I thought I would feel very different after the transplant, but I don't. It was actually quite uneventful. The nurse came in with what looked like a bag of blood. I thought I was going to get another blood transfusion. Turns out it was the bag of stem cells (225 ml). I was given some medication, then they just connected the stem cells to the IV, just like a regular blood transfusion. About 3 hours later, it was over.
I feel tired and nauseous these days. Mostly because my blood count is down to nothing, and I am still experiencing the side effects of radiation and chemo. I also have a mild case of diarrhea. The doctor had put me on a no-food diet. I am given nutrients via IV. I am allowed to drink water and other clear liquids, but that is all. The doctor said there is no point in eating anything solid, because it will just irritate my GI tract. It takes 2 weeks for the cells in my mouth and GI tract to start coming back up. My blood count will also stay low during this time. That means no real food until then. I stopped watching the Food Channel so I feel won't so jealous, or worse, start drooling. :-)
I am looking forward to the time when my blood count will start going up again. Because that means I will be going home soon! I miss my family so much. Spending an hour with them a day is not enough. Even when they are here, they are required to wear a mask and gloves. Makes it difficult to kiss those yummy cheeks. Oh well, at least I get to spend time with them.
In case you're wondering, my family is doing fine. The kids are in summer camp. They enjoy the activities there. On days when they would rather not go on a field trip, they get to have fun with Ninang Cristina and her family or stay at home with daddy. Rob's boss is very understanding. He allows Rob to work from home whenever he needs to. Rob also gets by with help from friends who would bring food to the house and help with groceries.
Thank you for your prayers. I know that the Lord is watching over me, and giving me special protection from all the potential harsh side effects and rejection. I trust that He is listening to all our prayers, and He is granting our requests everyday. Miracles are happening everyday. Unfortunately, they are mostly invisible.
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him, He will also hear their cry and save them." Psalm 145:18-19
Thank you all once again for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
8/3/2010 - Getting Transplant Today
The stem cells arrived a day early, so they had to give me the transplant today. Yikes! Not that it made much difference, but I am just concerned about the effects of transplant. I should have more faith that all will go well, but I cannot shake all the warnings I have received from the nurse coordinator. They are always careful to explain to the patient about all the risks involved. I guess in this society where people and institutions can be sued for anything and everything, they are just doing their due diligence to prevent unnecessary lawsuits.
I remember a verse in the Psalms where David was praying for deliverance, and he was encouraged when he remembered how God had always delivered him in the past. I should learn to do the same. Just recently, God had protected me from the harsh effects of radiation and chemotherapy. I am sure he is also able to protect me from the negative effects of the transplant. Please pray that I will be given extra faith and strength for what I will be going through.
The transplant will be given in a couple of hours. So, I better get going. I want to make sure I get some exercise while I can, then I have a few phone calls to make, and I also want to spend more time with the Lord, my comfort, my rock and my salvation.
Thank you for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
I remember a verse in the Psalms where David was praying for deliverance, and he was encouraged when he remembered how God had always delivered him in the past. I should learn to do the same. Just recently, God had protected me from the harsh effects of radiation and chemotherapy. I am sure he is also able to protect me from the negative effects of the transplant. Please pray that I will be given extra faith and strength for what I will be going through.
The transplant will be given in a couple of hours. So, I better get going. I want to make sure I get some exercise while I can, then I have a few phone calls to make, and I also want to spend more time with the Lord, my comfort, my rock and my salvation.
Thank you for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Monday, August 2, 2010
8/2/2010 - Almost There
I had high-dose chemo the last two days. Boy, they wiped me out! I was sleeping most of both days. I still feel nauseous because of the chemo, so my appetite is gone. The doctor will have food given to me via IV starting tonight. This is quite common, because most people cannot keep the food down after going through all the stuff I've been through.
I still feel tired now, but I had to force myself out of bed. Apparently, it is not good to be in bed all the time. I just wanted to stay in bed and play on my cell phone. But, I had to force myself out of bed to do some mild exercises so I can get more oxygen to flow through my body. I generally feel better after doing some exercise.
I am now a walking pharmacy. I have more medication going through my body than food. There are a couple of antibiotics, anti-fungal, heparin, IV fluids, immune suppressants, medication to protect my kidney and to protect my mouth and GI tract. And once in a while, I also get platelets and blood as needed.
