Thursday, June 24, 2010

He's FREE!!!!!!!!

Mom is on her way to go pick dad up right now and bring him HOME SWEET HOME!!! HOORAY!!!!!
Thank you SOOO much for everyone's thoughts, prayers, and support during this time!!! Love you ALL!

More Good News!!

Hey there!!
Well more good news!  Dad's red counts came up a bit as did he white cell counts!  His platelets dropped, so he is getting a transfusion today.  Then we are HOPING that he will get to be discharged today and have a WONDERFUL night's sleep finally in his OWN bed!!!! :) Keep those prayers coming and I will update when we know he is for sure being discharged :) 
Love to all!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Things looking UP!!!

I am VERY happy to announce that Dad is feeling and doing much better!!  He is now past the 24 hour mark with NO FEVER!!!  He is also breathing a little easier and sounding MUCH better.  I talked to him before I went to sleep last night and he was sounding like his normal self again :) Mom has already spoken with him once this morning and said he sounded even better this morning!! He got some sleep last night finally!
So, please keep up the prayers and thank you so much for all the ones you have said - they are working and we are hoping hoping hoping that maybe they will let him go home soon! :)
Love to all and more later after the docs visit!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Still no answers and the fever has returned :(

I just spoke with dad and he is still having a lot of trouble breathing and we haven't gotten any results back from any of the tests they ran this morning.  Dad doesn't think he will get any results until the doctors come around in the morning.... So, I will post what we find out then.  Also, his fever has returned :( it spiked to 102.3 and they gave him some tylenol and it is now slowing creeping down but hasn't broken yet.  With the chills and fever combined with no sleep last night he feels like POOP :( Please pray that he can at least get a good night's sleep tonight and feel at least rested in the morning.
In brighter news, Daniel spend most of the day with him and even brought him some Poyeye's per dad's request! ;) At least he still has his appetite!
Love to all and I will keep in touch :)

The fever BROKE!

Hey all!
Ok- well last night dad's fever FINALLY broke and stayed away for a while - it came back briefly super early this morning but has since gone away again and not come back.  So, that is a REALLY good sign!  However, all last night and this morning he has had a VERY difficult time breathing.... they took more blood tests this morning and did a cat-scan - we are waiting on the results right now and will update everyone as soon as we know the cause.  Please prayer for him to feel better and for the doc's to figure out what is going on!  He didn't get any sleep at all last night due to the breathing trouble and he is just exhausted now :(
Thank you so much for all the love, prayers and support!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day...... we got some answers at least

One of dad's blood cultures came back positive for infection and it just so happens that the antiobiotic that treats the particular infectoion was the one that the doc put dad on yesterday so we are hoping that after a really bad day of fevers yesterday that today will look better!  His temp is already coming down and we are hoping that it will FINALLY break today!  As for going forward we are not sure at what point they will consider letting him go home but we will keep you posted!
Happy Father's Day to all you papa's out there!
Love!
His temp never broke last night and during the day today it has been flucuating up to 104+ and 101's but never fully breaking :-( ... They are trying tons of different antibiotics in attempt to figure it out - he will be in the hospital for a couple more days as far as the docs can predict - we will post more details tomorrow - please pray for him and love to all!!
Not a great 48 hours :-(
Dad had to go to the ER last night because of neck and shoulder pain- we were concerned it could have something to do with the potential side effects from one if the meds he is on b/c a similar one messed with his heart Q-time .... Everything turned out ok and then tonight he started running fever and having chills and they called the doc on call -he said to go to the ER so they did and they have since admitted him into the hospital an his fever has gone up to 104 :-( they are currently waiting for the lab techs to come and take blood cultures and I will update again as soon as we know more- in the meantime please please pray for him!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

GOD BLESS!!! WE HAVE FABULOUS NEWS!!!

I am SOOOO excited to report that God has given us a MIRACLE!!  We learned today that both Daniel and I are both "half-matches" for dad - which is great to have "in our pocket" - BUT, after learning that a perfect 10/10 match fell thru earlier this week, TODAY we learned that they have ANOTHER perfect 10/10 match lined up and it looks like it is "all systems go"!!!!  
This means that he will go for his check-up the week of the 4th of July and then he will get to go home for 1 1/2- 2 weeks and then around the 15th of July he will check-in to begin the transplant process!!!!!
This is SUCH A HUGE PRAYER ANSWERED!!!  And the timing is PERFECT because this means dad should NOT have to undergo another round of chemo before going in for the transplant process to start! God is GOOD and man does HE have AWESOME timing!!!
Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much to EVERYONE for ALL of your heartfelt PRAYERS, thoughts and support!!! We BELIEVE in the POWER of PRAYER and we are seeing FIRST HAND God's POWER!
Love to all!!!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

update on testing

Hey!
Ok just a quick update - Dan's blood has now been delivered to MD Anderson too!! And we heard from them that the results will take 7-10 days so were are counting them down!!! Praying all the way!!!!
Love to all!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The kits FINALLY arrived!!

