The last 2 blood tests showed that my body is recovering from the last chemotherapy. As expected, my blood count got worse and the body got weaker for a couple of weeks after the chemo. Last week was when it started to show signs of moving up. I had another blood transfusion on Friday. Hopefully, it will be the last one. I am still neutropenic, but that is also improving.
The doctor is going to schedule another bone marrow biopsy to see if there are any leukemia cells left. If she finds any, I will have no choice but undergo a bone marrow transplant. If the biopsy comes out clean, then I will be done! My prayer is that the biopsy will come out clean. I have been praying a lot about the biopsy, and I think I do not need to go through it anymore. There is no perfect match found, and I just have this feeling that God has cured me already. Thanks to all your prayers, the journey is almost over!
This calls for a celebration! Before diving back into life as we know it, I am spending time planning our upcoming celebrations. Our family is not much into parties, but my kids and I love to travel. Rob is less enthusiastic about it. Katie says she got her travel bug from me - so true! After going through a near death experience, I realized that I have subconsciously been coming up with my bucket list - mostly of places I would still like to visit and things to do before I go to the ultimate place for the ultimate vacation!
We're keeping it local for this year. The doctor already gave me the okay to go to San Diego with the kids for their spring break. We always enjoy our visits to San Diego. Katie wants to visit Legoland again and Ellie wants to bond with our relatives at the zoo and Wild Animal Park. :-) Of course, we'll also spend some time on the beach and try to catch some hermit crabs.
More health tips and discoveries:
1) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables to keep the body alkalized. Too much acidity in the body can lead to cancer. If you cannot eat the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, try having the green and red food powders. Some of them combine green and red, as well as mushrooms and probiotics - all good for us.
2) Try to reduce the amount of red meat. It usually has a high amount of saturated fat and it also adds to the acidity of the body.
3) I am getting rid of my microwave oven. I found out that most microwave ovens leak to some extent. With my condition, I do not need any more radiation in my body (radiation causes leukemia). In addition, cooking with microwave has been shown to reduce the nutritional content of the food more than other forms of cooking.
4) I am also getting rid of most of my teflon-coated pots and pans. Teflon, when heated to a high temperature, gives out a fume that is carcinogenic when inhaled. I have replaced them with stainless steel waterless and greaseless pans. I am pleasantly surprised to find out that they are not as expensive as they used to be. And thanks to the generosity of my sister, we got it as a gift - even better!
5) Cooking oils. I have been using Canola oil for a long time now, but since the jury is still out regarding its safety, I have been using mostly extra virgin olive oil and grapeseed oil for cooking. They have higher smoking point than canola oil. I also use peanut oil for deep frying because it has a higher smoking point. Smoking point is when the oil releases chemicals that are not good for the body.
Lastly, as we go through Lent, we are reminded of the sufferings of Jesus Christ. All our sufferings in this world pale in comparison to His suffering. God came in the form of man, which in itself is already a great suffering. On top of that, He endured all His earthly suffering without even one complaint! Only God can do that. Most of us cannot even tolerate some discomfort without whining about it - think about the hottest day of summer or the coldest day in winter - ah, the symphony of whining! No wonder it takes more than a lifetime for us to learn to be more like Christ!
That's all for now. Thank you again for all your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
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It's good to hear from you again. Thanks for the health tips. Praise God for your healing! 'Will pray for good biopsy result. Enjoy Sandy Eggo...Vic
ReplyDeleteC'est nouvelles très bien! Je souhaite vous etes obligè pas le greffe de moelle osseuse.
ReplyDelete(the greffe de moelle osseuse part is where I had to consult with an online dictionary :> )
Hi go-ee! that's awesome news! :) Travel plans! J'adore les voyages! Je manques! I miss traveling! If by any chance you are planning a trip to Europe, just tell me :>
Oh! And I love using olive oil! I remember buying this bottle of olive oil from Carrefour in my stay in Dijon. It lasted me 4 months (and more, had I stayed). One of my best buys there :D
Looking forward to your next entry :D
Thanks, Vic! We'll try to go to David Jeremiah's church for Easter when we go to Sandy Eggo (funny name). Getting any sleep yet?
ReplyDeleteWow, Catherine! I'm impressed with your French! It will be nice to have you join us in our travels. This year, we're keeping it local, and mostly nature-tripping. Europe will have to wait a while. I would like the kids to learn a bit more about European art, culture and history so they can appreciate it more. God willing, maybe in 5 years - and you're certainly invited to come along! Olive oil and freshly baked, crusty bread - yum! Olive oil on any salad, yummy and healthy!