Sisterly Love

Today was another fantastic day for Nonnie. She is feeling very well and has been up and about (on a walk, sitting on the couch or chair) more than she has been during her entire hospital visit. Over the past 24 hours, she has received fresh blood, platelets, magnesium and potassium. She tells me that she has been able to maintain her weight so far. She met with the nutritionist today, and is getting enough nutrients despite her lack of appetite.

Her doctors think she may be able to come home in about 2 weeks. The home health care company has already been coordinating with Papa to drop off the necessary supplies for her once she gets home. A home nurse will be assigned to her to come by to obtain vital signs, blood draws, etc.  

Papa took Carol and Tony out to dinner tonight for their last night in town. They spent countless hours together this week, and have been so supportive throughout this ordeal. Earlier in the week, Carol was able to do what the rest of us wish we could do. She gave blood in hopes that she might be a match for Nonnie, should she need a bone marrow transplant down the road. It is still too soon to know the results, but the worst case scenario would be going to a donor bank. The odds are 25% at best that she is a suitable match. Nonnie wishes them a save flight home tomorrow!

The Comeback Kid

Following the worst day of her battle on Monday, Nonnie has had 2 of her best days since! I spoke with her this morning and she sounded absolutely great. Dr. De-Vos came by today and he advised her that the 3 day fever she endured was expected. In fact, if she did not have the fever, he would have questioned the effectiveness of the chemotherapy treatment. If only we would have had that information a few days ago, we could have rested a little more easily!

Carol and Tony have been spending a lot of time at the hospital over the past few days. They are going to take advantage of the weather today and do some sight seeing. Nonnie's new barber Robert took the time to give them an itinerary, brochures and maps to some of their favorite things to do. How awesome is he?! Just a tidbit to let you all know how supportive and caring the people on Nonnie's hospital team are.  

What A Difference A Day Makes

Once Nonnie accepted the card she was dealt, she told all of us that she would put up a fight and win this battle. She wasn't kidding........ sometime in the middle of the night, she was finally able to break her temperature. Lisa went up to the hospital this morning to find her perky as can be, with fresh lipstick and all! The nausea was completely gone and the girls even went on a nice walk around the floor. You know she must be feeling better because Papa was able to go home this morning. I can only imagine how many times God heard our cries to be with Nonnie yesterday. Thank God for answered prayers!

Manic Monday

Today was perhaps the worst day for Nonnie since she has been in the hospital. She is feeling very tired and worn down from her 102 degree fever. The nurse has been giving her Tylenol to lower her temperature without success. She is unable to take Advil because of the risk of bleeding. If she does not break the fever by this afternoon, she will need to take an ice bath. The doctors are unsure where the source of the infection is coming from. The sores that she had late last week are healing, and her PICC line was cleaned and appears to be patent (open and unobstructed). 

In addition to her fever, Nonnie has felt nauseous throughout the entire day. You might ask yourself, "What else can a person handle"? Our favorite patient had to endure her second spinal tap followed by another chemotherapy treatment. If you recall, it seems that the last 2 Tuesdays were "feeling bad days". I hope and pray that Tuesday came on Monday this week, and that tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Three Weeks Down

Today marks the end 0f Nonnie's third week at UCLA. She had several nice visits from family and friends. Papa's second son Roland and his wife Tammy stopped by on Saturday, followed by a phone call from her longtime friend Mr. Ward. Today brought in a new wave of visits from Mike, Carol and Tony. Her sister is getting a hotel in Los Angeles so they can stay close for visits and go to a Dodger game on Thursday. 

The doctors are still deciding if they want to take blood samples from Carol before she goes back to Oregon later in the week. After everyone left today, Nonnie developed a fever that they are keeping a close eye on. The doctors will have their weekly Monday meeting in the morning to discuss all of the patients' cases. For now, we need Nonnie to kick that fever and stay strong so her body can start making healthy blood later in the week!

Making Friends

Nonnie was feeling a little down this morning until Dr. De-Vos came in for his daily rounds. He was able to cheer her up by telling her that everything is going as planned. Papa made the return trip to the hospital after being home for a few days. He loves her new look with no hair. Papa was all excited to go with Nonnie on a walk, but was a little taken back by her new routine. Nonnie has made a few friends on her floor and they have been taking their walks together. Carol and Tony arrived safely and took today to settle in and go to Mike and Shannon's for dinner. They are going to UCLA tomorrow for a long awaited visit with Nonnie. 

