Goin' Home

Within hours of my last post, Nonnie met with her doctor and received the long-awaited news. She was "Goin' home"! While the staff was preparing the discharge paperwork, Papa drove to UCLA to help pack up her belongings. By the afternoon, she was finally back at home with Papa, Blaine and Kylie. What a team!

The Fighter

Nonnie has been at UCLA for the last 11 days fighting an infection in her lungs. She has undergone countless tests and exams to figure out what was causing her fevers and respiratory distress. She has continued to improve dramatically since the weekend, and is hopeful to be released some time in the next couple of days!

During her hospital stay, she has been on a high volume of oxygen, and she is being "weened" off over the last several days. During all of her tests, we learned a lot about what is "was not", i.e. (bad stuff). The most conclusive result came back yesterday as being some type of bacterial infection. She is increasing her respiratory volume and exercise program and eagerly awaiting her discharge.

Prayers Needed

Last week, Nonnie began having night time fevers and feeling a little weak. As the week progressed, so did her symptoms. By Friday night, she began feeling short of breath along with her fever. Papa called her doctor, and he had them go to the UCLA Emergency Room. They ran a battery of tests to find the cause of her symptoms.

She has undergone multiple blood tests, CT's and MRI's in an attempt to find the problem. In the meantime, she is on an antibiotic to fight a possible infection. They have also tested for an embolis, pneumonia, H1N1, leukemia and cardiac function. She is on continuous oxygen because her O2 saturation drops. The cause of that problem has not been diagnosed.

A fluid sample was taken from the pleural space of her lungs for testing. At one point, she was in an isolation room because of her suppressed immune system. At this point, there is no indication that the leukemia has returned. We hope to have some additional news by tomorrow.

The Rock

The day has come that all of us have been waiting for.....Nonnie came home from UCLA yesterday afternoon from her last treatment. As you can imagine, she is extremely happy to be home, and our family is looking forward to a new year. As I understand it, she will be required to go to the clinic for a check-up every 3 months.

This has been an incredibly emotional and challenging ordeal, and Nonnie wants to thank all of her friends and family for their prayers and support. In addition, a huge thank you to the Doctors, Nurses, Care Partners and staff at UCLA. They always treated her with the utmost respect, compassion and professionalism.

Nonnie is, and always will be the "Rock" of our family and we are so proud of her for her strength and positive attitude. All of us that have been following this blog have witnessed something very special. The power of prayer.......... it really works!

Getting Closer

As I sit here writing this post, I can't help but to be thankful for all of the blessings and answered prayers in our life. I spoke with Nonnie this morning, and she told me that she started making her own platelets last night! This means that her bone marrow is working properly, and the chemotherapy did not do any damage. She will be getting some whole blood today and is expected to be home by the weekend.

The doctors are considering this to be her last treatment because there is no significant information available to suggest that another treatment would be beneficial. If fact, the potential for damage to the bone marrow could potentially increase with each treatment. For now, she is doing quite well and excited about the great news.

Fire Drill, HLA, Pizza and Friends

The last post mentioned that Charlotte was going to spend the night with Nonnie on Tuesday night. She did not know what she was bargaining for, because Nonnie spiked a fever that night. Charlotte witnessed first hand the "fire drill".

In the morning, and after the excitement, Nonnie received another unit of platelets. This time, they were able to do an "HLA match" to better predict the compatibility. Her counts went from 4,000 to 38,000! Now that her counts are up, she will finally be able to start taking her walks.

Yesterday was Brennen's 15th birthday. Papa and Blaine went to Woodcrest Christian High School, where all of the Freshmen had pizza and cake. Lisa and I took our kids to the beach at 15th street in Huntington Beach, and tied a card to a bunch of red (Brennen's favorite color) helium balloons. After a short prayer, we set them free and watched them rise up into the heavens.

Nonnie had a great visit today with Christie, Marcy, Carol and Miriam. These are the mothers of the kids who are best friends with Brennen, Blaine and Kylie. Afterwards, Chuck and Kathy Reid stopped by to spend time with Nonnie. Late in the afternoon, she mustered up the energy to take a walk around the floor. It sure must have been nice to get out of that bed!

