Finally, an UPDATE!

For whatever reason, I can get into the blog today, so here I am.I will try to update you from the last point I posted.On December 27th, the levels in my system appeared to show remission after only four weeks on the oral chemo cocktail. The doctor was shocked as were we when he told us. Of course, I must say that all of the prayers that have been said and are still being said was the reason for the dramatic remission I experienced.
After the good news of the remission, I had trouble with high blood pressure that has ultimately been taken care of with medicines.
I stopped working at the PD on December 27th due to the high blood pressure, and chemo meds which caused a great deal of mental confusion and blurred vision. I couldn’t read the computer, nor could I drive. That was a real wake up call for us.
Then, on January 5th, I began to experience severe swelling in my right leg, complete with a great deal of pain. I was already scheduled to go to UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) on Monday, the 8th, for my initial consultation with the oncology team there, but on Monday morning, Donnie called my doctor and he had us come in to the office so he could take a look at the leg. After an ultrasound, I was ordered straight to the hospital where I would spend the next week on more blood thinners to get rid of the blood clot (DVT) that had formed. I was disappointed to have missed the UIC appointment. It was rescheduled for January 22nd. The DVT was still present even then and was a major concern to my doctors, so I had to get rid of the DVT before I could continue any further treatment, including the oral chemo.
Finally, on February 13th, I was put back on the oral chemo meds. The doctor wants me to continue the therapy for three months and have another bone marrow biopsy, to see how much cancer is in the marrow before I can go to UIC for the bone marrow harvest and IV chemotherapy. They want to make sure that the harvest is as “clean” as it can be so that I can get a good outcome when they reintroduce the stem cells.
Therefore, we are still looking at May 2007 for the stay at UIC. I was hoping to be up there this winter to get through the treatment while the weather was bad, but it was not meant to be.
I have had friends and strangers alike sending special messages, prayers, and gifts. A number of people have told me that they have signed up in my honor to walk, run, ride, and donate to the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraisers that are being held this year. It is a real tribute to people's tender hearts to be thought of in this manner . I so appreciate the thoughts and efforts of friends and family to educate people about Multiple Myeloma.
So, until next time, thank you all for the prayers, love, and support.