I didn't realize how long it has been since I last posted on the blog until I started getting messages and calls from friends who were wondering about my well-being. I am happy to report that things have been pretty normal and uneventful for me. I am sorry if I have caused you any unnecessary concern. I have been distracted by my ongoing research, and have just been enjoying the luxury of spending more time with my family.
After being discharged from the hospital, I continue to get platelet transfusions every week. I also had blood transfusion a couple of times. I had 2 bags of blood and a bag of platelet last Friday! As bad as it seems, this is normal. The discharge from chemo happened to coincide with my monthly period, so I needed more platelets to stop the bleeding, and more blood to replenish what was lost. Just bad timing.
The good news is...my white blood count has started to climb back up! It went all the way down to 0.4 last Monday (normal is 4 to 11), and my ANC went down to 0.0 (normal is 1.9 to 8.7), meaning I am as defenseless as a baby when it comes to infections. By Friday, my white blood count and ANC has climbed back up to 0.8 and 0.1. Still below normal, but it seems to be going back up. My hemoglobin went down only because of my bleeding. I usually reach nadir (medical term for the hitting the bottom after chemo) after three weeks. It has only been two and a half weeks after my chemo, so this is a good sign.
The better news is... my bone marrow transplant (BMT) doctor is beginning to reconsider her recommendation for a BMT! My bone marrow has consistently been able to produce more blood a few weeks after a round of chemo, even without getting shots to speed it up. I was so happy about the change of opinion that I forgot to ask why the doctor thinks it may be unnecessary to have the BMT! I just assumed that she is beginning to wonder if it is worth the risk. I should remember to ask her next time we meet.
The change of opinion is significant, because we have been praying for God's guidance regarding BMT. I have been getting more and more convinced that having a BMT will not be good for me based on my research and analysis, but the opinion of "Dr. Val" is not so reliable. The two best signs that God does not want me to have a BMT are that no donors will be found, and that we will get opposing recommendation(s) from doctor(s).
So far, there has been no perfect match found for me - score one point for "No BMT"! The latest opinion of my oncologist is that as a doctor, she still recommends BMT, but she would not know how she would decide if the same thing were to happen to her. Not a very strong case for BMT, I think. Two other doctors already think it may not be worth the risk to get a BMT. One was from a friend of my sister who is an oncologist, and another from my long-time friend who is an internist. If my BMT doctor changes her opinion, then it will be absolutely clear.
Thank you all for your prayers. I think our prayers are all being answered everyday - for my healing, my family's health and finding God's guidance regarding BMT. This round of chemo is once again relatively uneventful and it seems like the Lord is slowly leading us to His will regarding the BMT. My family and I continue to be happy, positive and relatively healthy. It is still the cold and flu season, but none of got the cod or flu, thanks to your prayers.
As I approach the end of this journey, I am busy preparing myself for the next leg of my life's journey. Many questions come to mind as I think of what my new reality will look like after the treatments. How will I choose to live my life after the treatments? What choices do I need to make? Right now, I am focusing on the issue of health. With a 60% chance of relapse looming over my head, I cannot leave the issue of health to chance. Doing so will be irresponsible. I am learning many things about living a healthier lifestyle, and will gladly share what I learn with you all in my next blog.
Thank you once again for your continued prayers and concern. May God continue to bless you and your family!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
1/14/2010 - Home Sweet Home
I was discharged on Tuesday, 1/12, as scheduled. This round of chemo was uneventful, thanks to your prayers.
My blood count has started to go down, as expected. I already had one blood transfusion on Monday, before my last 2 doses of chemo. Just like the last time, I am expected to have a blood test twice a week and a consultation with the doctor once a week. Based on the trend of my previous chemos, I will most likely get one or two transfusions a week until my bone marrow is able to produce an acceptable amount of blood cells. Then, the doctor will send me back to the hospital for my LAST round of chemo. Woohoo! I am getting close to the end of the treatment! That's unless I go through a bone marrow transplant. Rob and I are getting less and less convinced that the benefit is worth the risk. But, until we give the final decision, things can still change.
In the meantime, I have to make sure that I do not get any infection nor mouth sore. This means taking four times longer when brushing my teeth after each meal - regular brushing, swishing with salt/baking soda solution, an anti-fungal medication, and Biotene to help with the dry mouth that comes with chemo. I also take plenty of medications, Chinese tonic drinks, vitamins and other supplements to repair and strengthen the body for the next round of chemo. It feels like I spend half my day just going through my "rituals".