Layin' Low

This week has been a game of "wait and see" on how Nonnie will respond to our platelets. Unfortunately, it looks like they are not as effective as we had hoped. The blood clinic is in the process of contacting the donor from September to check his/her availability to make another donation.

Dr. Paquette told Nonnie, "This will just have to be a week of laying low". Because of her severely low platelet counts, she is restricted to stay in her bed until her counts come up. Nonnie received 2 units of blood today and the last unit of directed platelets. She always feels so refreshed to get that fresh blood!

Nonnie told me that her Care Partner, Robert, hooked her up with a bucket of soapy water and washcloths at her bedside, so she could take a sponge bath. He also changed out her bed sheets and provided her with a clean change of clothes. He is the man!

The time is going by for Nonnie..... the hospital staff is very attentive, especially when they know Papa is not there. Derek and Tammy stopped by last night for a surprise visit, and Charlotte just arrived to spend the night when I was on the phone with Nonnie tonight. As you can see, our support group is doing a great job!

Nice Break

After being home for almost a week, Nonnie went back to the hospital yesterday morning. Blaine spent the weekend with his buddy Will and Kylie came down to our house. Papa stayed with Nonnie and even snuck in a movie while she was resting!

Lisa and I gave a "directed donation" of platelets on Thursday. This means that they are intended for a specific person. The platelets have a 5 day shelf life, 3 of which are spent processing and typing them for the recipient. If they are not a match, the donated platelets go into the system for another person. Even after this process is done, you still do not know how patients' body will respond until after they are given.

Nonnie's counts were low as expected, and she received whole blood and platelets in the afternoon. We are not sure whose they were, and the blood counts are not in as of this morning. She will likely get the other platelets today, and we hope that she responds well to one of our platelets.

Last night, Nonnie woke up around midnight to a very high fever. This prompted another "fire drill" and they were able to break her fever by this morning. She usually does this on day 14 post chemotherapy, but this time, it was on day 7. Hopefully, this means she is ahead of the game and she will be home a week sooner!

Her new room is #6153 and the direct phone is 310-267-6156.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

757 Westwood Plaza

C/O Linda Asam, Room 6153

Los Angeles, CA 90095

Momentary Break

On Saturday, Papa and Lisa took the kids up to visit Nonnie for the day. When they went out to lunch in Westlake Village, the girls talked Papa into getting them a UCLA sweatshirt. They both sported their new gear around the hospital and gained a ton of fanfare from the students and staff!

Papa spent the night at the hospital with Nonnie as she completed her last chemotherapy treatment that evening. The kids all came back to our house and rented some movies for their sleepover. In the morning, Papa had a huge surprise for the kids.... Nonnie was discharged to go home for a few days until her counts begin to drop.

She has a home health nurse coming by each day to take blood and monitor her status. She will likely return back to UCLA later in the week until her counts are at a desirable level. At this point, she is still in remission as confirmed by the recent bone marrow biopsy done last week. Praise God for the miracle He is working!

Happy New Year

Today marks the 5th day for Nonnie being in the hospital. Later tonight, she will get her last chemotherapy treatment. She is feeling well and began her walking routine this morning with her friend Tammy.

Nonnie has been reading a really good book that deals with the grieving process, and is encouraged that in time, the healing process will begin. Papa, Lisa and I are very excited, because we are taking the kids to UCLA in the morning to visit Nonnie!

Her levels are slowly beginning to drop, and will drop steadily through the end of next week. Lisa is bulking up on her iron intake, and has been eating her daily "Cream of Wheat" so she can give platelets once needed.

Round 2

Nonnie is finally all situated in her new room. The PICC line procedure yesterday went very well, and only took about 20 minutes to put in. The nurse that put it in has been working there for 30 years! Dr. Paquette took a bone marrow biopsy and they are still waiting for the results from yesterday.

She is currently halfway through the second dose of chemotherapy, which changes out at approximately 11:00 P.M. each night. Nonnie took a bath this morning and is feeling good. She tells me it is quite the process because she is connected to all types of tubing and machines. I bet it feels good to be in her fresh jammies!

