12/18/2009 - 'Tis the Season to be Busy

It has been a while since I updated my blog. Sorry for the long silence. It might have caused some of you unnecessary concern. I am still feeling fine with no side effects from the last round of chemo. Thank you for all your prayers. Since the last update, my blood count continued to go down as expected until last Friday when my blood count started moving up. I spent Tuesdays and Fridays at the hospital getting blood tests, seeing the doctor, then getting platelet or blood transfusion. By the time I get done at the hospital, I just had enough time to pick up the kids and the rest of the day went very quickly - snacks, homework, dinner, mail, insurance stuff, etc. My to-do list seems to get longer everyday, and the pace has picked up because Christmas is here! 'Tis the season to be busy - ayayayayay-yayay-yay-yay! :-)

Christmas is a little different this year. We cannot have a real Christmas tree or wreath inside the house because I'm neutropenic. So, we had to settle for a fake tree and no wreath. We miss the pine scent, but it is a minor sacrifice for my health. The kids had fun trimming the tree. We had it up since the day before Thanksgiving so my sister can see all the trimmings she had given us over the years up on the tree. We normally have Christmas lights and decorations outside the house, but our cleaning people are too busy this year to put them up for us, so so all we have is just a Christmas lantern (parol) that we brought back from Manila months ago. Rob and I are could not put up the lights and decorations ourselves, because we're wimps when it comes to these things. The kids are not happy about it, but they'll get over it. Christmas shopping consists of surfing for hours online. It is very tempting to take advantage of Christmas sales in some of the stores, but I'd rather stay away from crowds. We will only be attending only one Christmas party this year for the same reason. We will join Robert's cousins on Christmas eve - not too many people there.

I had another blood test today. This is the first time since my last chemo that I did not need to get a platelet or blood transfusion. Hallelujah! The doctor said that if my blood count continues to go up next Tuesday, she will want me to schedule the next round of chemo the week after. No way, Jose! I told the doctor I do not want to have my next round of chemo until after the holidays. She reluctantly agreed. This means I may be going in again for the next round of chemo in early January. In the meantime, I am still neutropenic, but at least my ANC has gone up to 0.6. Please pray that my ANC will be above 1.0 by next Tuesday so I can attend Christmas services and party without fear of getting an infection.

I got a call from the BMT donor center. They have found potential matches for me in the national registry. They will contact 7 people at a time to see if they are interested and to get them tested. It takes about a month to find out whether there is a match in each batch. If none is a match, they will move on to the next 7 people. They may find a match right away or it could take years before they find a one. Many people have offered to be a potential donor. I truly appreciate the offer, but right now, I am not even sure if I want to have a BMT. The more I read about it, the more I wonder if it is worth the risk. In my case, there is a 15% chance of death from BMT due to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Most people who survive the transplant have to live with some kind of side effect for the rest of their lives. Is it worth the 10% decrease in potential relapse in my case? I don't know.

To BMT or not to BMT? That is the question. In my quest to find the answer, I have been doing some research on my nemesis, the FLT3 cancer cell. This is the cancer cell that was found during my first biopsy. There are at least 6 FLT3 inhibitor drugs that are being tested right now, but none has been proven to be effective in fighting it off. One of them was actually abandoned because the negative impact on the body was not worth the potential benefit. Will there be a drug that will be available to fight off FLT3 if and when I need it? I don't know.

My cousin also told me about a natural supplement called Umi No Shizuku Fucoidan that was developed in Japan. It seems to be effective in making cancer cells commit suicide. I have studied the literature from the company. They do have a compelling case based on testing the supplement on mice and the positive results they have received from people who have used it for different forms of cancer, including leukemia. My BMT doctor has agreed to look into it. Will this supplement negate the need for me to go through BMT? I don't know.

Please continue to pray for God's guidance regarding BMT. I prefer to not have to go through it, but if it is God's will to have me go through it, please pray that a perfect match will be found at the right time. On the other hand, if I do not have to go through a BMT, please pray that an alternate solution will be available if necessary, and that we will be led to a doctor who will advise me against having a BMT.

My mother-in-law is here to help us out for the next 3 months. It is nice to have her around. She has only been here a few days, but she has already been a big help around the house. It was also nice to see the doting grandmother bond with the kids. She came just in time to see them perform during their school's Christmas program. Both Katie and Ellie did a lot of singing, and Katie had a dance number on top of that. It was a well orchestrated, funny yet meaningful program. Maybe I am just more emotional these days, but I choked up a few times during the program. The theme was about what we can give Jesus for his birthday - He appreciates all our gifts, but He desires our hearts more than anything else.

That is all for today. Please continue to pray for my complete healing, that the right decision will be made regarding BMT, that my family will be protected from the flu and other viruses and continue to stay happy and positive during this journey. Also please pray that we will all enjoy the Christmas season, not get caught up with the busyness of the season and miss the real meaning of Christmas.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family.