless you and your family!
I was also able to meet with the girls' teachers for their evaluation. Just like Ellie, Katie's evaluation came out great! She was expecting all A's and that was what she got. We are blessed to have kids who enjoy learning, and don't need much help or prodding from their parents to do their schoolwork. They were very happy to get their surprise reward - new stuffed animals! It is wonderful to see how easy it is to please children.
Answered prayers: I was admitted to the new hospital! Not the old and not-so-nice medical center that they still send patients to when they're fully booked at this new one. And although I was initially assigned to a room with the view of the freeway, they moved me to a room with a mountain view! The nurse here remembered that I liked the room with the mountain view when I came to check out the hospital, so she switched my room. Woohoo! It is too dark to see the mountains tonight, but I look forward to seeing the mountains tomorrow. Thank you, Lord!
My sister and kids dropped me off tonight. Robert was playing with his friends - the poor guy needs to unwind, too. We'll use the webcam to call each other tonight, then they will visit me tomorrow afternoon. Although they are not allowed to come to my room, I assume that I will be allowed to see them at the lobby. I have to get a permit from the doctor, but it should not be an issue unless my blood count is really low.
My chemo hasn't started yet. The nurse is still waiting for my blood test results. The doctor wanted to make sure my blood count is still good, and that my liver and kidneys are still okay before starting the chemo. I don't expect anything to have changed significantly since Thursday, so I should be getting my chemo in the couple of hours. This means unless I get a fever or some other side effects that require me to me stay in the hospital, I shall be home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner. We had to cancel our Thanksgiving/birthday lunch party at Robert's cousin's place, and I may have to cancel the Thanksgiving dinner invitation at my cousins' place. I may not feel up to going anywhere but home after the chemo. It looks like we'll just have a nice, quiet Thanksgiving dinner at home. The celebration may be simple, but we will definitely celebrate! There is just so much to be thankful for!
Among the things I am most grateful for are the people who have been praying for me and my family. If it weren't for your prayers, things would have been much more difficult for us in many ways. Please continue to pray for us during this round of chemo, that the kids will not have a hard time with the new visiting rules, that I will not have no side effects, and that the doctors and caregivers will have the wisdom to give me the best care.
Thank you for your continued concern and prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
11/19/2009 - Chemo Delayed Again
My blood test this morning came out well. The white blood count, ANC, hemoglobin and platelets all looked good, so it's time to knock them all down again! :-( The doctor wanted to start my next round of chemo today. Problem is, the hospital was fully booked. I was number 4 in the list, but only 2 rooms became available today. I'm on standby for a room tomorrow. It's the flu season. Many hospitals are fully booked these days, especially as the H1N1 virus spreads.
The delay actually worked out well for us. Katie and Ellie's evaluation for the semester was scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow morning. I was able to discuss Ellie's performance with her teacher, and will be able to do the same for with Katie's teacher tomorrow morning. Ellie did really well at school. She is the youngest and smallest student in her class, but she is one of the brightest. I have a suspicion she is the teacher's pet. I don't blame her - Ellie IS charming. This is the opinion of a totally biased mother. :-) I was also able to get a few more things in my checklist done. One of the items was to cook Paella for the family. I knew my sister will also like the dish, and she did! The other things had to do with work or insurance requirements - just more paperwork! ugh!
I hope I get admitted tomorrow so I can be discharged next Wednesday - just in time to see my sister off that evening as she leaves for Manila. We're all going to miss her. She has been such a tremendous help to us, and we all enjoyed her company. We all look forward to having her join us again next year. My mother-in-law may also come over early next year to help us out. We're so blessed to have both my sister and my mother-in-law willing and able to come and give us a hand.
I found out today that there are 2 hospitals at City of Hope. The one I visited was the main hospital, and also the new one. Apparently, they have an older hospital that they still use if the main hospital is full. A nurse suggested that I request for a room in the main hospital because the older hospital is not so nice anymore. Please pray that I will get a room in the main hospital, preferably with the mountain view.
