How about crazy financial markets! DOW down 700 points, good thing I am not looking to retire. Hopefully things will get worked out soon. I have my weekly appointment with my doctor tomorrow to get my blood levels drawn, so hopefully my white cells will be up. I will keep you posted this week on how my appointments go. I am still eating a little better, but I still don't ever really feel hungry, I kinda miss that feeling. I spent the weekend watching football. I'm pumped that PSU won, but I am bummed that the Eagles lost. We needed Westbrook. On another note I thought I would pass another webpage along to you. It is the page of one of Mindy and I's friends from Lycoming. She is running a marathon in honor of me to raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma society to raise money for research to fight these blood cancers. The marathon is in November, and she is still trying to meet her goal of raising $2,800. If anyone is interested in helping her out there is a link on her website where you can donate. Thanks for all the prayers. Please keep praying for my white cells, no infections, that my lungs are clear so I can stop this medecine, and a smooth spinal tap.
Here is Cara's website http://pages.teamintraining.org/epa/corps08/ckapson
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Day +66
Hello! Hope you all our having a great weekend! So we had casino night the other night, and let's just say I hustled all the other unsuspecting players. Just kidding. But anyway, I did play Texas Hold' Em and was the big winner! As a prize I was given Guitar Hero! Mindy and I have been playing that a lot lately. My appetite seems to be getting a little better again. I made some brownies the other night, and I am just finishing the pan right now. I also have been eating a lot of Ramen noodles lately. Tomorrow, Mindy is making cheesy potato soup which will go perfect with football. In a little bit we are going to watch the Penn State game! My Ma Ma and Pa Pa came this week to visit. It was really nice to see them! They brought Mindy a blanket that they made for her. It is really nice, in fact she hasn't gotten to use it because I have been using it.
On the medical front, nothing really new. Next week is going to be pretty busy with some procedures. I have to get this breathing treatment to prevent pneumonia and a spinal tap (not really looking forward to that one). I am also getting a follow up CT scan of my lungs to see if the nodes are gone. If they are then hopefully my doctor will discontinue one of the medications that I am on. My hair is starting to come back, especially on my face. It looks a little darker than before, so maybe now I will be a brunette. I call myself spaghetti head, because I think my hair is going to come back all stringy.
Thanks again for all your prayers, cards, and well wishes!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Day +63
Yesterday we had a good apt. with my doctor. My WBC was down a little and I needed to get a shot of nupogen but my doctor isn't too worried about it. Next week I am getting my first spinal tap which is where they inject a small amount of chemo into my spinal chord. I had that before and I got terrible headaches so I hope this one goes better. I am feeling well, my taste is almost back to normal I'm still just waiting for my appitite to come back. Mindy and I are going down to the 6th floor for casino night tonight. There is blackjack, roulette, and poker, it should be a good time.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Day +57
Yesterday I had an appointment with my doctor and my white cells came up from 3.0 to 3.1 on their own!!!!!!!! This was great news, praise the Lord. I also got a medicine yesterday called IVIG which takes 4 hours to infuse in me. Afterward we got back to the hope lodge and had dinner and just as I was finishing I threw up. Then again this morning right when I started to eat breakfast I threw up again. I talked to my doctor and she isn't too concerned yet but we are definitly going to keep and eye on it, my stomach hasn't felt that good that past few days and thats really the only thing I can ask people to pray for.
Anyone who believes shall not perish but have eternal life.
Anyone who believes shall not perish but have eternal life.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Day +50 Reflections
So today I'm officially half way to my big day +100. We had a little scare last night, it was around 12 and I took my temperature and I was 100.7, and a fever for me is 100.4. I called the doctor and he recommended that I come into the urgent care unit at Sloan and be evaluated. So Mindy and I packed our suitcase for about 3 days because we anticipated being admitted. When we arrived there they took my temp and I was 98.0. We kinda thought that our thermometer was acting a little strange but that was great news and meant we weren't going to have to stay. I had some blood cultures done, a urine sample, and a chest x-ray all which came back good.
So Mindy and I got to talking last night about how far we have come in the past 9 months and how big a part God has played in our lives. I know we are always on to the new thing to pray for and I want to take some time to reflect on some moments since I was diagnosed with cancer.
Jan. 29: The day I was diagnosed with AML. My white count was 122,000 normal being 4-6 thousand. I was admitted at Hershey around 8 and that night I had a catheter put into my groin to be able to run my blood out of my body through a machine and back in to kill down my white cells because they were dangerously high. I hated that surgery. The Lord was there with me that day just letting the doctors find this disease in time before it could have killed me.
Maybe 3 days later: I was told I had the worse type of AML, and I would need to have a stem cell transplant in order to live.
The most common death for AML transplant patients is those who can not find a suitable match to have a transplant.
I was able to get my leukemia in remission after my induction chemo which was another huge step, and I praise God for that.
