Not too much to new report. My WBC are back at 0.7 and my Neutrphils still holding at 0.2. My platelets have continued to climb and I am up to 33 on my own with no transfusions, so that is some progress. The nurses and doctors are fairly certain I am just having a slow recovery, especially given my previous treatments that have taxed my bone marrow already. They assured me there are other patients that have taken longer than this to have any type of recovery. They will do a biopsy next week if there is still no progress.
My mood and energy have been up and down. After a bit of a down day on Tuesday I re-read key scripture verses and sort of merged them together - "Be anxious for nothing....for I know the plans I have for you...Be strong and courageous...my rod and my staff will comfort you". Probably not theologically correct, but it helped. I prayed that night for just a small sign of hope to hold on to. Wednesday I awoke after one of my best nights of sleep and full of energy and optimism. My WBC had increased from 0.6 to 0.7. My mom returned from two days back at home and I got to see Brant for a few hours. So a great day and answered prayers. I did hope it would translate into higher numbers today, but no such luck. So today has been a little more challenging and a little less energy. I was so hoping to be home for Memorial Day weekend. It has been a reminder that I really need to take it ONE DAY AT A TIME and not make plans in my mind.
A dear friend back in Blacksburg was returning books to the library and saw there was a Blood Drive. Even though she is a grandma (and "Mom" to many Mech Engr students) and has never given blood before, she decided too on my behalf. My mom was so inspired that she just went downstairs to give blood at the drive they are having here. So consider giving blood whenever you have the chance!! And if you are in the Richmond area on June 1st, there is a Run Walk event to benefit the Be the Match Registry. This non-profit organization works to increase the number of people available to be bone marrow/stem cell donors. This Registry is critical for blood cancer patients to have a chance for a cure.
Speaking of bone marrow donors, I still haven't heard if my siblings are matches. If they haven't heard by Friday they will be checking in with the lab. Hopefully I will have a match, but if not, I will be counting on the Be the Match Registry myself!
Guess I will have some extra time to watch Downton Abbey episodes. Thanks to a suggestion from a friend this has been a fun diversion.
This blog was started in Jan '07 as a way to update family and friends on my fight against relapsed Hodgkins Lymphoma. I underwent chemo and a stem cell transplant at Sloan Kettering in 2007 and then spent six years in remission. The blog went dormant as life became less about cancer and more about living. Now I am facing Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) that has developed from previous chemo. So I have dusted off the old Blog (still very un-tech-savvy). Time to get up and fight again!
2 comments:
Hey there sis, lovely bit of scripture and glad to hear you're bringing the focus back to now. That good sleep and awakening optimism is a real gift you have: keep nurturing those instincts!
xoxox
Terry and I are both in the Be the Match registry. Terry has been contacted twice over the years as a preliminary match but has never gotten as far as actually donating. I have never even received a preliminary call. Terry has a more popular blood type O+, while I am B+.
A young friend of ours was the first person to receive a bone marrow transplant through the National Bone Marrow registry. We lived in Raleigh, NC at the time but Brooke was treated at Fred Hutchinson in Seattle. The donor was in Milwaukee. Airport personnel worked frantically to clear a runway during a blizzard. The plane with the donor marrow aboard was the only flight out of Milwaukee that day!
We are keeping you in our prayers.
Mary Ellen Taylor
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