Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Beautiful!

Look what we got in the mail. The upper picture was especially for Grandpa and the lower was especially for Grandma (me) :). There was a third one for Grandma Idris, but since we already delivered it there is no photo of it.

Getting mail from the grandchildren is always fun. It made our day! Besides that, I had been thinking that our blog needed a good picture. ;) Perfect Timing! Thanks so much! (We think they came from Tawny, is that right?)

We are so grateful for family. We love you all!
ISN'T IT WONDERFUL!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Not Too Bad!

Today's blood counts are:

WBC = 2.2(L)
RBC = 3.27(L)
Platelets = 45(L)
Neutrophils = 1.3(L)

We are okay with those numbers, but look:

ALT = 40
YEAH! normal ALT range is 17-63 = He's in the normal range. We are not sure when that happened last...a year or ???? (Actually, we may have missed this good news on Friday because we see the counts for that day and they were 59 then. We can't say two weeks in a row because it's only 4 days apart.
AST = 52(H)
Not in the normal range(15-41) but still a great number compared to his average on that count.

There is no explanation as to why these counts are this good, but the only reason we care about why is so that we can know how to do it again!

Now, as for the way Terry is feeling - he is still pushing or dragging himself around, but it's not as difficult for him. He is beginning to feel a bit better. The cold or whatever is was he has is beginning to subside little by little. We hope it goes and stays away so we can make it to SCCA on their scheduled plan.

Oh! Terry has a phone again!
Okay, I have got to go do the dishes and put tables away! Have a great day y'all!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Medical Madness for Sure!

The last 24+ hours have been quite interesting.
Yesterday afternoon I got a call from a concerned and compassionate friend watching a football game, wondering if I was there in the crowd or parking lot watching the same game she was watching. (Anthony had a football game and I didn't listen well enough when he told me he had a game to know that he had a game. I was clueless.) Because I was clueless I was not there watching.

Here is what I didn't see - Anthony getting pushed backward landing on his head, neck, upper back and laying on the ground, being told to just stay there and not move. The ambulance was on it's way. I then tried to get a hold of Terry (who's phone drowned the other day in the pond). Just as I was walking out the door, the coach called to tell me about Anthony. I headed out the door, found (and told) Terry, and got to Anthony just as they loaded him in the ambulance.

They took him to Moses Lake Samaritan Hospital and I met him there. Among the other emergency room experiences (like the lady on the other side of the room needing a cigarette and not shutting up about it, and having dibs on the remote control with a not so nice show on the TV) they took x-rays and checked him out. The wait brought us news that there were no broken bones, but he was to wear a neck brace until he saw his doctor and had an MRI. After 3 1/2 hours on his back unable to move (half of that time being strapped to the board) he was free to go (still having his head and neck in a fixed position even while he slept).

He had a good night and this morning we got an appointment with Dr. Estrallada here at our clinic. Anthony was feeling pretty good this morning and the doctor determined that it was okay to leave the brace off, and that there was no need for an MRI. I was in agreement. Anthony does have a bit of a sore neck, but that is to be expected when it's been injured. He is not to play sports or PE or do anything that might re-injure it. We will let it heal for a few days and then get back with the doctor to decide when he can play again. I took Anthony up to the school after his appointment so he could get his things he left there yesterday and we decided he could stay for the rest of the day if he would be careful. Other than being just a bit stiff and sore, He is doing fine! YEAH!



Part of our confusion this morning was trying to get Terry to the doctor too. Terry had a terrible night (coughing, sore throat, and not sleeping) and couldn't talk this morning (laryngitis) and had a slight rise in temperature (not bad, but on it's way up). Both of his doctors were in Wenatchee today, so we headed to Wenatchee to see Dr. Smith. Terry had a chest x-ray and went to the lab, then saw the doctor. First thing we learned was that his temp was 104. AH! Then we learned the lab results:
WBC = 2.2
Neutrophils = .5 What? They were 1.0 Monday and because he wasn't feeling well doctor gave him a Neulasta shot to help bring that number up. Good thing he got one - what would that number have been if not??? It should have helped him - it's only Friday - but then really, is this surprise really a surprise?!?!?!
Hematocrit = 33.8
Platelets = 50
They swabbed his throat to check for strep. Then we spent a couple hours in the infusion room giving more blood, getting some Tylenol, some IV fluids including an IV antibiotic, and ending with another Neulasta shot. Terry was feeling slightly better by the time we left. We picked up another (stronger) oral medication for him and headed out. (Oh, the second blood draw was this from each lumen and also from his arm. They are testing to see what blood is "sick", to see if they know where it is coming from. We won't know anything for at least 72 hours.)

Terry headed to bed early. I hope that he can sleep and not have to get up tonight.

I wish we had as good of news about Terry as we do about Anthony, but we don't...maybe tomorrow.... We do think he has what he needs now to get better. At least Terry's news is better than his phone's news. It's a waterproof phone, but that does no good when it floats and/or sinks into no-man's land. By now it's surely dead.
Anyone trying to contact Terry by cell phone the last few days now understands why he hasn't answered your call. Maybe he will feel good enough to look for a phone Monday.

What will the next 24+ hours bring? I guess we'll see!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A Thought Shared!

