Seven months is a long time to spend in Neutropenia. Even with all the adventure and interesting surprises, I am ready to say farewell. Where is this? It is a beautiful place overlooking the Baltic Sea, just off the coast of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. This is where people walk around in masks and where Count Dracula probably got his hankering for blood. It is also the capital of Leukemia. :-)
Seriously, neutropenia is a medical condition in which the bone marrow is not able to produce enough neutrophils (a kind of white blood cell) to protect the body from infections. This is a common condition among leukemia patients and people undergoing chemotherapy. I will surely not miss being neutropenic. I no longer need to be super-paranoid about catching an infection. I have scurried around in supermarkets just to avoid people who sneezed or coughed, replaced hugs and kisses with air kisses when greeting friends, stopped eating some of my favorite foods, and even hid my true identity by wearing a mask all the time! I can now reveal my true identity. The mask can now come off. I can also stop being Wonderwoman - you know, wondering how much I can do each day before I get really tired. :-)
The last three blood tests have been progressively better. It shows that my body is definitely on the road to recovery. The neutrophil count and platelets are still low, but now within normal range. The white blood count and hemoglobin are close to being normal. This means I will not need platelet or blood transfusions anymore!
The doctor has reduced my check-ups from twice a week to once a week. She expects me to get back to normal in the coming weeks. I will have a bone marrow biopsy on April 23. If it comes out clean, that will be the final and official marker that I am truly in remission!
I expect the biopsy to come out clean, and that I will be allowed to go back to work in May. This means I barely have a month left to finish everything on my to-do list: taking care of medical billing errors (grrr!), following-up on insurance payments (ayayay!), preparing for our celebration in San Diego (yippee!), filing our taxes (ugh!), learning more about living a healthier lifestyle (yes!) and other minor things in keeping house that sometimes drive us up the wall.
The doctors still recommend that I have a bone marrow transplant, but they also understand why I would choose not to do it. After much reflection and prayer about it, Robert and I have decided that having a bone marrow transplant is not for me. I do not have peace about having a BMT. It does not seem like a worthy trade-off, especially if I will not have a relapse. As one of my friends who is a doctor said, having a transplant is like replacing one sickness for another. If I will not have a relapse in the future, wouldn't a BMT just give me a sickness where none existed?
We have prayed that if I truly need a BMT, that a perfect match be found, especially from one of my siblings. No perfect match has been found so far. We have also prayed for the Lord to take away my leukemia cells now and forever. On more than one occasion when I was praying, I have this peace that He has granted my request. Now, what I need is the faith to believe and proceed accordingly. It may not be what the doctor recommended, but I believe this is another one of those instances where faith will overcome the odds. There have been other times in my life when God has asked me to take the path with the odds stacked against me. They did not sound logical to me at the time, but disobedience was not an option. Each time, God has not let me down, but has shown me how great and faithful He is. I have been blessed to witness many of His miracles in the past and also through this journey. Our God is greater than any sickness or statistics! I have not told the BMT doctor about our final decision yet, but it should not come as a surprise to her.
My hair is growing back! I no longer need to cover my head when I go out. Perfect timing, since the weather in Southern CA is starting to warm up. It still looks a little funny, but we are all getting used to it. I used to look like a troll after a shower. My hair would all stand up, and I would have to apply some oil for it to come down. Remember how babies' hair would stand up after giving them a bath? Cute, no? Yes, them, not me. :-( There was also a time when I would look at the mirror and be reminded of the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jung Il. Yes, his hair was ugly, and so was mine. Hats to the rescue! My hair is slightly curly now. It naturally flips out, so I look kinda sassy with my short hair. I still make it a point to wear big earrings so nobody will mistake me for a butch.
Well, that is all the update for now. Sorry for not updating my blog more often. I am still fighting an uphill battle with my to-do list, and I do get lazy sometimes. Then, when the kids come home, it is all about them - snacks, homework, dinner prep, dinner, bathtime, then bedtime. Thank God I now have the energy for all that. My life is getting back to normal. Yay!
Thank you all very much for all your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
3/17/2010 - Almost over
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!
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!
Monday, February 22, 2010
2/22/2010 - Home!
Thanks to your prayers the rest of the chemo was uneventful. I was given a pint of blood and discharged Sunday afternoon, as expected. My body will continue to get weaker over the next couple of weeks (this is normal). I will most likely get blood and platelet transfusions every week, and I will be susceptible to infections. After my body hits bottom, my bone marrow will slowly produce the blood that is needed, and things should get back to normal over the next few weeks. Yay! We're getting to the end of the journey!