Surprise Visit

Last night, Nonnie received a fresh blood transfusion followed by platelets this morning. After eating breakfast, she took a bath and came out to find Lisa and I sitting in her room. We were hanging out with Robert while he cleaned her room. She was so surprised because she thought there would be no guests until tomorrow. Papa has recovered from his sickness, and he will bring Carol and Tony down to the hospital tomorrow.

Nonnie was wearing her brown turbine hat and she looked adorable. Lisa and I talked with her for a while, and all along we were dying to see her new haircut. Our curiosity got the best of us and we finally asked her to take off her hat. The nurses were right. She looks beautiful! Move over Sinead O'Connor and Brittany Spears.....as Lisa said, "she rocks it". 

Dr. De-Vos came by while we were there and explained that her sores were a simple virus. He assured us that the antibiotic will clear them up. Whew! He also told us that her blood levels are almost "rock bottom" and that next week her body should start regenerating on its own. Once she gets to an acceptable level, she will finally be able to go home. Nonnie was feeling the best she has in a long time today and appears to be responding well to the treatment. 

More Answered Prayers

Nonnie woke up this morning with a bed full of hair, and she knew it was time to call Robert for a haircut. Robert shaves his head bald with a razor, so she felt comfortable that he was fully certified to use the clippers. He was so gentle and kind with her, that she actually felt O.K. with the idea of not having hair. Several nurses stopped by to see Nonnie, and they all told her how cute she was! It was at that moment when reality set in and she began to cry. As you could imagine, her head was rather cold without hair. The good news is.... she loves her cozy new brown hat that Lisa found for her. 

Over the last several days, Nonnie has developed sores in the small of her back. The nurses have been giving her a medicated ointment to help soothe the area. The doctors have been keeping a close eye on her because of the risk of infection. This afternoon, she had a frightening experience. The doctors and nurses came into her room wearing gowns, masks and gloves. Imagine being told that "you" are in isolation and that the precautions they were wearing were because of your condition! Nonnie was all alone and feeling so scared while lying in her bed. She immediately turned to God like she has so many times in her life, especially during this difficult time.

Any guesses? Within 15 minutes, the door opened with her nurse standing in door. She came in to tell Nonnie that the "isolation" was over. That just might be the fastest answered prayer that I have ever heard! We do not know what the doctors were acting so cautiously about, but the assuredness of knowing she did not have anything contagious was a good enough answer for now. Hopefully we will learn more tomorrow about that. 

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

By 10:00 A.M. this morning, Nonnie had not heard from Papa since he had gone home yesterday. She was getting worried about him when he walked in the room and rushed over to put on a mask and gloves. He woke up at home last night at 3:00 A.M. with a headache and sore throat. He used all of these precautions because he did not want to expose Nonnie to any sickness. Check this out......Papa drove from Riverside to Los Angeles to make sure she had clean underwear. He wiped down the entire room with disinfectant and cleaned behind himself as he walked out the door. Papa was there for a total of 10 minutes, and got back on the freeway to make the return trip. You can't ask for a more supportive husband. We need him to get rested up over the next couple of days before her sister Carol and Tony get in this weekend from Oregon.

Nonnie felt surprisingly energetic and strong throughout the entire day. She told me that she went on a few walks and caught up on some television shows today. Her spirits sounded high and she even joked about how her hair has begun to fall out. She started using a lint brush to clean her pillow but there wasn't enough tape on the roll. A towel now rests over her pillow to catch the hair. Tomorrow, Nonnie's "care person" Robert is going to help her cut her hair off using clippers. Despite this recent event, she still has the most positive attitude and is actually excited to try on her new hats and wig that has finally arrived.  

Morning Sickness

Overall, Nonnie's spinal tap procedure went pretty well yesterday. The worst part was having to don a face mask and be taken through the hospital and down the elevator to the treatment room. Nonnie said she felt alone and scared because all of the machines and noise going on during her procedure. She just closed her eyes and prayed and within 35 minutes, she was back in her room. 