That's it for today. Please continue to pray that my next round of chemo will go well with no side effects. Please also continue to pray for our emotional and spiritual well-being as I go through my next round of chemo, and for protection from the flu virus and other viruses going around these days.
Thank you all for your concern and prayers. May God continue to bless you and your family!
The delay actually worked out well for us. Katie and Ellie's evaluation for the semester was scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow morning. I was able to discuss Ellie's performance with her teacher, and will be able to do the same for with Katie's teacher tomorrow morning. Ellie did really well at school. She is the youngest and smallest student in her class, but she is one of the brightest. I have a suspicion she is the teacher's pet. I don't blame her - Ellie IS charming. This is the opinion of a totally biased mother. :-) I was also able to get a few more things in my checklist done. One of the items was to cook Paella for the family. I knew my sister will also like the dish, and she did! The other things had to do with work or insurance requirements - just more paperwork! ugh!
I hope I get admitted tomorrow so I can be discharged next Wednesday - just in time to see my sister off that evening as she leaves for Manila. We're all going to miss her. She has been such a tremendous help to us, and we all enjoyed her company. We all look forward to having her join us again next year. My mother-in-law may also come over early next year to help us out. We're so blessed to have both my sister and my mother-in-law willing and able to come and give us a hand.
I found out today that there are 2 hospitals at City of Hope. The one I visited was the main hospital, and also the new one. Apparently, they have an older hospital that they still use if the main hospital is full. A nurse suggested that I request for a room in the main hospital because the older hospital is not so nice anymore. Please pray that I will get a room in the main hospital, preferably with the mountain view.
That's it for today. Please continue to pray that my next round of chemo will go well with no side effects. Please also continue to pray for our emotional and spiritual well-being as I go through my next round of chemo, and for protection from the flu virus and other viruses going around these days.
Thank you all for your concern and prayers. May God continue to bless you and your family!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
11/15/2009 - Chemo Rescheduled
I am writing this blog entry from home. I was tentatively scheduled to be admitted for my next round of chemo last Friday, but it did not happen. One reason was that even though my platelets came up quite a bit, it was still low. My white blood cells and neutrophils were much higher. I'm not neutropenic anymore! My hemoglobin was higher, too, so no more blood transfusion. The other reason was to protect my liver. The medication I was taking affects the liver. The doctor wanted me to stop the medication and give my liver a rest before starting the next round of chemo. As you may already know, chemo drugs affect the liver, too. My next round of chemo is now scheduled for Thursday, the 19th. This is really like boxing. Once I am strong enough to get back in the ring, it's time for the next round.
I am happy about the delay, because I was not ready to be admitted last week. I did not get enough sleep a couple of nights last week, so I wanted to get myself stronger first before the next round of chemo. I think we were also not yet ready emotionally for it. Ellie got teary eyed when she heard that I may be going to the hospital in a couple of days. Even though I have been giving them a heads up about it for a while now, she didn't quite realize how soon it was going to be. It broke my heart to see her fighting back her tears. It was good to have a few more days of bonding and cuddling with the kids before going to he hospital. Rob and I were also happy to have more time together.
I got to meet a couple of people this week who made me so thankful of my situation. I often think that as bad as things are, they could be worse. It helps to be reminded how bad things could get, though. One of the people I met told me about her husband having to go through 4 rounds of chemo with lots of side effects before being in remission. He had to have bone marrow transplant right away after that. Since they could not find a match among his 10 siblings (yes, 10!) and they didn't have time to find a donor, he had to be his own donor. From what I know, being the donor to oneself is not recommended unless it is absolutely necessary. He lost his hair three times, once when he had his first chemo, then when his stem cells were being harvested (I think he had to have another high dose of chemo then), and when he had the bone marrow transplant. In the process, they had to go through 3 hospitals and 2 insurance companies. It was a difficult and long-drawn process for them. Thank God he is doing well now.
