Had an amazing time at the Hockey game. Can’t wait to go again 
sometime!
Lashes
At 33 weeks gestation, Jennifer was born. Back then, we didn’t say it quite like that. We said 7 weeks premature. Jen’s lungs were immature and she only weighed four pounds 5 ounces. But this little baby had eyelashes like she had mascara covering every lash. Besides her tiny size, it was the first thing you noticed about her. And this drew you in to her deep eyes.
When Jen’s hair fell out, I found her eyes just drew you in even more. And when she shot you one of her big smiles, your heart would just melt away. Over the last few weeks, Jen’s eyebrows and lashes have been thinning. And like when her hair fell out, the change has been hard for her. Not hard like maybe you and I would find it, Jen is stronger than most others, including me. But hard like another thing she adds to her list of how much her life has changed over the last 100 days.
Funny yesterday when she had made note of her lashes and brows thinning, I had just prior to that had thought my lashes were so short and my brow so needing a touch up. And I had frowned at myself in the mirror, not liking what I saw. Stupid me…..sometimes I have no idea how ignorant my thoughts can be. Maybe some day, I will see the blessings of short lashes and thick brows.
Warm Days
We are simply enjoying this warmer weather! It allows us to get outdoors and enjoy the weather before going to back to hospital. Windows open and lots of fresh air coming in!
What are you doing on with your beautiful warm days this February?
Little Warrior
Please pray for this little warrior.
Support Amy’s Army
23 Nice Things You Can Do for Someone With Cancer
It has been a busy couple days in Columbus. Yesterday Jen had an echo for her heart and a pulmonary function test. Today she had done transplant education, had blood work done and currently have a scan done for a clinical trial radiation treatment. If approved for the clinical trial, she will only have her bones radiated prior to transplant and not her entire body. This protects her organs from radiation and is safer in the long term.
Currently we have a pliminary date for admission and transplant for March 7 and March 14. This is pending the donor’s schedule and approval. Jen would receive seven days of radiation and chemo and transplant would happen the day after that is complete. Once transplant is done, they begin counting days. Day 6 we can expect her counts to be low and when begins being at most risk. Ironically if these dates hold, this would be Jen’s due date 29 years ago.
Around day 21 her counts should be recovered and be able to move to outpatient care but live in an area hotel. Around day 75 her central line removed. And day 100, being able to return home.
It’s a lot to take in and prepare for. We are hopeful this will forever cure her of this horrible disease. Prayers always welcome.
Time Flies By
Time goes so fast when you want it to slow down. We are already done with a week of Jen’s three week til admission….Although admission technically will not happen until March 9 ( still tentatively ), she will need three days in a row of an iv treatment that is done prior to radiation to protect her body from the harmful rays. This is an outpatient treatment that tentatively will happen on March 6, 7, and 8.
Jen’s counts all still look good and her strength and appetite are returning. I don’t even think she took a nap today but did rest on the couch for much of the late afternoon. She also seems to be able to tolerate more foods in recent days.
Jess and Matt came over yesterday so we could enjoy a day all together before the world gets crazy. And all three of them are going to go to a Blue Jackets game on Saturday. Jen has really started liking watching hockey over the last few months so she is pretty excited.
We also plan to take her to Cincinnati this week to see her aunt and Godmother Linda Honigford be inducted into the hall of fame at Northern Kentucky. And I have a special surprise planned for her while we are in the area. We are enjoying making memories together and making every moment count.
When we have an exact date of transplant (it is still tentatively on March 14), we will share. In the mean time enjoy the lack of post and updates since Jen is currently doing so well.
Acute myeloid leukemia has been grouped into three categories…..favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable. Those who fall in the favorable category and some in the intermediate category are able to receive chemotherapy and be cured. Those however in unfavorable and some in the intermediate cannot be cured without a bone marrow transplant.
Jennifer has a translocation of the 10th and 11th chromosomes. This means cells on the 10th have swapped places with some of the cells on the 11th chromosome. Whenever the 11th chromosome is involved in a translocation, you are in the unfavorable category.
Now many who get aml are much older than Jen. The average age is 67 years old. Thus because of the aging population, the group comes with other health issues including heart, kidneys, liver, etc. This group of people have a difficult time handling the strong chemotherapy required for curing. They also have a difficult time getting through the transplant phase of treatment. With an immune system that is weakened by the chemotherapy, your body has a difficult time fighting off any infection. The infections can become severe and do a toll on your body.
In the next 2-3 weeks we will be moving forward to transplant. This stage is a long and difficult period with days 14-28 the most difficult. The journey from hospital to outpatient is 4-8 weeks and an additional 4-6 weeks of outpatient with living in the big city of Columbus. In total it is close to 100 days of being away from our little town and home.
Once home outpatient treatment continues for several years with again another 100 days of weekly and twice weekly check ups.
Although we are happy Jen had gotten to this next stage, and she has a unrelated donor match, we fear the unknown of the future.
Rally Together With Jennifer 