This morning, Nonnie began to feel her first symptoms from the chemotherapy treatment. She complained of the worst nausea you could imagine. Fortunately, she did not get sick. Her nurse gave her Compazine to help with the symptoms to no avail. They ended up giving her Zofran, which was the profalactic anti-nausea medication that was discontinued last week. Within 15 minutes, the symptoms were gone.  

I spoke with her tonight and as you could imagine, she is getting tired of looking at the same 4 walls! Nonnie took a nice walk with a student nurse tonight and she stayed and visited for about an hour. I can only think of the lasting impression that Nonnie must have left with this young nurse and how happy she must feel to have gone into nursing!

Wanted....Technical Help

I have heard that some people are having difficulty in becoming a follower, posting a picture or a comment. If any of you have any helpful advice or are computer savvy, please reply to this post.

A Message From Nonnie

As I lay here in my hospital bed this morning, I feel so overwhelmed by all of the outpouring of love and support by all of my family and friends. Lisa read aloud to me all of the comments over the past few days and it reduced me to tears thinking and missing each of you. Yesterday, Mike and Mary delivered these huge gift baskets filled the most fun and thoughtful gifts you could imagine! So many people were involved in putting this together including: Vickie, Janie, Charlotte, Ron and Brenda, Linda K. and of course Mike and Mary. It was like Christmas in April. All of the hospital staff and nurses kept coming by to see all of the goodies. Included were several pajamas, robes, Bath and Body sets, teapots, mugs, slippers, flip-flops, music CD's, socks, hats, games books and pencils, stationary and note cards to write on once I feel more energetic and so much more. This morning, I opened up the most beautiful silver necklace that has 100 tiny beads to signify 100 good wishes from Matt, Maria and Sofia Nelson. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring so much about me.

Love,

Linda, Linnie, Nonnie

Progress Report

As we sit here this morning with Nonnie and Papa, 3 of Nonnie's doctors came in to give a progress report. Today she is feeling a little weak but you would never know it by seeing her. She is receiving a platelet transfusion as we speak. Nonnie and her new donor are getting along great! She is scheduled to have a spinal tap this afternoon. During this procedure, they will take a sample of her cerebral spinal fluid to test for signs of leukemia. In addition, they will inject a profalactic chemotherapy treatment directly into her spine. We are told that her type of leukemia attaches to the lining of the body organs, and sometimes the spinal column. Later in the week, she will get a second injection into her spine depending on the results of today's tests.

Papa's Answered Prayer

Papa was feeling very nervous yesterday because Nonnie needed to get a platelet transfusion. He prayed to God that she would not have another adverse reaction. Of course, you don't need to ask how the procedure went because the title says it all! Papa is getting so good at his new role, he is considering starting a second career in nursing. All of us men could only hope to be half as loving and supportive as him.

Mike and Shannon went to visit yesterday afternoon and she is expecting Mike and Mary Carpenter to come by today. I am sure this helps break up the everyday routine of being in the hospital. One last cool thing.......yesterday when Sydnee got up to bat at softball, Grandma Boo yelled "this one's for Nonnie". Sydnee crushed a single and even got a "gold star" for her hit and good play throughout the game.

Priceless Moments

Since UCLA is a training hospital, the "fellow" doctors are regularly reassigned to new patients. This is a term used when a doctor is continuing his/her education to specialize in a certain field while doing a "fellowship". They work under the primary doctor who in Nonnie's case, is Dr. De-Vos. Today the new fellow would give her some good news...... no need for any transfusions. This meant that today would likely be an uneventful day, so Papa used this opportunity to go home for the day. He might even get to check out a couple of the grandkids games tomorrow before going back.

This evening, Lisa was talking to Nonnie while driving Dustin to baseball practice. She was using her Bluetooth device, and Dustin asked Nonnie from the backseat "what was their story"? She told him that she was looking out of her kitchen window and noticed a mommy deer scurry into the bushes once spotted. She continued to watch for a few more minutes until she saw the mommy deer and a baby deer come out onto the grass. The baby's legs were so skinny and wobbly, she could barely stand up. The story had to end early because they had arrived at the field.