The other person I met went through a tough time with chemos for a whole year in another hospital. She moved to the City of Hope, where her body responding well to the chemo drug given to her. She has gone through 4 additional rounds of chemo and is now getting her bone marrow transplant. While at the other hospital, she was not given morphine during her biopsies even when she asked for it - poor thing! She had a port surgically implanted to her chest just like mine, but in her case, they had to do it twice because they made a mistake the first time, then her lungs collapsed because of the error. It also got infected, then it got clogged up because of the prolonged use, so they had to implant another port in her arm. As if this was not enough, she also had problems with her lumbar. I didn't even get to hear everything she went through, because she was called in to see her doctor. I really felt so bad for her. Hearing these stories reminded me of how blessed I was that I did not have to go through what they went through. God continues to be gracious and merciful to me.
My doctor at City of Hope is a relatively young doctor, and I initially had my doubts about her. I have been asking for feedback, and so far, I have only heard good things about her from the nurses, from one of her patients, and from my oncologist. I think I will stick with her. My case is pretty simple and straightforward, so I don't think I need the best doctor in the house. It may be an advantage to have a doctor who has more time to answer my questions than an expert who doesn't have time for me. One of my reservations in moving to the City of Hope was the thought of having to deal with different doctors as an inpatient. Apparently, I was misinformed. Although the doctors have been lobbying to have the same doctor(s) do the rounds for all patients each week, it has not yet been approved, so each doctor has to see his/her own patient when they are admitted. This is good news to me.
Please continue to pray that my next round of chemo will be uneventful. I have learned that side effects from chemo can occur a few weeks after the treatment, so please keep praying about it even after I have been discharged. Also please pray that my kids will not miss me too much when I get admitted, because they will not be able to visit me in my room. Lastly, please continue that my family and I will be protected from the flu viruses, and continue to stay happy and positive throughout this journey. Both Robert and Ellie have fully recovered from their colds. Thanks for the prayers.
Once again, thank you for your concern and prayers, and may God bless you all!
I am happy about the delay, because I was not ready to be admitted last week. I did not get enough sleep a couple of nights last week, so I wanted to get myself stronger first before the next round of chemo. I think we were also not yet ready emotionally for it. Ellie got teary eyed when she heard that I may be going to the hospital in a couple of days. Even though I have been giving them a heads up about it for a while now, she didn't quite realize how soon it was going to be. It broke my heart to see her fighting back her tears. It was good to have a few more days of bonding and cuddling with the kids before going to he hospital. Rob and I were also happy to have more time together.
I got to meet a couple of people this week who made me so thankful of my situation. I often think that as bad as things are, they could be worse. It helps to be reminded how bad things could get, though. One of the people I met told me about her husband having to go through 4 rounds of chemo with lots of side effects before being in remission. He had to have bone marrow transplant right away after that. Since they could not find a match among his 10 siblings (yes, 10!) and they didn't have time to find a donor, he had to be his own donor. From what I know, being the donor to oneself is not recommended unless it is absolutely necessary. He lost his hair three times, once when he had his first chemo, then when his stem cells were being harvested (I think he had to have another high dose of chemo then), and when he had the bone marrow transplant. In the process, they had to go through 3 hospitals and 2 insurance companies. It was a difficult and long-drawn process for them. Thank God he is doing well now.
The other person I met went through a tough time with chemos for a whole year in another hospital. She moved to the City of Hope, where her body responding well to the chemo drug given to her. She has gone through 4 additional rounds of chemo and is now getting her bone marrow transplant. While at the other hospital, she was not given morphine during her biopsies even when she asked for it - poor thing! She had a port surgically implanted to her chest just like mine, but in her case, they had to do it twice because they made a mistake the first time, then her lungs collapsed because of the error. It also got infected, then it got clogged up because of the prolonged use, so they had to implant another port in her arm. As if this was not enough, she also had problems with her lumbar. I didn't even get to hear everything she went through, because she was called in to see her doctor. I really felt so bad for her. Hearing these stories reminded me of how blessed I was that I did not have to go through what they went through. God continues to be gracious and merciful to me.
