Day +16/update

Hello Friends,

It's Bill here....Erin continues to experience abdominal pain and had a fitful night last night unable to find a comfortable position. They increased her basal rate for the pain med overnight but it does not seem to have helped much. She slept on and off through most of the day yesterday and struggled to get 2 laps in because the doctor had stressed the importance of getting up and moving around. We should hear results from the MRI and the X-ray of her abdomen today. We are just praying that they will indicate no major issues but provide clarity in what is required to alleviate Erin's pain. While she is getting nourishment through her line, she still has only been able to drink water and juice. She took one pill last night and threw up 15 minutes later. The good news is that her numbers look good. Her counts are all holding their own and the numbers associated with her liver and kidney functions are good. That is a great praise! Now if we could just figure out what is causing her pain.

Yesterday evening we were informed that the emergency room here at Emory had received a number of patients with Swine Flu and that they were implementing increased precautions on the transplant floor requiring masks and gowns for eveyone and limiting visitors to 2 persons in the room at a time. They also indicated that no students including high school or college were allowed to visit. This of course means Laura cannot be around Erin now and although they said teachers were okay, Amanda and Kyle are afraid of bringing anything in that might be contagious. Please pray for all those affected by this Flu and that it's spread can be contained.

At this point there's not much more to report. We'll update when we get further results from the doctor. In the meantime, thank you for the continued prayers and support!

"O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. "Selah" Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant." - Psalms 143: 1-12

Blessings,

Bill

Update, The results are in, there is no VOD or obstruction of any kind. Halleluia, lots of happy tears here. Thank you Lord!! There is some inflamation in her liver and gallbladder and lymph nodes but they said that it is drug related and will fix itself. The fluid shift she is experiencing with the ascites is common after transplant and will take time to balance out. All good news. Thanks for the extra prayers. We are humbled each day by the love and encouragement of the body of Christ. blessings, janet

Sunday Day 15

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Thanks for the coverage. We have just seen the Dr and they don't have any answers on the MRI yet but they have ordered another x-ray of her abdomen. She has ascites and her liver enzymes are going up. They said her BUN is going down so that is good but they can't really say what is going on yet. So we are still praying it all goes away on it's own. Unfortunately, Erin is miserable. She hardly slept at all, she just kept changing positions and hitting her pain button. She has her big bag of IV food up and we have come up with many possible white foods it could contain...Lobster bisque, Fettucini Alfredo, Mashed Potatoes, Vanilla milkshake... Anyway, she doesn't act like Superman yet. They are giving her another liquid to drink that is supposed to help pull the fluid off of her abdomen. Thankfully, Erin is still so full of pain medicine she probably won't remember it. So here we are, waiting on pain relief, waiting on test results, waiting on a return to something close to normalcy. But we know God is working while we are waiting, just like Cindy said yesterday. One praise is that her WBC continues to climb, it is 4.8 today and her platelets are holding their own. Anyway, thanks for your prayers. This has probably been too much info again but I don't know what else to do. blessings, janet

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'"Isaiah 35:3-4

Day +14

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Thanks for all your prayers. We are in a bit of a low this morning. All the IV meds Erin has been taking were converted to pills yesterday and she has thrown them up twice. She also still has a lot of stomach pain so we are converting back to IVs and adding TPN, which is food, through her IV. She hasn;t eaten more than a bite of anything in 9-10 days. I am praying this will turn things around for her. Her GI system needs some rest, but her body needs food. They were hoping we would go home early this week but now I doubt it. Erin needs to be able to eat well and take pills before we go anywhere. She still has not had the MRI of her liver. It is to be done today but the results won't be in until Monday. Please pray for good results. VOD is a possiblilty we don't want to tangle with. She has been through enough and we want to avoid any other complications. On the positive side, her WBC is 4.4 today which means her donor cells are doing their thing!! Graft baby graft!! Also Erin walked 5 laps yesterday and has already done 3 laps today because Amanda forced her at 6 a.m. Go sis! We are thankful for Erin's progress and are eagerly anticipating more healing! So please help us out with some serious prayer time. We are overwhelmed. blessings, janet

"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." Psalm 86:1-4

Day +13

Hello Friends....it's Bill here,

Erin continued to do pretty well yesterday which is a huge praise! She was able to get a shower and walked 5 laps. The doctors reduced the basal rate (steady delivery) of her pain med by half yesterday and are wanting to continue to reduce it. They said they think the worst is over and if she can eat and swallow pills then she may be able to go home by middle of next week! That would be earlier than we were expecting and a huge blessing!! Her counts continue to climb and her WBC today is 2.8. She will be getting more platelets today as they continue to be low. The doctor ordered an ultrasound of Erin's liver which they did around 10:00 pm last night. It came back clear this morning but because Erin is still experiencing abdominal pain, they are scheduling an MRI today to get a better look. Evidently, it is not uncommon for chemo patients to develop a condition called VOD in the liver which is treatable but will normally clear itself up.