I am getting excited about getting back to normal life soon. Part of me also wonders what "normal" life will be like after all the treatments. I am pretty sure it will include many new things like regular doctor's visits, taking extra medications, an altered diet, etc. I will miss being able to spend as much time as I did with the girls. The girls also noticed the irony of it all. When I am sick, they are able to spend more time with me, but when I get well, they know that they will most likely be seeing less of me. Hmm... that's going to be a difficult adjustment for all of us.
That is all for now. Please continue to pray that we will be protected from all forms of viruses, and that I will be protected from all forms of infections and the dreaded mouth sore. Lastly, please pray that Rob and I will make the right decision regarding the bone marrow transplant.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
My blood count has started to go down, as expected. I already had one blood transfusion on Monday, before my last 2 doses of chemo. Just like the last time, I am expected to have a blood test twice a week and a consultation with the doctor once a week. Based on the trend of my previous chemos, I will most likely get one or two transfusions a week until my bone marrow is able to produce an acceptable amount of blood cells. Then, the doctor will send me back to the hospital for my LAST round of chemo. Woohoo! I am getting close to the end of the treatment! That's unless I go through a bone marrow transplant. Rob and I are getting less and less convinced that the benefit is worth the risk. But, until we give the final decision, things can still change.
In the meantime, I have to make sure that I do not get any infection nor mouth sore. This means taking four times longer when brushing my teeth after each meal - regular brushing, swishing with salt/baking soda solution, an anti-fungal medication, and Biotene to help with the dry mouth that comes with chemo. I also take plenty of medications, Chinese tonic drinks, vitamins and other supplements to repair and strengthen the body for the next round of chemo. It feels like I spend half my day just going through my "rituals".
I am getting excited about getting back to normal life soon. Part of me also wonders what "normal" life will be like after all the treatments. I am pretty sure it will include many new things like regular doctor's visits, taking extra medications, an altered diet, etc. I will miss being able to spend as much time as I did with the girls. The girls also noticed the irony of it all. When I am sick, they are able to spend more time with me, but when I get well, they know that they will most likely be seeing less of me. Hmm... that's going to be a difficult adjustment for all of us.
That is all for now. Please continue to pray that we will be protected from all forms of viruses, and that I will be protected from all forms of infections and the dreaded mouth sore. Lastly, please pray that Rob and I will make the right decision regarding the bone marrow transplant.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
1/9/2010 - Round 4, Day 2
By God's grace, the first day of the chemo was uneventful. I did not experience any nausea or other uncomfortable side effects. The anti-nausea medication knocks me out each time, so I just slept for several hours.
I had a chemo-free day. The next dose will be given tonight and tomorrow morning. Rob and the kids came to visit today. I was allowed to leave my room for a couple of hours. We had fun feeding the seemingly hungry and insatiable fish in the Japanese garden. It was funny but sad to see a turtle struggle really hard to get a fish food pellet, only to have to snatched out of his mouth by a koi! Poor turtle, he had no chance. It was the first time I've ever seen a turtle wipe its mouth. It probably didn't appreciate the momentary lip-lock with the agressive fish. :-)
We had a nice stroll through the rose garden, just enjoying the beauty of the hybrids. They have hybrids named after Bob Hope and Ella Fitzgerald. Very well-deserved for their contribution to the arts. The visit would not be complete without playing with the floor chimes - that was fun!
We spotted a jack rabbit on our way to the bistro. The kids followed it around a bit. They also liked the unabashed squirrel that came up to us thinking we were going to give him food. The girls like animals a lot, but it is just too much work to take care of a pet. I told them they can have a pet when they are old enough to clean after it. Maybe we'll just get a fish, and give it away when they get tired of it just like what we did before.
It was a very nice day. We are very thankful that even with the ban on children visiting patients in hospitals, we are able to enjoy family time when I get my chemo. I think the kids are getting more used to my hospital visits. We still miss each other very much, but they are less emotional about it now.
Your prayers are being answered everyday. Thank you for persevering with us. Please continue praying for us. We are all witnessing the goodness of God and the power of prayer through this journey.