My doctor at City of Hope is a relatively young doctor, and I initially had my doubts about her. I have been asking for feedback, and so far, I have only heard good things about her from the nurses, from one of her patients, and from my oncologist. I think I will stick with her. My case is pretty simple and straightforward, so I don't think I need the best doctor in the house. It may be an advantage to have a doctor who has more time to answer my questions than an expert who doesn't have time for me. One of my reservations in moving to the City of Hope was the thought of having to deal with different doctors as an inpatient. Apparently, I was misinformed. Although the doctors have been lobbying to have the same doctor(s) do the rounds for all patients each week, it has not yet been approved, so each doctor has to see his/her own patient when they are admitted. This is good news to me.
Please continue to pray that my next round of chemo will be uneventful. I have learned that side effects from chemo can occur a few weeks after the treatment, so please keep praying about it even after I have been discharged. Also please pray that my kids will not miss me too much when I get admitted, because they will not be able to visit me in my room. Lastly, please continue that my family and I will be protected from the flu viruses, and continue to stay happy and positive throughout this journey. Both Robert and Ellie have fully recovered from their colds. Thanks for the prayers.
Once again, thank you for your concern and prayers, and may God bless you all!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
11/7/09 - Getting Ready for Round Three
Good news: my bone marrow is slowly recovering. I have been getting platelet and/or blood transfusion every week since my last chemo. My hemoglobin was at 8.4 on Tuesday, so I got more blood. The blood test on Friday finally came out well enough not to have any blood transfusion. My ANC went up to 0.92. That means I am finally almost not neutropenic! I am still being extra careful because of the flu season. I think I will carry on as if I am neutropenic until the flu season is over - can't be too careful.
My oncologist thinks I can have the next round of chemo next week. The bone marrow transplant doctor agrees, so I am tentatively scheduled to be admitted to the City of Hope next Friday. We have decided to give the City of Hope a try for the next round of chemo. The experience of having to wait for blood or having to be admitted for blood transfusion at the Huntington Memorial Hospital had tainted my view of the outstanding institution. I still painfully remember the National Incompetence Day saga. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise to move me to the City pf Hope. With the flu season upon us, it may be better to be admitted in a hospital that has better access to blood and that only deals with cancer. This is going to be a brand new experience! I hope I get a room with the mountain view! All rooms have either the view of the mountains or the freeway. I prefer mountains, of course. I'll just treat this as another adventure. Instead of traveling to new, exotic places for an adventure, I now have the privilege of traveling to new institutions for a different kind of "adventure". I get to experience "special" accommodations and food, and meet new people. Maybe I can contribute to Rick Steve's and Fodor's books... :-)
The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recently required all hospitals to regulate their visitors, because they expect this flu season to be harsh. Children under 16 years of age cannot visit patients in the hospital. I am allowed to see my kids at the lobby, but they cannot enter the section for patients. Although this will be tough for the kids, it is better for the patients, including me. For now, we're planning to use a webcam to supplement visits at the lobby.
My next round of chemo will be the same as the previous one. Same dose of the same drug given in three alternating days, for a total hospital stay of 6 days. The doctor warned me that the effect of chemo drugs are cumulative, so although I have very little side effect from the previous two chemos, I should be not be surprised if I experience more side effects this time around. Yikes! In preparation for potential mouth sores again, I have asked my dentist to make mouth guards for me. These will prevent the side of my tongue from rubbing against my teeth. I had my mouth sores on the side of my tongue last time. Whenever my tongue rubbed against my teeth, it aggravated the sore, and made me jump in pain. Imagine going from being asleep to sitting up straight in one second. Ouch!