I'm back to my G.I. Jane look. It took nine months to grow my hair to an acceptable length and now it's back to nothing. At least, this time, Rob didn't have to shave it off. The hospital had a professional come do it for me. I am continually amazed at the breadth of care they provide at this hospital. It doesn't matter to me at this time that I have no hair. It's not like I'm not going anywhere soon. I will most likely be here until mid-September. After that, I will just be holed up at home except for short trips to the grocery or pharmacy. By the time I can freely go anywhere without a mask, my hair might have grown back.
In spite of what I am going through, I am still thankful that things are as good as they are. The doctor is always pleased that I am doing as well as I am. They also gave me a medal for completing the 11 rounds of radiation. Nice touch.
Please pray that my body will be ready to receive the new stem cells on Wednesday with minimal rejection. Please also pray that the doctors and nurses will have the wisdom to give me the best care. Once again, please pray that my family and I will continue to be positive and happy throughout this challenge.
Thank you very much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family.
I still feel tired now, but I had to force myself out of bed. Apparently, it is not good to be in bed all the time. I just wanted to stay in bed and play on my cell phone. But, I had to force myself out of bed to do some mild exercises so I can get more oxygen to flow through my body. I generally feel better after doing some exercise.
I am now a walking pharmacy. I have more medication going through my body than food. There are a couple of antibiotics, anti-fungal, heparin, IV fluids, immune suppressants, medication to protect my kidney and to protect my mouth and GI tract. And once in a while, I also get platelets and blood as needed.
I'm back to my G.I. Jane look. It took nine months to grow my hair to an acceptable length and now it's back to nothing. At least, this time, Rob didn't have to shave it off. The hospital had a professional come do it for me. I am continually amazed at the breadth of care they provide at this hospital. It doesn't matter to me at this time that I have no hair. It's not like I'm not going anywhere soon. I will most likely be here until mid-September. After that, I will just be holed up at home except for short trips to the grocery or pharmacy. By the time I can freely go anywhere without a mask, my hair might have grown back.
In spite of what I am going through, I am still thankful that things are as good as they are. The doctor is always pleased that I am doing as well as I am. They also gave me a medal for completing the 11 rounds of radiation. Nice touch.
Please pray that my body will be ready to receive the new stem cells on Wednesday with minimal rejection. Please also pray that the doctors and nurses will have the wisdom to give me the best care. Once again, please pray that my family and I will continue to be positive and happy throughout this challenge.
Thank you very much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family.
Friday, July 30, 2010
7/30/2010 - Radiation, Day 4
I am supposed to be done with radiation treatments today. However, because the radiation machine was out of commission on Tuesday morning and this afternoon, some of my treatments were rescheduled. I have one more radiation treatment left. So far, I have tolerated the treatments well. I am very grateful that I did not have any serious side effects. My skin is darker now - free tanning! Wish it looks as good as a real tan, though. :-( I feel tired, but far from being fatigued. My appetite is not as good as it used to be, but I started with a big appetite anyway. ha! ha! My neighbors were kind enough to bring me some food a few times, and I totally enjoyed them. Overall, it has been such a blessing. Thank you for your prayers. God is answering our prayers everyday. God is so good!
I will have a radiation treatment tomorrow morning, followed by the first dose of chemo. The second dose will be given on Sunday. I am concerned about the side effects from chemo. Apparently, it may be harsh on the bladder. There may also be some jaw pain, hiccups and a loss of the sense of taste. Then, there's the usual risk of sore mouth and nausea.
On Monday and Tuesday, they will give me medication to suppress whatever is left of my my immune system. The doctor is thinking of giving me food via IV starting Monday, depending on my ability to eat regular food and to keep it down.
The big day is on Wednesday, when they give me the donor's stem cells. Then, it is anybody's guess as to how much rejection I will experience. This is the scariest part of the transplant for me. I try not to think of all the things that may go wrong. I just keep telling myself to take things one day at a time, and to pray for God's mercy throughout the process.
Please continue to pray for me and my family. Please pray that there will be minimal side effects from the remaining radiation and from chemo. Please also pray for extra strength, faith and grace for my family. Lastly, please pray that my body will be ready to receive the new stem cells, and that there will be minimal rejection.
