Sunday, February 9, 2014
HOME AGAIN
Good Sunday Evening,
Den was able to bring me home Friday evening. My house looked wonderful to me and my bed was sheer Heaven! My sleep has been so interrupted by labs, treatments etc. that I wasn't sleeping well at all, maybe an hour at a time. Once home and in my own bed sleep has not been an issue.
I need to be very careful for the next month or so. Dr.M warned me that I need to stay as healthy as possible so that another bout of pneumonia does not happen. He warned me that repeated bouts could result in permanent lung damage and I surely do not want that to happen. I had to give up the last 3 weeks of the regular season (Competitive Cheer) and my tournament assignments. Those of you who know me well know how disappointed I was not to finish the season. Everyone has been understanding and helpful in finding replacements for me. Thank you to all of my cheer friends. Next year hopefully I will be off the immunosuppression meds and my own immune system will be working more efficiently.
Jen and her girls, Anna, Emma and the Simpson Family came to Holland on Sat. Ella and Luci had a joint birthday party Sat. evening. Chad's family were in town also and Den, Kate, Thijs and Liam were there also. I stayed home and stayed a little more quiet. This morning Mac was dedicated and all the families were there for that. Again I stayed home and stayed quiet.
Saturday was a shaky day for me but today I have felt much better. My breathing is deeper and not labored at all. When I think how sick I was 11 short days ago I am amazed at how well I am doing. I could not walk alone 6-7 steps and was gasping for air the entire time. Here at home I can walk about and start gaining back some stamina. I do return to U of M on Weds. to see Dr. Magineau and he will give me a plan as to how he wants me to proceed. He will make a decision as to when I can get back to my ECP treatments.
That's pretty much all the news I have for you right now. I am laying low and taking it easy per Drs. orders. I need time for my lungs to heal, hopefully this spring I can start pushing it and my hope is to do a little running yet this summer. Time will tell on that.
Take care my friends, stay warm and healthy.
Grace and Peace, Peggy
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Be The Match Registry Event
Quick update
Mom is doing very well…she has definitely has turned a corner. I just spoke with her and she had just finished her last tent treatment! She is completely off oxygen and at this point she will continue to be monitored by her medical team. Thank you for your prayers friends!
I also want to spread the word about an awesome opportunity to potentially save a life!! A Be The Match event is taking place this Friday, February 7th at Hudsonville High School. Hudsonville High School will be hosting a "Hoops for Hope, Cancer Awareness Game" to honor and support all of those dealing with cancer in our community and across the nation. The registry event will take place in the high school veranda from 5 pm-8 pm. Registration will be offered free of charge to the first 200 people thanks to a generous donation from Autocam!! Getting registered is so simple and will only take you ten minutes (this includes paperwork and a cheek swab). Please recruit your friends and family ages 18 - 44 year old.
If you have any questions about being a potential donor please ask! Our family is so thankful for mom's donor and the gift of life she gave. I hope that I or someone I know will get a call one day to be a donor. The cure for blood cancer is in the hands of people like you and me!!
Love,
Beth
Mom is doing very well…she has definitely has turned a corner. I just spoke with her and she had just finished her last tent treatment! She is completely off oxygen and at this point she will continue to be monitored by her medical team. Thank you for your prayers friends!
I also want to spread the word about an awesome opportunity to potentially save a life!! A Be The Match event is taking place this Friday, February 7th at Hudsonville High School. Hudsonville High School will be hosting a "Hoops for Hope, Cancer Awareness Game" to honor and support all of those dealing with cancer in our community and across the nation. The registry event will take place in the high school veranda from 5 pm-8 pm. Registration will be offered free of charge to the first 200 people thanks to a generous donation from Autocam!! Getting registered is so simple and will only take you ten minutes (this includes paperwork and a cheek swab). Please recruit your friends and family ages 18 - 44 year old.
If you have any questions about being a potential donor please ask! Our family is so thankful for mom's donor and the gift of life she gave. I hope that I or someone I know will get a call one day to be a donor. The cure for blood cancer is in the hands of people like you and me!!
Beth
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
CHOOSING JOY!
Hello Again Family and Friends,
After re-reading my last post I kind of cringed. It seemed to me that I was taking full credit for "mental toughness". I want all of you to know that simply is not the case.
All of us at some point in our lives are given opportunities and challenges. Some are enjoyable, some are not. Some situations are simply inexplicable to us. There have been many questions in my life that have no answer and I expect everyone of you could say the same thing. At some point in my life I had to accept that hard fact and either I had a Creator, Redeemer Lord or I did not. I chose faith.
It took many more years for me to realize that my faith was meant to be lived in a joyful manner.