Lisa was nervous because she thought her mom was having a moment of dementia. After Dustin got out of the car, Lisa asked "what was that all about"? Nonnie told her that when she is in Oregon and away from the kids, she tells them different stories of all of the daily activities. Apparently, since the kids won't be able to see her regularly she told the kids to pretend that she is just in Oregon for a while. If only we could look through the eyes of a child's mind more often! Priceless.

Rise And Shine

Like clockwork, the staff came in this morning at 4:00 A.M to take Nonnie's vital signs. She quickly slips back into a deep sleep as Papa stares at the ceiling. Good thing he is a reader! He just turns on his light and grabs a book to get sleepy again. The bummer part is that he keeps picking up the book that features his favorite action character and does not go back to sleep. At least he is not reading one of those books with Fabio on cover!

Nonnie's blood counts are dropping again as expected. Her white blood count is down to 0.2, her red count is 9.9 and her platelets are down from 24,000 to 17,000. In summary, what this means is that tomorrow she will likely need a transfusion of either fresh blood, platelets or both. Dr. De-Vos mentioned this morning that they will "cross-type" the platelets in an attempt to find a more suitable donor. In the meantime, she is off of the anti-nausea medication because she has not felt any signs of sickness. She is to tell her nurse immediately if she begins to feel the nauseous and they will start her back on the medication. 

Say Goodbye To Yesterday

Whew! We are all so relieved that yesterday has passed and that Nonnie was able to finish strong last night. Papa returned back to the hospital at about 10:30 P.M. and after he made up his bed, they stayed awake talking for quite a while. Dr. De-Vos did his rounds this morning, and he explained that the reaction yesterday was due to her body rejecting the donors' platelets. In the future, a completely new donor will be used to hopefully avoid this from happening again. Thank goodness for all of those people who regularly donate! I feel like a schmuck.

As mentioned yesterday, Pam and Bubbles have been working out the final details for Nonnie's new wig. When Jack Marshall got wind of this effort, he contacted Pam to offer to pay for the new merchandise. After going back and forth, Pam finally gave in when Jack insisted to do this on behalf of Thompson & Colegate. You see, this is the law firm where Nonnie worked for 38 years and where all of the names mentioned above formed these lifelong relationships. I heard that Nonnie began to literally bawl when she heard about this kind gesture. There is still one thing that is interesting to me.......Pam has not worked there in many, many years and yet she gave in. I guess we all know who is still the boss!

Bump In The Road

Today signifies the completion of the first round of chemotherapy for Nonnie. This morning, she received another platelet transfusion. Unfortunately, her body continues to have an adverse reaction to this treatment. In addition to the itching and rash, she developed shortness of breath and a low blood pressure. The staff acted very expediently by giving her IV Benadryl for the allergic reaction and fluids to raise her blood pressure. She slept most of the day while Lisa kept her company. After a full day of feeling lousy, she finally regained her energy at about 8:30 this evening. 

When Lisa got home tonight, she could not stop talking about how much love and support you all have shown for her mother. Nonnie received a nice care package from Grandma Boo (Jeff's mom) and a "keepsake" box full of goodies from Charlotte. We got confirmation today that Pam and Bubbles have ordered the perfect wig that will resemble her natural hair. Good job girls!

The Final Countdown

After visiting with the kids and grandkids for Easter, Nonnie and Papa had a chance to catch up on some much needed rest. Papa went for a long walk this morning around the UCLA campus, and found himself amongst thousands of students being let out of class in transition to their next. I can't get the image of Rodney Dangerfield in "Back To School" doing a "Triple Lindy" out of my mind!

Nonnie was feeling energetic today and gave herself a bath and put her makeup on before Doug and Annie came by for a nice visit. Papa took them to lunch at "Jerry's Deli", the place to be if you are easily star-stricken. She even received a package today from Kenny and Kathy...... a cute Easter duck. 

She is getting the last of 7 chemotherapy treatments tonight and so far she feels pretty good. A nagging cough that is deserving of some Robitussin is her only complaint today. She is gearing up for the chemotherapy to take full effect later in the week by enjoying her daily walks and reading her magazines. Lisa is going back to the hospital tomorrow so Papa can go home to tend to the house for the day. 

