I received a text this morning from Emily after Laura's doctor's appointment. It said:

Excellent report from the dr. today! the prednisone is doing its job! she doesn't have to come back for 2 wks. :) She's so happy!

So there you go!
A pretty good start to the week!!!
Wooo hooo!

 

Laura's had a fair bit of coughing for a while and the other day she noticed that her throat was scratchy. Then noticed a rash on other parts of her body. Looks like she has graft vs. host disease.

She had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Langston confirmed that she does have graft vs. host. They think it's a good thing when it happens in moderation so they aren't terribly concerned. However, they want to treat it now so it doesn't get worse. So, she's been given some Prednisone which will help with some of that. It will have some side effects that she may not love, but one good thing is that it will probably give her an increased appetite.

They still want to see her once a week at Emory -- which she was hoping would taper off, but we're thankful that they're on top of things.

Emily tells me that they still think she's doing well and that all of the things that are happening are normal.

Laura will start teaching again in a little over a week. And, while I think she's ready to feel like life is back to normal, she might have some adjusting to do. Your prayers are appreciated.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if I left some important details out. I hope that Emily --- or Laura -- will fill in those details in the comments section.

Thank you all for keeping up with Laura.
We love you.

Laura went to the doctor the other day. This is the report I got from Emily that day:

****

She's doing really good.  She didn't have to get blood today!!!  Jessica said that her hemocrat level was unheard of for her--29!  27 or lower and she needs blood.  Everything looks good except for her liver.  She's not yellow at all--but her liver enzyme levels trippled from the last visit.  Liver enzymes filter waste, medicine, stuff like that.  They protect against hepatitus.  So the over-production of enzymes is either a place of Graft vs Host Disease showing up or just that her Prograf level is off.  She takes the Prograf to effectively graft her new bone marrow.  And they recently adjusted her dosage of that--so that might be all it is.  They upped her dosage of Prograf today and put her on a new medicine specifically for the liver.  She goes back on Friday to check up on all this.  Otherwise, her knee is still swollen--not getting worse, but is annoying her.  They set her up an appointment with an orthopedist for Wed. morning to check on this.  And she needs to go back to see Dr. Jani in Albany--he's her breast cancer doctor--just to check up and see if she can get off the anti-hormone medication he put her on that she feels may be contributing to the arthritis in the knee.  She did her breathing treatment today that she regularly does to prevent a form of pneumonia.  It doesn't taste so great to her.  

**********

I spoke with Laura today (Friday, June 17th) and she had gone to the doctor again today. She didn't have to have blood today. They just wanted to see if her adjusted meds had made a difference. Some numbers changed. One of her liver enzyme levels is still high, but not the "OH MY GOSH! This is awful" kind of high. They've adjusted her Prograf meds and hope that things even out.

She's got a rash on her stomach and it seems like there's a rash in her mouth, too. The doctors say that is a sign of Graft vs. Host disease. And, even though you wouldn't think so, they say it's a good thing. It means her body is working to fight this new thing.

She's been working like a mad woman to clear out our family home. We sold it and closing is at the end of this month. That has worn her out. I'm heading back to Atlanta on Tuesday and hope to do what I can -- which I don't think is much (she's done pretty much everything). We'll all say good-bye to the house -- which is like another member of the family. It'll be sad, but good to be able to be there.

And, in other exciting news, Robert and Keren had a sweet little baby girl, Leah Celeste Hall, on June 15th.

Hopefully, this summer Laura will be able to "chill" and heal even more. She's pretty amazing. Stay tuned for future pursuits and dreams.

We love y'all!

I'm pretty sure this was her first bike ride in almost a year.
Looks pretty good, huh?

What am I GRATEFUL for?!!! I'll TELL you what I'm grateful for!!

I'm grateful for my sister, Laura!! I'm grateful for the donor that gave her hope!! I'm grateful for the doctors that have cared for her so well over the past few years! I'm grateful for the news she shared with me just a little bit ago!  Which is:

• They see NO leukemia!
• She is now "100% donor." The exchange has happened!
• She still has to receive blood because her blood type hasn't completely changed over. It might take a couple more months for her blood type to change. (She used to be type O positive and will become type A.)
• Her hematocrit (I don't know what that is) is 29. For the average person the hematocrit is in the low 30's...so she's almost there!
• No blood was needed this week.
• She doesn't have to go back to the doctor for two weeks... (which is very good!)
• In two weeks, they'll make a plan for her to continue check-ups in Albany with her doctors there. And, then, it'll only be every 3-4 weeks. 
• They told her for the 100 day stage (which is the stage she's in right now), she's "as good as it gets!"

Laura's highlight of the news today was that:

• SHE CAN RIDE HER BIKE!

Thanks for your prayers and all the love.

