Still Coming Up

Tuesday and Wednesday were good days again as far as Terry's blood counts. He had to get magnesium on Tuesday but not Wednesday. His white blood cell count on Wednesday was at 8.31 and his platelets were at 131. He is having some shoulder pain and the medicine he is taking makes him sleep. He is still eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crust cut off. Thanks to all of you who have sent food. He is gradually trying a bite or two but the rest of the family is enjoying it very much. Alyce said today that they will be so glad when they can skip a day going to the hospital and just sleep late. "Normal" life is still a long way off, but we are so thankful for his progress. We got Mom in the Trussville Healthcare/Golden Living Nursing Home on Tuesday. I was at the hospital at 8am along with Butch but nobody got in a hurry so it took until 2pm to get her to the Nursing Home. She is confused, hurting and sad. Please pray for Rick's family on Thursday as we have the funeral and burial of our little angel niece, Chloe. Thank you for caring, Karen

Day +28,29 & 30

Terry is doing GREAT!! His white cell counts are continuing to come up and his platelets count is still at a good level. He did get some Magnesium today and is now getting shots in his stomach of Lovenox and is getting Coumadin to prevent his risk of blood clots. He will continue having to go to the hospital daily for 4 to 5 hours for blood tests, etc. He is eating a little now and his favorite is PBJ sandwiches. I have some tragic news to tell you. We received a phone call at 4am Saturday morning from Rick's baby sister, Susan. They had gotten to a condo in Pensacola about 1:30am and were expecting her son(our nephew)Chris and his wife Danielle and 7 month old granddaughter, Chloe, to arrive around 3am. She received a phone call from Danielle saying she was at the hospital because they had been in a bad wreck. They were 10 minutes from the condo sitting at a red light when they were hit from the rear by a 40 year old drunk driver. It was estimated the driver was traveling about 80 mph. Chris had a concussion, Danielle had a fractured hip and pelvis and their precious little baby girl had a fractured skull and swelling brain. They had put her on a ventilator. We began calling our friends and church family at 5am to start praying, but the baby tested with no brain activity about 12:30pm, and she has gone to live with Jesus. When this news was given, Susan's husband, Mark, had a seizure and fell and cut his head open and was taken to the Trauma Unit to see if he had had a heart attack. When it was determined that he had not, he was released. Susan was going from room to room because they had Chris and Danielle on stretchers and would not let them move because they were afraid they might have spinal injury. Meantime, she kept seeing nurses and doctors running back and forth to baby Chloe's room. She was also going to the room in the Trauma Unit checking on Mark. After he was released, they were standing at the elevator to go see about the others and Mark had another seizure and fell, ripping open the sutures and biting his tongue. They decided to admit him to the hospital and do an MRI. I had to go to the hospital to take care of Mom Saturday but as soon as I got back home we began to pack to go down to Pensacola to be with them. We left about 2pm and our daughter, Traci went with us. I made arrangements for other relatives to see about Mom. They put Chris and Danielle in wheel chairs about 4pm and dressed little Chloe in a cute outfit and brought her in for them to hold before pulling the plug. She "coded" (heart stopped) before they had to make that decision. All that were there got to go into the room to tell her goodbye while she was held in the arms of her Mommy and Daddy. Mark was released Sunday and sent back to Birmingham to get out of the stressful situation. Several family members and friends have been there in the waiting room and their room crying with them and trying to comfort one another and helping make plans to remove all stress and financial burden that we could. Chris has been released and Danielle was supposed to be released today but had an allergic reaction to the pain medication and now her release will be tomorrow. A wonderful friend is using his Company's corporate Jet to bring her home Tuesday morning. Visitation will be 12 to 2pm with funeral at 2pm this Thursday at Heritage Place Church of Christ on Hwy 78 in Irondale. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Gardendale. This is the WORST thing Rick and I have ever experienced. This was their only child and Susan's only grandchild. I just don't know how they will cope. We all have a big hole in our hearts. I have been talking to the social worker at the hospital and 2 nursing homes while I was in Florida. Butch and I will go tomorrow morning to have Mom moved by ambulance to the Golden Living/Trussville Nursing Home. The doctor is telling her it is for rehab, but it will also be long term. PLEASE pray for us.