Please pray that I will adjust well to the new hospital, and that I will get a room with the mountain view. Also pray that our family will be able to address the CDC ruling well so we won't miss each other too much. Rob still has a slight cold, and Ellie has stuffy nose and fighting off a virus. Please pray for their healing and that Katie and I will not catch whatever they have. Another special request is that I will not have any side effects from the chemo this time around. Lastly, please continue to pray for my complete healing, for s stem cell match from my siblings if I will have to go through BMT, and that our family will remain happy and positive through this journey.
Thank you all for your continued prayers, and may God bless you all!
My oncologist thinks I can have the next round of chemo next week. The bone marrow transplant doctor agrees, so I am tentatively scheduled to be admitted to the City of Hope next Friday. We have decided to give the City of Hope a try for the next round of chemo. The experience of having to wait for blood or having to be admitted for blood transfusion at the Huntington Memorial Hospital had tainted my view of the outstanding institution. I still painfully remember the National Incompetence Day saga. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise to move me to the City pf Hope. With the flu season upon us, it may be better to be admitted in a hospital that has better access to blood and that only deals with cancer. This is going to be a brand new experience! I hope I get a room with the mountain view! All rooms have either the view of the mountains or the freeway. I prefer mountains, of course. I'll just treat this as another adventure. Instead of traveling to new, exotic places for an adventure, I now have the privilege of traveling to new institutions for a different kind of "adventure". I get to experience "special" accommodations and food, and meet new people. Maybe I can contribute to Rick Steve's and Fodor's books... :-)
The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recently required all hospitals to regulate their visitors, because they expect this flu season to be harsh. Children under 16 years of age cannot visit patients in the hospital. I am allowed to see my kids at the lobby, but they cannot enter the section for patients. Although this will be tough for the kids, it is better for the patients, including me. For now, we're planning to use a webcam to supplement visits at the lobby.
My next round of chemo will be the same as the previous one. Same dose of the same drug given in three alternating days, for a total hospital stay of 6 days. The doctor warned me that the effect of chemo drugs are cumulative, so although I have very little side effect from the previous two chemos, I should be not be surprised if I experience more side effects this time around. Yikes! In preparation for potential mouth sores again, I have asked my dentist to make mouth guards for me. These will prevent the side of my tongue from rubbing against my teeth. I had my mouth sores on the side of my tongue last time. Whenever my tongue rubbed against my teeth, it aggravated the sore, and made me jump in pain. Imagine going from being asleep to sitting up straight in one second. Ouch!
Please pray that I will adjust well to the new hospital, and that I will get a room with the mountain view. Also pray that our family will be able to address the CDC ruling well so we won't miss each other too much. Rob still has a slight cold, and Ellie has stuffy nose and fighting off a virus. Please pray for their healing and that Katie and I will not catch whatever they have. Another special request is that I will not have any side effects from the chemo this time around. Lastly, please continue to pray for my complete healing, for s stem cell match from my siblings if I will have to go through BMT, and that our family will remain happy and positive through this journey.
Thank you all for your continued prayers, and may God bless you all!
Monday, November 2, 2009
11/2/2009 - Celebrations
What a wonderful birthday! I had a really great time celebrating my birthday. I love celebrating birthdays - not in the big, fancy party kind of way, but just doing special things with people who are closest to me. So what if I am "getting older" each year? There's absolutely nothing wrong in celebrating my 40th birthday for as long as I want, right? ha! ha! Maybe I'm just not vain enough, but I don't really care if I don't look as young as I used to, or that I'm not as nimble as I used to be, the important thing is that I am enjoying life and I feel young in my heart. Of course, I try to keep my good looks (ha! ha!) and stay healthy within reason, but there's no point fighting what comes naturally to everyone. As one wise veteran actress once said, "Aging is inevitable, but getting old is optional." I continue to age but I will never grow old. My kids may disagree at some point, but it doesn't matter. There is so much to learn and enjoy in life, I don't want to spend precious time fretting about growing old. This year is extra-special. Having come so close to seeing the end of life, I do have much to celebrate - Life and Love!