Ain't she SOMETHIN'?!

The Three Sisters

This past Thursday, Laura, Mary Celeste and I flew to Berkeley, CA to see Emily in a play called "Three Sisters."

Laura decided to jump on it when her doctor gave her permission to go see Emily's play. Mary Celeste and I were happy to be able to go, too!

I flew from Bellingham and met MC and Laura on Thursday night. Mostly, we ate good food, hung out and we enjoyed Emily's play... which has received great reviews and has sold out quite a few times.

Check this review out:::

And, this one...

 

 

Tomorrow Laura is supposed to get the results from the bone marrow biopsy that was performed a couple of weeks ago.  I don't totally understand what they're looking for, but we're hoping that the results will show that her body has accepted the new marrow and that she no longer has leukemia.

Please pray for good results. I'll let you know what I find out. GoFightWin!, Laura!!

Don't have the use of a real computer right now so this will be brief... More later.

Today at 2:00 pm, Laura will have a bone marrow biopsy. This is to make sure the leukemia has moved out. Before that time she'll have a bunch of lab work done.

Please pray for good results.

Love y'all!

Not much to report .... but didn't want to leave you hangin' for too long.

Laura's been walking a couple of times a day... Cooks all meals.... She only goes to the dr. once a week now and she went on Monday. Had to have some blood, but I was told that's just normal. Not a concern.

And, today! She and Lisa went to the north Georgia mountains with Mrs. Cannon for a couple of days. I'm so glad she gets to do something fun.

Thanks for thinking of her and for continuing to pray for her and for her children.

Love,
~chc

Sorry there have been few posts lately....

Here's what I know.
* Laura only has to go to the doctor once a week now.
* She's been walking about 2 1/2 miles everyday.
* She's been cooking all meals.
* She only has to have IV fluids every-other-day, but those will stop soon.
* Every time I talk to her she sounds good.

The doctor even told her that she could go back to Leesburg for a few days at a time, but she doesn't feel like she's able to do the 3 hour drive and it didn't sound like too much fun to spend the night in Macon to break up the trip... So, she'll wait a little while on that. She's ready to get back, though. She will be happy when she can be at her house.

Your continued prayers for her and her children are appreciated.

♥

Laura had a doctor visit yesterday. Lisa tells me that they still say she's looking good, but her cough is a bit of a concern. She had a CT scan for precaution. The results should be back on Monday. She also had a nasal swab (to test for the flu) and Respiratory Therapy, which all patients are required to have in order to prevent pneumonia. The therapy was very uncomfortable for her--it made her more out-of-breath. But it's either this or three pills a week, and that isn't something she wants.

She's going to continue with the IV fluids every-other-day instead of every day. They are also decreasing her Prograf levels because of her shakiness. We are hoping that might alleviate the shakes.

Your continued prayers for her complete recovery and overall well-being are appreciated.

Thank you all for all that you do to help Laura and to build her up. She is somethin' else!

Love y'all!

The Oscar's were celebrated in grand style on Sunday evening in Atlanta.

Even the press was there..

Invitees enjoyed the mild weather and the glowing sunset.

 
And, they pretended they were laughing just like Julia Roberts would do.

And, this guy showed up.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Laura Hall Kitchens for her GoFightWin! achievements.

I wish I had been there.

**********************************************

P.S. I haven't received the details from her most recent doctor visit, but I did get this tidbit: she needs to eat more.  When I receive more information, I'll pass it along. I'm kind of figuring that if she felt good enough to participate in an Oscar party, that's a pretty good thing. GFW!

Here's the latest:

Last Thursday Laura started on IV fluids at home. Before that time, she wasn't able to eat very well and there was some concern about dehydration and energy levels. So, they gave her an IV for home use and she was told to remain on that for a week.

Today she went to the doctor and they said that she was doing well --  in spite of a drop in WBC. They said that sometimes drops happen and they weren't concerned. They decided to keep her on the IV for at least a week or maybe longer because they think it's helping her energy. From what I saw when I was there, that seems to be so.

She's also been eating better. And, I guess that could be due to many factors, but one of the big reasons, I think is 'cause she doesn't have to take those GIGANTIC Amoxicillin pills anymore. The size of those alone would make anybody feel queasy.

Emotionally she's doing pretty well. It helps to have all of her children with her. There are days, however, that are a little more challenging than others when it comes to being cheerful and upbeat. She amazes me, though, in her strength and determination.

Sorry the updates have been spread out. I think it's safe to say, when you don't see an update, that "No news is good news." 

Have a good rest of your week.

Thanks for loving Laura.

(For you, Clif ♥)

Quick post:

Laura had lots of IV fluids yesterday. The home healthcare nurse came today to show Laura and Lisa how to administer the IV fluids at home. She had one bag of fluids (4 hours of drip) today and I can't believe how much better she seems.