Day + 27 Homecoming

Well, I talked with Alyce about 2pm and they were just waiting on the pharmacist to come by so they could leave. I never heard back from them, but they had to go by to get several prescriptions filled. I am sure that just going home was a major physical and emotional drain. I am sure Terry is so glad to be able to sleep in his own bed tonight. I will tell you more tommorrow after I talk with them. They have to be back at the hospital by 8am.

Day + 26 and 1 To Go

Today was a pretty good day because Terry got a little freedom for the first time since he entered the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit on May 15th. They disconnected him from the IV machine and monitor and he was able to go "outside" to breathe fresh (code Orange) air. There is an outdoor courtyard on his floor and he enjoyed feeling the sunshine again. His white cell count came up to 5.61 today but he has a rash on his hands and heels. He has been so miserable for so long and now he is so excited that he is getting to go home tomorrow. I have not seen my baby brother since the day of his transplant (May 26)and have been longing to see him again. Rick took me to UAB this afternoon. It really worked out great because we were able to help Alyce pack up the bed, lounge chair, guitar and other things and loaded her car. She and Kristina and John will go tomorrow to bring him HOME SWEET HOME. I wish we could have a BIG "Welcome Home" party for him but that would just not be a good idea for now. He still has a long way to go. We just need to keep praying for him and especially that he will not get the graft vs. host disease. Our God is Able to deliver him. My thanks to my friend Sunny for helping me out by sitting with Mom from 9:30 to 5 for the past 3 days. Tara and Morgan my daughter and granddaughter went this evening for several hours and Traci, my other daughter will go tomorrow morning. She has been better today. I will give you a report on Terry's homecoming after I talk with Alyce tomorrow. Love you all, Karen

Day + 25

Today Terry got 2 pints of blood and 1 bag of platelets to get "re-fueled" before he gets to go home. They gave him Benedryl so he slept a lot this morning. He was sooooo upset when he got the news this afternoon that he could not go home on Thursday but could on Friday. I told John to tell him that if he has made it this far, he can surely make it just one more day! His white blood cell count was up to 3.12 and other vitals are improved. Alyce had a cleaning crew at the house this evening still helping de-germ the house. I need to make an IMPORTANT request: PLEASE NO VISITORS to the house until I give the green light which will probably be awhile. That means friends, neighbors, co-workers, kids and all. They can have some phone calls but please keep them short. As I said before, they will still be going DAILY to UAB for about 5 hours so they will not be at home much and when they are need some down time. Terry is still very susceptible to germs and infection and still is not eating. However, Alyce and the kids are still eating and I am sure she would appreciate your calling her to come by YOUR house to pick up some food so she does not have to spend her time at home in the kitchen. Her life was already pretty hectic, but now she will be chauffeur and nurse too. Mom did fine today and was cheery and talkative. But tonight she was like a different person. She has been there 6 nights but thought she had just gotten there and was not going to stay. She was very angry and insisting on going home. It was so hard to hear all the hurtful things she said to me tonight and not cry. I have to keep telling myself that this is not her talking, but the dementia. Butch (our older brother) and his family are taking a few days of much needed vacation. When he returns Sunday, we will have to make a decision about where to take Mom. Please continue to pray for our family.

Day + 23 & 24

Sorry I did not get to post last night I was just too tired. BUT, I have more great news to give you. Monday, Terry's white cell count came up to 1.56 and today it is at 2.81. He is feeling better, talking better and moving around better. He will probably have to have another bag of platelets and blood by tomorrow. Alyce is having their carpets cleaned and has taken all the curtains down to wash and is having a couple of friends come over to help her DEEP clean to try to make the house as germ free as possible. She is trying to get prepared for Terry to come home, hopefully Thursday. Of course he will still have to return daily for about 5 hours to UAB for awhile. But at least he can sleep in his own bed and sit in his own recliner and look down at the lake, and "just be home." I was at the hospital at 7:30am yesterday and today to feed Mom and help her get bathed, etc. She was up again last night and was confused about where she was. We now have a bed that alarms when she gets off the bed. I hope that will help, because I don't want her to fall and break a hip. Kristina came yesterday and stayed with her a few hours and helped her with lunch. I left from 12 to 5 and visited 5 Nursing Homes to try to find a place for Mom's rehab and beyond. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do but it is just not safe for her to live alone any longer. Unfortunately, because of the wound on her leg that will not heal, she cannot go to Assisted Living, which would be a much better option. Please pray that this transition will go as smoothly as possible. Thank you, Karen