All in all, Erin is doing much better. The doctor gave her a goal of 7 laps today and she told him she planned to go for 10 laps. Her voice is getting stonger and her sense of humor is coming back as well. She had severe stomach pain about 4:00 a.m. this morning and required some additional pain med. This led to some interesting E.U.I. conversations and at one point she stood up and said she was going upstairs for something and I had to convince her to go back to bed (I think that may be something she inherited from me and is completely normal behavior!)

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." - Isaiah 58:8

May God bless you and keep you in his steadfast care - Bill

Progress!! Day +12

Praising God this morning for yesterday's progress. Around 3:00 yesterday Erin got out of bed and said I want to play cards. Well O.K.!! She hadn't even sat in a chair in days. So we sat down at the table and she asked for water and took a swallow. Then she started crying with joy and said "Call Everybody!" Well we were truly celebrating...then she beat me at Gin Rummy! She also took some sips of chicken noodle soup and ate some canned sliced peaches. Can you believe that?? It was a miracle plain and simple. Thank you Lord!! WooHoo!! We had a nice visit after that from 2 Amandas and learned how to make Origami Lilies. How fun. Great Day!! We are hopeful that today will also be a day of Victories.

Erin seemed to sleep well. She got platelets at 4 a.m. but I don't think she needs blood today. She got both yesterday. She is getting her color back but she still has stomach pain. The decreased PCA was good for her obviously but she still needed her button occasionally. They just told us that her WBC is 2.4 today and her ANC is 1100 which is huge!! God is so faithful!!

Thank you again for all your prayers. We still have a long way to go and need your continued prayers. They are a true blessing to us. hugs, janet

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:1-6

Day +11

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, WooHoo for Day 11!! Erin's WBC is 1.4 today which is more than double yesterday. Grafting is happening!! Thank you Lord!! Erin still has not swallowed anything but I am very hopeful for today. She walked 5 laps yesterday. It took all her willpower! She had a blue kind of day. I can't decide which med is causing that but I can't take it!! She has been so positive until now. But then again, if I missed 6 days of eating and drinking, I would be bummed too!! So please pray for her spirits to soar like her numbers are. They are cutting down her pain med some today so maybe she will be more alert and able to participate in her care. She really has slept 95% of the last 4 days. I think that is an answer to her prayer though. She told me she just wanted to wake up when it is all over. And I don't blame her. But today is a new day and we have healing to do, laps to walk, water to drink and grafting to happen. Praising God that His mercies are new every morning!! Thanks for the prayers. Please keep them up. blessings, janet

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Psalm 63:1-5

Day +10

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Hurray for day +10. As you may recall, the Dr said she would start feeling better on days 10-14. Erin is still asleep but I am so hopeful that she will feel a little better today. We had a BIG day yesterday. She actually walked a lap. I know it doesn't sound like much compared to 21 (a mile), but it is huge for her, as bad as she has been feeling. We really celebrated it. She did not throw up last night so that is another praise. Her WBC is 0.6 today which is another huge praise. That means her new cells are starting to provide the needed recovery. Her mouth and GI track should start to heal and then maybe she can swallow. Are you as excited as we are?? WooHoo, thank you Lord!! She is still very heavily medicated and delirious at times, but maybe she can wean off of some of that today. She sat up around 5 this morning and said she needed to go check on Charlie. He is one of the kids she babysits. So "Hi" out there to Charlie, Erin is thinking of you.
Thank you all for your prayers. You have really helped us keep our focus through all this. There has been a peace in my heart for the last week that can only be the Holy Spirit. I know that He is here in this room calming us and guarding our hearts against fear and despair. Only a loving God would do that. And I know your prayers helped sustain us in that peace. We love you for that. Please keep praying for Erin to heal like crazy! blessings, janet

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:4-7

Day +9

Hi Friends....it's Bill again,

Erin continued to be in a fog of pain meds and slept most of the day Sunday. She had a bout of nausea in the morning and another late last night. They continue to adjust her meds to find a balance between controlling the pain and not making her incoherent. She finally came out of the fog a little last night. She has received 3 platelet transfusions in the past two days. She still has not eaten since Thursday and has not really had anything to drink save for rinsing her mouth out. While the pain is somewhat under control, she is so tired, thirsty, hungry and frustrated. The doctors tell us this is the worst of it and she should start feeling better over the next couple days. Her WBC showed a modest sign of improvement this morning at .3 (it had been showing <.3) and hopefully that is a sign that her new cells are starting to work. She needs her white cells to deal with the mouth sores and raw throat. It is an understatement to say that we are all ready to emerge from this darkness into the light of a new day! I've had the song "Trading My Sorrows" stuck in my head the last few days and decided to post the scriptural basis of the song for today:

"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. " - 2 Corinthians 4: 6-9

Blessings on you as you sing it with us!