She's eaten more. She's taken a walk. She's fussed more (in a  good way). She's had a sense of humor. Her color is better. And, to my knowledge, she's kept all of her food, fluids and meds down today.

What a difference a day makes!

Please pray that things will continue to improve and that she will feel better and BETTER everyday.

Please pray, too, for my cousin, Olivia and her husband. My Aunt Alberta died yesterday. She was the last of my mother's generation and she was very special to all of us. We will all miss her. She was full of life and spunk for a long time and I know that my Uncle Tom and my mother will be happy to see her again.

Love y'all.

Laura had a doctor's appointment today.

Her white blood counts are at 5.8! Which is great! (And, for those of you who might not know, 5.8 is really 5,800)... Her magnesium and potassium were low and she's been having trouble retaining food and liquids and her meds. So, they gave her an infusion to boost her magnesium and potasium and to boost fluids.

And, while she was still exhausted from the day, she climbed six flights of stairs after her appointment to get to the car. Though I don't think she would tell you she felt GOOD today, she definitely felt better today than yesterday.

They sent her home with IV fluids which she will have for the next seven days. I think it's a good thing.

I thought it was enough exercise that she climbed those stairs, but she decided to take a walk with Lisa after supper tonight! Isn't she something?!

*********************************************************************************

Here are some photos of the IV fluids arrriving and just a glimpse at what all is involved in making Laura feel good again.

Love y'all!

 

Laura had a tough day today... Hard to get out of bed... Headache... Hard to eat and keep things down... Hungry anyway... Walked a little bit, though!

Lisa and Clif are so great. Lisa keeps up with all of Laura's medicines and takes her temp. Helps change her dressing and cleans her port (or whatever the official name of it is). Keeps up with all of Laura's appointments, too. Clif gives her good back rubs and helps take care of household-y things.Both of them check on Laura all day. And Emily calls often (and will be here soon!).  Laura sure does have some sweet children.

She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Praying there will be wisdom shared on how to take the meds and eat enough of the right kinds of foods (and keep them down) so that she can start to feel better. Eating and sleeping and lack of energy are the current hurdles.

Your continued prayers are appreciated.

♥

Laura is very tired. Way more often than she wants to be. Well, I guess Laura never likes to be tired. But, in case anyone is unaware, she recently underwent some intensive chemo which killed all her white blood cells. (White blood cells keep us healthy and give us energy.) And, THEN, her body received some NEW cells which are adjusting to her body. And, THAT is why she's tired. She doesn't like it.

Now, if it were a regular day and Laura got to do what she wanted all day long, I think she'd get up, have a cup of tea, maybe go hang out with her students and inspire them to be the best that they could be. The day might also include talking to her own children and inspiring THEM to be the best that THEY can be. She might go for a long walk. She might go to spinning class. She might work in the yard or do some kind of house project that she's been wanting to do. She might sew some special things either for the house or her children or her nieces or nephews. She'd cook a good dinner and enjoy eating it. Maybe she'd put up some peaches or something like that. She MIGHT even come out to Bellingham to see me or fly to San Francisco to see Emily and then she'd walk all over and soak in every single moment of every single day.

And, that's what I think is buggin' the heck out of her. She truly wants to do all those things...and then some.

What she's able to do now is take baby steps.  I believe that she's had very good days. The doctors think she's right on track. She's walked a mile for the past couple of days. The other day she went with Clif to the bookstore. She paid bills today and we went to the grocery store and to run errands.

For now, we're setting goals for the week and trying to cross those things off. And, they may be seemingly simple things like walk down the street or paying bills. But they are really big accomplishments. I mean it!!

She's got at least 80 more days of this kind of healing... it kind of overwhelms her, but I say she's doing JUST FINE. She's a very good girl who's gone through a huge thing and wants to jump right up and get back to "normal."  This is the new normal, but the old normal will be back before you know it.

Please pray that she will allow herself to heal slowly and surely. Pray that she'll notice what she's ABLE to do and not what she's NOT able to do. And, please pray that all of us will know how to encourage her.

Got here Saturday night and then Sunday just hung out. Robert, Mary Celeste and I went to visit our Aunt Alberta (who we love very much!!) and Laura rested. We all spent Sunday evening together and Laura did really well.

This morning Laura, Lisa and I went to the doctor. Her WBC is 3.8. They say she's doing really well. And, the best news of her day was that she can now have fresh fruits and vegetables! But, her magnesium was low and they thought she needed more fluids so she had a two hour infusion...She was there from 9:00 - 3:00. Long day.

But! She came home and we all went for a walk.

For dinner tonight, we had poached egg with spinach and parmesan cheese on English muffin. ☺

And, now, we're just sittin' around before it's time to lie down and go to sleep.

