Monday December 19
730 pm
Tomorrow at 2pm they are going to scope into jen’s lungs to see if there is a fungal infection. The CT scan over the weekend showed some small spots…he called bruising. They hope this is what is causing the fevers and then they can figure out how to treat
Monday December 19
430pm
They are going to decrease the amount of Tylenol jen gets to see if this decrease her liver function numbers ( bilirubin ). They will use cold packs to decrease the fever.
She also has a decrease in urine. They will change meds up to see if that will help
They also are running a big series of blood panels to look for different flu/cold viruses. Until they have results we need to gown up with gloves and face protection (has a plastic shield up over eyes). We will know in 24 hours if we need to continue this or not. We sure hope not as it is very uncomfortable to be in for a long time.
Randy is going home this evening as he works tomorrow evening. Hopefully when he returns at the end of the week Jen has improved so much she will be ready to open some Christmas gifts.
This Friday the Patrick Vetter and Alex Warnement at the Main Street Market will be hosting a corn hole tournament with games starting as early as 3pm. You can pre register your team to pick your best starting time. Contact Jessica Crawford for more information. Registration fees will go to Jennifer to help her during this difficult time. Nothing would bring a smile to her face faster then to know her community, family, and friends rally together and bring her some much needed holiday cheer.
Prayers as she has been having a difficult couple of days. Little sleep and very uncomfortable. It’s so heartbreaking.
Cancer Free!
From Matt
GOD IS SO GOOD!! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE PRAYERS BECAUSE MY SISTERS BONE MARROW SHOWED NO SIGNS OF LEUKEMIA 
😁😁😁😁😁😁 NO NEED FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENT BECAUSE THIS IS ENOUGH FOR ME!! THANKS ONCE AGAIN FOR THE PRAYERS EVERYONE YOU ARE ALL AMAZING PEOPLE!
From Jessica
So I’m walking around the grocery and my sister calls. She tells me a few things about her day. She has a rash, they took out her line, etc. She buried the lead! Her initial biopsy results from yesterday show no leukemia cells or blasts at this time! It doesn’t mean remission yet but it’s a step in that direction!
A Word From Jen
Today is Day 14.
I had a bone marrow biopsy today to see how the chemo has worked. Fingers crossed that I won’t need any more. Once I go home they will do another biopsy usually the wee following to see if I am in remission. We should have the results sometime tomorrow.
I have been running a low grade fever off and on for days. Every time my fever goes to 100.4 and over they have to do blood labs from my line and from my arm to look for infections. I have been on antibiotics for almost a week to help kill off what my body currently can’t. The blood cultures they do take up to 5 days to come back.
One of my cultures did show an infection in my central line. They are running more labs to see if it is still there since it was days ago that the culture was done. They don’t believe the infection is in my blood stream.
But with it being in my line they may have to remove the line for a few days and put a new one in after the infection clears. If they do this they will have to put an IV in which they have had trouble find a vein for.
I’m pretty tired today. I got a unit of platelets today and will probably get another unit of blood tomorrow since they took so much from me today.
The art therapist came in today. Although I was too sore and tired to do much we did talk quite a bit which was good.
Although I’m tired and sore I am feeling pretty good and continue to stay positive and take things one day at a time.
Please keep the prayers coming and remember to appreciate the small things. Although it’s cold and snowy enjoy the cold air on your face, the way the snow flakes fall to the ground, or the way the snow sounds as you walk through it.
We take those small beautiful things God gives us for granted. Although I am not a winter person and the snow and cold is not at the top of the list of my favorite things, but they are on the list of things I cannot enjoy right now.
Appreciate and love those little things.
God bless!
Get Back Up Again
Hair Cutting Day
Day # 12
It has been a fairly quiet couple of days here. Weekends usually are. Once in awhile someone out walking the floor, peaks in the door to see Jen’s decorations in her room. The nurses on the other pods on the 16th floor heard we had her room decorated and will come to take a look. I guess this means we have a reputation to uphold when Christmas is over. So I will need new ideas for decorating the space.
Jen’s hair started thinning out on Friday so I searched some of the facebook groups in the Columbus area and found someone to cut her hair shorter. We feel it would be less dramatic when it falls out if it was shorter and maybe easier on her.
Jen hasn’t worn her hair short since elementary school so it made her nervous. Her sister convinced her of getting bangs like Zooey Deschanel. And so a beautiful young lady, originally from Bluffton, Ohio named Kaleigh Oberly came to give Jen a new style. And wow do we love it! Each day we find how blessed we are to find such wonderful people in this world.
Jen has ran a low fever off and on the last couple days. Although they still aren’t sure of the source, they continue to give her antibotics to help her fight the infection.
Jen’s energy has been slightly better this weekend. She managed to walk a bit last evening but got tired quickly. Today the time getting her hair cut was about all she could muster up.
This is a big week for Jen. On Tuesday (day 14), she will get another biopsy. This will tell us if the chemo has worked and if we will begin to see her numbers come back up in the days ahead. If the chemo didn’t work, we start back to day 1 with more chemo. We should know by Wednesday or Thursday if it has worked.
I am here with jen until mid week and then her dad will come down for a day or two. Jen’s brother Matt is home now until after Christmas so he will be able to visit more also.
Also Jen’s sister Jessica starts her new job tomorrow. In the last month, things have been so crazy I haven’t had much chance to talk to her about it. But I’m hoping it is amazing for her. I’m sure she will do great!
Thank you for your continued prayers, kind words, and support. We are very blessed to have all of you in our lives!! Have a great week.
Mom Back in Columbus
Hello from The James! I am back in Columbus with Jennifer today and plan to stay through mid next week. Today Jen’s counts dipped low enough they decided she need a transfusion of platelets and one of hemoglobin. The platelets were at 8. Anything under 10, you run risk of brain bleeds so we are happy she received those. Normally a transfusion will bring score back to about 50. (Normal is over 150).
Her hemoglobin (red blood cells) dipped under 7. Because red blood cells carry oxygen, these being low make Jen very tired. It also makes her heart work harder. Jen’s white count is at .4. They do not give white blood cells. This is up to Jen to remake. They do however have a shot they can give to help boost but the purpose of chemo is to destroy the abnormal white cells. Unfortunately along with that goes her normal ones.
Jen still has one sore on her leg they are watching. It is full of fluid and they may need to release it at some point. Because they don’t know what the sore is caused by and because of her very #s low, they have her under an isolation. The nurses, doctors, and PCAs and others who enter her room are required to dress in protective clothing until they know if the sore is an infection that can be spread.
Other then very tired, Jen seems to be handling it all well. She takes frequent naps so her being in more of an isolation is welcome right now.
Columbus isn’t suppose to get as much snow as back home. It would be very pretty to watch the snow fall from the 16th floor however.
As some of you know John Glenn passed away yesterday. He too was here at the James. Randy was here when his motorcade left the hospital.
Room 1601
We got ourselves the suite! Room 1601.
Well not a suite but a bigger room.
New Warnings on the Door
The warnings on Jen’s door now include low platelets, low white count and isolation.
Jennifer showed signs of an infection last evening with a couple body sores. She spiked a fever for a few hours over night but the temperature returned to normal. They have started her on antibotics while they find the source on infection. Her platelets are very low thus risk of bleeding is very high. Her blood pressure has also been low.
Keep prayers coming.
Rally Together With Jennifer 