It has been a long week and some good news is in order. Jen is coming home this evening! They were able to complete her biopsy and put in a central line today. She is exhausted but I’m sure ready to sleep in her own bed.

Next week Monday and Tuesday Jen will have outpatient appointments at the James to start her work up for her transplant. Based on her counts and the blood work they have done, it appears Jen is in remission. And now it is time to work quickly and get her to transplant before those darn leukemia cells fight their way back. We don’t have a date yet but expect in the next 2-3 weeks, Jen will get her new leash on life.

As we move closer to transplant, I have had a few ask me what needs Jen and us have. I debated posting a list as I do not want to appear ungrateful of what has been given or be demanding of specifics.

It is so hard to find yourself in a position of feeling helpless and relying on generosity of others. I have prayed on this many times over the last three months and God has worked in many small and large ways to provide for us. When thing seem to be at their very worst, we have found exactly what we needed. For example, yesterday I felt exhausted and once again overwhelmed. The stress not only Randy, Jen, and myself, but also on Matt and Jess had become apparent. Today I awoke to Jen feeling stronger, a plan that is working towards getting Jen home yet this week, and a little bit more of sleep that I really needed and it came when it was so needed.

Blast (cancer cells) in her blood showed on Sunday about 12% . This also however can be immature cells. To be in remission it needs to be under 5%.

Wait for it.

Yesterday showed 8.4%
TODAY….2.8%

So not like she doesn’t have enough already but jen also has a UTI.

She is annoyed by it all.

Jennifer has a DVT blood clot in her arm in the basilic vein and brachial vein. They believe cause by that stupid picc line also. She is being treated by heparin by. IV and will be switched over to lovenox, which are shots she will get in the stomach. Because she is getting a blood thinner, her threshold for platelets has been moved up from 20 to 50. Her current platelets are over 100 but were boosted artificially by another med she received yesterday, so they expect the platelet level will drop some over the next day.

If all the stars aline, maybe we will be home by Wednesday ish.

They have determined jen had MRSE (staph epidermidis) caused by her picc line. They will treat by several days intervenious antibotics

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. Like MRSA which is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, MRSE is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis

Also her vitals improved and temp down. Her white count and platelets are up but hemo down a bit so getting a transfusion today.

She also will have an ultrasound on the arm where her picc line was to see if there is an infection or clot as it is a little swollen and sore.

Hello on this Superbowl Sunday. When I hear the word ‘superbowl,’ I think of Jen. In 1988, the Superbowl was a week earlier then it is now. And so it was in January, the day Jennifer was born.

Last evening, Jen was moved from ICU to the 18th floor. Tonight she will be moved once again to the 15th floor. Since the 15th floor didn’t have an open bed, she was sent here, like a layover until she could get where she is suppose to be.

Huxley (remember him? ) has stayed away for now about 30 hours, with temperatures just under 100 degrees. But because she had been fighting those fevers, she was loaded with antibotics and fluids….so she is a bit swollen. Jen also had some sinus tachycardia which was caused by some dehydration, so the fluids helped that also. Now begins the process of getting those fluids off. As long as her bp is high enough, that process should soon begin.