My family and I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful and memorable Christmas and all the best blessings for the new year!
It is a real blessing to have family, friends and Christian brothers and sisters we don't even know praying for us during our challenging adventure and sending us well wishes. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, you have often been in our prayers as we offer special thanks to God for all of you. You continue to be one of the main reasons why we are able to enjoy our lives despite the circumstances. You have contributed to my healing and my family's emotional and spiritual well-being all these months. This has been a long journey. One that is physically and emotionally challenging, but one that is as easy as it could have been because of what you have done. Once again, we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts and pray that God will richly bless you and your family.
My check-ups continue to be good. The doctor has reduced my check-ups from once a week to once every two weeks. I have less hives now, so he may start reducing my medication again next week.
Since my last blog entry, life has gotten from busy to busier, as I'm sure many of you have been experiencing. In my case, life has been busy catching up with household stuff due to my prolonged "vacation" in the hospital. I am not good with housekeeping and excellent in procrastinating when it comes to these things, so I will be playing catch up for a long time. I have also been busy with celebrations - my favorite kind of busyness! he! he! Just thought I'd share some with you:
- My 100th day post-transplant (11/11/2010) came and went without any challenges. So, we celebrated with my sister and friends who have been extra helpful during my recovery. We had a multi-purpose party: 100th day post-transplant, thanking friends, birthdays and going away party for my sister! Many good reasons to pig out! :-)
- Celebrating sisterhood. My sister, Verna, came to help us out the last few months. We will be forever grateful for her help, and thank God that she is in our lives. Knowing that she will not be here with us for a long time, I have been busy enjoying her company while she was here. Verna left for Manila on Thanksgiving day. We miss her and look forward to her next visit.
- Friendships. An old friend and former co-worker visited from Vancouver. That was enough excuse to round up former coworkers and friends in the area. It is always nice to catch up with old friends.
- Thanksgiving day...so many reasons to be thankful (including you!), and more yummy food! Need I say more? :-)
- Our 23rd wedding anniversary! Rob and I have not been married 23 years, but we had two weddings - a civil wedding in St. John (one of the U.S. Virgin Islands) and a church wedding in Manila. We celebrate both every year, so technically it is our 23rd anniversary. ha! ha! Did I say I love celebrations? :-)
- Family R&R. We just came back from a short vacation a couple of days ago. We went to Ventura county exploring Santa Barbara, Oxnard and vicinity. It rained most of the time we were there, so instead of lounging by the beach, hiking in Channel Islands and sightseeing, we ended up lounging in the townhouse (rental), did some sightseeing and explored museums and Christmas spectacles in the area. There were many pleasant surprises, lots of laughter and much relaxation - very nice vacation! As Douglas McArthur once said, "(We) shall return."
- Christmas...a time to reflect on the reason for the season...a time to be busy looking for the best gifts and sending greetings to those who matter most in our lives. It is the time of year when we celebrate Jesus, family and friends - relationships that enrich our lives on so many ways...God's gifts to us.
Once again, we wish you the best of the season and a happy new year. Thank you for your love, your friendship, your prayers and your well wishes. May God continue to bless you and your family!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
11/2/2010 - Happy Birthday to Me!
Yesterday was my birthday. And boy, did I have a happy birthday! Nothing spectacular happened on my birthday, but it was one of the best birthdays I ever had. Part of it had to do with the gratitude of having survived to celebrate another year of life. Part of it had to do with being able to celebrate it with my family. And a lot of it had to do with all the love I received on my special day.
The day started with lots of hugs and kisses from my family. Katie and Ellie gave me their homemade cards - they are the best kind! I started receiving calls and texts from friends and relatives who remembered my birthday. That made for a great start for the day.
My sister went with me to the City of Hope for my regular Monday morning check-up. I got plenty of greetings from the nurses, scheduler, and also my doctor. Some of them sang the birthday song and even came up with a makeshift birthday cake and candle (a piece of brownie topped with a chocolate kiss). I see them all so often that we have come to know each other better. It is very nice to have such wonderful people take care of me all these months. Once again, I cannot say enough good things about the care I receive(d) both as an inpatient and outpatient at the City of Hope. Truly an excellent organization made up of outstanding professionals.