-Bill

P.S. Our sincere thanks to the generous but nameless soul or souls who so graciously cut our grass and also dropped off new lawncare equipment. We would love to know who you are so we can thank you in person!!

Day +8

Happy Sabbath Dear Ones, thanks for the prayers. We are plugging along here day by day by the grace of God. I don't know how these patients do this! Hopefully Erin won't remember this week when it's all over. It has been so hard on her. She had another fitful night, lots of vomiting and pain. The only med they found to control her vomiting is a pill and she can't swallow, so she just throws up every time she gets up to the bathroom. Isn't that pleasant to hear about first thing in the morning? Sorry, it is just our reality right now. I forgot to tell you she spiked a temp on friday so they did a chest X-ray and added 2 more antibiotics to her list. The x-ray came back fine. Sometimes the chemo meds reek havoc with your thermostat. Most times they never pinpoint a cause of the fever. Anyway, we are just praying these days pass quickly so she can breathe normally and eat and drink.
On the bright side, Erin is still funny and charming in her Dilaudid fog. She was pretty delirious all day yesterday and last night. They are turning down her PCA a bit today so she can come back to normal a little. It is a difficult balance. Please pray for pain relief, no nausea and of course complete healing. Our perspectives are forever changed by this journey and for that we are grateful. We hope this glimpse into our lives has blessed you with a new perspective as well. God is faithful to walk with us in good times and in bad. We will never take that for granted again. Thanks be to God! love, janet

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Day +7

Dear Prayer Warriors, thanks for the ideas for the list. You all are inspired. Erin will have many wonderful things to look forward to when she is able to play. We are praising God right along with you that Erin has maintained her sense of humor. She played hangman last night by using sign language. Actually at one point, Amanda had her writing the letters with her foot. Erin still can't talk or swallow or breathe with her mouth shut, but she still loves a good game of hangman. She watched alot of Wheel of Fortune during her recovery last year and she is pretty good. She might even beat Cioffi.
She spent a fairly miserable night trying to sleep sitting up so she could breathe. Ever had one of those nights when you had a head cold and couldn't breathe? That explains this week for Erin. She also had an episode last night that almost made Amanda pass out. They ended up giving Erin platelets in the middle of the night because of it. She will also need blood today. Please pray for the generous spirit of all the blood donors out there. All these patients completely rely on their donations. Last year Erin had 40 transfusions. This year she will get lots more. Our family made it their goal to give back as many pints as Erin received. That seemed like such a reachable goal, but now I don't know if we can ever give that much!
Today we are thanking God for you, for laughter, for selfless blood donors, and for our hope for the future through Jesus. We are blessed! May you be blessed as well. janet

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Day +6

Hi Guys....it's Bill here,

Erin continues to have severe mouth and throat pain. She was able to eat a baked potato for dinner (said it was "delicious") and complete her 21 laps (a mile). During the night her mouth got very dry and she had difficulty swallowing and felt like she was choking just trying to sip water. So they are trying to adjust the pain med rates to get her comfortable. The doctors tell us we're at the low point and this is usually the worst part of the process. Erin got platelets yesterday. Her counts are still bottomed out: WBC <.3, platelets are 21 this morning (they increased her transfusion threshold to 20) so she'll likely need another transfusion tomorrow, and her HCT was 29.1 (transfuse at 27). She could not get back to sleep this morning so we watched "Home Alone" at 6:00 a.m. followed by "Elf". She had been wanting to watch Christmas movies for the last couple days.

Even though Erin is having a rough go of it and is pretty heavily medicated, she still manages to keep us laughing. I wanted to share with you a few of her quotable quotes while she is E.U.I. (Erin Under the Influence). She has had trouble speaking and has been whispering everything. At one point Amanda was having difficulty understanding what Erin was trying to tell her and finally Erin said "I'm a lot funnier if you can hear me". At another point she started snapping her fingers and told Janet that she was trying to get Coalbie and Moonie (our dogs) off the couch. When Janet told her the dogs were at home, she said "I know that". Later when Janet was plugging her pump in after walking, Erin said "Thanks for putting my bike away". When told she hadn't ridden her bike in years, she said she actually meant to say thanks for plugging in her pump. During another conversation she said " I know this sounds crazy, but am I supposed to visit Eunice for some reason? Because I can't sit next to Grandmommy on the plane if she is going to hold that plant....I'm not allowed near plants!" Now Grandmommy was not present at the time and obviously there was no plant or plane either.