Then there was the dreadful day about 5 weeks after my second round of chemo, when they found masses in my testes, and I was having problems with my eyes that they thought it might have spread to my brain and central nervous system. If you remember reading these days you remember that about a week later I had my testes ultra sounded again and the masses were completely gone. The doctor came in the room and said there is no explanation for this unless you've been praying a lot, which we were, but how cool was it the the Lord took these masses away and made this doctor realize there is a God and he can heal.
May: Mindy for no reason decided to look up other hospitals that do transplants, I say for no reason because at this point Hershey was where we were planning on going and there wasn't really any thoughts of anywhere else. Mindy came across Memorial Sloan Kettering in NY, one of the world's best transplant centers that specializes in AML my specific type of leukemia. God bless her.
June-July: We went through so many ups and downs with a donor, we thought we had one, and then they were no good, and then one backed out, but finally God brought us a 22 yr old male. I mean do you think that is a coincidence that I'm 23 and we were going to go with a 46 yr old woman but waited and this guy came up, and God bless him for joining the registry and going through with donating his stem cells. I thank God so much that I was able to find a match and have a transplant.
We had plenty of ups and downs with my pneumonia and I had to have a lung biopsy before they would clear me to be eligible for a transplant. I was cleared and on July 14 was admitted to MSK for my transplant.
I spent 26 days in the hospital, the fastest that most doctors have ever seen. The average is between 35-50 days, most people we talk to were in for at least 40 days. God was with me the entire time and there were some very hard days at MSK but I had my angel Mindy with me and the Lord.
So today at day +50 I want to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all that he has done for me in the past 9 months.
I wanted to give some advice to everyone who reads this because it's something I have learned since being diagnosed.
Don't sweat the small stuff in life. So many times Mindy and I find ourselves in situations were in the past we would have reacted differently or complained to each other and now, we just shrug it off because it is so insignificant in the grand scheme of life. Don't get upset if you get caught in a traffic jam, don't have any road rage at all, if that person cuts you off, who cares. Maybe your waiting in line and someone cuts right in front of you, who cares it doesn't matter. Just be thankful for everything that God has provided for you and blessed you with. Your health being a main one. Never take days for granted because tomorrow is never promised to anyone.
Stay faithful. I usually close my posts with a pray request, but tonight I am asking you to take a moment to give thanks and praise to God!
So Mindy and I got to talking last night about how far we have come in the past 9 months and how big a part God has played in our lives. I know we are always on to the new thing to pray for and I want to take some time to reflect on some moments since I was diagnosed with cancer.
Jan. 29: The day I was diagnosed with AML. My white count was 122,000 normal being 4-6 thousand. I was admitted at Hershey around 8 and that night I had a catheter put into my groin to be able to run my blood out of my body through a machine and back in to kill down my white cells because they were dangerously high. I hated that surgery. The Lord was there with me that day just letting the doctors find this disease in time before it could have killed me.
Maybe 3 days later: I was told I had the worse type of AML, and I would need to have a stem cell transplant in order to live.
The most common death for AML transplant patients is those who can not find a suitable match to have a transplant.
I was able to get my leukemia in remission after my induction chemo which was another huge step, and I praise God for that.
Then there was the dreadful day about 5 weeks after my second round of chemo, when they found masses in my testes, and I was having problems with my eyes that they thought it might have spread to my brain and central nervous system. If you remember reading these days you remember that about a week later I had my testes ultra sounded again and the masses were completely gone. The doctor came in the room and said there is no explanation for this unless you've been praying a lot, which we were, but how cool was it the the Lord took these masses away and made this doctor realize there is a God and he can heal.
May: Mindy for no reason decided to look up other hospitals that do transplants, I say for no reason because at this point Hershey was where we were planning on going and there wasn't really any thoughts of anywhere else. Mindy came across Memorial Sloan Kettering in NY, one of the world's best transplant centers that specializes in AML my specific type of leukemia. God bless her.
June-July: We went through so many ups and downs with a donor, we thought we had one, and then they were no good, and then one backed out, but finally God brought us a 22 yr old male. I mean do you think that is a coincidence that I'm 23 and we were going to go with a 46 yr old woman but waited and this guy came up, and God bless him for joining the registry and going through with donating his stem cells. I thank God so much that I was able to find a match and have a transplant.
We had plenty of ups and downs with my pneumonia and I had to have a lung biopsy before they would clear me to be eligible for a transplant. I was cleared and on July 14 was admitted to MSK for my transplant.
I spent 26 days in the hospital, the fastest that most doctors have ever seen. The average is between 35-50 days, most people we talk to were in for at least 40 days. God was with me the entire time and there were some very hard days at MSK but I had my angel Mindy with me and the Lord.
So today at day +50 I want to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all that he has done for me in the past 9 months.
I wanted to give some advice to everyone who reads this because it's something I have learned since being diagnosed.