While waiting for my name to be called at the hospital, I used my new netbook (my hubby's gift) to check my email and log in to Facebook. To my pleasant surprise, there were already many greetings from relatives and friends from all over. The rest of the day was filled with more greetings and even a home made cheesecake from Bessie! Delicious! Now if that doesn't warm one's heart, I don't know what will. I was so touched by the outpouring of love from my family, friends and relatives.
Now, what's a birthday celebration without food? Thanks to your prayers, I was allowed to eat in restaurants on my birthday. I usually take a day off from cooking on my birthday and on Mother's Day, so that worked out well. We went to a couple of our favorite restaurants for lunch and dinner.
I feel so blessed to have a really nice family and relatives, and doubly blessed to have so many wonderful friends. The best gift I got today was the reminder of how much richer my life has been because of the friends I've made along the way. I can think of many fun, funny and fond memories with them. Of course, there were also many challenges we had to go through that made our friendships stronger, but it is the bond and the good memories that I cherish most. Oh, no! I am beginning to sound like an old person! I used to think nostalgia is for old people. Oh well, we'll all get there sooner or later. It's just great to be alive - young or old. :-)
The Lord continues to grant our request for an uneventful 100 days, and for my recovery. The check-up went well. The doctor was happy with the test results. It didn't bother him that I was fighting a mild cold, some hives and a mild upset stomach. He even allowed me to eat in restaurants. As usual, if the doctor is happy, so am I. I am scheduled to have another biopsy next week. They normally take another biopsy near the 100th day to see whether all the cancer cells are gone. Please pray that the biopsy will come out clean, and that I will get over the cold, hives and upset stomach.
Also please remember to thank God for His goodness. Each time I go to for my check-up, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have to go through so little considering my situation. A fellow patient I met at the hospital who also had AML is having a hard time recovering. Although her sister was her transplant donor, and she went home a week before I did, she still cannot eat well because of nausea and problems with her digestion. She had several blood and platelet transfusions. On top of that, she even had spinal taps (that's painful) and was required to have chemo every other week for the next six months! I really felt bad for her. She is my age and also has two children. It must be very tough on her. There are many other stories of what other patients are going through as I meet them at the waiting area. I cannot help letting out a "Thank you, Lord!" under my breath each time I hear about what other people had to go through, because "there, but for the grace of God, go I".
Thank you all very much, because I know that without your prayers, the road would have been rougher for me and my family. Please do not underestimate the impact your prayers have on our lives. We certainly don't. May God continue to bless you and your family!
The day started with lots of hugs and kisses from my family. Katie and Ellie gave me their homemade cards - they are the best kind! I started receiving calls and texts from friends and relatives who remembered my birthday. That made for a great start for the day.
My sister went with me to the City of Hope for my regular Monday morning check-up. I got plenty of greetings from the nurses, scheduler, and also my doctor. Some of them sang the birthday song and even came up with a makeshift birthday cake and candle (a piece of brownie topped with a chocolate kiss). I see them all so often that we have come to know each other better. It is very nice to have such wonderful people take care of me all these months. Once again, I cannot say enough good things about the care I receive(d) both as an inpatient and outpatient at the City of Hope. Truly an excellent organization made up of outstanding professionals.
While waiting for my name to be called at the hospital, I used my new netbook (my hubby's gift) to check my email and log in to Facebook. To my pleasant surprise, there were already many greetings from relatives and friends from all over. The rest of the day was filled with more greetings and even a home made cheesecake from Bessie! Delicious! Now if that doesn't warm one's heart, I don't know what will. I was so touched by the outpouring of love from my family, friends and relatives.
Now, what's a birthday celebration without food? Thanks to your prayers, I was allowed to eat in restaurants on my birthday. I usually take a day off from cooking on my birthday and on Mother's Day, so that worked out well. We went to a couple of our favorite restaurants for lunch and dinner.