Day + 22

Well, today was a GOOD day! Terry was feeling a little better. His white blood cell count had come up to .59. His mouth sores were a little better and he drank some Sprite. His doctor said that if his Neutrophil count comes up from the current 150 to 500 he could possibly go home by Wednesday or Thursday. That and his kids both being there made him have a GREAT Father's Day. Mom was better today too. She ate almost every bite of her breakfast. Her thinking was much clearer today and she was very pleasant. She is still in a lot of pain with her leg. I have NEVER seen a wound any worse than hers. Please continue to pray for Terry and for Mom. A friend told me something that Mother Teresa said that I can certainly relate to....."God has promised never to put more on us than we can bear.....I just wish he didn't have so much confidence in me." Love you, Karen

Day + 20 and 21

Friday was another hurting day and Terry got another bag of platelets. Dr. Vaughan did additional tests on the Bone Marrow taken yesterday. He did see "X's" which meant that he was seeing the transplanted stem cells that belonged to me. The transplant definitely did take. We are just not sure why it is taking so long for his blood counts to come up. One of the doctors came in and asked Terry how he was doing "other THAN wanting to go home." Terry apparently called him a "Smart b---". The doctor just laughed. I laughed too when Alyce told me and I told her that I could tell that the transplant had worked because I think that was me saying that instead of Terry. I'm way more MEAN than he is. Ha Ha! I was at the hospital with Mom very early until Kristina relieved me about 11am. I worked til 4:30 and then went back. Mom did get the 3 pints of blood and was taken down for an ultrasound on her kidneys. They also did a biopsy on her leg. She has been EXTREMELY disoriented and talking out of her head. Today is Saturday. I was at the hospital by 7:30am. Mom had not slept and they said she was very confused. She acted mad at me when I got there and refused to open her mouth to get her temperature taken or even to eat. Her blood pressure was 87 over 50. I left about 11:15 because she was sleeping. On my way home I called the hospital to get a report on Terry and he answered the phone. He was feeling really badly and is ready for this thing to get better so he can GO HOME!!! His platelets were back up since he had platelets yesterday but his white blood cell count was back down to .30. The reason he was alone was because their little family dog, Pebbles, who was 16 years old had died. The kids and Alyce had to bury her in their yard. I was so sorry for their loss of their sweet family pet. I went back to the hospital tonight and stayed until about 9pm. Mom seemed much better tonight than last night or this morning. Happy Father's Day to all you Dads and Grand Dads!! XXXX0000 -- Karen

Day + 19

Well, today started out pretty bad. Terry had to have a Neupogen shot yesterday and instead of his white blood cells coming up, they went down to .32. This was puzzling to the nurses and doctors so Dr. Vaughan decided to do a Bone Marrow Test to see what was going on. Meanwhile, Terry got Platelets and slept a lot from the medicines for the test. Later today, Dr. Vaughan came back with GREAT news... he did see engraftment of my blood cells in Terry. I guess his blood cells are just trying to resist and things are really progressing slowly. We praise God and thank all of you for answered prayers. This is what we have been waiting to hear!! The nurses told Kristina that they had only seen about 5 cases where the transplant did not work and she was so afraid that Terry was going to be one of those that did not work since things seemed to be going the wrong direction. Now that we know it is taking, we just have to pray for strength and patience for Terry and all of us. I took Mom to the doctor this afternoon because she has been very sick and extremely disoriented this week. They put her in the hospital at Med Center East room 516. I left for a little while to get her gowns and toiletries etc. and got home about 11pm. Her oxygen was low so they are giving her oxygen and she is getting 3 pints of blood tonight also. I will try to be back there by 6:30am and then go in to work when Kristina gets there to sit with her for a while. They will also be treating her leg while she is there. She will probably be there about 7 to 10 days and then go into a nursing facility for more care. I have asked Alyce not to tell Terry that Mom is in the hospital because he does not need ANY additional stress while his immune system is so low. Please continue to pray for all of us.+++Karen