Thank you so much for you prayers. May God continue to bless you and your family.
I will have a radiation treatment tomorrow morning, followed by the first dose of chemo. The second dose will be given on Sunday. I am concerned about the side effects from chemo. Apparently, it may be harsh on the bladder. There may also be some jaw pain, hiccups and a loss of the sense of taste. Then, there's the usual risk of sore mouth and nausea.
On Monday and Tuesday, they will give me medication to suppress whatever is left of my my immune system. The doctor is thinking of giving me food via IV starting Monday, depending on my ability to eat regular food and to keep it down.
The big day is on Wednesday, when they give me the donor's stem cells. Then, it is anybody's guess as to how much rejection I will experience. This is the scariest part of the transplant for me. I try not to think of all the things that may go wrong. I just keep telling myself to take things one day at a time, and to pray for God's mercy throughout the process.
Please continue to pray for me and my family. Please pray that there will be minimal side effects from the remaining radiation and from chemo. Please also pray for extra strength, faith and grace for my family. Lastly, please pray that my body will be ready to receive the new stem cells, and that there will be minimal rejection.
Thank you so much for you prayers. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
7/28/1020 - Radiation, Day 2
The radiation machine was down this morning, so instead of getting three rounds of radiation today, I only got two. I will have a make up session on day 4.
Thankfully, the radiation went smoothly again today. I was a little tired after the first round, but felt better after taking a short nap. So far, so good. I am hopeful that the next two days will be as uneventful as today.
There were some minor side effects from the radiation. Some parts of my skin felt sore and they look like they got sunburned. The nurse gave me a gel to help it heal. I also get rashes everyday because of one of the medications. Thankfully, they don't itch. The doctor says I really need the medication, so they will keep giving it to me unless it makes me feel very uncomfortable. These minor side effects are okay with me. I am very thankful for how things are going.
A funny thing happened during my second radiation treatment today. While listening to Les Mis, I got really emotional when Eponine (Lea Salonga) sang "On My Own". I didn't know that the technicians were observing me from a small window to make sure I was okay. They got worried when they noticed that I was starting to cry. The speaker in the room went on and they quickly asked if everything was okay. I was a little embarrassed to tell them that everything was fine and that I just got emotional with the music. :-\
That is all for today. The best part of my day is about to begin. I can hear my girls' voices outside my room. Family time!
Thank you so very much for your prayers, and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Thankfully, the radiation went smoothly again today. I was a little tired after the first round, but felt better after taking a short nap. So far, so good. I am hopeful that the next two days will be as uneventful as today.
There were some minor side effects from the radiation. Some parts of my skin felt sore and they look like they got sunburned. The nurse gave me a gel to help it heal. I also get rashes everyday because of one of the medications. Thankfully, they don't itch. The doctor says I really need the medication, so they will keep giving it to me unless it makes me feel very uncomfortable. These minor side effects are okay with me. I am very thankful for how things are going.
A funny thing happened during my second radiation treatment today. While listening to Les Mis, I got really emotional when Eponine (Lea Salonga) sang "On My Own". I didn't know that the technicians were observing me from a small window to make sure I was okay. They got worried when they noticed that I was starting to cry. The speaker in the room went on and they quickly asked if everything was okay. I was a little embarrassed to tell them that everything was fine and that I just got emotional with the music. :-\
That is all for today. The best part of my day is about to begin. I can hear my girls' voices outside my room. Family time!
Thank you so very much for your prayers, and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
7/27/2010 - Radiation, Day 1
This is such an encouragement. My doctor just came in to see how I fared after my first day of radiation and saw me smiling. He said it is a good sign, and that the rest of the radiation therapy could be as good as today. May God let it be so.
I've never had radiation therapy until today. It is a full body radiation, so I had to stand in front of a radiation equipment for about 11 minutes at a time. The purpose is to wipe out the cells in my bone marrow. The technicians had to strap me to a harness to prevent me from falling should I lose my balance or fall asleep (snore!). I had three rounds of radiation spaced 4 hours apart. It could have been quite boring, but I brought my Les Miserables CD for entertainment. During radiation, I just closed my eyes and allowed myself to be transported to a theater watching Les Mis. I was blessed to have seen it twice in London. The last time was with Rob during our second honeymoon (aw!).