I feel so blessed to have a really nice family and relatives, and doubly blessed to have so many wonderful friends. The best gift I got today was the reminder of how much richer my life has been because of the friends I've made along the way. I can think of many fun, funny and fond memories with them. Of course, there were also many challenges we had to go through that made our friendships stronger, but it is the bond and the good memories that I cherish most. Oh, no! I am beginning to sound like an old person! I used to think nostalgia is for old people. Oh well, we'll all get there sooner or later. It's just great to be alive - young or old. :-)
The Lord continues to grant our request for an uneventful 100 days, and for my recovery. The check-up went well. The doctor was happy with the test results. It didn't bother him that I was fighting a mild cold, some hives and a mild upset stomach. He even allowed me to eat in restaurants. As usual, if the doctor is happy, so am I. I am scheduled to have another biopsy next week. They normally take another biopsy near the 100th day to see whether all the cancer cells are gone. Please pray that the biopsy will come out clean, and that I will get over the cold, hives and upset stomach.
Also please remember to thank God for His goodness. Each time I go to for my check-up, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have to go through so little considering my situation. A fellow patient I met at the hospital who also had AML is having a hard time recovering. Although her sister was her transplant donor, and she went home a week before I did, she still cannot eat well because of nausea and problems with her digestion. She had several blood and platelet transfusions. On top of that, she even had spinal taps (that's painful) and was required to have chemo every other week for the next six months! I really felt bad for her. She is my age and also has two children. It must be very tough on her. There are many other stories of what other patients are going through as I meet them at the waiting area. I cannot help letting out a "Thank you, Lord!" under my breath each time I hear about what other people had to go through, because "there, but for the grace of God, go I".
Thank you all very much, because I know that without your prayers, the road would have been rougher for me and my family. Please do not underestimate the impact your prayers have on our lives. We certainly don't. May God continue to bless you and your family!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
10/13/2010 - Speedy Recovery
I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted an entry! My apologies to anyone out there who got concerned about my well-being due to my long silence.
My check-ups have been good all this time. The only issue I had was that a certain virus called CMV for short (I don't remember the long version of the name) came out in a blood test. It is similar to the chicken pox virus - most people have it, but it leaves us alone unless our immune system is weakened. I had to take an IV medication for that, and it was gone in a week. I continue to take it just as a precaution. The IV med was quite interesting. It looks like the lemon juice sold in lemon-shaped containers in supermarkets, but with a tube coming out of one end to attach to my PICC line (port). The "lemon" becomes smaller as the medication goes into my system. Once it is finished, I just take it off myself. So easy. I love technology!
I will be going for my check-up again tomorrow morning. The doctor has been very happy with my progress, so I do not expect it to be any different tomorrow. The doctor continues to reduce my medications, and I continue to feel better. God continues to be gracious to me and my family. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.
So what has been keeping me busy these days? Partying! :-) Not really. I spend two mornings a week at the hospital for check-ups. Then, it is mostly activities revolving around food - grocery shopping, cooking, eating and cleaning up. Since I cannot eat restaurant food, I had to prepare most meals by myself. Takeout food has taken a backseat to my culinary skills (or lack thereof). :-) It feels good to feed my family our favorite foods again. Then, there's the visits to the dentist and optometrist for myself and the kids, and some shopping (yes!).
I read something interesting recently. Apparently, spending 10 minutes a day to meditate, pray, or just clear the mind and do nothing can make a big difference in managing stress. There is some positive physical effect on the body, but I don't remember what it is anymore - blame it on my chemo brain. :-|
Another interesting thing I read recently. If you know anyone who has cancer, you can help them by trying to make them laugh or get them to be happy. Apparently, a recent study has shown that cancer patients who are positive and happy tend to recover faster than patients who are down, worried or depressed. The mental and emotional state of the person has a lot to do with the body's ability to recover.
Thank you all for your continued support through your prayers and well-wishes. May God continue to bless you and your family.