Day + 18

Terry's white blood cell count came down to .52 today and he had to have a bag of Platelets because his count had dropped again. The doctors were not alarmed and the nurses said this is normal. He was still feeling some better and did lots of walking. He tried some ice cream and drank more juice and water although the sores in his mouth are still really bad. He is trying so hard to get better in hopes of going home sooner. (You all know he lives on a little lake in Pinson and is just dreaming of casting that line.)We are not discouraged because we believe in the POWER of prayer. My tooth is better!! They have me taking a strong dosage of antibiotic and steroids too. Those steroids really make you feel better but they really make you hungry too. I think I'll go have a bowl of Bluebell Homemade Vanilla!! Thanks for hanging in there with us. Love you, Karen

Day + 16 & 17 GOOD NEWS!

Well, Monday was a little better day. White blood cell count was at .30 and he walked 17 laps around the unit (almost a mile). He had a great night and was not sick at all. He has been being sickest at night but I think they have finally got a routine on what time to give him the nausea and pain meds to help alleviate the sickness and restlessness. Alyce called me this morning (Tuesday)with GREAT news. His white blood cell count had finally come up to .63!!! That is still VERY low but at least the doctors were pleased because it has started up on it's on. Terry has asked the doctors EVERY DAY when he could go home. Today when he asked, the doctor told him maybe another week if he keeps improving. He may not be ready in a week, but at least this gives him something to look forward to. He did eat 1/2 of a canned pear today which was the first food in quite awhile. He also kept down some grape juice and water. He also walked more laps today. Cross your fingers and say your prayers that he will keep getting better each day. God is good---All the time. I had to have a root canal in the tooth that abscessed last week. This tooth had already had a root canal before the bridge was done several years ago, but had to be completely redone. The feeling is coming back and the pain is beginning but so far not nearly as bad as last week. Some of you do not know about our mom who is 83. She has dementia that is continuing to get worse and she also has a large ulcer (open wound) on her leg that has to be cleaned and bandaged daily. She is in terrible pain and I am afraid that her leg will have to be amputated. She is getting so bad mentally and physically that it is not safe for her to continue to live by herself. She is very stubborn and does not want to go to assisted living or a nursing home so I have just been trying to cope the best I can for the past year and a half. She lives about 2 blocks from me. I have taken her to several doctors and nothing has helped her leg. It has only gotten worse. I am taking her to the doctor again this Thursday. I work full time and she has fired the last 3 people I had hired to stay with her (accusing them of stealing.) Kristina is now helping out 4 hours on Monday and on Fridays but she really needs someone all the time. Please pray for her and for me. My brothers and I will have to make some decisions about Mom very soon. Love you all, Karen

Day + 15

Today is Sunday and not much change today. Terry slept a lot. He did get up and walk around in the room a little this evening and was sitting up watching a movie with John and trying to get down an Ensure. If his white cell count is not up more by tomorrow, the doctors may give him a Neupogen shot to force them back up. More tomorrow.++++Karen

Day + 13 and 14

Friday was another really bad day for Terry. They did give him more platelets but not blood. The sores in his mouth continue to hurt and he cannot eat. Early Saturday morning he was vomiting and feeling terrible. During the day he felt a little better but was only up to go to the bathroom and shower. His platelets were up to 32 and his white cell count was up to .46. He did keep down 1/2 of a grape Popsicle. Let's just continue to have faith that he will get a little better each day and let God do His work. Have a great Sunday! Love, Karen

Day + 11 and 12

Wednesday was not a good day. Terry did get his last chemo and his white cell count was .29 and platelets were 15. Yesterday was a bad day, but today (Thursday) was even worse. His white cell count stayed the same but platelets dropped to 10.9. The hair that had started back in is coming out. He has sore places on his legs and the doctor had a dermatologist come by to biopsy to see if infected. They did give him a bag of blood this morning and then a bag of platelets and at 6pm were about to give him another bag of blood. He was too weak to get out of bed today except to shower. He has been nauseated and has not eaten anything. They gave him the drug again that is supposed to lessen the effects of the chemo and also gave him potassium and magnesium again. I told Alyce that I was hoping for better news and I know she was hoping to give me better news too. They are monitoring him closely. PLEASE, Please pray for Terry to start getting better quickly. We know that God has not closed his ears to our prayers. Thank you for your continued support. Love, Karen