Easter With Nonnie

Today, our family celebrated Easter like any other year........kids wake up parents early - check, kids rifle through baskets - check, egg hunt - check, breakfast - check, put on Easter clothes - check. The only difference this year was the direction our car would travel to see Nonnie and Papa. We headed north to Los Angeles and made record time. The Asam family also made the journey to meet up with us at UCLA. This was the first time our entire family was together since she went into the hospital.

Dr. De-Vos and his fellow made their rounds prior to our arrival, and they are pleased at how her treatment is going. The only discomfort Nonnie has is the rash that she gets when receiving fresh blood. She is given IV Benadryl to help with the reaction. 

Papa somehow made time to prepare Easter gift bags for the kids. The kids got Nonnie up to speed with all of their activities - school, sports, friends and vacations. It is in these times that you figure out that it does not matter what you are talking about, it is the time you spend with loved ones that really matters. Nonnie appreciates all of the calls and comments of support she is getting and she sends her love to all of you!

One Week Down

Nonnie was able to rest well last night knowing that Shannon and Brennen had returned home from Washington DC. Of course, I am sure that it did not have anything to do with Papa coming back to the hospital! Dr. De-Vos met with them today and he was able to share some preliminary information. The final results are not available yet, but for simplicity, try to put this information into 3 different categories: not favorable, favorable and very favorable. She is considered to be categorized in the "favorable" category (this is not a clinical term). As more information becomes available, we will give updates accordingly.

When Lisa and I walked into her room today, we could not believe the IV rack and pump she is connected to. She must drag this along with her wherever she goes. Yes, everywhere. Attached were IV fluids, antibiotics, platelets, chemotherapy and fresh blood. I equate it to a 4 star General that has just returned from war wearing his dress uniform jacket. The medals and pins are attached to commemorate the battles he has won. Her battle has just begun. 

Third And Final Round

Nonnie met with her doctor this morning and he was encouraged that her body is tolerating the chemotherapy treatment. Her white blood count (WBC) has gone down significantly this week, which means her risk for infection increases. She now must don a mask when going out for her daily walk. Yes, it is confirmed.... she did reapply her lipstick prior to putting on her mask. I guess that cute male doctor must have x-ray vision! 

When looking northwest from the 6th floor, you can see the Getty Museum. I am sure Papa will plan an adventure to visit it in person once Nonnie gets well. Pam and Bubbles are conducting a recon mission to find the perfect wig for Nonnie. They even went to her hair dresser to get the color matched. In the meanwhile, Lisa has ordered 2 hats that will be cute and comfortable to wear in a couple of weeks. She is going to take this look to a whole new level with her natural beauty. 

Round Two

Nonnie had her second treatment last night and she is now 48 hours into the treatment. The anti-nausea medication I mentioned yesterday is working its wonders. Her platelet count has dropped from 24,000 to 11,000 which is expected at this point in the process. We are still awaiting the results of the detailed bone marrow tests.

One of her daily highlights is when she can take a bath. They give her a waterproof bag over her arm to avoid infection at the PICC line site. Her room was filled with lots of love today with visits from family members. Mike, Blaine and Kylie came with Derek, Tammy and Dylan (Shannon's brother and his family). Papa went home tonight to do some laundry and manicure his lawns. Lisa talked to him tonight and as you could imagine, he misses her terribly. She will be getting her third treatment tonight and hopes to get a good night sleep.

Nonnie loves to hear the comments from all of you (Lisa reads them to her daily or brings our laptop every other day for her to read). If you want to send her a card or letter, the address is:

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

757 Westwood Plaza

C/O Linda Asam, Room 6113

Los Angeles, CA 90095

Round One

Nonnie received her first chemotherapy treatment last night and feels surprisingly well today. Prior to the chemotherapy, she received 2 units of fresh blood which raised her hemoglobin count. In turn, this gives her the much needed energy to help her battle. The anti-nausea medication seems to be working rather well, as she has not felt any signs of sickness from the aggressive treatment. At 8:00 tonight, she will get her second dose of Idamycin.

When I spoke with Papa late this afternoon, they were getting ready to take a walk around the floor. The reward for getting out of bed is the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Ladies, you are going to love this one........ she was actually applying her lipstick prior to going for their walk! God forbid anyone seeing her without her lips on. You gotta love this woman.

