I know it has been soooo long since I last posted. I have been on a journey of healing and getting back to work and it has been good and challenging too. I am truly grateful for everything I have been through and really know that it is all a part of God's plan for my life. After I came home from the hospital and started recouperating. I slowly started getting my stamina and taste for food back. I am totally good now with those things! I have a bone marrow biopsy scheduled for February 19th and will see what we need to do as far as getting rid of the last little bit of Multiple Myeloma in my marrow. I have 1-2% left and want to be free from it all. My parents and pastor KNOW I am free from this disease (cancer) and think it may just take a bit longer for the tests to show the results that have been told to them. Sometimes it takes a little time for your body to catch up after a stem cell transplant....that is what my doctor is telling me. I am standing in faith and trusting that is exactly what is the truth! I will update with the results when I get them back from the bone marrow biopsy on the 19th. I have made so many good friends during this whole process and look at life in such a complete different way. God has me here for a reason and I believe he wants me to connect with others and share His great news! He loves you and me and is and always will be here for you to talk to, pray to and lean on. All you have to do is ask Him! I have missed blogging and being able to get my feelings out the past few months. I am here and I am back! Take care my friends and know: God is Good...All the Time! YeeHaw!!
Lisa
P.S. Oh yeh, the Women of Faith retreat is Friday, February 21st 5-9pm and Saturday, February 22nd 8am-12noon at Lakewood. It is going to be great! www.womenoffaith.com
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Friday, July 12, 2013
Day 188
Well Hello! I am so happy to be able to finally write and tell you that I have completed the high dose chemo and have received my stem cells back! I would have written during the time in the hospital, but it was a lot more than I really expected. I was pretty sick during the high dose chemo and also had a allergic reaction to an antibiotic that was infused. I was connected to an iv contraption on wheels that was connected to my CVC catheter in my chest the entire time. I had so many types of medicines being infused everyday all day that sometimes I slept all day except when my Mom or sister in law would try to get me to eat something. After the chemo I lost my taste buds and everything smells and tastes like perfume so I cannot stomach a lot of things. I know now what it is/was to be a baby and how they do not likes many things and have to eat pretty bland foods and drinks. Most smells nauseate me, but it is getting better each day. I wanted to thank each and everyone who have been there for me either encouraging me and checking on me.💜 I could have never made it without you and your support! My Mom, sister in law Louetta, my husband Roland, Dad and Patsy and Trish Cummins were there for me everyday or every other day helping me to get through this storm and I will forever be indebted to you!😇 I love y'all so much!❤
God is so good and I am grateful for His grace and mercy. He is in control of this am I am in complete Faith that He has my back and will bring me ALL the way through! There is a purpose for this and I am sure in time I will understand what and why I have gone through this someday. Thank you Lord for everyday that I get to share here on earth! 🙏
I got out of the hospital on July 4th...what a great celebration that was for me!🇺🇸 I am currently at the apartment close to the hospital until my doctor releases me to go home and recuperate until my 100 day check up. I have been to a few appointments for check ups and I am doing good except that my calcium level is high. My doctor has been in vacation this week so I will find out next week what we will be doing for the situation. I can't wait to go home. Thank you again for being such caring friends! 🌺 I will try to write to update sooner this next time! Have a Blessed Day!
God is so good and I am grateful for His grace and mercy. He is in control of this am I am in complete Faith that He has my back and will bring me ALL the way through! There is a purpose for this and I am sure in time I will understand what and why I have gone through this someday. Thank you Lord for everyday that I get to share here on earth! 🙏
I got out of the hospital on July 4th...what a great celebration that was for me!🇺🇸 I am currently at the apartment close to the hospital until my doctor releases me to go home and recuperate until my 100 day check up. I have been to a few appointments for check ups and I am doing good except that my calcium level is high. My doctor has been in vacation this week so I will find out next week what we will be doing for the situation. I can't wait to go home. Thank you again for being such caring friends! 🌺 I will try to write to update sooner this next time! Have a Blessed Day!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Day 153
All of the stem collection is completed. I had written a blog and I hit it erased all of it several days ago. I am blogging from my phone.
