almost done

We are on the last leg of this race!  Barb has had another rough time with the treatment.  I thought the first week and a half we might come home a week early (like last friday).  However when I arrived last Thursday the chemo had taken her to that terrible place.  I ask for the neurologist to see her again which they did, and ordered a EEG and a CT Scan.  They didn't think she could stay still enough for a MRI.  The test showed that she was having Metabolic activities not seizures.  That was a real comfort to me.  She again struggled with simple questions and general knowledge.  I was so scared she would leave us again!  We had a rough 3 days and she began to do a little better, and get a little clearer.  I ask Clay if he agreed with me to take her off all pain meds except the ones she had had at home.  He agreed!  and by the 3 days end she lifted from the fog.  Today she has had a bone marrow biopsy and they (with permission) gave her morphine to help with her pain, but she slept for 3 hours and is still sleepy!  and a little confused when she woke up to eat lunch.  If sleeping will  heal her, she will be well by the time this wears off.

She will need drip antibiotics through the weekend to bring her CPR back down to 10 it is now at 88 after being 340ish.  Her WBC are fluctuating but the Doc says that is good,  she is rebuilding cells.  By Tuesday he plans to release her, to stay in LR one night, then we will see Dr. Barlogie then come home!!

It has been a very tough time but we have seen God in all of this!  He has answered so many prayers for us and others have seen Him through the whole process.  If they were not sure about how much He is in control of our lives and he cares for His own, they sure saw it during this healing process.

Thank you all for your continuos prayers and love, cards, calls, text and emails!  We could not have made it through this time in our lives had it not been for your encouragement!!

Malachi 4:2  But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.  And you will go free,  leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.  NLT

Red Splotches everywhere!!!

I am back in Little Rock - It is good to see Barb getting around so well.  The only problem right now are these awful red splotches all over her, literally from head to toe!  They don't really itch but look like she has been scalded with hot water.  Her head has red on it but doesn't look as bad as her legs.

She was suppose to get the stem cell transplant tomorrow but it has been put off till Monday.  The chemo is finished and they did a bone marrow test around 10:30 this morning.  They were in the room when I got here today.  We should know something tomorrow (we hope) or Monday at the latest.   They were wanting to see if the chemo did all it was suppose to do, if not they could give her another kind of chemo for a day or two, then give the stem cells.  If they give the stem cells first and then have to give more chemo it would be a waste of cells as the chemo would kill them.  So for now it is "wait and see".


Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
Micah7:7  As for me, I look to the LORD for help.  I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

Back in Little Rock

I know many of you have checked the blog and found nothing! Sorry!  It has been a whirlwind of a week!  or two!

I brought Barb back Thurs. the 14.  As soon as she came to and her thoughts began gathering, she began planning to be home for her Birthday which was the 16th.    She was so busy giving everyone instruction from Little Rock, I called Sheroll and told her to take away that phone!!!(haha) it was really wonderful to hear her in control!  She was an administrative Assistant to the Fayetteville UAMS Diretor of Nursing Education, so she knows how to get things done.  She, Don & Sheroll checked out of the hospital and into a hotel on Tuesday, I came down for an EHC meeting and stayed at the same hotel with a group of ladies.  Clay came down on Wednesday to see Dr. Barlogie with her . Since I drove separately  I could follow her and Clay home in case she needed to stop on the 3 hour drive, then I could help. At check out they got her prescriptions for a month and thought they were heading home as soon as she saw the Doctor. Did things take a turn then - Dr. Barlogie told them(she & Clay)  she would need to come back down to repeat the chemo on Monday!!! Not the plan they expected!  He also told her she would need to have a bone marrow test before going home! So one more night! As it was I stayed with her and took her to have the test early and then we came on home.   We did not expect to do a second round!  The Doctors had only told them of a 7 day drip with a piggy back of another chemo added in.  

  It was so nice having her home!  She was surrounded by family and friends and although she enjoyed those visits the best was her Grandsons!!! there was a baby in her lap as much as possible and the oldest one was such a joy to watch and be entertained by, he is such a joker! just like his dad!!!

I took her back to Little Rock last Wed. to do it all over again!  She will finish the drip Thursday and then have another Stem Cell Transplant on Friday.  We ask you to pray that it will go well this time and she not have the complications that she did last time!!  I will go back down tomorrow and stay till Saturday.  So I will be there when she gets her stem cells and Clay will be there the rest of the week end.  We should notice any changes, but with Gods help she will do just fine!!!  He is Jehovah Rophe after all!!! Our Healer!

