Great News!

Update on my mom! She had a transfusion this past Monday after two weeks. She had been having one or two a week for a while. This morning all her numbers were up and they have changed her blood work schedule from twice a week to once a week. She has a cold but the doctor isn't concerned about her ability to fight it off and he doesn't need to see her as often. That's great news considering a simple cold could have put her back in the hospital a while ago. Dr. C put her on a drug that bonds platelets and apparently it is causing her levels to climb.....or at least not die off so quickly. I don't know if sticky platelets is a good thing, but it's the lesser of the two evils right now. At least we're not worrying ourselves sick waiting on bad news. God is still in the miracle working business!!!!!

FYI

I've received several inquiries about my mom. Long story short. She has bone marrow failure. Long version: She was diagnosed with Myeloid Dysplasia 5q-, 7-. The doctors say possibly when she had chemo six years ago for breast cancer there was some chemical damage to her DNA chromosomes. Unfortunately it waited to rear its ugly head until this past summer after her six year "all clear/survivor" check-up. The jest of it is her body can no longer produce its own blood cells or platelets. While in the hospital this round, she has received, I'm guessing low, her 50th unit of blood and/or platelets. She's had three platelet infusions since being admitted Monday. Without platelets her blood would not clot. Because of her low white blood cell counts ... there is nothing there to fight infection of any kind. And, of course, with the low red blood cells, there is little oxygen circulating through her system and major organs. The Revlimid drug the oncologist put her on in September failed to work. He told us then it was her only hope and didn't offer a hopeful prognosis. Our hope doesn't lie in the medical profession. It is in God's hands. We pray for his guidance of her physicians and caregivers and for him to faithfully see her and my family through this trial. She has been in the hospital every other week or so since the beginning and has now become transfusion dependent with it's own possible complications, as well as a high risk for infection. Her doctor checks her bloodwork twice a week and has told us numerous times she could progress to leukemia. Chemo isn't an option. Anything would only be temporary as her body can't manufacture any blood as the old cells die off. She's a real trooper. Good days and bad. Tired and week. Strong spirit. Please keep her in your prayers. God made her body and he can heal it. Give blood! My mom needs it - a lot of it!

Mid November - already!

My Blog - My Journal - My Thoughts

The First Post -

My mom's back in the hospital. Pneumonia. She's on her 7th transfusion in less than three months. Recently diagnosed with Myeloid Dysplasia. If I understand it correctly, during chemo five years ago for breast cancer, her d-chromosome (dna) was deleted/damaged (among other things that have developed from that poisoning). I believe this particular chromosome is around to manufacture red blood cells and perhaps platelets. She's taking Revlimid, which doesn't appear to be working, hence the continuing transfusions. This drug is like a cytotoxin. Her body is reacting as if receiving chemo again. I visited her today. She was in good spirits and her appetite is returning. She wanted buttermilk. Eccgggk! I talked to a couple of naturopathic doctors yesterday. They weren't very encouraging.

Lindsay Lou got her driver's license last week. Sweet 16!

I've been burning the midnight oil getting ready for this weekend's event. Gotta draw the line somewhere. Tired.