My check-ups have been good all this time. The only issue I had was that a certain virus called CMV for short (I don't remember the long version of the name) came out in a blood test. It is similar to the chicken pox virus - most people have it, but it leaves us alone unless our immune system is weakened. I had to take an IV medication for that, and it was gone in a week. I continue to take it just as a precaution. The IV med was quite interesting. It looks like the lemon juice sold in lemon-shaped containers in supermarkets, but with a tube coming out of one end to attach to my PICC line (port). The "lemon" becomes smaller as the medication goes into my system. Once it is finished, I just take it off myself. So easy. I love technology!
I will be going for my check-up again tomorrow morning. The doctor has been very happy with my progress, so I do not expect it to be any different tomorrow. The doctor continues to reduce my medications, and I continue to feel better. God continues to be gracious to me and my family. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.
So what has been keeping me busy these days? Partying! :-) Not really. I spend two mornings a week at the hospital for check-ups. Then, it is mostly activities revolving around food - grocery shopping, cooking, eating and cleaning up. Since I cannot eat restaurant food, I had to prepare most meals by myself. Takeout food has taken a backseat to my culinary skills (or lack thereof). :-) It feels good to feed my family our favorite foods again. Then, there's the visits to the dentist and optometrist for myself and the kids, and some shopping (yes!).
I read something interesting recently. Apparently, spending 10 minutes a day to meditate, pray, or just clear the mind and do nothing can make a big difference in managing stress. There is some positive physical effect on the body, but I don't remember what it is anymore - blame it on my chemo brain. :-|
Another interesting thing I read recently. If you know anyone who has cancer, you can help them by trying to make them laugh or get them to be happy. Apparently, a recent study has shown that cancer patients who are positive and happy tend to recover faster than patients who are down, worried or depressed. The mental and emotional state of the person has a lot to do with the body's ability to recover.
Thank you all for your continued support through your prayers and well-wishes. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
9/15/2010 - Happiness
Happiness is getting good results during check-ups. My biopsy came out clean! My blood count had been normal for over a week now, but I am immune compromised. I am still on immune suppressants and steroids to take care of any GVHD / rejection. The doctor has started reducing my medications because he says I am doing very well. When the doctor is happy with my condition, I am happy. I see the doctor twice a week for check-ups.
I have recovered from my zombie state. Now, I can do some chores around the house, cook my family's favorite foods, and go out shopping (mostly just for food). I still can't stay out too much in the sun or be exposed to crowded places and I am still on low bacteria diet plus some other restrictions, but I am not complaining. This beats staying in the hospital any day. It is so nice to go back to a somewhat normal life again! Even washing dishes felt like a privilege after being unable to do these seemingly mundane chores. Just goes to show what a little change in perspective can do.
Happiness is being home with my family. After spending 2 months away from them, I have a renewed appreciation for my husband and my children. My loving husband did a wonderful job being Superdad while I was gone. He managed to keep everything as close to normal for our kids as possible - not an easy feat. Feels great knowing that the man I married is someone I have grown to love even more over the years. As for my girls, they can't get enough hugs and kisses from mommy. No worries there. I have infinite supply. Katie's second name is Grace, and Ellie's is Joy. They are truly God's grace and joy to Rob and I.
Happiness is having my sister here with us. My sister, Verna, is in town to be my "designated caregiver". A designated caregiver is someone who helps the patient with day-to-day activities and to rush the patient to the hospital during emergencies. In my case, because I am doing so well, her role is to rush me to the emergency room any time should the need arise. I am serious. The hospital wanted to know who will be available for the job before sending me home. I do not expect to have to go through that, but it is better be prepared for the worst. In the meantime, I am enjoying the company of my sister. For those who have sisters, you know what a treat this is! I call her my "angel", sent by God to watch over me last year, and again this year. How blessed am I?