The Battle Is On

As I write this entry, Nonnie is undergoing her first chemotherapy treatment. She will be receiving 2 types of medication via her PICC line. This procedure is called "induction therapy". The first medication is called Idamycin, which is a potent medication given over 20 minutes, once a day for three days.  The second medication is called Cytarabine, which will be given continuous for 7 days. She will likely feel nausea during the treatment, but they assured us that they will be giving her anti-emetic medication to make her feel less nauseous. The goal of this treatment is to put her into remission. After 14 days, they will take another bone marrow sample to see how her body is responding to the treatment. They will use these findings to help develop future treatment plans for her. I am confident that by the grace of God and the support of her family and friends, she will respond favorably to the treatment. Get well soon Nonnie. We love you! 

Spring Training

After a long day awaiting the results from the bone marrow test, we finally met with one of the fellow doctors. She was a young pretty Indian doctor that showed genuine compassion without compromising professionalism. You could see in her eyes how hard it was to going to be to inform us of the news she had to share. 

The bone marrow test confirmed that she has the AML subtype 'M5 Monocytic' leukemia. These results were taken at the cellular level, and will help the doctor decide which treatment will work best. It will be a few more days until it is narrowed down even more at the chromosomal level. The term used was "cited genetics". After these results are in, they will be able to give a more definitive prognosis. After receiving this news, Nonnie had begun her training by walking 4 laps around her floor. This will help her stay strong and active to help fight potential future respiratory infections by inactivity. Go Nonnie!

Team Meeting

This morning, Nonnie called for a team meeting. In attendance were Papa, Mike, Lisa and Jeffy. Shannon could not make it because she and Brennen are in Washington D.C. for an 8th grade road trip. We laughed and sometimes got sad as we shared our feelings about the current situation. Nonnie even modeled the cute new hat Papa bought for her. Grrrrrr! Her platelets had dropped to 22,000 which explains why she was not feeling very energetic today. She also had an ultrasound of her heart, to make sure she was able to handle the upcoming treatment. Was there ever a doubt that her heart is the size of Texas? The tests confirmed this which was great news. We all waited in angst to hear the results from the bone marrow test taken on Sunday. In the meanwhile, we got hooked up with the hospital wifi to check out the blog that is beginning to take shape.

Setting up camp

It seems like wherever Nonnie goes, she meets a lot of new friends. Today, she met with Dr. De-Vos who is a Hematologist/Medical Oncologist. He is the primary physician that will be treating her. It turns out, he is a man of few words. She also met with the hospital Chaplain who prayed with Nonnie and Papa - you can never have too many prayers! She received a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) that was inserted on the left side of her chest. This will be how they take blood, administer fluids, antibiotics and even her chemotherapy. No more sticking her with needles and IV's in her arms. Darn, she was getting so good at that! Her platelet count seems to be stabilized at 32,000 which is not alarming to the staff. Nonnie also had her bone marrow test this morning and we are still waiting for the results. Once the results are available, her diagnosis will be made and she will begin treatment.

Nonnie and Papa were feeling a little tired today and they snuck in a 3 1/2 hour nap. The cool part is her new alarm clock...... every 4 hours someone comes in to take her vital signs. The worst part of her new home is the food. Today, she had to eat chicken enchiladas for lunch and herb crusted salmon for dinner. Papa is going to spend the night on the couch tonight and the staff provided him with blankets. I won't be surprised if security stops by tonight because of the multiple complaints of loud snoring. If you don't believe me, ask any of his fishing buddies! Good night.

How's Papa?

Despite the fact that his girlfriend since the second grade is in the hospital, he is doing quite well. He is thankful that she is finally in a place that can give her the treatment that she needs. Papa will be busy trying to figure out how to balance the demands at home, and giving Nonnie the support she needs while in the hospital. Last night, he commuted back home to sleep and get some personal belongings for the both of them. He will probably split his time mostly at the hospital, Jeff and Lisa's house and maybe even Rick's boat in Long Beach to be closer to Nonnie. Unfortunately, flowers and plants are not allowed in her hospital room. We will update you on the rules for visitors etc. as the information becomes available. On behalf of our family, we thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