Psalm 21: 2 -4
You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

God's Protection in the night!!!

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.

I can't began to tell you the ride we have been on!  Seeing God answer our prayers every step of the way has been awesome!

I returned on Wednesday (March 6) to replace Darcy.  Clay was staying till things made a change good or bad!  Things were very bad.  Clay and I had talked about calling the kids and let them know how bad it was.  The neurologist add ruled out stroke, and with the spinal tap had ruled out infection and fungus on the brain.  The wanted another spinal tap to look to see if the cancer had spread to her brain.  This was our greatest fear!   I suggested Clay go to the hotel and try to rest about 9 pm.  During the day the neurologist had started an anti-seizure med on Barb.  At 10 oclock Barb woke up (just as JJ had prayed) she wanted a drink  (she had not drank much for days) I ask if she'd like to brush her teeth she said yes and I washed her face, then I ask if she'd like to talk to Clay, she ask where he was and then I called him.  She said "Hey Babe" and they talked a short time.  I called KK but Clay had called her too, so happy to talk to Barb.  KK called and ask to talk to her mom. We were all rejoicing!.  At 11 the resident neurologist came in and told me they had found the reason Barb was not responding, she was having silent seizures.  They said the 1st spinal tap didn't show cancer  (2nd spinal tap on the 12 th still did not show cancer on the brain!) and that he wanted to give her Adivan and Dilantin to stop the seizures.  I knew Adivan was on her do not take list.  I told him not to give it, then he told me her brain would just fry from the constant firing!  I said give it to her. (what difference would it make if she was confused and hallucinating if her brain was gone!)  She cleared up in an instant! but  as everyone except the nurse left, things changed!  It was the scariest night of my life!

I had prayed over her earlier that day asking God so send his ministering angels to her and hover over her and protect her through the night.  And did HE ever!  After answering the Doctors questions, I went to write on the blog, only got a couple of thoughts written when she coughed.  I got a wash cloth and went to let her wash her mouth out.  Her eyes rolled back her, head went up and back and I called the nurse over, she said get the Dr. she hit the code blue button and things happened fast!  I paced in the hall, got on my Knees! and then called Clay.  After an hour Barb was stabilized  we were sent to ICU for the rest of the night.  At 2 am I went to the motel to sleep 4 hours and return to insist Clay go get some sleep!  We were out of the woods!  We had to move out of  722 (room) as soon as we got her to ICU!  The 7th floor is the floor for Myeloma Patients and has only nurses who have dealt with Myeloma / Leukemia treatments.  We were put on the 9th floor when we returned.  But we had great nurses there too just not immediately.  The 7 th floor limits the nurses to 3 maybe 4 patients, where the 9th had 5 - 6 .

When Barb and I spoke in the morning of the 7th the first thing she said was "I died"  I told her no she was ok, she ask if she was going to be OK.  I then read from Jesus is Calling which directed us to Ps. 63:6 & 7 "When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy."  Barb said that is where I was - - - In the shadow of His wings"  How Good is God to show us His Power and Love at the same time!!!

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, So that by the Power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Need Prayer!!!!

When I arrived Saturday I noticed Barb wasn't talking much, which is abnormal for those of you who know her!  However it could be that way between us!  As I spent more alone time with her I noticed she wasn't responding to me in more than a word or two.  I had to give her instructions on how to do everyday functions.  Getting into the bed was step by step instructions.  I got very concerned as the day wore on.  I talked to the nurse around 5 and she came in to observe, she was also concerned.  Things got to hopping.

We had a nasal endoscopy done! ouch!!! don't want one of those!  They are were looking for a fungus sinusitis but did not find it.  She does have acute sinusitis which they said they would do sinus rinses but so far nothing has been done because of other test!

We had an MRI at 12:30 am looking at her brain, sinus, chest and stomach.  I guess it is more of a base line and they will do another one in a day or so.

We slept very little and this morning things were not better as I had hoped (prayed)  A neurologist came in and ask a lot of questions that Barb really could not answer.  She could not even tell him my name, she knew I was her sister but not my name.  Later today she ask (out of the blue) "Is Donald going to come back today?"