As much as I enjoyed the musical, I would zoom in and out of the show, because I was also praying for God to let the radiation do its job. I also prayed that He would shield the different parts of my body from the negative effects of radiation - brains, eyes, thyroid, mouth, throat, GI tract, spleen, liver, kidneys, ovaries and lungs.
I am positive that all your prayers were instrumental in making the radiation as uneventful as it was. I felt a bit nauseous, but it quickly went away. I also feel tired, but it was a busy day. I had to be wheeled to another building for radiation each time, and I had a few people from the hospital who stopped in for a visit. I am hopeful that the rest of the radiation and chemo will be uneventful. It will be a testament to the goodness of God and the power of prayer.
Thank you so much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
I've never had radiation therapy until today. It is a full body radiation, so I had to stand in front of a radiation equipment for about 11 minutes at a time. The purpose is to wipe out the cells in my bone marrow. The technicians had to strap me to a harness to prevent me from falling should I lose my balance or fall asleep (snore!). I had three rounds of radiation spaced 4 hours apart. It could have been quite boring, but I brought my Les Miserables CD for entertainment. During radiation, I just closed my eyes and allowed myself to be transported to a theater watching Les Mis. I was blessed to have seen it twice in London. The last time was with Rob during our second honeymoon (aw!).
As much as I enjoyed the musical, I would zoom in and out of the show, because I was also praying for God to let the radiation do its job. I also prayed that He would shield the different parts of my body from the negative effects of radiation - brains, eyes, thyroid, mouth, throat, GI tract, spleen, liver, kidneys, ovaries and lungs.
I am positive that all your prayers were instrumental in making the radiation as uneventful as it was. I felt a bit nauseous, but it quickly went away. I also feel tired, but it was a busy day. I had to be wheeled to another building for radiation each time, and I had a few people from the hospital who stopped in for a visit. I am hopeful that the rest of the radiation and chemo will be uneventful. It will be a testament to the goodness of God and the power of prayer.
Thank you so much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
7/24/2010 – Transplant Work-up Begins
We received the donor clearance yesterday. This means that the donor has passed all the physical exams. We can now expect to use his stem cells for my transplant. Thank God. May God bless the donor for his selfless act!
The transplant schedule begins with a "work-up" that lasts 11 days. I am being given medication for 3 days to thicken my mouth and GI lining. This will reduce the chances of getting mouth sores and GI tract disorder due to radiation and chemotherapy. The grueling part of the work-up begins on Tuesday, 7/27, with 11 rounds of low-dose radiation spread over 4 days, followed by 2 days of high-dose chemotherapy. I was warned that I may be fatigued that week. This will be followed by more medication to suppress my immune system. There is a laundry list of potential side effects and risks with all the treatments and medication. Gulp! It was scared when I first heard about them.
August 4 is the day when I will be given stem cells from the donor via IV. It only takes a few hours, but it will change my life forever. I was told to expect to stay in the hospital for about 6 weeks from 8/4. The hospital will once again be "home" to me for a while.
Once the transplant is done, it is all about damage control. The medical team will be managing side effects and any Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) that may occur from the transplant. Anything and everything can go wrong depending on the severity of the GVHD. It can even be fatal. As usual, my blood count will go down to nothing and I will be susceptible to infection. Multiple blood and platelet transfusion can be expected. The coming weeks may be the toughest weeks in my life. I can use all the prayers I can get. Please pray that the treatments and medication will not have side effects, and that there will be minimal rejection (GVHD).
The critical period for the transplant is 100 days. Most problems occur within 100 days of the transplant, so please keep praying for me until at least mid-November. Longer is better, of course. :-)
The official term for what I will be going through is "hematopoetic transplant" (a.k.a stem cell transplant). Hematopoetic transplant refers to the process of kicking the donor's stem cells to his blood through medication, doing a reverse blood transfusion to collect the blood, harvesting the stem cells, and returning the blood to the donor via blood transfusion. It is all very amazing and high-tech. The stem cells are then flown to the US and given to me via IV. It is all very amazing and high-tech. Thank God for technological advances in medicine. But most of all, thank God for people who have signed up to be donors. What a blessing they are!