I went home for my Birthday and for Haylee's graduation on May 31st. It was great and I had a wonderful and emotional weekend. I am so proud of her and so blessed to have such great family and friends. This is what it is all about.
They (MD Anderson) did the random draw to see which method if the chemo I will be getting. I got the long draw which is the new research where they give me Busulfan and Mephlan and it takes about a week longer in administering the drugs then going back and doing the transplant (giving cells back.)
I started the test dose this morning at 8am and will be here until 10pm. They have an IV for the hourly blood draws they are doing to see how my body is reacting with the drug Busulfan. They have already administered the chemo (Busulfan) and will continue to take vitals and blood until 10pm. After they gather all blood and data they will go back and custom make my doses that I will receive next week during the high dose chemo portion of this process.
I will be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday...I will get my room and unload my clothes since i will be here for 3to 4 weeks. I then will go down to Beauty Shop and shave off the rest of my hair since they told me once the high dose chemo starts I cannot go to Beauty Shop because of health risks. The final thing for that day will be to hydrate me by IV fluids. I will up date as I go along.
Thank you everyone for the continued prayers. I so grateful for all of you!❤
Lord, please watch over my friends and family as they go about their day to day work and/or places they will go. Lead me to the people You want me to encounter and give me Your words and/or thoughts. I want to be the best steward for You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.
In Jesus Christ name
Amen
I went home for my Birthday and for Haylee's graduation on May 31st. It was great and I had a wonderful and emotional weekend. I am so proud of her and so blessed to have such great family and friends. This is what it is all about.
They (MD Anderson) did the random draw to see which method if the chemo I will be getting. I got the long draw which is the new research where they give me Busulfan and Mephlan and it takes about a week longer in administering the drugs then going back and doing the transplant (giving cells back.)
I started the test dose this morning at 8am and will be here until 10pm. They have an IV for the hourly blood draws they are doing to see how my body is reacting with the drug Busulfan. They have already administered the chemo (Busulfan) and will continue to take vitals and blood until 10pm. After they gather all blood and data they will go back and custom make my doses that I will receive next week during the high dose chemo portion of this process.
I will be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday...I will get my room and unload my clothes since i will be here for 3to 4 weeks. I then will go down to Beauty Shop and shave off the rest of my hair since they told me once the high dose chemo starts I cannot go to Beauty Shop because of health risks. The final thing for that day will be to hydrate me by IV fluids. I will up date as I go along.
Thank you everyone for the continued prayers. I so grateful for all of you!❤
Lord, please watch over my friends and family as they go about their day to day work and/or places they will go. Lead me to the people You want me to encounter and give me Your words and/or thoughts. I want to be the best steward for You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.
In Jesus Christ name
Amen
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Day 131
Since I last posted I have still been collecting stem cells each day. The first day of collection I collected 1.6 million stem cells which was good, but the second day I only collected .74 so Dr Korbling called in for a medication (shot) of a drug called Mozobil. He first had to get BCBS approval since each shot is approximately an arm and a leg per shot. $16,000-$18,000 per shot. The nurses and the doctor told me what they have seen in Multiple Myeloma patients is that when they go from a high stem cell collection to a much lower collection like what had happened to me is that it only goes lower each day being that it already hit it's peak and only declines more. My body needed something to push the cells out of the marrow and the drug Mozobil was going to be the answer. It was approved and I got the first shot Friday night. The shot made me very sick and I was up all night miserable.
I have to check blood counts every morning to determine whether or not they will give me Neupogen shot or shots 45 minutes before collection, this is determined by my white blood count. The next thing I do is I get hooked up and am on the stem cell collection machine for @ 4 hours. I had my second shot last night and it was even worse! I was and am so miserable all last night and right now it's hard to bare. My stomach is cramping and twisting so much I will be so glad when this cell collection is over and I can just get some real rest.
I have known that I would not feel good a lot of the time while going through this healing process, it's just now so real!