We love y'all!

The doctors thought that yesterday was a bit too soon to leave the hospital. They wanted to make sure that all was well with her oral meds. (They probably just like havin' Laura around 'cause she's such a great patient!)

So, they kept her overnight again, but the official word is that she gets to leave today by about 1:00.

One of the tasks now is to try to manage her medicine so that she doesn't feel sick when she eats.

Robert gets to Atlanta on Friday and I get there Saturday. I get to stay a week!  It will be so nice to be at Mama's...and I hope the weather allows for sittin' on the porch. Ahhhhhh. The comforts of home. That oughta help the healing!!

Love you all.
GFW!

A brief update from Clif:

Dr. Langston just came in and was very confident that mom will get to go home tomorrow afternoon sometime. She said that mom was her "star patient." We asked if she says that to everyone and she said that she most certainly does not. This just confirms what we knew all along: mom is a badass.

Mom has had a little nausea today but is still taking most everything in pill form. She still has a craving for plain hamburgers from McDonald's so we got her one and she ate the entire thing. Her head is completely bald with the exception of a little peach fuzz that no one will shave off because it's risky.

******

Thank you for all the cards you have sent to Laura. There have been so many of them and she has really appreciated your thoughtfulness. Since she will be heading home tomorrow, please direct all correspondence :-) to the house in Atlanta. If you need that address, please leave me a note with your e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

Thanks so much for the love.

GoFightWin!



Yesterday was the beginning of a good week.

It began with a benefit BBQ which was held at Leesburg United Methodist Church ... but it wasn't just the Methodists who showed up. ☺ The volunteers decorated tables, prepared "to-go" boxes, served tables, manned the money box, and cleaned up. And the volunteers in the kitchen got to wear specially made "GoFightWin!" aprons.  And on top of all that, it was a very successful fundraiser!! Those people in Leesburg sure do love my sister...and that makes me feel very good.

Those are the take-out boxes

But wait! There's more good news!

This morning, I received the following e-mail from Lisa (Get ready to be excited!)

******************************************************************************

Mom is ENGRAFTING!! Her counts went up to 1.1 today and the doctors said the official word.

AND . . .

She is going to start taking her medicines orally rather than intravenously which is a step toward getting the release to go home. Dr. Langston said she might get to go home on Wednesday!!!!

Her mouth still hurts, but the swelling has gone down and the pain is a little less.

Keep sending positive thoughts.

GFW,

~Lisa

******************************************************************************

To all of you who check this blog and pray for Laura and have fundraising BBQ's, and do practical things to help her like bringing meals and checking on her house and running errands and sending cards and cooking for her and just plain loving Laura:
our family (Clif, Emily, Lisa, Robert, Mary Celeste, and I -- along with our extended family) says:
THANK YOU!!! What a GREAT BIG BLESSING you are to all of us.

Thank you for your continued prayers.
We love you.

More specifics from Lisa:

Well, even though mom's birthday was a really hard day (maybe the worst day she's had), today she is much better. Her White Blood Count went up from 0.3 to 0.5. And when Dr. Langston came in today she said "I feel pretty confident that this is an indication that engraftment is starting." Although they can't say 100% that the new cells are engrafting, those words were really encouraging.

There is, however, something that is a bit of a concern. She has a case of mucositis in her mouth. It's not anything they are extremely concerned about, however, it is the source of a lot of pain and the lack of appetite for mom. They are taking her off one of her medicines that is suppressing her immune system, so the hope is that it will alleviate the pain and get rid of the infection.

We also were told by our nurse today that if engraftment really is taking place and we continue to see her WBC go up, there is a big possiblity of her getting to go home at the end of the week!!!!! (home meaning the house in Atlanta)

We still have a long road ahead of us, but she's taking it one step at a time and right now she is on the right path. :)

Also, some people are asking what exactly engraftment means. The definition as given by Emory: "Engraftment is a term the doctors use to describe the point when the stem cells start doing their job and blood cell counts start to come up." Hopefully that helps.

I received a text message this morning from Lisa telling me that Laura's WBC is now at .5!!!! Doctors still are not ready to say engraftment is taking place, but it's a very good sign.

Laura is still in pain, but I KNOW she's feeling better than yesterday because (1) she was on Facebook this morning and (2) she forwarded me a photo from the barbeque that her church is having for her. Yesterday, she didn't even really want to talk on the phone. How active she is on the phone or the computer is a sign of how she feels...at least, that's my theory.

I have received a few photos of what's happening at the barbeque (will post photos of that later). Looks like so much fun. And, I saw some ladies in the kitchen gettin' ready to serve and they were wearing some very cute aprons! (GFW!)

Yesterday was a pretty tough day, but today is better and I think THAT is a sign that her new year has begun!