Papa is on his way to pick up Blaine and Kylie to go back to Riverside. They are going to see a movie with a group of friends this afternoon. Nonnie plans on spending most of her time catching up on thank you cards and getting her rest.

Back At It

As you can imagine, this Christmas was a bitter-sweet time for our family. We all got together and went to Disneyland for the day on Christmas eve, and spent Christmas in Riverside. It was particularly difficult for Nonnie, knowing that she had to return to the hospital for another treatment.

This morning, Nonnie and Papa brought Blaine and Kylie to our house so they could get checked in at UCLA. There were several patients being discharged this afternoon, which delayed Nonnie from getting into her room until late this afternoon. She is becoming an old pro at this routine!

Within minutes, she was in a hospital gown and giving blood to check her admission levels. The team that inserts the PICC line will return tomorrow to give one to Nonnie. Until then, she has an IV that will be used for the first dose of Cytarabine starting tonight.

Nonnie told me that there have been so many hospital personnel stopping by and offering their condolences and words of encouragement. I think of them as additional "support crew members" that we all know she needs! Her direct telephone number is (310) 267-6148.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

757 Westwood Plaza

C/O Linda Asam, Room 6137

Los Angeles, CA 90095

December Update

There are no words to describe the loss and depth of sadness that our family has endured over the past 4 weeks. We give thanks to all of our friends that have overwhelmingly given their support and prayers. You will never know how much we appreciate knowing that you are with us, and appreciate all that you have done.

We are anticipating a difficult holiday season, but we know that God will give us the strength to move on. Blaine and Kylie are living with Nonnie and Papa and have returned to school. They are blessed by a huge support group in Riverside from their school and church.

Nonnie is going back to UCLA on December 28, 2009 to continue her treatment, with one more remaining afterwards. We wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Thank You

On behalf of our entire family, we would like to thank each of you for everything you have done to show your love and support to us at this difficult time. There have been countless phone calls, flowers and personal visits along with an unlimited supply of food and beverages. It has been especially comforting knowing that we are included in your prayers! Our family is relying heavily on our faith in God, and we are confident that He will help us through these next days, weeks, months and years.

The services for Mike, Shannon and Brennen are scheduled for Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. The Grove Community Church is located at 19900 Grove Community Drive Riverside, CA 92508. A reception for our guests will be provided immediately after the service.

If you wish to make a donation for the benefit of Blaine and Kylie, contributions may be made to:

Blaine and Kylie Asam Family Fund

c/o Varner & Brandt LLP

3750 University Avenue, Suite 610

Riverside, CA 92501

Message From Nonnie

Nonnie and Papa went up to Oregon on Thursday to open up the house for our annual Thanksgiving week trip. Lisa and I arrived late Saturday evening with the kids. We received a phone call on early Sunday morning learning that Mike and his family were involved in a tragic car crash on their way up to be with our family. Sadly, I must inform our family and friends that Mike (41), Shannon (40) and Brennen (14) were called home to be with the Lord yesterday morning. Blaine (11) and Kylie (9) were able to extricate themselves from the vehicle and waited with "Patrick", a Good Samaritan until rescue crews arrived.

Blaine and Kylie were briefly hospitalized with minor injuries and were picked up by Shannon's brother Derek. We all drove home through the night last night until Nonnie and Papa picked up the kids last night. We are safe and well at Nonnie and Papa's house in Riverside. We want to thank all of our family and friends for their support and countless prayers during this difficult time. The services will be held at Grove Church in Riverside on December 5, 2009. More information to follow regarding further details. Our family asks that this information gets disseminated to all pertinent persons. Thank you.

Thanksgiving In Oregon

The timing of all of the recent treatments could not have been any better! Nonnie and Papa are driving north to Oregon as I sit and write this entry. Dr. Paquette removed the PICC line yesterday and gave the "thumbs up" to them leaving town for Thanksgiving. She is feeling absolutely great since being home, and is looking forward to having all of the grandkids together for the holiday.

