Things are getting better for the most part. I had my mini transplant just over a week ago and began my low dose chemo this last Friday. Only two minor issues have come up. First, GVHD has risen it’s ugly head again. This time with the stomach so needless to say, food is the enemy and the bathroom is my friend. I start those dreaded steroids today that I hate so much. No sleep and huge water weight gain. Last time I put on 17 pounds in four days. Second issue is my platelets are still falling. They’ll check my blood work again Thursday before my next chemo but if they go down again, I won’t be allowed my next chemo shot. Last week they were up to 45,000….today down to 38,000.
We are hoping to get back up to Colorado the second week of July to visit old friends and thank so many that have helped us so much. As long as my chemo schedule doesn’t get thrown into a mess, we should make it.
School starts again in about six weeks. There is no way I could make an entire day yet but I’m getting stronger everyday and hoping that within the next couple of weeks, I’ll be back to “normal”.
Bradley
June 29th, 2009 at 02:57pm
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Cheryl donated her stem cells yesterday and I rec’d them today in a process that overall took from 10am until 2:30pm but in actuality only took 15 minutes. The cells weren’t ready, then they couldn’t get an IV in me, then this, then that….geeze. But it’s finally done. They are even letting us come home tomorrow morning although I have to come back next week for an office visit and blood work to make sure the transplant is going well.
They say that we really need to watch for GVHD over the next few weeks. We kind of hope for that to happen but not too severe. My energy level is better but still low. Most of my blood numbers are good except my platelets just won’t come up. They are still around 30,000 and should be over 100,000.
The new low dose chemo starts a week from today. The doctor here seems to think that I really have a good chance at a long remission by combining this stem cell transplant update and the low dose chemo we are going to be using.
Keep the prayers coming.
Brad
June 19th, 2009 at 07:50pm
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Rec’d the call we were waiting on today. The oncologist for the insurance company looked at the information that MD Anderson sent them and then talked to my stem cell dr at MD Anderson and agreed it could make a big difference in my outcome. The mini transplant has now been approved! There was a rush of activity (since my sister was to be heading down tonight to begin the stem cell donation process tomorrow) and we finally rec’d the all clear around 5:30 that it really was going to happen this week. My sister is leaving East Texas around 5am and I’ll be leaving here around 7am to meet at the hospital tomorrow morning late. She has some tests to do tomorrow, we both meet with the docs Wednesday and she donates cells either Wednesday or Thursday. I’ll get them the following day and will come home a day or two later to begin my low dose chemo.
Tami has tons going on with this Gifted and Talented class she is taking so she is staying here until Thursday when she’ll fly down to Houston to be with me for the transplant.
It’s all falling in to place so far. Keeping praying it stays that way!
Brad
June 15th, 2009 at 05:03pm
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Doc R. says he looks all clear again. We are now just waiting for Blue Cross to tell us if we can do the stem cell booster next week. Doc said “Why are we doing a bone marrow biopsy when it has been clear since the first time?” Brad says..”I dunno.” Doc says, “Let’s cancel it” YEE HAW!!!! We actually get to sleep in this nice hotel bed and act like we are on a vacation for one morning. Just wanted you all to know. tami
June 11th, 2009 at 05:17pm
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She has to go back in six months to have it rechecked just to make sure it isn’t growing but the cells came back showing no cancer. Great News!
June 10th, 2009 at 10:28am
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I’ve been after Tami for two plus years to have a mammogram. She finally went in yesterday only to find out there were some areas of concern on both sides. One turned out to be only a cyst but the other appears to be a bengign tumor. To make sure, we went in at 7:30 this morning to have a biopsy done. The doctor is to call me tomorrow (Wednesday) with the results as Tami is in a class all day. They really feel this is nothing but just want to make sure. Please pray for Tami and a good result.
We’ll be leaving directly after her class tomorrow for Houston for my two days of testing to see where my cancer stands and if we are going to do the mini transplant or not. As of today, BCBS has said they will NOT pay for it. We have appealed and are awaiting a decision.
Lots of stuff going on….but we know God is in control. Thank goodness we aren’t or we would have for sure screwed this up by now.
I continue to have good and bad days. Some days I can stay up most of the day and some days I am doing well to get out of bed two or three times and walk around. I felt bad today so what did I do? Yep, got on the motorcycle and rode around the block. Felt better until I got off and went “what the heck did you just do?”
Oh well, better to live life…..
Brad
brad
June 9th, 2009 at 09:30pm
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I have been told that we needed to update the blog. For all of you faithful readers who think that Brad might still be in the hospital, I am sorry. He came home as of Wednesday! He is still VERY weak and looks finally like he has cancer. For 2 1/2 years he’s just looked pretty normal but now he looks like something is up with him. Anyway, today we had a great time with some former church buddies. They came to do all the work that Brad lays around thinking that he might ought to get up and try to do. As we all know, that is a very bad idea. Usually ends up with passing out, ramming a limb into a limb, falling through an attic,etc. I am exhausted and so is Katie. Brad should be pretty well rested since he slept most of the time. I think someone drugged him so he wouldn’t try to help! We had Chris (dude-you rock! Thanks for bringing the muscle that Mark couldn’t bring!), Kevin-(thanks for taking time away from your family to help us out), Kim and Rodney (you guys…what can I say…let’s forget this mess and go on a cruise!), and Marquis (you silly man). It was fun, even though we sweated buckets! I haven’t laughed that much in a long time and that felt very good. Everything looks fabulous. Now I am not so overwhelmed with my job list and hopefully, Brad will just look out into the yard and think wow…it all got done while I slept!! I am so glad that God chose to bring us all together at church in 1998! Good friends that will last forever.
School’s finally out. This was a rough year. I am looking forward to next year and Brad found out he will be working the same type job but with 4th graders which makes him happy since they can mostly read and count!!! We are both looking forward to him getting back to work. He really misses being productive and being in a classroom is about the safest place for him to be productive! Maybe one day soon, Brad will feel well enough to sit at this computer and blog for himself. For now, Tami
June 6th, 2009 at 08:07pm
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