The flu season is still underway, so please pray that my family will be protected from the flu and H1N1 virus, and that I will be protected from any form of infection. My family and I truly appreciate your prayers.
Two of my dear sisters came over from Manila and Toronto to visit me for a couple of days. It is such a nice treat! As usual, my girls were showered with many toys and gifts. They had so much fun they nearly forgot all about homework! I can understand how difficult it is to resist such enjoyable distractions. Katie said they were in "toy heaven". :-)
It is my past my bedtime, so I will keep this short tonight. Just wanted to let everyone know that I am out of the hospital and doing fine. I will most likely not be able to update my blog until a few days later. I would like to spend as much time as I can with my sisters, then take care of stuff that has accumulated while I was in the hospital in addition to things I had already put off.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
The flu season is still underway, so please pray that my family will be protected from the flu and H1N1 virus, and that I will be protected from any form of infection. My family and I truly appreciate your prayers.
Two of my dear sisters came over from Manila and Toronto to visit me for a couple of days. It is such a nice treat! As usual, my girls were showered with many toys and gifts. They had so much fun they nearly forgot all about homework! I can understand how difficult it is to resist such enjoyable distractions. Katie said they were in "toy heaven". :-)
It is my past my bedtime, so I will keep this short tonight. Just wanted to let everyone know that I am out of the hospital and doing fine. I will most likely not be able to update my blog until a few days later. I would like to spend as much time as I can with my sisters, then take care of stuff that has accumulated while I was in the hospital in addition to things I had already put off.
Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
2/18/2010 - Round 5, Day 2
The anti-nausea drugs I was given knocked me out during the chemotherapy. I slept very well through both doses of the chemo. It was uneventful so far. My next round of chemo will start in a couple of hours. Hopefully, it will be as uneventful as the previous round of chemo.
I made a mistake in my blog a few weeks ago when I said my BMT doctor was having second thoughts about giving me a BMT. I was so happy to hear the good news that I didn't bother to ask why. When I did, it turns our it was just a miscommunication. When the doctor said she was having second thoughts about the "bone marrow", she meant "bone marrow biopsy", but I took it to mean "bone marrow transplant". Aw, shucks! She had wanted to give me a biopsy before my next round of chemo, but decided not to because I seem to be doing very well. As you know from my last blog, the doctor actually wanted me to have a BMT even without a perfect match. I still don't think it is the right thing to so at this point.
Another installment on my healthcare tips:
- Stress is a killer! Excessive and chronic stress can cause cancer, heart disease and a host of other diseases. No surprise there, right? What I didn't know was that when we are stressed, it suppresses our immune system. Ever wonder why we get sick more easily when we're stressed?
- Exercise. Yes, I don't like it either, but exercise is a stress buster and it allows us to get rid of toxins through perspiration. Oh, no! I hate sweating! I used to only exercise in an air-conditioned room, and if it was not cold enough, I would even turn on a fan just so I won't get sweaty. I guess I better get used to getting sweaty - yuck! For those who have exercised long enough to like doing it, more power to you! To the rest of us lazy bones, it's never too late to start.
- Prayer and meditation does wonders for stress management. Letting go and letting God take care of all our cares, meditating on His word, coming to His presence and basking in His love, and learning to manage our thoughts gets rid of stress like no medicine can. Wish it was that easy, right?
- Here are some verses that may help:
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things."
Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
The Bible is chockful of prescriptions for stress management and healthy living. Isn't it ironic that we will follow our doctors' prescriptions to a T, but ignore God's commenadments? Sometimes we act as if we are doing God a favor in following His commands. What I have realized is that God's commandments are not only there to take care of our spiritual health, but also our physical health and happiness. God wants to bless us more than we care to be blessed. We often ignore His commands and wonder why He doesn't bless us more. We forget to seek and follow His will for our lives and we wonder why bad things happen to us. Yet, we don't wonder why someone would jump off a building and die. God is a loving God, but He is also a just God. He is quick to forgive but He does not take away the consequences - think of David and Bathsheba, their son had to die.
Now, if we can just take God's prescriptions as seriously as we take our doctors' prescriptions, our lives will be a lot less stressful and a lot happier and maybe even more prosperous.
That's it for tonight. I am starting to feel the effect of the pre-medication. My mind is slowly shutting down. I will be in dreamland in 5 minutes.