Happiness is being able to enjoy food again! I am singing "Food, Glorious Food!" (from Ice Age) in my mind. My taste buds were muted when I came out of the hospital. I was also under a more stringent diet restriction then. I still can't eat restaurant food, but I can have home cooked meals. My taste buds have come back to life, so I have been indulging myself with my favorite home cooked food. Yum!
Happiness is having all of you praying for me and my family. We would not have been able to fare so well all these months were it not for your prayers. God continues to shine His grace upon our family, and we are very thankful to be back in each other's arms again.
Thank you for very much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
I have recovered from my zombie state. Now, I can do some chores around the house, cook my family's favorite foods, and go out shopping (mostly just for food). I still can't stay out too much in the sun or be exposed to crowded places and I am still on low bacteria diet plus some other restrictions, but I am not complaining. This beats staying in the hospital any day. It is so nice to go back to a somewhat normal life again! Even washing dishes felt like a privilege after being unable to do these seemingly mundane chores. Just goes to show what a little change in perspective can do.
Happiness is being home with my family. After spending 2 months away from them, I have a renewed appreciation for my husband and my children. My loving husband did a wonderful job being Superdad while I was gone. He managed to keep everything as close to normal for our kids as possible - not an easy feat. Feels great knowing that the man I married is someone I have grown to love even more over the years. As for my girls, they can't get enough hugs and kisses from mommy. No worries there. I have infinite supply. Katie's second name is Grace, and Ellie's is Joy. They are truly God's grace and joy to Rob and I.
Happiness is having my sister here with us. My sister, Verna, is in town to be my "designated caregiver". A designated caregiver is someone who helps the patient with day-to-day activities and to rush the patient to the hospital during emergencies. In my case, because I am doing so well, her role is to rush me to the emergency room any time should the need arise. I am serious. The hospital wanted to know who will be available for the job before sending me home. I do not expect to have to go through that, but it is better be prepared for the worst. In the meantime, I am enjoying the company of my sister. For those who have sisters, you know what a treat this is! I call her my "angel", sent by God to watch over me last year, and again this year. How blessed am I?
Happiness is being able to enjoy food again! I am singing "Food, Glorious Food!" (from Ice Age) in my mind. My taste buds were muted when I came out of the hospital. I was also under a more stringent diet restriction then. I still can't eat restaurant food, but I can have home cooked meals. My taste buds have come back to life, so I have been indulging myself with my favorite home cooked food. Yum!
Happiness is having all of you praying for me and my family. We would not have been able to fare so well all these months were it not for your prayers. God continues to shine His grace upon our family, and we are very thankful to be back in each other's arms again.
Thank you for very much for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
Friday, September 3, 2010
9/3/2010 - Home Sweet Home
I came home last Thursday, as expected, but have been silent since then because I have been enjoying time with the family and also time with my nephew, Kelvin. He came all the way from Toronto to help us out. It was such a blessing to have Kelvin around. I was feeling fatigued when I came home, and Kelvin just spoiled me rotten. Now that he has gone home, it is back to reality for me. he! he!
After coming home, I spent most days in bed because I started having hives a few days later. The hives would flare up at night and keep me from having a good night's rest. Good thing I was in my own bed, and not in a hospital bed. That would just make me miserable! The doctor said that the hives is a form of GVHD (graft versus host disease), and that it is actually good that I had some, because it shows that the transplant was effective. Guess I should be thankful for it. Now that I have been given steroids, I was able to sleep well last night. No more walking around like a zombie during the day!
I have to go for check-ups twice a week. So far, my blood count has been good, and the doctor seems happy with my progress. I had a bone marrow biopsy yesterday. We'll know the results in a couple of weeks. Now, if the hives will die down even as the doctor reduces my medication, that would just be perfect. I still have until November 11 to be out of the critical stage. The first 100 days after transplant are critical because anything can go wrong. So, I am being extra careful. There are many restrictions - no restaurant food, no salads, no fruits with soft skin like berries, no leftovers over 14 hours, no exposure to dust or animals, no crowded places, etc. The good thing is that I can eat real food now, as long as it's home cooked. Thanks to Kelvin, Nora, Cristina and Bessie, our family remains well-fed even if I haven't started cooking yet. Hopefully, I get to sleep well at night from here on, so I can start acting like a human being again, not just some zombie walking around our house and falling asleep at all hours of the day. I feel more energized today, and I hope this is the turning point to get me back to having a regular schedule. It is pretty boring to be sleeping most of the day.
