Off More Meds!

Going down to 25mg a day starting Thursday! Happy New Year to us! So close! Hopefully soon he will be off totally! He went for photo today and did well. Dr. Salzman saw him and she told him he could come down on the immune medicine. GREAT NEWS! Karen's immune system is taking over! They will continue the photo for a while making sure the GVHD does not show its ugly head! Pray that is doesn't! Three years ago he was diagnosed and told he could not make it! Through God answering all your prayers he is still here with us!!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL! Happy New Year! We love you all! Alyce

Made It Through It!

Well, today is Dec. 27th and we made it so far without any fevers so far! As soon as I say that something will happen! I even got a new device to take his tempature for Christmas. He of course did not give it to me, my Dad and Barbara did. Its cool! I like it! Now I don't have to wake him up in the morning to take it. He actually goes for his photo Tuesday and Wednesday this week and we should see the doctor. He's wanted to go fishing but has not (Thank you Don)! Hopefully they will let him go down to just 25mg of immune suppression medicine and stay on it for 2 more weeks and hopefully will come off of it. That is wishful thinking though. The doctor told us it wouldn't be much to stay on 25mg for a long time, its so little but would keep things in check hopefully! I think he will visit the gastro doctor within the next few weeks. Eating all this food has been tough for him. Swallowing isn't getting any easier and he will not eat a whole plateful like he should to keep his weight up. Things are fixing to get busy, I just thought it was a few weeks ago. My brother will leave and go back to Vancouver until after the Olympics are over. He is working there providing transportation for the atheletes, committees, etc... Our buses are transporting the hockey teams. So I will be very busy here REAL soon. Kristina and I are leaving on Jan 14-18 for Garretts graduation in Great Lakes, Illinios. Talk about cold!!! Terry and John will have to fend for themselves! We had a GREAT Christmas, just him being here is Christmas enough for me! Can't imagine it without him! Looking forward to bringing in 2010 with him and so much is going to happen this year. Mainly Kristina getting married! I am just so thankful T is here to go through all of this with me. God knows what he is doing! He has a plan! We hope all you had a very Merry Christmas and looking forward to the New Year! It will be 3 years from his diagnosis in January! And he is here to celebrate it! May will the next test when he will get his bone marrow test. This I know he not looking forward to! Hugs and kisses to you all! God Bless You All! Alyce

Off More Meds!

He is coming off more immune suppression medicine! He went today for labs to be drawn and they took him off 25 mg more! This is where we were when he got the GVHD back in January of this year. So PRAY,PRAY, PRAY this does not come back or it will set us back so BAD!!! I have faith God has put him on the track to better health! We are looking forward to celebrate another Christmas together! It will be 3 years in January he was diagnosed with AML. So I know God has a better plan for us. We celebrated Kristina's graduation this past Saturday and thanked God for letting T be here to see it. Three years ago I wasn't sure! It was so awesome, we are so proud of her!!!! Now to the real world getting a job! But again, God has pulled us through this and she will be the BEST nurse ever! We(Kristina and I) are going to Chicago in January to see Garrett graduate from Navy boot camp. Will be cold but I think it will be awesome to see him go through this! So far so good in he has not gotten anything from anyone that has made us go to the hospital. God is watching over him! We are about to start going through all the family gatherings so please pray he stays well through all of it! We(our family) want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and remember why we celebrate the birth of Jesus. God Bless You All! Hugs and kisses! Alyce

Great News!

We saw the doctor last week and Terry got a good report! The doctor brought him down on some more meds especially the immune suppression med. This is sososososo great! This means his(I mean Karen's) immune system is getting stronger! He is still having problems with his lungs and most likely always will but thats ok as long as he does not get an infection in them! That would be very BAD! We are celebrating Kristina's graduation this weekend from UA College of Nursing! Something we were not sure T would be here to witness. God is good!!!! We are excited!!!! She and I went today and bought her wedding dress! She is beautiful in it! Garrett will be so surprised! We have heard from him through letters and it sounds like he is being tested! It will all be worth it one day and that is what I told him in a letter I wrote to him this week!!! Sorry so late posting this! He is doing good and hopefully will continue through the holidays! God Bless You and Merry Christmas! Alyce

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lots to be thankful for!!!!! We just got home from our annual family gathering for Thanksgiving and it was so "blessed"! I feel so guilty not updating this!!! I guess with facebook on now, Kristina keeps everything more up to date than I do! I apologize! He went fishing yesterday with Mike and didn't catch much but still a day on the lake beats any day for him. At least the weather was good! We loved seeing everyone today. This only happens once a year so usually there are ones that are not with us anymore that were there last year. Just glad we were able to go. Karen and Rick brought Ruth and she looked so pretty and was in such a good mood and seemed to know everyone. I am thankful they went and got her!!! Tara brought the newst addition, Parker. He is so precious and has the darkest hair! We all ate real good and are stuffed! Time for a nap, at least that is what Terry is doing! T goes Wednesday and Thursday next week to have his photopheresis and we will see the doctor. Hopefully, we get to discuss coming off some more meds! We didn't get to last time because of him getting the swine flu! Tomorrow is the only day we go seperate ways, Auburn/Alabama game!!! Split family! All I can say is ROOOLLL TIIIIDE!! And he would say "War Eagle" although he know's Bama is going to win! We'll see, anything can happen on Iron Bowl Day!!! Sorry to all you AU fans! We love all of you, JB we got your message! Thanks for calling and leaving such a sweet voice mail! God Bless You and Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy 51st T!

We celebrated T's 51st birthday on Sunday! Wasn't feeling so great though and still isn't. His fever has not come back and he still has a cough. But hopefully with everyday it will get better. We are not really sure when he will go back to be tested to see if he still has it. Dr. Vaughan was quick to get us out of there with masks, even me! He was scared his other patients would be infected with it. I can't blaim him! So far I have not had any symtoms of the flu and God willing I won't! God knows I have to take care of him. We are supposed to go to a family gathering on Saturday for Garrett before he leaves on Monday. Maybe wearing masks! We'll see, I am going to call the doctor to make sure it is ok to go. Would REALLY hate to miss this!!!!!! Kristina is working at DCH to finish up her preceptorship and hopefully will be through soon! Dec. 12th can't get here fast enough for her!! Please keep us in your prayers! God Bless You and lots of BIG hugs and kisses!!!! Thanksgiving is almost here and there is SOSOSOSOSO much to be thankful for! Alyce

Got the Flu!

T has been in the hospital since Wednesday. What we thought was an infection in his port turned out to be the flu! One day he is fine, the next he's not! He went fishing on Tuesday and had a GREAT day with Garrett. They caught alot of big fish and had a great time except the flat tire on the boat trailer. Then on Wednesday after his photopheresis he got to feeling really bad. When Kristina got home his fever was 100.5, then when I got home an hour later, it was 101.4 and 30 minutes later it was 101.6. So we got ready and Kristina and Garrett went to the hospital with us and they admitted him immediately. He got lots of antibiotics through his port and fluids and they thought his port had gotten infected. But today after they decide to let us go home, after he had no fever last night or today, they told us it was the flu! He is on Tamaflu for 5 days and hopefully it will get out of his system. Please pray for him and pray we don't get it! I cleaned everything with anti-fungal spray and cleaner when we got home! Tara had Parker yesterday and they are both fine and are going home tomorrow! Kristina is graduating in December and we are SOSOSOSOSO happy! Garrett is leaving in a week to go into the Navy! Keep us all in your prayers So much going on, don't have time to be sick! God is good and I believe he will see us through all this! Sorry, I have updated earlier! Just too tired I guess! Hugs to all of you and God Bless! Alyce