Thank you for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family.
I made a mistake in my blog a few weeks ago when I said my BMT doctor was having second thoughts about giving me a BMT. I was so happy to hear the good news that I didn't bother to ask why. When I did, it turns our it was just a miscommunication. When the doctor said she was having second thoughts about the "bone marrow", she meant "bone marrow biopsy", but I took it to mean "bone marrow transplant". Aw, shucks! She had wanted to give me a biopsy before my next round of chemo, but decided not to because I seem to be doing very well. As you know from my last blog, the doctor actually wanted me to have a BMT even without a perfect match. I still don't think it is the right thing to so at this point.
Another installment on my healthcare tips:
- Stress is a killer! Excessive and chronic stress can cause cancer, heart disease and a host of other diseases. No surprise there, right? What I didn't know was that when we are stressed, it suppresses our immune system. Ever wonder why we get sick more easily when we're stressed?
- Exercise. Yes, I don't like it either, but exercise is a stress buster and it allows us to get rid of toxins through perspiration. Oh, no! I hate sweating! I used to only exercise in an air-conditioned room, and if it was not cold enough, I would even turn on a fan just so I won't get sweaty. I guess I better get used to getting sweaty - yuck! For those who have exercised long enough to like doing it, more power to you! To the rest of us lazy bones, it's never too late to start.
- Prayer and meditation does wonders for stress management. Letting go and letting God take care of all our cares, meditating on His word, coming to His presence and basking in His love, and learning to manage our thoughts gets rid of stress like no medicine can. Wish it was that easy, right?
- Here are some verses that may help:
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things."
Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
The Bible is chockful of prescriptions for stress management and healthy living. Isn't it ironic that we will follow our doctors' prescriptions to a T, but ignore God's commenadments? Sometimes we act as if we are doing God a favor in following His commands. What I have realized is that God's commandments are not only there to take care of our spiritual health, but also our physical health and happiness. God wants to bless us more than we care to be blessed. We often ignore His commands and wonder why He doesn't bless us more. We forget to seek and follow His will for our lives and we wonder why bad things happen to us. Yet, we don't wonder why someone would jump off a building and die. God is a loving God, but He is also a just God. He is quick to forgive but He does not take away the consequences - think of David and Bathsheba, their son had to die.
Now, if we can just take God's prescriptions as seriously as we take our doctors' prescriptions, our lives will be a lot less stressful and a lot happier and maybe even more prosperous.
That's it for tonight. I am starting to feel the effect of the pre-medication. My mind is slowly shutting down. I will be in dreamland in 5 minutes.
Thank you for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
2/16/2010 - Round 5, Day 1 (Last Round!)
Belated happy Chinese New Year! May we all have a healthy, happy and prosperous year of the Tiger.
Belated Happy Valentine's day, too! It is very nice to have a day to celebrate the people we love. My husband and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant. We have not been there since I got sick, so we both missed it quite a bit. Although I am no longer neutropenic, I didn't want to take the risk of getting bacteria, so I had to jealously watched my husband enjoy his delicious sashimi while I enjoy my cooked dishes - must be love! :-)
My blood count steadily went up since I last wrote. The blood test last Friday confirmed that my body is ready for the next round of chemo. However, the doctor suggested that I have a bone marrow transplant instead - yikes! The doctor had said that she will only do a BMT if there is a perfect match, but now she's thinks the 90+% match that we now have is good enough. I did not like this change in her position. Apparently, the chances of getting a perfect match is getting slim, because they have gone through the best possible matches from the national registry. I am still not convinced that I should go through a BMT, especially when there is no perfect match for me, so here I am having my last round of chemo.
I am so excited about getting to the end of this journey that I have been planning our family celebration once this whole thing is over. We will have a short family vacation when the kids go on spring break to celebrate my healing. I also wish I could get on a private jet and visit everyone who have supported us during this journey. It will be so nice to personally thank all of you. Besides, that will be a great reason to travel the world! Now, that will be a journey I would totally enjoy! Okay, time to wake up...
I also spent much time these days reading up on how I can reduce the chances of having a relapse and how to live a healthier lifestyle. So far, it has been quite interesting, and shocking sometimes. Some of the things I read I have heard countless times from my mother - "Drink more water", "Eat your vegetables", "Go to bed early", "Be kind to yourself (I tend to overwork)", etc. I am blessed to have a mother who is health conscious. My father died when we were still young, and the thought of leaving 7 orphans behind should anything happen to her motivated her to keep herself healthy. Now, I find myself in a similar position. The thought of leaving my 2 little girls without a mother is motivation enough for me to live a healthier lifestyle.