Today's scripture is about Jesus Calming the Storm:

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." - Luke 8: 22-25

I will close for now with our heartfelt thanks to all of you again for weathering this storm with us. Your prayers and encouragement are a source of great comfort and we thank God for blessing us with your presence in our lives!

Blessings....Bill

P.S. Janet here- I think it is so funny that Bill is tattling on Erin's delusions when he is the king of nighttime hallucinations!! Ha.

Day +5

Dear Prayer Warriors, Thanks for checking in. Erin is still in a lot of pain. They just set up a PCA for her pain. It gives a continuous dose and then she has a button to push for more medicine. Hope that works for her. Basically her mouth, throat and whole GI system are raw and every swallow is painful. We are back in the smoothie making business, cuz cold goes down easier. Please pray for pain relief. The Dr just came in and said we can expect this phase to last a week before her numbers come up and her mouth heals. We are just thankful that this too shall pass. There is a light at the end of this tunnel! Our list of 90 things to do after transplant is only on # 37, so we need some suggestions. And while you are thinking of fun things for Erin, plan some for yourself! Have a rock, paper, crazy day!! janet

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your converstion be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:2-6

Day +4

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Thanks for your continued prayers. We feel them for sure. Erin is still in a lot of pain and they did an x-ray just now to see if anything else could be going on. She was able to eat a few bites of food last night and it stayed down so that is a huge praise. Unfortunately she stays on a lot of pain medicine for her stomach pain, so she spends most of her time sleeping off the medicine and doesn't have much time to eat and walk. She is currently getting blood. They gave her O neg, not because she has converted yet, but because they may not have had any A+. Don't really understand. But thanks to all you blood donors again. We are very thankful. Please pray for no pain, no nausea and perfect grafting. We need her donor cells to kick the Leukemia to the curb! God is in control and He will move this mountain! I just have this peace about it. One day at a time Sweet Jesus, that's all we're asking from you!! blessings, janet

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Day +3

Dear Prayer Warriors, Thank you for the prayer support. We need it and are so comforted by the love and encouragement. Since Erin's transplant, they start numbering the days +1 to +100. The first 100 days are the most critical for infections etc. So we are on day +3 today. Also they are watching for engraftment on day 10-14. So many numbers to watch. Her counts are still very low but she doesn't need blood yet. Probably tomorrow. Unfortunately, Erin still has a lot of stomach pain and nausea, although I think the nausea is a little better or at least better controlled. She is on as many drugs as they can find that she isn't allergic too. She isn't having any fun, that's for sure. She hasn't eaten anything in 2 days. I know that isn't the record around here but it takes it's toll as well. She is tired of feeling so crummy. Please pray for relief from the stomach pain. We had a nice visit from a former patient yesterday. He rode his bicycle in to visit with folks going through transplant. He had a transplant 10 years ago and is doing great. It was very encouraging to see a success story. So we are praising God for sending a messenger of hope when we need it the most. He is faithful to provide everything in His time. Gotta love it! Hope your day is lovely. blessings, janet

"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." 2 Samuel 22:26-31

Monday, Monday

Hello dear friends....Bill here,

After a very rough Saturday night and Sunday morning, Erin slept most of the rest of Sunday. The medical team is trying to find the right med or combination of meds to alleviate the nausea and the stomach pain. I think the stomach pain is mostly due to the Cyclophosphamide (last chemo drug). She was able to eat a few bites of lunch and some dinner and she begrudgingly got four laps in but really did not feel well doing it. Yesterday was also the first day she got Methotrexate which is a drug to help keep her cells from attacking the new cells she received Saturday. They told us that a side affect of the Methotrexate can be mouth sores, also known as mucositis (for you southerners...that's where the lining of your mouth and intestinal tract peal off and cause alot of pain) and that it will be very important to use the mouth rinse that they provided as often as possible. She had experienced some of that last year and it was no fun so we are praying that she can avoid that side affect this go round. For those of you interested in her counts, it looks like her white cells have bottomed out (<.3), her platelets are down to 69 (they transfuse at <10) and her HCT is at 27.9(they transfuse at <27).

As we await the establishment of the new bone marrow cells, our prayers are for minimal side affects from the meds but at the same time we are told that, in general, a little bit of graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a good thing. What we really want is graft versus Leukemia (the new cells attack the Leukemia cells) and the doctor has told us that the best transplant results occur when there is a little GVHD. I think it is an indicator that the new cells are going to behave differently than her existing cells.