I have met so many people here going the same thing I am going through and will be praying for them and their families all along the way and on in the future. Definitely I am blessed to live even as close as I do to MD Anderson because some people are here from all over America and have to sacrifice so much just to even get to be here, besides having to fight the fight if their lives to get to live. This hospital is one of the best in the world and I feel so fortunate to be able to be treated here. Thank you Lord for your favor in allowing me to be here and be with the best doctors and nurses in the world. When I feel a little better and am off this machine I would like to tell you more about some of the people I have met here and their stories of how they found out their diagnosis and found their way to MD Anderson. It is amazing how God works! He is truly Awesome!
Thank you for your continued prayers, I so appreciate them and your love. I thank You Lord for my Mom and my Sister in law, without them I could not make it each day! They are so wonderful, caring and loving and have so much patience. I just thank You for them!
I ask this in Your Sons precious name .
Amen
I have to check blood counts every morning to determine whether or not they will give me Neupogen shot or shots 45 minutes before collection, this is determined by my white blood count. The next thing I do is I get hooked up and am on the stem cell collection machine for @ 4 hours. I had my second shot last night and it was even worse! I was and am so miserable all last night and right now it's hard to bare. My stomach is cramping and twisting so much I will be so glad when this cell collection is over and I can just get some real rest.
I have known that I would not feel good a lot of the time while going through this healing process, it's just now so real!
I have met so many people here going the same thing I am going through and will be praying for them and their families all along the way and on in the future. Definitely I am blessed to live even as close as I do to MD Anderson because some people are here from all over America and have to sacrifice so much just to even get to be here, besides having to fight the fight if their lives to get to live. This hospital is one of the best in the world and I feel so fortunate to be able to be treated here. Thank you Lord for your favor in allowing me to be here and be with the best doctors and nurses in the world. When I feel a little better and am off this machine I would like to tell you more about some of the people I have met here and their stories of how they found out their diagnosis and found their way to MD Anderson. It is amazing how God works! He is truly Awesome!
Thank you for your continued prayers, I so appreciate them and your love. I thank You Lord for my Mom and my Sister in law, without them I could not make it each day! They are so wonderful, caring and loving and have so much patience. I just thank You for them!
I ask this in Your Sons precious name .
Amen
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Day-127 Collection of Stem Cells
Well hello! I have been so busy here at MD Anderson doing tests from 7:30 am til around 5:30pm each day that I am so worn out by the time I finish, all I do is eat and go to sleep. Today I started the collection of my stem cells. I am in the Aphresis department at MD Anderson hooked up to this machine that circulates my blood then separates out my stem cells. I will be connected here for four hours each day of collection. I am not sure how many days will collect for, but probably four or five days. After this I will get a rest week for my body to recover.
I feel pretty good so far. It is cold or I am cold with my body circulating my blood out and through a machine and back into my body.
I am going to rest while this Maxine does its work. Thank you for continued prayers.
I feel pretty good so far. It is cold or I am cold with my body circulating my blood out and through a machine and back into my body.
I am going to rest while this Maxine does its work. Thank you for continued prayers.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Day 116
I have been doing tests and re-tests all this week at MD Anderson. I met with my doctor, Dr Nina Shah and she said that she may change up the program and start giving me chemo as soon as next week😂 Needless to say I am not a fan of that idea. I had a bone marrow biopsy done last week, Thursday and the results from that will determine whether she gives me chemo before I do my stem cell collection or not.
I am praying that I have gotten almost or all of the Myeloma out of my marrow and follow the original plan of action and time frame. My next meeting with Dr Shah is this Wednesday. I have more tests all week again and I get my port implanted on Friday morning. I will start getting Nupagen shots on Friday as well. Going forward my journey becomes more challenging. I have had my wonderful sister in law, Louetta with me the whole week and I so thankful for her! She is definitely a blessing!