“If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it”

(Found this in a shipping form of an order I had placed previously. I believe it!)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Appointment

Nothing really new today - Terry did have to have a Neulasta shot, especially to help him get over this cold/cough that is keeping him up all night and making him weary. It seems that the other medication is not really doing anything - we thought that might be the case since we believe it to be viral not bacterial. Now he has a cough medicine to help him sleep better. Maybe being able to sleep will help his body be able to fight it off better. We can have no cold for two weeks before his DLI, which is set up for October 20th. That gives us two weeks to work on it. It's already been two weeks working on it, so it could be a bit tricky.

Today's counts:
WBC = 1.6(L)
RBC = 3.31(L)
Platelets = 76(l)
Neutrophils = 1.0(L)

The counts didn't give us any clue to Terry's mishap Friday night. He was sitting at his computer and decided to get up and go to bed. He slid his chair back, thought he was standing up, but somehow between the time he slid the chair back and stood up, the chair went down, he ended up with a rug burn looking injury on his forehead and some broken and chipped teeth. When I got in there he was standing and seemed quite confused, having no idea what just happened. We are not sure what he hit or how he hit it. He seems to have no other injuries because of this fall. At least we believe it to be a fall, because there was no one else in the room to beat him up. ;)

I haven't decided if he is pushing or dragging himself around everywhere he has to go and doing everything he has to do, but he is trying hard to go about his work as normal. I hope he can get some rest time before we go to SCCA so his body can help fight back. There is time, so we'll see.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday to Auger!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Great Day!

I got to spend several hours of the day with Auger today. We had a great time. We "feed horse" for quite a long time. Auger would scoop up old hay from the ground and put it in the trough...over and over and over again. He loved every minute of it. He would climb the fence a bit and say "hi Rose".

When we finally decided to do something different he went to "play toys"...

and then found the cat. He had been having a lot of fun just walking around and letting the cat follow him on our way out to "feed horse". Then he decided to follow the cat...yip, right under that spool.

Fun Times! I need days like this with all my grandchildren...more often.

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday Megan!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Reporting

Well, Terry has had a not-so-good week. He has been achy and icky! Such silly words, but they seem to fit. I know something of the ache because last week I was aching, but Terry has the aching like what I had and the aching from the shot and he has a cold and sinus problem on top of that. Some of the days have been pretty rough on him. We are hoping it doesn't last too much longer.

Today's labs:
WBC = 2.7(L)
RBC = 3.48(L)
Platelets = 45(L)
Neutrophils = 1.6(L)

ALT = 64(H) normal range 17-63
AST = 84(H) normal range 15-41
This is two weeks in a row that they have kept under 99. Strange that we are happy with those numbers, but they are good numbers compared to others. Our report shows the numbers for August 22nd and they were ALT 135 and AST 129. We hope they stay low and someday maybe they'll even be normal.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Washington Post

Great article!
As the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks approached, On Faith reached out to some of the world’s most influential religious leaders and thinkers to ask about faith in a post-attack world. VIEW HERE

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday to Shawn LR!

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday LeeAnn!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Dr. Smith Called!

We have learned something today, but are still playing the waiting game. But this news was a step forward. Yay!

SCCA reports that the Flow Cytometry (CLL measurement in the marrow) is 0.6%. This is good - they are happy for this, but...

Chimerisms (donor vs host cells) have dropped to 47%. This is not good - not so happy. She said that they were around 70/73 in the spring.

A decision has been made. They do recommend DLI because of the chimerism change and since there is no active GVHD that we know of/see.

SCCA will call us in a few days to set up an appointment. We were told that their first opening wasn't until October 20th, so we are sure we won't go any earlier than that. They take DLI patients in on Thursdays and keep them for a week, so we should plan on being there until the following Friday if everything goes well. We are unfamiliar with everything going well. :) Okay, it's not that bad, but we are not counting on getting out of there anytime close to on time. Maybe we'll have a first. :) We like pleasant surprises.

That is today's info, we'll let you know when we hear something for sure.

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday Wayne!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Doctor Visit

Here are lab results from today:
WBC = 1.2 (LL) normal range is 4.5-11.0
RBC = 3.39 (L) nr is 4.50-5.90
Platelet Count = 69(L) nr is 150-400
Abs Neutrophils = 0.5(LL) nr is 1.8-7.8
Terry had to have a Neulasta shot again today.

On the next page we have the liver enzymes:
ALT = 84(H) nr is 17-63
AST = 76(H) nr is 15-41
It's nothing to celebrate, but these numbers are actually pretty good for Terry. We've seen numbers like this a time or two but they seem to quickly go back up to the 120's or 140's. It always pleases me to see them below 99. Why? Don't know! Just does!

No news from SCCA on last weeks bone marrow aspiration, but Dr. Smith will call when she hears something.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday Dad, Ronald!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Our Fabulous Five!

I love to see all of my grandchildren and watch them grow. I am so glad that I can get my "fix" with photos.
Adena sent these photos this morning (from the wedding):




BJo took these photos yesterday:



We love them all and wish we could see them everyday...okay...maybe they would get tired of us...at least a couple times a week. After thinking about it...it's my wish so I can wish that we could see them everyday and that they would be happy to do so. There! I feel better!

I am so grateful for my family...each and every one! We have grown from 2 (31.5 years ago) to 21!