Day + 10

Today was not a good day. Terry was feeling Very weak and tired. His white cell count was .25 but his platelets had come up to 26, which was good. They have not given him blood or platelets in 2 days. The tests on his kidneys and liver turned out OK. We were praying extra hard that this would turn out good. Praise God!! His creatinen levels were back to almost normal. He is not retaining as much fluid as he had been. He ate a couple of bites of sherbet and a couple of slices of peaches and kept it down. He drank some grape juice, but mostly water. They did have to give him magnesium and potassium today. The doctors seem to think he is reacting normally to the chemo and Transplant. They tell us that by this Saturday he should be on the upward trail. We appreciate all your prayers. God bless, Karen

Day + 9

Sorry I could not post last night. We could not pick up a signal.----During the night Sunday, Terry's line came out and he said it looked like a scary horror movie with blood spurting everywhere. I am sure Kristina was scared to death! The nurses had to shower him down and clean up the room. They did take him off his blood thinner. Monday afternoon, they took him down to do an MRI on his kidneys and a Cat scan on his liver. The doctor's did not like the levels they were seeing. I hope we hear today that everything is OK. His white cell count is down to .3 and platelets to 15. They did place a line for IV Nutrition Monday because he has still not been able to eat anything due to mouth sores and nausea. His last day to get a chemo treatment will be Wednesday so we are hoping for things to get MUCH better after that time. Please continue to pray for Terry during this time that God will ease his pain and nausea and give him strength to get through this terrible time. As for me, I am still in a lot of pain with this abcess. I am changing to a stronger antibiotic today and hope that will help. I will try to post tonight about Terry's day today. Love to all, Karen

Day + 8

Today was a little better for Terry. His white cell counts have started up a tiny bit. Also his temperature was only 99.5, which is down 3 degrees. Still not able to eat anything though. I am hoping he is on the upward swing. My tooth is feeling a little better. This morning it was so swollen under my tongue I could't chew. The abcess is under a root canal so the dentist said I would have to see an Endodontist when we get home. He will have to cut into my gum below the root to treat it. YUCK!! I am sure I will be better tomorrow. We are certainly enjoying spending time with our grandkids. Hope you all are doing well.++++++++Karen

Day + 7

Terry got another pint of blood today. They had to put the line in his hand because he already had stuff going in to all the other lines. Walked the halls again and drank some orange juice and grape juice. He got a drug that is suppose to help the effects of the chemo given yesterday. His kidneys seem to be performing better. He has had an elevated temperature but he is not permitted to have even Tylenol. He is pretty miserable but thankful that there is no indication of HVGD (Host versus Graft disease). Thanks to some really sweet friends (the Wintons) who loaned us a laptop computer, we are able to continue the blog even while we are out of town. I am dealing with an abcessed tooth which is under a crown on one side of a bridge. An emergency trip to the dentist resulted in my being placed on antibiotics and analgesics. I am currently in a lot of pain and nauseated. While praying for Terry, put in a word for me, too! Please remember to pray and page, but remember "no visitors" and they really don't need phone calls coming into the room at this time. Cards of encouragement would be great! Thank you all for being so faithful in your caring and your praying! Love to you all, Karen

Day + 6

Terry had to have more platelets today. He only got 1/2 of the chemo scheduled because of his kidneys. They will give him another drug tomorrow to bring him back up after the chemo effects. Alyce walked him down the hallway and back a couple of times to keep him using his muscles. He had only grape juice and water today. The sores in his mouth are just too bad to eat. He has gained 7 pounds in fluid. His fingers were so swollen, Alyce had a hard time getting his ring off. He is still sleeping most of the time. When you pray for Terry tonight or tomorrow, please lift up a friend and former co-worker of mine in your prayers too. His name is Boyd Jordan. He just found out that his Multiple Myeloma cancer has returned. He had a stem cell transplant from his own stem cells 2 years ago. He is about to begin radiation and chemo treatments. He called me tonight to tell me he had read the blog and is praying for Terry too. While you are talking to the Lord, please remember our sweet cousin, Angie, in Tuscaloosa. She broke her ankle and then got a blood clot in her leg and is really suffering with the pain. I pray that God will ease all their pain and heal them very soon. May HE bless you all.++++Karen