The game plan

On Monday morning, Nonnie is scheduled to have a new bone marrow test to conclusively determine which type of Leukemia she has. There are generally 2 types: Chronic and Acute. She is believed so far to have the acute, which explains the speed in which it has progressed. The bone marrow test will confirm the type. There are 2 types of Acute: ALL and AML. So far, it is believed to be "AML" acute myeloid leukemia. She will undergo IV chemotherapy starting as soon as Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning and will be continuous for 3 days. She is expected to feel a little nauseous during the chemo, but it will not be until day 14 that she feels the full effect of the treatment. The goal here is to put her into remission. She will stay at the hospital for a month and then return home. After that, she will go back after about a week for a second round of chemo which is a little lower dose than the first. She will be staying in the hospital for about 3 days and then returning home. She will repeat this a total of 4 or 5 times until the treatment is completed.

Nonnie goes for a ride

On Sunday morning, Nonnie was transported by ambulance to UCLA while Papa followed them closely behind. If any of you have traveled through Los Angeles on a weekend, you know how fun it is to travel the freeways! Try it in an ambulance..... 1 1/2 hours from Riverside to Los Angeles. After a mix up at registration, Nonnie was assigned a room. It is a private room with a television, sofa and reclining chair, with a bathroom and shower. Papa is so excited that he will have a cozy place to take his afternoon naps. The nurse today was very friendly and took a liking to Nonnie (like that is hard to do!). We also met Dr. Ahmad who has excellent bedside manner and was able to answer all of our questions without talking over our heads. She is getting so good at being a pin cushion lately, she even let them take more blood today. They got her started on IV antibiotics this afternoon. The nurse said she can wear her own pajamas instead of the typical hospital gown. Of course, you know what Papa did.....yep! Off to Victoria's Secret to get Nonnie a couple of cute sweatsuits. He is so awesome.

Answered Prayers

On Saturday afternoon, we learned that Nonnie would be transferred to UCLA Medical Center to begin her treatment on Sunday morning. This is a brand new, state of the art facility on the UCLA campus called the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Her doctors name is Sven De-Vos, who is a Hematologist/Medical Oncologist. Jeff has a friend that is married to the Medical Director of Orange County, previously in Los Angeles County. Dr. Stratton made some phone calls and we learned that Dr. De-Vos was actually recruited by UCLA because of his credentials and is a master in his field. He even told us that if he or a family member needed treatment, he would seek Dr. De-Vos. In addition to Dr. De-Vos, Dr. Aribi Ahmad (fellow) will be assigned to Nonnie. He is a student, that has already finished his residency in Internal Medicine, a residency in Oncology, and now is studying Hematology with approximately 10 years of practice. Sounds like we are heading in the right direction!

The dreaded phone call

Last Friday, Nonnie was feeling very weak and could barely muster up the energy to walk around her house. She received a phone call at 2:00 P.M. saying that she needed to get to the hospital because her risk for infection or bleeding was a major concern.  Papa drove her to Riverside Community Hospital, and by 3:30 P.M. she was admitted for the night. On Saturday morning, she got 10 units of platelets and 2 units of whole blood. This made her feel soooooo much better. She was literally doing jumping jacks so well that Jack LaLane would be jealous! The preliminary report was that she had a form of acute Leukemia. The rest of the day would be spent waiting for authorizations from the insurance company to get transferred to a specialty center to begin treatment. 

Tests, Tests and More Tests!

After meeting with the Oncologist approximately two weeks ago, she recommended additional tests to help figure out what is wrong with our Nonnie. She underwent a CT of her chest and abdomen, which were clear! That was the good news. Unfortunately, her platelet count dropped from 72,000 to 32,000 (normal is 150,000 to 400,000). She went in to get a platelet transfusion that next day followed by a bone marrow test......ouch!

Lets get caught up to speed

In December of 2008, Nonnie and Papa went to their annual physicals. Nonnie told her doctor that she had developed a dry persistent cough and was given an antibiotic to help clear it up. She and Papa went to Oregon for about a month, where she began to feel weak and tired. Once they got back to Riverside, she got a new blood test which revealed her platelet count was down from the initial test done in December. She was advised to come back in a month to monitor the situation. In the meantime, she began to have night sweats, lack of appetite, fever and unexplained weight loss. This prompted her primary doctor to refer her to an Oncologist in Riverside.