One Of Those Days

After being in the hospital for nearly a week, Nonnie had one of those days yesterday. It began all too familiar with a poor night sleep, followed by general weakness and lack of appetite throughout the day. Fortunately, the fever that began to spike broke quickly and she did not have to do the "fire drill"!

Mike and Mary Carpenter went by this morning for a visit, and they were glad to hear that Nonnie had a great night sleep and she was able to eat her breakfast! Close one. They all had a meeting with Dr. Paquette, and it was decided to have Nonnie stay at UCLA for the rest of this treatment. Her counts are continuing their slow decent, but she has proven that she can handle anything that comes her way!

4 Down, 1 To Go!

It is Friday night, and Nonnie is almost due to get her last chemotherapy bag hung! She will be done with her treatment in just over 24 hours. If you remember prior to her going back to the hospital, her counts were higher than they have ever been throughout this process. The current treatment has lowered her counts to about half of what they were since Tuesday. What this means for her, is that her counts may not be low enough for her to stay in the hospital after the treatment (insurance issue). Usually, her counts are so low that she stays in the hospital until they come back up to an acceptable level.

This time, she may have to go home for a few days until they start to drop, or until she gets a fever. This sounds alright, but she would rather stay in the hospital for the entire time for a couple of reasons. First, there is the likelihood that there will not be a room available for her, so they would need to go to the UCLA in Santa Monica. This would be a matter of getting used to a new routine at another facility. Secondly, she is anxious about being at home and away from doctors should she have a fever or not feel well. I can certainly understand her concern!

So far, she has not had any significant issues, and she has not needed any blood products. Mike and Lisa are getting prescriptions next week to see if they might be a match.

Typical Tuesday

The kids wanted to call and talk to Nonnie this evening to get her up to date on their school work for the week. It was so cute to hear them talk to her as if she was here in person! She is doing very well, and things are going as expected. Papa went out to see a movie this afternoon, while Nonnie took her daily walk. Nonnie starts her 3rd treatment tonight and will finish on Saturday night. What an incredible woman!

Here We Go Again

Nonnie and Papa made their way back to UCLA yesterday, and were greeted by many of the same familiar faces they have become so accustomed to. They love their new room.... first of all, it is larger than the last room and it has new curtains and a freshly polished floor. The best part is the ocean view overlooking the Pacific Ocean! The weather was so clear today, that they were able to see Catalina Island from their room.

The nurse that started Nonnie's PICC line did so with precision. She started her first round of Cytarabine at 10:00 P.M. last night, and will continue each 24 hour dose for a total of 5 times. When I spoke to her this afternoon, she had just returned from a 30 minute walk while Papa was doing his loop around the campus.

Her spirits remain high and she appreciates all of the cards, phone calls and especially those prayers! She can be reached at (310) 267-6154 or at the address below.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

757 Westwood Plaza

C/O Linda Asam, Room 6149

Los Angeles, CA 90095

Sources of Strength

The road trip up to Oregon is just what Nonnie and Papa needed! They returned last week feeling rested and re-energized in preparation for the upcoming weeks. Her blood counts remain strong, and she feels great.

When they were in Oregon, they visited the new cancer center that recently opened. A friend of the family works there, and asked if Nonnie would meet with the volunteers at the American Cancer Society office that opened that week. As you would imagine, she made a lasting impression with the staff! The volunteers directed her to several bins of reconditioned or donated wigs for cancer patients. She took advantage of a couple that look really cute on her.

The whole family spent the day together at their house yesterday for the first time since early summer. We celebrated Blaine's 11th birthday and the girls entertained us with their dance routines and cute antics. In typical Papa fashion, he made us a BBQ dinner that rivaled any restaurant!

The timing of being able to get everyone together this weekend was perfect! Spending time with all of her grand kids is what N0nnie needed to get the strength she needs to fight her next battle. Nonnie and Papa are going back to UCLA in the morning to start the next round of treatment.

Just Like Old TImes

Last Tuesday, Nonnie and Papa made it safely up to Oregon by early evening. It has been nearly a year since they were up there, when Nonnie actually started feeling some of her early symptoms. I can just imagine their emotions driving over the covered bridge and rounding the corner by the swimming hole, as their house came into view!

As if waiting, the house had all of the lights on, with the smell of home cooking as they walked in the door. Aunt Kathy (Dave's sister) went up to the house to do some dusting and light cleaning in preparation of their arrival. The crock pot was on the counter with a yummy vegetable soup and a loaf of Trader Joe's bread. The air outside was chilly, but the floorboard heaters were also on prior to their arrival. What an awesome sister!

Jack had the yard mowed before they got there and the grass is green as ever! Papa has been putzin' in the yard....which has always been his therapy. The wildlife is in full form up there. Just the other day, there were 7 wild turkeys and a mommy deer with her 2 babies that make their daily appearances. When I was on the phone with Nonnie, the 3 deer came out from the creek and before we got off of the phone, there were 8 deer in the yard as she looked out of her kitchen window. No wonder they love to spend time there with family and friends!