By the way, I picked up a few skills while at the hospital with lots of time to kill. In addition to learning to play the harp, I also learned how to knit! I never thought I would be so bored that I would take up knitting. Well, never say never. I was able to knit a scarf for Ellie, and I have a couple more to make for Katie and Kelvin. I am definitely getting more and more domesticated. Whodathunk?! :-)
That's all for now. Thank you all for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family.
After coming home, I spent most days in bed because I started having hives a few days later. The hives would flare up at night and keep me from having a good night's rest. Good thing I was in my own bed, and not in a hospital bed. That would just make me miserable! The doctor said that the hives is a form of GVHD (graft versus host disease), and that it is actually good that I had some, because it shows that the transplant was effective. Guess I should be thankful for it. Now that I have been given steroids, I was able to sleep well last night. No more walking around like a zombie during the day!
I have to go for check-ups twice a week. So far, my blood count has been good, and the doctor seems happy with my progress. I had a bone marrow biopsy yesterday. We'll know the results in a couple of weeks. Now, if the hives will die down even as the doctor reduces my medication, that would just be perfect. I still have until November 11 to be out of the critical stage. The first 100 days after transplant are critical because anything can go wrong. So, I am being extra careful. There are many restrictions - no restaurant food, no salads, no fruits with soft skin like berries, no leftovers over 14 hours, no exposure to dust or animals, no crowded places, etc. The good thing is that I can eat real food now, as long as it's home cooked. Thanks to Kelvin, Nora, Cristina and Bessie, our family remains well-fed even if I haven't started cooking yet. Hopefully, I get to sleep well at night from here on, so I can start acting like a human being again, not just some zombie walking around our house and falling asleep at all hours of the day. I feel more energized today, and I hope this is the turning point to get me back to having a regular schedule. It is pretty boring to be sleeping most of the day.
By the way, I picked up a few skills while at the hospital with lots of time to kill. In addition to learning to play the harp, I also learned how to knit! I never thought I would be so bored that I would take up knitting. Well, never say never. I was able to knit a scarf for Ellie, and I have a couple more to make for Katie and Kelvin. I am definitely getting more and more domesticated. Whodathunk?! :-)
That's all for now. Thank you all for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family.
Monday, August 23, 2010
8/23/2010 - Going Home Soon
Just when I think things can't get any better, God surprises me with more good news! First, the doctor said I may be able to go home this weekend. I was already ecstatic with the news. Then, last Friday, the doctor changed it to this Friday. Now, he just came in and said things are looking good and I may be able to go home this Thursday! My heart is overflowing with gratitude.
God has been healing me everyday, working the miracle of rebirth in my body. To me, the human body is still the most amazing "machine" ever built. I do not understand all the things that go on in there, but I know the Designer knows exactly what needs to happen.
I marvel at how He often defies human wisdom to show His power and sovereignty. As I mentioned before, most transplant patients spend 4-6 weeks in the hospital after transplant. In my case, I was warned that I may stay longer because I had an unrelated donor. If I were to go home on Thursday, that would only have been 3 weeks and 2 days! Amazing!
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
Thank you all for your prayers that made this experience quite amazing. May God continue to bless you and your family.
God has been healing me everyday, working the miracle of rebirth in my body. To me, the human body is still the most amazing "machine" ever built. I do not understand all the things that go on in there, but I know the Designer knows exactly what needs to happen.
I marvel at how He often defies human wisdom to show His power and sovereignty. As I mentioned before, most transplant patients spend 4-6 weeks in the hospital after transplant. In my case, I was warned that I may stay longer because I had an unrelated donor. If I were to go home on Thursday, that would only have been 3 weeks and 2 days! Amazing!