Today's scripture verses are about waiting:

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." - Romans 8:25

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." - Micah 7:7

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" - Isaiah 30:18

We pray God's richest blessings on each of you this day. - Bill

A Whole New World

Dear Prayer Warriors, Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the prayers and birthday wishes. Last night when we turned on the T.V. Aladdin was on and they were singing "A Whole New World" and I thought that was very appropriate for our special day. Erin is doing o.k. She still has a ton of nausea. They are trying to control it, but she is allergic to so many of the antinausea meds, there just isn't anything to help. She is so tired of the golden bucket! She can't get much rest and feels so weak. The Dr. is always urging the walking, so in a moment of God given energy yesterday, she walked her mile. I figure God made her donor cells strong to get her walking so quickly. We were talking with a couple of nurses about our incessant curiosity about who the donor could be and they said alot of times they get donors from the military. So even if it comes from overseas. it doesn't mean the person is European. He could be one of our GIs. Isn't that cool?? Although I must admit we were all looking forward to a trip to Europe in 2 years to meet him. Who knows? He could be a good ole boy from here. Either way, he is our personal hero. We are just so thankful he was willing and able and that the cells arrived safely. I prayed up til the last second as they were spiking the bag. My nurse friends will understand. Sometimes when you spike a bag, the spike goes through and ruins the contents. And we had a trainee doing it. God likes to keep me on my knees every SECOND!! Wow. Please pray for Erin's nausea today too. She is getting Methotrexate to suppress her immune system so her new cells can get going. It causes yet more nausea. Poor baby. We love you for your prayers. blessings, janet

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is make perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Cor 12:9

TRANSPLANT ACCOMPLISHED

Dear ones, Thanks for the prayers. We have just completed the transplant. Hallelujah!! Erin sailed through, thanks be to the Good Lord!! Apparently the donor gave enough for 2 transplants, so they froze the rest in case she needs a boost later. She didn't have any reactions. The tech from the cell lab said they washed off all the plasma so she wouldn't react with the different blood type. Anyway, it went great. The Dr said it will take 10-14 days for engraftment to take place. In the meantime, her counts will drop and she will be in for the other side effects like mouth sores and skin rashes. But I am sure if we all pray real hard, God will ease the way for those as well. We can't thank you all enough for your support through all this. All the nurses came in and sang their version of Happy Birthday and we hung the coveted GA balloons. If I can ever figure out how to post pictures on this blog, I will put the transplant photo on here. Until then, just imagine the fun. As for Erin's night, she had nausea all day and night and is still having a lot of stomach pain. She did manage to walk 8 laps yesterday, so that is good. All in all, everything is going fairly smoothly. We are just praising God for all his grace! We pray that God richly blesses the young man that gave Erin a second chance at life!! May God use her gifts to His Glory. blessings, janet

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Cor 9:15

More Rest

Hey Ya'll.....Bill here,

Erin had a pretty good day and night and that's a huge praise! She still had some stomach pain but was able to eat and hold it down so that was great. Cindy and Ellen came to visit and brought Erin a huge list to hang on the wall titled "90 Fun Things To Do After Transplant." They had 17 suggestions on the list and it is up to Erin to fill in the rest of the list. We are now up to 24 and will consider any suggestions you may have for addition to the list. Li'l sis Laura came back from UGA to hang out with Erin for the afternoon and Davis also stopped by to visit, which is always a blessing. Davis added "Preach the 11:00 O'clock Service" to Erin's Fun list....not sure if Erin would put that in the fun category, but it is on the list. Since they celebrate transplants as a birthday here at the hospital, Erin got her birthday wish which was for an iPhone. It's a cool "everything in it but the kitchen sink" phone, but once again I realize how far behind the times I am when it comes to technology. I am relegated to inheriting the "outdated" stuff when the kids get the latest thing. Laura and I are now in negotiations with Erin about what is to become of her old iPod.

Erin was able to walk a few laps yesterday and we are hoping to get back in the swing with more today :))

Thanks again for the tremendous support through your prayers and encouragement...we feel so blessed to have all of you with us! Today's scripture is one of the many that are hanging on our hospital room walls which offer words of comfort:

"But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.." - Isaiah 43: 1-2

Blessings on each of you this day! -Bill

Rest day 2

Dear Prayer Warriors, Good Morning! Erin is feeling pretty good this morning. Yesterday turned out to be a not so very good day. She was nauseous all day. But by 11 p.m. she started feeling better and slept better than she has in days. So we are praising God this morning for the start of a good day. They informed us yesterday that the transplant will definitely be Saturday morning. The extra day or 2 of rest must be God's way of giving Erin a break. We are in constant prayer for the donor as he is going to have his big day tomorrow. We loved the prayer Cindy Sykes wrote on Tues' blog. Very eloquent. I have referred back to it a couple of times just to pray it again. Thanks Cindy. We are thankful for all your prayers. And we know God is happy with them too!! He loves a cheerful giver and I think that can also apply to intercessory prayer!! Blessings on you all, hugs, janet

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9: 12-15

How perfect is God's word?? WOW!