Here are some of the things I learned. Since I am no expert, and even experts argue among themselves, please take all these with a grain of salt.
- Sleep 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. For those who have a hard time falling asleep, keep the room dark and use natural sleeping aids such as valerian (named after me - ha! ha!), 5-HTP or melatonin. The quality of sleep before midnight is better - I forgot why.
- Drink water. How much? Our weight divided by 2 is the number of ounces we need each day.
- Avoid partially homogenized vegetable/soybean oil. This is a stinker! I didn't know how much of the food we're eating has this ingredient. With my family history of heart disease, I have replaced butter with margarine and real cream cheese with soy-based cream cheese. I have deprived myself of the real thing only to find out the replacement is actually worse. Partially homogenized oils are bad for the heart and can cause cancer - a double whammy! So, I am going back to the real thing, but just limit the consumption.
Oops! Time for bed. I will continue sharing what I have learned in my future blogs. Please pray that my chemo treatment will be uneventful - no nausea, mouth sores or other complications. Please also pray that my family and I will be protected from the flu and cold viruses, and that we will stay positive and happy.
Thank you for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Belated Happy Valentine's day, too! It is very nice to have a day to celebrate the people we love. My husband and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant. We have not been there since I got sick, so we both missed it quite a bit. Although I am no longer neutropenic, I didn't want to take the risk of getting bacteria, so I had to jealously watched my husband enjoy his delicious sashimi while I enjoy my cooked dishes - must be love! :-)
My blood count steadily went up since I last wrote. The blood test last Friday confirmed that my body is ready for the next round of chemo. However, the doctor suggested that I have a bone marrow transplant instead - yikes! The doctor had said that she will only do a BMT if there is a perfect match, but now she's thinks the 90+% match that we now have is good enough. I did not like this change in her position. Apparently, the chances of getting a perfect match is getting slim, because they have gone through the best possible matches from the national registry. I am still not convinced that I should go through a BMT, especially when there is no perfect match for me, so here I am having my last round of chemo.
I am so excited about getting to the end of this journey that I have been planning our family celebration once this whole thing is over. We will have a short family vacation when the kids go on spring break to celebrate my healing. I also wish I could get on a private jet and visit everyone who have supported us during this journey. It will be so nice to personally thank all of you. Besides, that will be a great reason to travel the world! Now, that will be a journey I would totally enjoy! Okay, time to wake up...
I also spent much time these days reading up on how I can reduce the chances of having a relapse and how to live a healthier lifestyle. So far, it has been quite interesting, and shocking sometimes. Some of the things I read I have heard countless times from my mother - "Drink more water", "Eat your vegetables", "Go to bed early", "Be kind to yourself (I tend to overwork)", etc. I am blessed to have a mother who is health conscious. My father died when we were still young, and the thought of leaving 7 orphans behind should anything happen to her motivated her to keep herself healthy. Now, I find myself in a similar position. The thought of leaving my 2 little girls without a mother is motivation enough for me to live a healthier lifestyle.
Here are some of the things I learned. Since I am no expert, and even experts argue among themselves, please take all these with a grain of salt.
- Sleep 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. For those who have a hard time falling asleep, keep the room dark and use natural sleeping aids such as valerian (named after me - ha! ha!), 5-HTP or melatonin. The quality of sleep before midnight is better - I forgot why.
- Drink water. How much? Our weight divided by 2 is the number of ounces we need each day.
- Avoid partially homogenized vegetable/soybean oil. This is a stinker! I didn't know how much of the food we're eating has this ingredient. With my family history of heart disease, I have replaced butter with margarine and real cream cheese with soy-based cream cheese. I have deprived myself of the real thing only to find out the replacement is actually worse. Partially homogenized oils are bad for the heart and can cause cancer - a double whammy! So, I am going back to the real thing, but just limit the consumption.
Oops! Time for bed. I will continue sharing what I have learned in my future blogs. Please pray that my chemo treatment will be uneventful - no nausea, mouth sores or other complications. Please also pray that my family and I will be protected from the flu and cold viruses, and that we will stay positive and happy.
Thank you for your continued prayers and may God bless you and your family!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
1/31/2010 - Blood and Platelets
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!
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!
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!
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