Then about an hour later 2 girls came in to do a EEG, and 3 Neurologist came back in to see for them selves what was going on?  They had seen lesions in the back of her brain, and they did not look like having a stroke but the results is similar.  They are unsure what is going on with her but will continue to look at things.  They ordered a Spinal Tap for tomorrow morning.  She will need probably 2 bags of platelets as the count will be above 50 for a few hours.

Her counts are rising!  her WBC was at 2.45 today, that is a 1.43 increase from yesterday, so normally this would be a good thing.  I had hoped and expected to bring her home on Friday the 8th!

So I ask now for prayers that God will move this cloud of confusion.  That He will hear our cries for healing so that we could still bring her home on the mend!

2 Samuel 22:7  "In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called.  From his temple he heard           my voice, and my cry came to his ears.

Saturday March 3

It was a quick but long drive down!  By that I mean, all went well but I got very sleepy this morning.  Jim was at the Mens conference at Cross Church, so I couldn't call him and I talked to mom 2 times.  So I put on Tammie Scoggins Heartbeat CD from several years back, turned it up loud and cruised on in to LR! Thank you Tammie! I still love hearing your voice, and the title song "Heart Beat" was wonderful!

Barb got her own Stem Cells  yesterday! They were part of the harvest from 3 years ago when being treated for the Multiple Myeloma .  Dr. Barlogie came in Thursday and said he felt like this was what we should do.  He said she may rebound next week by her self but with the results they were getting now, it could only help.!  So she got a batch at noon Friday.  Her white counts were up again today!  .53 that is such a jump from .19 or .09 like they have been.  So hopefully this is a good sign.  I hope I can bring home next week.  He felt like 7-10 days she would be ready to travel.

1 Chronicles 16:34  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for this steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 44 :8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

Cancer in check!

I came home Sunday, Kara brought Mom down after church and I waited so they could visit 1 1/2 hours.  Mom brought Snicker Doodles and Choc. Chip cookies for either Barb or caregivers could enjoy them.  It is a long 6 hour trip for her to come to visit such a short time but she is glad we are taking her.
I was going to go back Thurs to Mon but  My daughter's son had had the stomach bug starting last Thurs. but had gone back to school  on Mon. He was sent home because he supposedly had "D" and wasn't to return till clear 24 hours.  Both parents had business out of town, she  flew to  New York on Monday, and husband flew out to Pennsylvania Tues. morning. So I had Bryn Mon. & Dayse on Tues. He was fine until 3 and then he start complaining about his tummy to the point of hollering.  I ended up taking him to the hospital (since Dr. felt it might be an appendicitis) We were there until 9, the other grandmother came too.  (I didn't want my daughter to come home to a sick boy and it would be harder to take him late at night and have another child to keep up with) Grandpa took Bryn home, since we seem to going to be there a while.  The Dr. put an IV in and gave Dayse some ZoFran for nausea and a bag of fluid.  After X-rays, blood draw, and urine sample, they said it didn't look like appendix, but to keep him on liquids for 2 days and he could go back to school Fri.  They seem to think he had just not gotten over the stomach bug yet.   Sooooo all that to say I feel like I need to stay home for 48 hours to make sure I am not caring a bug to Barb.

On Monday They gave her platelets so that they could do another bone marrow biopsy.  When platelets are to low (hers @10) There is a danger of bleeding. With her stomach hurting so bad she just wasn't sure she could do it (lays on her stomach for the procedure).  They gave her morphine
first , this time it seem to help she didn't think it was too bad.  Then that afternoon they did another CT Scan to again look for the source of pain.  This time they saw a blockage in the small intestine, Options: all fluids including meds, take Go Lightly (like for a colonoscopy) or lastly surgery!  When the platelets are that low it is really not an option!  I pulled a skin tag off her lip when I got there last week (at her request) I thought she would bleed to death before I could get it to stop!  Ice in a wash cloth.  They think the fluids will cause her to pass the blockage.

Then on Wed. we got the word that the cancer is in check the counts of Accute Myloid Lukeimia went from 35% to 3-4%!  yea!!  Now the focus is on getting her well enough to come home and continue treatment here!  While she is having to receive blood and platelets every day she will not leave the hospital.  So Pray specifically that she can start to grow her own WBC RBC and Platelets and that the CRP continue to diminish.

Psalms 6: 2  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.  (My whole body is in pain and needs your healing touch)

Psalms 30:2  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

Praise God, we have a loving father who hears our cries and he is in control of our very being!  I am trusting in his will for Barb, and that we all are praying more and trusting and we all have our eyes on Him as he wants us to do!