Don't sweat the small stuff in life. So many times Mindy and I find ourselves in situations were in the past we would have reacted differently or complained to each other and now, we just shrug it off because it is so insignificant in the grand scheme of life. Don't get upset if you get caught in a traffic jam, don't have any road rage at all, if that person cuts you off, who cares. Maybe your waiting in line and someone cuts right in front of you, who cares it doesn't matter. Just be thankful for everything that God has provided for you and blessed you with. Your health being a main one. Never take days for granted because tomorrow is never promised to anyone.
Stay faithful. I usually close my posts with a pray request, but tonight I am asking you to take a moment to give thanks and praise to God!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Day +47
Hi everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a little while, I don't really have too much news to report. Tomorrow I have a visit with my doctor and we will evaluate how my white cells are doing, I hope and pray that they are up. They were at 2.1 on Friday and I got neupogen, so I think they most likely will be up tomorrow, the real test will be next Thursday when I go back after a week and a half without neupogen and see what they are doing then. I really love the fall weather, but I must say when your in the city you wouldn't know it, which is nice that way I don't get teased. But I'm sure back in Pa is beautiful. Mindy got me one of my favorite foods to have for dinner tonight, RIBS!!!!!! yeah I'm excited for that. My feet are still peeling off, I have a feeling this is going to be a slow process. I still have some discoloration on various spots on my body but this should all go away with time as my new cells come in. I have been drinking a lot of water lately, not straight though, I put those crystal light packets in, I really like lemonade, and strawberry, but at least I'm able to drink water. Soda I think will be the ultimate test, I had a sip the other night and it still tastes crappy, I think it has to do with the carbonation. Still no new sprouts growing on my dome piece or any where on my body for that matter. Ok, that all from the big apple.
"...whoever believes in him shall not perish..."
"...whoever believes in him shall not perish..."
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Day +43
Today Mindy and I went to the hospital to have my labs drawn. My WBC unfortunatly was down a little bit to 2.1. They are still holding longer than the week before which is a good sign, we just need them to stay up on there own. I did get a shot of neupogen today because my ANC was 1.1. Marcy is down in Louisville this weekend to play them in field hockey. My mom and dad are coming to visit tomorrow in the afternoon for a little while. I had a hungry man for dinner tonight 960 calories, whoop whoop. I didn't check my weight today but I feel heavier. Mindy and I both were able to finish our first week of our 100 push up challenge. It's a program that if you follow claims you will be able to do 100 straight push ups. Todays sets were 15, 12, 10, 10, Max at least 15. I also did some abs exercises yesterday and today my abs are as sore as I have ever felt them, I guess when you don't really work out for 9 months you really feel it when you do.
I'll leave you with the verse that Mindy and I currently studying in our daily bible study.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
"The numbers of hope"
I'll leave you with the verse that Mindy and I currently studying in our daily bible study.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
"The numbers of hope"
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Day +42
Today was really nice here in NYC so this afternoon Mindy and I went down to the 6th floor balcony and I did some small laps back and forth, it was a nice little work out and a good change of scenery for both of us. There was a Wii tennis tournament tonight, which didn't amount to too many people showing up, but we did have people to play with, none of which were a match for Mindy and I. Other than that nothing really out of the norm here for us. NFL starts tomorrow so I guess I'll start watching that, see if the Eagles can put it together this year. Please continue to pray that my white cells are up from 2.5 on Friday when I go back to the hospital. Thank you.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Day +41
Today we had a visit with my doctor and got good news with regard to my white cells, they were up to 2.5 which is up from last week when they were 1.6 but I got a shot of neupigen then and didn't receive any today. I am going back on Friday to see where they are then and if they are up then we will know that they are coming up on their own so pray for that. At least they were not lower today. Nothing else to report we were at the hospital for most of the day today and now were just watched some tv.
Lord, Be thou a bright flame before me,
be thou a guiding star above me,
be thou a smooth path below me,
be thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
today, tonight and forever
-Saint Columba
Lord, Be thou a bright flame before me,
be thou a guiding star above me,
be thou a smooth path below me,
be thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
today, tonight and forever
-Saint Columba
Day +40
Happy Labor Day to everyone. It was another pretty uneventful day here in NYC. I watched some football during the day today and watched UCLA upset Tennessee in a great game. Tomorrow is a big day as we have a meeting with my doctor, so keep praying that my white blood cells are up and that I remain infection free. I am able to still drink some water, although today it seemed to taste a little worse but I was still able to get one or two bottles down. Mindy made a great dinner tonight, she made chicken alfredo with fresh broccoli. Mindy did some research on foods which boost your white blood cells and that is what I have been eating the past few days. I will try to give everyone an update on how my appointment goes tomorrow, it probably won't be until late though because by the time I get back from the hospital it will be around dinner time. Hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day.
"...whoever believes in Him shall not perish..."
"...whoever believes in Him shall not perish..."
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