Day of Rest?

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Today is supposed to be Erin's day of rest, meaning no chemo. Yeah! She had an o.k. night and is feeling a little nausea today but it is better than before. Now the new thing is her skin is super sensitive. That usually happens when her counts are getting ready to drop. We are just thankful to be getting going with this whole process. The transplant could happen tomorrow or Fri. It is rather anticlimactic. It is just a bag of blood through her IV. The cells then migrate to her marrow and set up shop. It takes a few days for the "engraftment" to take place and then the battle begins for dominance. So you can see, prayers are really needed. We appreciate your prayers so much.
Apparently after I left last night, Bill and Jo and Erin had some rousing games of Skip Bo. Now, don't you think it was sly of them to take advantage of Erin while she is on medication? In our family, Erin ALWAYS wins that game. But, alas, Bill and Jo got to win for once. Good thing they don't play for money!
Blessings on your day. May you have a restful day too. hugs, janet

"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16

P.S. AMEN Cindy Sykes

Yucky Chemo

Dear Friends, Good Morning. Erin had a very hard night. I guess the chemo finally caught up with her and she had so much pain and nausea, it took them until just now at 11:30 a.m. to get it under control. It takes several meds combined to get any relief. So we didn't get any sleep and she hasn't been able to hold anything down since yesterday afternoon. She did manage to get some of her walking in yesterday before the side effects started, but we probably won't walk today. She has too much sleeping to catch up on. Today is the last dose of chemo, which has been slightly delayed to allow her premeds to get in her system. So we are praising God to be on the last day of this nasty stuff. Of course most of the side effects will be in the coming days but at least we won't be adding more chemo to her system. Tomorrow is her day of rest as far as medications go and then the transplant will be thurs or fri depending on what time the plane lands. They always want to do the transplant during the day so the Drs are here. Please continue to pray for the donor as his day approaches and pray that the cells arrive safely on the plane.
I picked up a little book in the bookstore yesterday titled 21 Reasons Bad things happen to Good People. I needed to refresh on those scriptures. It is taking me through alot of Job's journey. Talk about trials! Anyway, God is good, He is in charge of all this, and we are so blessed to be in His hands! Thanks for the prayers, this battle is spiritual warfare you know. Thankfully we know who wins!! Go God!! hugs, janet

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you may know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:10-11

New Digs

Greetings Friends....Bill here,

It's been a while since I have had the opportunity to post but now that we are back in the hospital we are settling in to our regular rotation. Erin had a pretty good day and night yesterday. Just a couple minor bouts of feeling nauseous. The doctor had told us that the first few days of this chemo round would be the "honeymoon" phase and that she should get out as much as possible while she is feeling good and her counts are still up. So Erin and Janet walked to the gift shop yesterday morning and then sat outside for a little bit until the heat got to be too much for them. In the afternoon we got word that our favorite room on the floor had been vacated and we could move if we wanted. Of course we had to move! Most of you know that we do not travel light and I must say we have become quite adept at moving the Erin show in a hurry. So we have landed in room E818 which is quite spacious and offers a much better view. Yesterday Erin and her entourage (sisters, Mom, friend Melanie) all completed 2 miles (42 laps)!!! Woohoo!! Our new doctor has set a higher goal for Erin to do 2 miles each day. To keep it interesting, they did different events on each lap such as Charlie's Angels (where you crouch and sneek from nook to nook), basketball drills, hokie pokie, swim strokes, football referee signals, moonwalk, walking like jello, jellyfishes and octopusses...well you get the idea. Erin got sad when Laura had to leave to go back to UGA for the fall semester. I know she really misses her when she is gone. I think this is a tough time for Erin as summer winds down (not exactly the summer she had planned for) and school starts up and she is missing going back to work.

Today Erin started the new chemo drug, Cyclophosphamide, which she gets for an hour today and again tomorrow. This is the one that can be very rough on your bladder, heart, and liver and so they keep her on fluids to help flush the chemo out of her system. Please continue to pray for no side effects from the chemo. This afternoon will be the last dose of Busulfan, so that's a praise.

"And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. " - Matthew 9:35

Thanks to all of you for your continued thoughts and prayers for Erin! You are a constant source of encouragement and strength for us and we know God is listening!