I will update more during the week as I get the news. I had trouble with the post last week. It didn't publish until Tuesday when I had posted on Friday. I will double check to make sure it publishes right after I post.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Lord-
Thank You for Your love and understanding. Please continue to guide me in the direction in which You want me to go. I pray for continued knowledge and wisdom for the doctors and nurses who are working with me and other patients at MD Anderson. Thank You for my complete healing in advance and everyone who has helped me during this challenging time. I pray You would bless them. You are truly an amazing God! I pray all of this in your precious son's name, Jesus Christ.
Amen
I am praying that I have gotten almost or all of the Myeloma out of my marrow and follow the original plan of action and time frame. My next meeting with Dr Shah is this Wednesday. I have more tests all week again and I get my port implanted on Friday morning. I will start getting Nupagen shots on Friday as well. Going forward my journey becomes more challenging. I have had my wonderful sister in law, Louetta with me the whole week and I so thankful for her! She is definitely a blessing!
I will update more during the week as I get the news. I had trouble with the post last week. It didn't publish until Tuesday when I had posted on Friday. I will double check to make sure it publishes right after I post.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Lord-
Thank You for Your love and understanding. Please continue to guide me in the direction in which You want me to go. I pray for continued knowledge and wisdom for the doctors and nurses who are working with me and other patients at MD Anderson. Thank You for my complete healing in advance and everyone who has helped me during this challenging time. I pray You would bless them. You are truly an amazing God! I pray all of this in your precious son's name, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Day 108
Wow! Today was a wonderful day! I was so touched by everyone that attended the benefit. I am so grateful for such caring and loving friends. It was awesome! I can't thank everyone enough for the kindness.
I finished up my fifth round of chemo and am ready to begin my journey/the stem cell transplant. Monday I will begin this process at MD Anderson. I will be staying in apartment very close to the hospital since they said I need to be within 10 to 15 minutes to it. The whole stem cell transplant process will take about 8 weeks with a lot of tests at first then collecting the stem cells, freezing them, getting the high dose chemo, transplanting the stem cells back into my body and then waiting for my immune system and cells to start working again. I will be staying in the hospital during the time from when they give me the high dose chemo and will stay until my body and immune system are working. Even after I get out I have to stay at the apartment close by for approximately another two or three weeks. When I go home I have to stay away from the public for about 90 days. All of this time I have to have a caregiver with me 24/7. So that about sums up the stem cell process. I am going to lose my hair and will not feel good some of the time. I am so looking forward to the final outcome of being completely healed and being able to get back to somewhat if a normal life. This has been trying and I couldn't have made it this far without my friends, my family and The Lord! I have a ways to go and will update regularly since I will not be able to work during this part of the journey.
Lord,
Thank you for giving me such wonderful and loving friends. Thank you for the sun shining today. It was beautiful! Thank you for the healing. Thank you for this journey through this wonderful life.
In Your precious sons name, Amen.
I finished up my fifth round of chemo and am ready to begin my journey/the stem cell transplant. Monday I will begin this process at MD Anderson. I will be staying in apartment very close to the hospital since they said I need to be within 10 to 15 minutes to it. The whole stem cell transplant process will take about 8 weeks with a lot of tests at first then collecting the stem cells, freezing them, getting the high dose chemo, transplanting the stem cells back into my body and then waiting for my immune system and cells to start working again. I will be staying in the hospital during the time from when they give me the high dose chemo and will stay until my body and immune system are working. Even after I get out I have to stay at the apartment close by for approximately another two or three weeks. When I go home I have to stay away from the public for about 90 days. All of this time I have to have a caregiver with me 24/7. So that about sums up the stem cell process. I am going to lose my hair and will not feel good some of the time. I am so looking forward to the final outcome of being completely healed and being able to get back to somewhat if a normal life. This has been trying and I couldn't have made it this far without my friends, my family and The Lord! I have a ways to go and will update regularly since I will not be able to work during this part of the journey.
Lord,
Thank you for giving me such wonderful and loving friends. Thank you for the sun shining today. It was beautiful! Thank you for the healing. Thank you for this journey through this wonderful life.
In Your precious sons name, Amen.
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