Today I FINALLY got my kit in the mail!!!!  So, after saying some very serious prayers to be a match and to have a good experience at the lab, I rushed out to the lab to have my blood drawn :) - I had a wonderful experience and the lab tech was AMAZING and totally Heaven Sent!!  Then I went straight to Fed Ex to ship them off and they went out today and will arrive back at MD Anderson by tomorrow!!! I am continuing to pray that it will be God's Will for me to be a match for my dad!!!  It is all in His Faithful Hands now :) 
I also heard from mom that Dan's kit came in today as well and I believe he is trying to go and get his blood drawn this evening too - So, please say prayers for him as well!!
We will OF COURSE keep everyone posted as SOON as we hear ANYTHING!  Thank you again for all your love, support, and PRAYERS!!!

Headed HOME!

Hey Everyone!
I am sorry that I didn't get to update yesterday - Blogger was shut down for some sort of maintenance... and also my commenting got all messed up. Anyway! - We are back online today!! 
So, we have good news - dad finished his Chemotherapy yesterday and was looking and feeling good!  They were back at Bobbie's by 6pm!  Then they had quite a FEAST of softshell crabs and shrimp - which mom "VERY SWEETLY" sent me a picture of that INCREDIBLE looking feast - NOT NICE - I WAS SOOOO JEALOUS ALREADY!!! I did NOT need a VISUAL! ;) hee hee!
So, mom and dad are on the road back to Madisonville now, so please pray they have safe travels :) 
They will remain home hopefully for about a month, for dad's counts to recouperate and while the transplant details are working out.  At which time he will head back to check-in for the start of the transplant process.
I am sure you are wondering about Dan and I's testing - SO ARE WE :( - unfortunately as of yesterday we STILL have not received our kits in the mail - they were supposedly "overnighted" last Wednesday - - - well....  they obviously weren't but we are HOPEFUL that they will show up TODAY!  Please PLEASE Please continue all of your INCREDIBLE prayers for one of us to be a PERFECT MATCH for him!!!
Love to all and I will let you know AS SOON as they arrive :) 
Thanks as always for all your love, prayers, and support!!!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Back to the MD Anderson routine ;)

Well, mom and dad arrived safely back in Houston yesterday and had appointments with both of his doctors.  Both are very pleased with his progress and his blood work and say that he is doing very well!! :)  He checked back in as an inpatient yesterday afternoon - the only room that they had available was an isolation room and they are hoping to be able to switch him today to a normal one as the isolation ones do not have a guest bed, so mom had to go and sleep at Bobbie's house last night.  He has begun treatment and so far, so good, no bad reactions, no fever!! Dad is in good spirits and doing well!  The anticipated check out date for him is looking like Monday - which is GREAT news and they will stay that night at Bobbies (and have SOFT-SHELLED CRABS - i am SOOOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!!) Then they will head back to Madisonville Tuesday morning.
Please say prayers that there continue to be NO complications and that everything goes according to plan and schedule!
Dan and I should be receiving our HLA testing kits in the mail today or tomorrow so that we can bring them to our local doc offices and have the blood drawn for testing - I have never been so anxious for the mail to GET HERE!! ;) As much as i DESPISE needles as most of you know- i am SO EXCITED to have this test, because i am praying SOOOO hard for one of us to be a match for him!!!!!!  Please join me in those continued prayers!!
Will be updating you again soon!
Love to all!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

FABULOUS NEWS!

Hey Everyone!!
Just wanted to send out a little blurb of GREAT news and a SERIOUS request to join our PRAYING effort!!  We just got word from MD Anderson that the insurance IS going to pay for Dan and I to get tested for dad!!!! This news we have been on pins and needles waiting to hear about and it was WORTH the wait!! So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join us in CONCENTRATED PRAYER that one of us is a match for dad - this would make EVERYTHING go so much EASIER and FASTER for dad!!!!!
Love to all and more details to follow as we get more information :) 
Also, mom and dad are returning to MDA tomorrow for dad to check back in to the hospital for another round of chemo - 4 days - so please pray that it is successful and complication FREE!!