Blessings......Bill

Sunday

Good Sabbath Everyone,
We are plugging right along here on the bone marrow transplant floor. When you have your transplant, they call it your new birthday and hang balloons on your door to celebrate it. When we walk the halls, almost all the doors have big bunches of balloons on them. You get to pick your colors out, but strangely enough, they don't have GA Bulldog balloons, just plain colors. So Grandmommy is on the hunt for a set of Bulldog Balloons. Erin doesn't want to just be plain. Go figure!
6 or 7 days until her transplant depending on when the flight gets in with her new cells. We were talking last night about how her new DNA would be male and she could get away with some fancy crimes undetected. Sounds like a good story for a book doesn't it?
Erin is feeling o.k., just some nausea. She has really been a champ about all the drugs and constant interruptions to her sleep. I am only here every other night and I want to scream every time they come in and flip on the light. I think they need to use Bill's old night vision goggles! Thanks for the prayers! They are so important to all of us. God is loving the conversations! Blessings on you all, janet

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful...Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:2,4-6

sat/day 2.5

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing o.k. this morning, a little nausea starting to rear it's ugly head. She had to get blood last night because they have taken so much she doesn't have much left!
Yesterday the Dr came in and said she shouldn't feel like a prisoner. She said these first 4 days were her last chance to get outside and that she should go for a walk. So we asked if we could take her to a restaurant for lunch and she said yes. We felt like renegades (what's new), and went to a mexican restaurant. She loved it. She definitely got all her walking done.
Amanda stayed over last night and they watched a lot of "Lost" because Amanda never saw it. So, they are starting at the beginning. Crazy show!
Again we want to thank you all for praying us all through this journey. We are blessed to have you as friends. Please pray for Erin's whole body as we proceed. They told us yesterday that some of the upcoming drugs could be toxic to her bladder, liver and heart. Specifically the drug she will get on Tues and Wed is toxic to her bladder and they want her to go to the bathroom every hour for 48 hours straight so the chemo doesn't sit in her bladder damaging it. I guess we will bring in an alarm clock and set it to wake us up all night. Yikes. I know God is in control and he has charged His angels to watch over her and His prayer warriors to cover her constantly. I got an e-mail from an sweet friend that I want to you to read.

We are pressing in on the prayer. When Erin was initially diagnosed I signed up for the "prayer slot" of 3:00-3:30 PM, as I was always in the carpool line for Harrison and it was a consistant reminder to pray----Strangely, I often woke up at 3:00 AM---So I learned to pray then too! So several weeks after Erin's party I started waking up at 3:00 AM--and I said, "God, I need my sleep"---Although, as the Holy Spirit often does, when we awake and pray in obedience, we usually do not feel tired or worn out in the morning. So, I started praying for Erin---just in general, as I didn't really know what to pray for. Several weeks later, Lauren called me late in the evening and had heard (through Facebook maybe?) that Erin had had more tests and the shocking, sad news of the cancer. I was filled with sadness and anger....how could this be?......but in turning to God I am aware that he was setting in place prayer warriors before the cancer had been found again. Know that we all wish there was some physical, tangible thing we could do---walk over hot coals, scream so loud we would scare off the cancer---it is so FRUSTRATING to sit back and watch Erin (and her family) endure all of this-----so, we pray, and we pray and we intercede, knowing that God is hearing our prayers------Always remember that you are loved----Lisa
Isn't it amazing how God works in advance of our needs! Praising!! hugs, janet

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." James 5:15

Day 1

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, I like calling you that so you don't forget you are called to a very special purpose and we need you!! Well, Erin and Laura did o.k. during the night considering they had to draw blood levels every hour all night. Something about wanted to see how she metabolized this drug so they can adjust the dosage for the next time. Anyway, no sleep. But so far, no side effects. Hoping to keep it that way. Yesterday after we finally got into a room and did our cleaning routine and hung up Erin's posters etc, they came in and said they had put us on the list for a "room with a view." Great, but we just cleaned this one!! UGHHH. Anyway, this room is small and by the helipad so the noise level is high. So I guess we will move if we can and clean some more. Jo says they want to keep us moving so all their rooms get cleaned by the OCD team! Ha! That's all the news for now. Thanks for the prayers!! One day at a time! hugs, janet

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.... Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Deut 30:11-14,19-20

Waiting on a room/update

Hello Prayer Warriors, We are here at Emory but just waiting on a room. It has been 5 hours now and we are just sitting in a waiting room. Bummer. The Dr. did come in and say hi and we signed the dreaded consents, but otherwise, nothing. Erin got a bad headache and they gave her a pill and she slept for a while on the sofa in here. Supposedly there are 3 rooms coming open today. I can't imagine anyone would want to stay one second longer than they had to. Thanks for the prayers. More later, hugs, janet