Thank you once again for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
I had a chemo-free day. The next dose will be given tonight and tomorrow morning. Rob and the kids came to visit today. I was allowed to leave my room for a couple of hours. We had fun feeding the seemingly hungry and insatiable fish in the Japanese garden. It was funny but sad to see a turtle struggle really hard to get a fish food pellet, only to have to snatched out of his mouth by a koi! Poor turtle, he had no chance. It was the first time I've ever seen a turtle wipe its mouth. It probably didn't appreciate the momentary lip-lock with the agressive fish. :-)
We had a nice stroll through the rose garden, just enjoying the beauty of the hybrids. They have hybrids named after Bob Hope and Ella Fitzgerald. Very well-deserved for their contribution to the arts. The visit would not be complete without playing with the floor chimes - that was fun!
We spotted a jack rabbit on our way to the bistro. The kids followed it around a bit. They also liked the unabashed squirrel that came up to us thinking we were going to give him food. The girls like animals a lot, but it is just too much work to take care of a pet. I told them they can have a pet when they are old enough to clean after it. Maybe we'll just get a fish, and give it away when they get tired of it just like what we did before.
It was a very nice day. We are very thankful that even with the ban on children visiting patients in hospitals, we are able to enjoy family time when I get my chemo. I think the kids are getting more used to my hospital visits. We still miss each other very much, but they are less emotional about it now.
Your prayers are being answered everyday. Thank you for persevering with us. Please continue praying for us. We are all witnessing the goodness of God and the power of prayer through this journey.
Thank you once again for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
1/7/2010 - Round 4
Happy new year! 2010 should be a good year for our family, according to Katie. That's because 2010 is the number of our house. Yes, I do hope that this will be a good year for our family. And not just for us, but for everybody! Especially for people who are still suffering from the effects of the recession.
After taking a 2-week break from blood tests and transfusions, I went in for a blood test this morning to determine whether I can have my next round of chemo. The blood test came out very well, so here I am again at the City of Hope for my next round of chemo. Just like the last 2 rounds, it will consist of 6 sessions spread over 3 alternate days. If all goes well, I should be going home next Tuesday, 1/12.
I am just having IV fluids right now. It will last for 2 hours. Then, I will be given the anti-nausea medication also via IV for 30 min, followed by Cytarabine, the chemo drug, for 2.5 to 3 hours.
Please pray that I will not suffer from any side effects from this round of chemo - nausea, vomitting, mouth sores, diarrhea or constipation, or infections of any kind.
This morning, the doctor said that they found a donor who is a 9/10 cell match with me. There is also another donor who may be a perfect match, but they won't know for sure until this Friday. Although it should have been good news to me, I was not excited about it at all. On the contrary, I became more apprehensive about having a bone marrow transplant. I do not want to subject myself to all the risks associated with a BMT if the benefit will not outweigh the risks. On the other hand, if having a bone marrow transplant is the only way I can get to spend more years with my family, then I should do it. The bottom line is this: God knows what is best, and He wants to guide us in making the right decision. We just need to be in tune with God, and discern His will. Sounds easy, but this is a tough one for us. Please pray for that Rob and I will be in tune with God and discern what He wants us to do.
Please continue to pray that our family will be protected from viruses, and that we'll continue to stay happy and positive throughout this journey.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
After taking a 2-week break from blood tests and transfusions, I went in for a blood test this morning to determine whether I can have my next round of chemo. The blood test came out very well, so here I am again at the City of Hope for my next round of chemo. Just like the last 2 rounds, it will consist of 6 sessions spread over 3 alternate days. If all goes well, I should be going home next Tuesday, 1/12.
I am just having IV fluids right now. It will last for 2 hours. Then, I will be given the anti-nausea medication also via IV for 30 min, followed by Cytarabine, the chemo drug, for 2.5 to 3 hours.
Please pray that I will not suffer from any side effects from this round of chemo - nausea, vomitting, mouth sores, diarrhea or constipation, or infections of any kind.
This morning, the doctor said that they found a donor who is a 9/10 cell match with me. There is also another donor who may be a perfect match, but they won't know for sure until this Friday. Although it should have been good news to me, I was not excited about it at all. On the contrary, I became more apprehensive about having a bone marrow transplant. I do not want to subject myself to all the risks associated with a BMT if the benefit will not outweigh the risks. On the other hand, if having a bone marrow transplant is the only way I can get to spend more years with my family, then I should do it. The bottom line is this: God knows what is best, and He wants to guide us in making the right decision. We just need to be in tune with God, and discern His will. Sounds easy, but this is a tough one for us. Please pray for that Rob and I will be in tune with God and discern what He wants us to do.
Please continue to pray that our family will be protected from viruses, and that we'll continue to stay happy and positive throughout this journey.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)