I had a real treat on Saturday. My dear friend Dette flew in to celebrate my birthday with me! That was very sweet and thoughtful of her - what a wonderful gift! We both love Chinese food, so we stuffed ourselves with Chinese dimsum for lunch while catching up with each other. Blah... blah... blah... gulp... gulp... blah.. blah... choke... :-o What fun - not the choking part. After going through many little baskets of food, we managed to roll ourselves out of the restaurant and headed home. When we got home, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting for me from my loving hubby. Katie and Ellie also had a flower each for me. Oops! Someone forgot that I am still neutropenic. That means no fresh flowers inside the house. Rob moved the flowers to the patio outside the bedroom, so I can still enjoy the flowers when I open the blinds. That was a good compromise.
We went to the Huntington Gardens with the kids to walk off the calories in the Chinese garden. The place closes at 4:30, so we didn't have much time to enjoy the place. The kids wanted to stay longer, but we had to leave before the guards escort us out of the place. I promised the kids we'll be back.
Sunday morning - my birthday! Rob gave me a very nice birthday card and an IOU gift - for me to pick out when I'm no longer neutropenic, so it should be quite nice. Katie gave me a birthday card that she made herself days ago. It was very pretty. Ellie got jealous and said she also wanted to make me a card later in the day, and she did. We had freshly baked chocolate croissants for breakfast (yum!), then headed to church. We went to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants for lunch and went back to the Huntington Gardens enjoy the place. This time, we went to the Library to see the Gutenberg Bible and other book displays - they have a collection of over 400,000 rare books in the library - my dream library! They also had a section devoted to science, so the kids enjoyed looking through the telescope to see the moon (fake, of course), peered into microscopes to see tiny insects, played with lights, listened to great people talk about their discoveries, etc. Wish I had this much fun learning when I was a kid. Whenever we go to the library, I am reminded of how little I know, and how amazing our world is. I am also very grateful to all the great scientists, philosophers, historians and writers who helped us understand our world better. Once again, I am in awe of how great our God is!
After the library, the kids wanted to head to the Conservatory where they have a simulated rainforest environment and many things for the kids to "play" with while learning about plants. Then, it was off to the Children's Garden to play with magnetic sand, fountains and other fun stuff for kids. We finally left the place during closing time, feeling grateful that we live close to such a nice place.
When we got home, I had more surprises! My sister Verna got me a beautiful chocolate birthday cake, and Bessie gave me a very nice birthday cake with fruits! Yay! Two beautiful birthday cakes for me! They were both from one of my favorite bakeries for birthday cakes (JJ Bakery) - their cakes are not too sweet like most bakeries so we like them better. Well, as beautiful and delicious as the birthday cakes look, they will have to wait, because we have to head out to my favorite seafood restaurant for dinner.
We had black cod cooked at the table in a special broth, live crabs fried in lots of garlic and other spices, sauteed scallops, watercress and fish balls in hot pot, and the necessary Chiu Chow noodles for longevity. Yum! Yum! Yum! This was why I really, really wanted to have my mouth sore healed before my birthday - this is my idea of a celebration - great food and lots of love around the table! We ended the meal at home with the delicious birthday cakes - anybody can guess what I wished for when I blew the candles - duh!
We capped the day with a Bowling match (Wii, of course). And once again, the kids won! "But it's my birthday!", I told the kids, but they just laughed. They showed no mercy! :-( I think someday we'll realize that there's something in the Wii software that gives unfair advantage to players who are under a certain height. Until then, I will just have to play on my knees! ha! ha!
What a very, very nice birthday! All the phone calls, cards, email, text and facebook greetings also made the day even more special. I feel so loved. I am so blessed to have relatives and friends who care so much. Many have seen my "warts and all", but they still love me just the same. Relatives who truly care and true friends are priceless gifts from above. These are the best gifts of all. I am so blessed!
Thank you so much once again for your prayers, and your love and concern. May God bless you and your family!