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
Thank you all for your prayers that made this experience quite amazing. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
8/17/2010 - Getting Better
Things have been looking great the last few days. My blood count has started to go up since 4 days ago. The normal range for white blood count is 4.0 to 11.0. After radiation and chemo, mine went down to 0.1 and stayed there for some time, as expected. Then, it went from 0.1 to 1.0 in the last 4 days! This is great!
And because my white count has reached 1.0, I am now allowed to leave my room. I am now a "cage-free" or "free range" chicken. ha! ha! I like getting out of the cage, I mean, room and walk around the hospital floor as part of my daily exercise. I always thought that free range chicken and cage free chicken must be happier than regular chicken. I just didn't feel happy paying extra money for happy chicken in the supermarket. Besides, they can't be so happy anymore, they're dead. :-|
The doctor said that if I keep up my progress, I have a chance of going home next weekend. That would be awesome! I don't want to keep my hopes up too high, but then I also want to have enough faith to believe that it will happen if that is what God wants. I know that I have often lacked enough faith for God to work His wonders in the past, so I am asking God to give me enough faith now so He can work His wonders during my healing.
I am in good spirits these days. I still have diarrhea, but it is getting better. I still suffer from hemorroids, but that is slowly getting better, too. I still can't have regular food, but the doctor has put me on a restricted diet. Yay! I get more than just water and sunlight now. I have evolved from a plant to a human! :-D
God is so great! I have been previously warned by the transplant coordinator that after transplant, patients typically stay 4-6 weeks in the hospital. But because my donor is unrelated, I may have a harder time during recovery, so I should expect to stay 6 weeks or more in the hospital. If I get to go home next weekend, I would have just stayed here only 4 weeks after transplant! I would really like that to happen, because then we will have another evidence of the greatness of God. More reason to sing His praises. We are so blessed to know this great, big, awesome, living and all-loving God!
I know that my experience these past weeks were only possible because of all the prayers that have been offered on my behalf before the throne of God. I know many of you have been relentless in interceding for me and my family, and even crying out to the Lord for us. I will forever be grateful to all of you. For without your prayers, my experience could have been unbearably painful for me and my family.
Thank you all again for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
And because my white count has reached 1.0, I am now allowed to leave my room. I am now a "cage-free" or "free range" chicken. ha! ha! I like getting out of the cage, I mean, room and walk around the hospital floor as part of my daily exercise. I always thought that free range chicken and cage free chicken must be happier than regular chicken. I just didn't feel happy paying extra money for happy chicken in the supermarket. Besides, they can't be so happy anymore, they're dead. :-|
The doctor said that if I keep up my progress, I have a chance of going home next weekend. That would be awesome! I don't want to keep my hopes up too high, but then I also want to have enough faith to believe that it will happen if that is what God wants. I know that I have often lacked enough faith for God to work His wonders in the past, so I am asking God to give me enough faith now so He can work His wonders during my healing.
I am in good spirits these days. I still have diarrhea, but it is getting better. I still suffer from hemorroids, but that is slowly getting better, too. I still can't have regular food, but the doctor has put me on a restricted diet. Yay! I get more than just water and sunlight now. I have evolved from a plant to a human! :-D
God is so great! I have been previously warned by the transplant coordinator that after transplant, patients typically stay 4-6 weeks in the hospital. But because my donor is unrelated, I may have a harder time during recovery, so I should expect to stay 6 weeks or more in the hospital. If I get to go home next weekend, I would have just stayed here only 4 weeks after transplant! I would really like that to happen, because then we will have another evidence of the greatness of God. More reason to sing His praises. We are so blessed to know this great, big, awesome, living and all-loving God!
I know that my experience these past weeks were only possible because of all the prayers that have been offered on my behalf before the throne of God. I know many of you have been relentless in interceding for me and my family, and even crying out to the Lord for us. I will forever be grateful to all of you. For without your prayers, my experience could have been unbearably painful for me and my family.
Thank you all again for your prayers and may God continue to bless you and your family!
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