I am feeling much better since the last couple of days. I try not to think of all the things that could go wrong, and just focus on what's going right each day. I can only take things one day at a time, and hope and pray for the best. I made some progress on the harp. Katie learned to play a few pieces, too. Ellie brings me her projects from summer camp everyday, so now my room looks like her art gallery with a few contributions from Katie! No complaints here. My room looks cheerful with all their artwork. Once again, I am so thankful that we live close to the hospital so I can see my family almost everyday.
I lost my room with the mountain view, because they had to move me to the transplant floor. At first, I felt sad not to have a the full mountain view from my new room. But when I realized that I have a partial mountain view anyway, plus I can see trees in Arcadia and a view of the buildings in downtown LA, I was happy. It feels like I am somewhat connected to my family when I look at the trees in our area, and to Rob when I see the building he works in in downtown LA. Perhaps I can send them my love through the air or via mental telepathy. :-)
That is all for now. You don't know how grateful I am for all your prayers. Just knowing that there are people out there interceding for me and my family is such an encouragement. I believe in the power of prayer and the goodness of God.
Thank you again for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
The transplant schedule begins with a "work-up" that lasts 11 days. I am being given medication for 3 days to thicken my mouth and GI lining. This will reduce the chances of getting mouth sores and GI tract disorder due to radiation and chemotherapy. The grueling part of the work-up begins on Tuesday, 7/27, with 11 rounds of low-dose radiation spread over 4 days, followed by 2 days of high-dose chemotherapy. I was warned that I may be fatigued that week. This will be followed by more medication to suppress my immune system. There is a laundry list of potential side effects and risks with all the treatments and medication. Gulp! It was scared when I first heard about them.
August 4 is the day when I will be given stem cells from the donor via IV. It only takes a few hours, but it will change my life forever. I was told to expect to stay in the hospital for about 6 weeks from 8/4. The hospital will once again be "home" to me for a while.
Once the transplant is done, it is all about damage control. The medical team will be managing side effects and any Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) that may occur from the transplant. Anything and everything can go wrong depending on the severity of the GVHD. It can even be fatal. As usual, my blood count will go down to nothing and I will be susceptible to infection. Multiple blood and platelet transfusion can be expected. The coming weeks may be the toughest weeks in my life. I can use all the prayers I can get. Please pray that the treatments and medication will not have side effects, and that there will be minimal rejection (GVHD).
The critical period for the transplant is 100 days. Most problems occur within 100 days of the transplant, so please keep praying for me until at least mid-November. Longer is better, of course. :-)
The official term for what I will be going through is "hematopoetic transplant" (a.k.a stem cell transplant). Hematopoetic transplant refers to the process of kicking the donor's stem cells to his blood through medication, doing a reverse blood transfusion to collect the blood, harvesting the stem cells, and returning the blood to the donor via blood transfusion. It is all very amazing and high-tech. The stem cells are then flown to the US and given to me via IV. It is all very amazing and high-tech. Thank God for technological advances in medicine. But most of all, thank God for people who have signed up to be donors. What a blessing they are!
I am feeling much better since the last couple of days. I try not to think of all the things that could go wrong, and just focus on what's going right each day. I can only take things one day at a time, and hope and pray for the best. I made some progress on the harp. Katie learned to play a few pieces, too. Ellie brings me her projects from summer camp everyday, so now my room looks like her art gallery with a few contributions from Katie! No complaints here. My room looks cheerful with all their artwork. Once again, I am so thankful that we live close to the hospital so I can see my family almost everyday.
I lost my room with the mountain view, because they had to move me to the transplant floor. At first, I felt sad not to have a the full mountain view from my new room. But when I realized that I have a partial mountain view anyway, plus I can see trees in Arcadia and a view of the buildings in downtown LA, I was happy. It feels like I am somewhat connected to my family when I look at the trees in our area, and to Rob when I see the building he works in in downtown LA. Perhaps I can send them my love through the air or via mental telepathy. :-)
That is all for now. You don't know how grateful I am for all your prayers. Just knowing that there are people out there interceding for me and my family is such an encouragement. I believe in the power of prayer and the goodness of God.
Thank you again for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
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