Update, we finally got in a room after 6 hours of waiting. We are in 824E. Like the cheer, 8-2-4-E- who is it you want to see? Erin, Erin, Erin!! Go Team!! Thanks for the prayers. Erin will get started with her first chemo drug tonight. It is Busulfan. That runs 4 days and then they give her something else for 2 days. Don't know much else. Erin is doing her walking right now and Laura is spending the night. Laura has to go back to school on Sunday so this is her only chance to do that. The Dr said she hoped we would be home by Labor Day which is also Laura's birthday so that is a great goal!! Please pray for no nausea, no pain, easy everything!! We love knowing that you all are out there praying lots! It gives us peace. hugs, janet

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1 Go Team!!

crooked wed

Good afternoon Prayer Warriors, Thanks for the prayers. Erin is feeling o.k., just crooked from her procedure yesterday. Laura is working on her, to straighten her neck, but it will take time to heal. We are getting geared up for tomorrow's admission. Not looking forward to it, but also wanting to get it over with so we can get the healing started. I forgot to report that the bone marrow biopsy results saw less than 1% leukemia, which is good. But we still need that miracle! So, keep the prayers flowing please. We know God is working overtime for Erin! Thanks be! We will keep you posted on the journey! Blessings, janet

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:14-16

another central line

Thanks for the prayers. Erin got her new central line today. It has 3 ports instead of 2. The procedure was hard on her and she said she felt alot more pain. We are home now resting and she took some of her pain medicine, so she is sleeping. We report to Emory at 11 a.m. on thurs to start the chemo. It will be 6 days of chemo and 1 day of rest and then the transplant. So the transplant could happen fri or sat depending on when it gets here from overseas. We are guessing Germany since we have German on both sides of the family. With international donors, you have to wait 2 years to find out who they are. We are allowed to write a thank you letter now but it can't contain any personal info. So we will be working on that, so much to say. Please pray that Erin feels better quickly from today's procedure. There is so much more ahead. We are comforted by your prayers. hugs, janet

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight." Psalm 119:73-77

International Flair!

Good Evening Prayer Warriors, Sorry the posting is so late today but we just got back from Emory. Erin did great! The Spinal Tap went very well thanks to our favorite PA Jessica! What a blessing she is to us. Erin also had a pulmonary function test and that went well too. Tomorrow is another big day for her. She is having her central line replaced at 9:30 at Crawford Long. The best part of the day was the 2 angels God put in the waiting room to talk to us and encourage us. They were both transplant successes. They were full of good info and gave all the Glory to God. It was just what we needed 3 days before the big event. We had just found out that Erin's donor is international and we were sitting there teasing Erin about getting a new accent and liking foreign food and the patient (angel) sitting next to us started giggling and then started sharing with us about her journey. It was wonderful. They even promised to add Erin to their prayer list. Isn't God incredible?? Just what we need when we need it. wow. So, about the international donor...apparently folks in Europe are better about signing up for the registry and so their bank of donors is much more extensive. We Americans could learn a thing or two from our cousins across the pond on this issue. Thanks for the prayers everyone. We are blessed by each of you!! hugs, janet

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-2

Sunday

Good Morning Prayer Warriors, Thank you for your prayers. No news today, just resting and getting ready for a big week. Erin feels o.k. today, just trying to stay upbeat for the weeks ahead. God has been providing beautifully for her spirits all along. It has been amazing to watch her cope with all of this. She has taught me a lot about grace under pressure, patience in adversity, and love over all. I am praising God for His Holy Spirit in Erin that has helped her through this.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26-27

There is peace in that!! Amen! blessings, janet

donor details

Good Morning Everyone, Thank you for your prayers! We found out a couple of details about the new donor yesterday. It is a 21 year old guy. We don't know if he is local yet, but we should find out Monday. At first I was a little leary of a 21 year old, since I know a few... but then I thought, what an incredible kid this must be to sign up to give an amazing gift like this. Wow, isn't God using him in a lifegiving capacity? If he only knew how blessed we are to have him in our lives. So please continue to pray for this young man as he starts this process. I pray he is as blessed by this as we are. We also found out that Erin will have to have a spinal tap on Monday as part of the prep for the transplant. She is NOT looking forward to that! Also they were unable to get her booked for her line change at Emory, so she is getting that done at Crawford Long on Tues morning. So much going on, please pray!! Erin had fun at the mall and definitely got her walking in. Then Aunt Jo bought her a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer (her secret dream), in GA red of course, and they made cookies with it yesterday. Yum! Erin loves to bake. So, all in all, a good day. love you, janet

"God's gifts and His call are irrevocable" Romans 11:29

Love that!!