I had a real treat on Saturday. My dear friend Dette flew in to celebrate my birthday with me! That was very sweet and thoughtful of her - what a wonderful gift! We both love Chinese food, so we stuffed ourselves with Chinese dimsum for lunch while catching up with each other. Blah... blah... blah... gulp... gulp... blah.. blah... choke... :-o What fun - not the choking part. After going through many little baskets of food, we managed to roll ourselves out of the restaurant and headed home. When we got home, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting for me from my loving hubby. Katie and Ellie also had a flower each for me. Oops! Someone forgot that I am still neutropenic. That means no fresh flowers inside the house. Rob moved the flowers to the patio outside the bedroom, so I can still enjoy the flowers when I open the blinds. That was a good compromise.
We went to the Huntington Gardens with the kids to walk off the calories in the Chinese garden. The place closes at 4:30, so we didn't have much time to enjoy the place. The kids wanted to stay longer, but we had to leave before the guards escort us out of the place. I promised the kids we'll be back.
Sunday morning - my birthday! Rob gave me a very nice birthday card and an IOU gift - for me to pick out when I'm no longer neutropenic, so it should be quite nice. Katie gave me a birthday card that she made herself days ago. It was very pretty. Ellie got jealous and said she also wanted to make me a card later in the day, and she did. We had freshly baked chocolate croissants for breakfast (yum!), then headed to church. We went to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants for lunch and went back to the Huntington Gardens enjoy the place. This time, we went to the Library to see the Gutenberg Bible and other book displays - they have a collection of over 400,000 rare books in the library - my dream library! They also had a section devoted to science, so the kids enjoyed looking through the telescope to see the moon (fake, of course), peered into microscopes to see tiny insects, played with lights, listened to great people talk about their discoveries, etc. Wish I had this much fun learning when I was a kid. Whenever we go to the library, I am reminded of how little I know, and how amazing our world is. I am also very grateful to all the great scientists, philosophers, historians and writers who helped us understand our world better. Once again, I am in awe of how great our God is!
After the library, the kids wanted to head to the Conservatory where they have a simulated rainforest environment and many things for the kids to "play" with while learning about plants. Then, it was off to the Children's Garden to play with magnetic sand, fountains and other fun stuff for kids. We finally left the place during closing time, feeling grateful that we live close to such a nice place.
When we got home, I had more surprises! My sister Verna got me a beautiful chocolate birthday cake, and Bessie gave me a very nice birthday cake with fruits! Yay! Two beautiful birthday cakes for me! They were both from one of my favorite bakeries for birthday cakes (JJ Bakery) - their cakes are not too sweet like most bakeries so we like them better. Well, as beautiful and delicious as the birthday cakes look, they will have to wait, because we have to head out to my favorite seafood restaurant for dinner.
We had black cod cooked at the table in a special broth, live crabs fried in lots of garlic and other spices, sauteed scallops, watercress and fish balls in hot pot, and the necessary Chiu Chow noodles for longevity. Yum! Yum! Yum! This was why I really, really wanted to have my mouth sore healed before my birthday - this is my idea of a celebration - great food and lots of love around the table! We ended the meal at home with the delicious birthday cakes - anybody can guess what I wished for when I blew the candles - duh!
We capped the day with a Bowling match (Wii, of course). And once again, the kids won! "But it's my birthday!", I told the kids, but they just laughed. They showed no mercy! :-( I think someday we'll realize that there's something in the Wii software that gives unfair advantage to players who are under a certain height. Until then, I will just have to play on my knees! ha! ha!
What a very, very nice birthday! All the phone calls, cards, email, text and facebook greetings also made the day even more special. I feel so loved. I am so blessed to have relatives and friends who care so much. Many have seen my "warts and all", but they still love me just the same. Relatives who truly care and true friends are priceless gifts from above. These are the best gifts of all. I am so blessed!
Thank you so much once again for your prayers, and your love and concern. May God bless you and your family!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)