Nonnie and Papa are going up a couple days early to get the yards trimmed and the refrigerator full. Even though the weather forecast is calling for rain, rain and more rain, all of us boys are bringing our motorcycles to go explore the best trails on Earth! Thanks to everyone for their continued prayers and have a happy Thanksgiving. I will try to post some pictures next week.

She Did It Again

This morning, the doctors reviewed Nonnie's blood tests, and confirmed that her counts have risen above the level that is required for her to be released from the hospital. In fact, her counts are at their highest levels upon discharge since undergoing the initial treatment in April. Her platelet levels were at 95,000! Of course, it took a while for Nonnie to say all of her goodbyes to the staff, but they finally got on the road just after noon.

This is the second consolidation treatment that was just completed. As you could imagine, it takes Nonnie a little while to adjust from being in the hospital room for so long, to being out on the freeways, etc. Papa took Nonnie to Miguel's on the way home to satisfy the her craving for Mexican food. He then went to the store to get a few things for the house, while Nonnie picked up Brennen and took him to Blockbuster to get a movie. Those are the things she misses the most!

The plan is to meet with Dr. Paquette on Wednesday of next week, and then pack up to head to Oregon for Thanksgiving. This will be the first time since August of 2008 that we have all been up there together. This year will be so special because we all have so much to be thankful for!

Happy Birthday

When you spend as much time in the hospital as Nonnie has over the last year, it is very likely that some of those days will be holidays or other special days. Today is Nonnie's birthday, and she actually had a very nice day today! She was moved back to the 6th floor last night, and she is feeling very well. Her counts are on the rise now, and she received both units of Mike's platelets this morning. By tomorrow morning, her platelets will be higher than they have in about a year!

Nonnie received tons of birthday cards and phone calls wishing her well today. In fact, she had to charge her cell phone 3 times because of all the activity! I forgot a cool story from last week....Chuck and Kathy Reid visited the hospital last week. While the girls talked, the boys went to the world famous Jerry's Deli for lunch. Papa always jokes about what famous person he is going to see every time he takes us there. This time, they saw Jerry West.... a Lakers basketball player and coach who is now in the Hall of Fame. Only in L.A!

Nonnie is now in room # 6143 and the phone number is (310) 267-6151. Nonnie and Papa think they should be discharged no later than this Friday. How is that for a sweet birthday present?

Goal Setting

It is hard to believe that 3 weeks have already gone by since Nonnie has been back in the hospital. The last several days have been quite busy. After her move to the 7th floor on Wednesday night, she received blood on the following day. Her platelets have been hanging in there around 15,000 up until Saturday. Unfortunately, she started a fever early yesterday morning which usually affects those numbers significantly.

I shared some bad information last week regarding the lifespan of platelets. The actual time frame they need to be used by is 5 days, not 7-10. Since Nonnie's platelets were not low at that time frame, Mike's platelets were given to another patient. At least they did not have to go to waste! Mike went back to UCLA yesterday to give more platelets that should be ready by Tuesday for Nonnie. In the meantime, she is receiving platelets from a different donor as I write this entry.

Regarding the room change, Papa learned that the old hospital had 80 hospital beds in the cancer wing. The new hospital has 41 beds, which is why the demand is so high for a room. Since her fever started yesterday, she is on a list of 10 people waiting to get back on the 6th floor. She spoke with a friend who just came back for treatment, and he is in the maternity ward waiting for a room! I wonder who is getting more rest?

The goal today is to get the fever under control, and then get Mike's platelets in a couple of days. If all goes the same as the past, she might be able to come home later in the week! She would then go back to Dr. Paquette after being home for a week. At that point, she will ask about going to Oregon for Thanksgiving with the family. Is that too much to ask? Only HE knows!

Room Change

Nonnie was informed last night that she will be changing rooms. The reason for the move, is that there are other sick persons waiting to get a room and she was the most well person on the floor. It was encouraging to her and Papa to know that she is doing well and that another patient can be treated by the awesome staff at UCLA! Her new phone number is (310) 267-6249.