October 22, 2008

I went to the James this morning for my Bone Marrow Biopsy follow up. We got great news we have achieved first remission, my counts are all up & within normal limits so I will not congest you with the lab numbers except for the cancer blast cells in my bone marrow are at 1% & there are no cancer blast cells in my peripheral blood. My Dr. is very pleased with my progress so far. We did find out that my sister is not a match for a Bone Marrow Transplant, but my Dr. feels that is ok at this point she is not looking for a match because my treatment & recovery is going so well.

My Dr. scheduled my next admission to the James for November 3, 2008. Best case scenario I will be in there until the 7th or the 8th which should work out well with the follow on treatments staggered to allow me to be home for the holidays. She gave me a paperwork for the BMV, I get a lovely blue handicap tag for my window. She also gave me a prescription for Chantix. I quit smoking back before I was admitted but Marcus has been smoking like a freight train so it is for him. I hope it works.

I went to Hope's Boutique on Dublin Granville road to get fitted for a wig. I was going to try to make it without one, but it is just not happening. We went to Walmart last night & my head froze with just a dew rag on it. Plus with my good prognosis I hope to be returning to work after the first of the year even though my hair will not so, I might as well get used to it. I figure I will be bald for about 9 months, well see. It wasn't so bad when it was warm out but now that it is cold well it's another story.

I know I have not posted in a few days, I did make it up to Lima on Monday. My Grandmother is out of the hospital & is doing better. My Aunt Sue & Uncle David came up from Texas & were at her house when I visited so it was good to see them as well. On my way out of town I stopped by real quick to see my Aunt Bonnie & she was heart broken to tell me my cat Emmit had died, and of all things to die from it was Leukemia. He was an old cat & I told her it was ok because he lived a long cat life (he was 16 years old).

Other than my Lima visit I have been relaxing at home. The kids have been doing better at their chores. Zack seems to be more mellow now that I am home. Misty has been sick & bed bound all weekend & Monday. She finally went to the VA Clinic in Columbus yesterday & has pneumonia. So she has a lot of medicine for that.

Thank you to everyone that is sending in donations we really appreciate it. I try to update you all on the contributors section even though some of you have stated you do not want any recognition for it. It is important to me to recognize what you are doing for us to make this process easier. I also want to send a special thanks out to my supervisors & friends at the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Preparedness who participated in my honor at the Light the Night Walk in Columbus. This is a great cause through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), they fund lifesaving cancer research that has helped patients live better, longer lives.

Captain Kathy Putt, my old supervisor & my friend from the Ohio Reformatory for Women called me tonight to let me know her daughter Natasha along with her friends at High Point vocational school in Bellefountain will be donating blood for the first time of their life at age 17 & they will be doing so in my honor as well.

MSgt Joesph Drake & Major Sandusky are gearing up for the 445th Airlift Wing wide Bone Marrow Donor Drive in my honor as well. The first one was for the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (my squadron) in September, they were able to register over 60 potential bone marrow donors.

So many people have come together in this fight with me. No one should ever have to go through something like this on their own. Many of you know me personally however, some of you do not & yet you are still supporting me. It is very empowering & I am speechless at moments when I think about it. Let me tell you it takes a lot to get me speechless. Thank you all so very much, together we are winning this fight.