"And do not be grieved for the joy of The Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10
That is where I get my strength. Throughout my life my choices were not always from a place of joy. It took a long time and maturation to know how I was to perceive an Omnipotent God and how he perceived me.
Over and over again through raising my family and coaching so many of you that I have learned some of life's deepest lessons. I am so grateful for each one of you and the impact you have had on my life. That you choose to maintain contact with me is a blessing . Your support helps give me strength. My family has given me strength through their love. My friends, oh how you have helped me with your prayers, meals, cards and someone to laugh with.
Simply put: "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."
And I do!
Thanks for letting me share my heart. P
After re-reading my last post I kind of cringed. It seemed to me that I was taking full credit for "mental toughness". I want all of you to know that simply is not the case.
All of us at some point in our lives are given opportunities and challenges. Some are enjoyable, some are not. Some situations are simply inexplicable to us. There have been many questions in my life that have no answer and I expect everyone of you could say the same thing. At some point in my life I had to accept that hard fact and either I had a Creator, Redeemer Lord or I did not. I chose faith.
It took many more years for me to realize that my faith was meant to be lived in a joyful manner.
"And do not be grieved for the joy of The Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10
That is where I get my strength. Throughout my life my choices were not always from a place of joy. It took a long time and maturation to know how I was to perceive an Omnipotent God and how he perceived me.
Over and over again through raising my family and coaching so many of you that I have learned some of life's deepest lessons. I am so grateful for each one of you and the impact you have had on my life. That you choose to maintain contact with me is a blessing . Your support helps give me strength. My family has given me strength through their love. My friends, oh how you have helped me with your prayers, meals, cards and someone to laugh with.
Simply put: "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."
And I do!
Thanks for letting me share my heart. P
Sunday, February 2, 2014
What's happening now
On Friday evening mom's breathing became much more difficult and she is now on oxygen. Everyone was shocked that she didn't need it sooner but now she does. We are so thankful that she had very healthy lungs to begin with …even before her initial diagnosis. She is able to rest much better with the oxygen and her coughing is under control.
Mom started a new treatment on Saturday evening. We call it the "tent" treatment also known as Ribavirin Inhalation. The medication is designed to stop the replication of the RSV virus. So far the results of the lunch lavage show only RSV. The treatment it quite interesting. It will take anywhere from 3 to 7 days and once started each treatment must happen every 8 hours around the clock. Mom must wear a face mask and a plastic tent is placed around her bed. It takes a total of two hours each time and during this time no one may enter the room. During this time the medication goes in through her face mask and she can rest or watch TV. Because of the medication risks, women are unable to come into mom's room. She has male nurses and dad has to leave the room 3 1/2 hours during and after treatment. The studies show that when a woman is exposed to this medication they may have fertility issues as well causing birth defects. (Obviously mom is not worried about that :) So as of now mom has had four treatments.
Dad's stay is looking much different this time around. Because mom is in isolation dad has to stay three feet away from her unless he is fully masked and gowned. When he leaves the room he cannot go into any common areas of BMT unit. Last night he found a love seat in the hospital and was able to rest there from midnight until four this morning. Tonight he is going to head to Juliet's to get a good night sleep. Sleeping in a reclining chair can only be done so many nights in a row.
So now we wait and pray that the medication is able to do its job and heal mom's lungs. Continue to lift mom and dad up in your prayers as well as the medical team making daily decisions about her treatment.
Love,
B
Mom started a new treatment on Saturday evening. We call it the "tent" treatment also known as Ribavirin Inhalation. The medication is designed to stop the replication of the RSV virus. So far the results of the lunch lavage show only RSV. The treatment it quite interesting. It will take anywhere from 3 to 7 days and once started each treatment must happen every 8 hours around the clock. Mom must wear a face mask and a plastic tent is placed around her bed. It takes a total of two hours each time and during this time no one may enter the room. During this time the medication goes in through her face mask and she can rest or watch TV. Because of the medication risks, women are unable to come into mom's room. She has male nurses and dad has to leave the room 3 1/2 hours during and after treatment. The studies show that when a woman is exposed to this medication they may have fertility issues as well causing birth defects. (Obviously mom is not worried about that :) So as of now mom has had four treatments.
Dad's stay is looking much different this time around. Because mom is in isolation dad has to stay three feet away from her unless he is fully masked and gowned. When he leaves the room he cannot go into any common areas of BMT unit. Last night he found a love seat in the hospital and was able to rest there from midnight until four this morning. Tonight he is going to head to Juliet's to get a good night sleep. Sleeping in a reclining chair can only be done so many nights in a row.
So now we wait and pray that the medication is able to do its job and heal mom's lungs. Continue to lift mom and dad up in your prayers as well as the medical team making daily decisions about her treatment.
Love,
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)