What a day for a Relay

Marla invited Mom out to the 2011 Relay For Life on June 24-25. Marla's team is "M&M" for Marla and her Uncle Max. Dr. Jeong and Dr. Srirartna were there showing their support. It is amazing how many lives are touched by cancer. The Relay raised over $540,000 for cancer research. 

And, that's a wrap!

That's it. All done. No more. Today Mom had her LAST chemo. 

It was 102 days ago when she had the first dose. It looked like this - a huge syringe with bright orange liquid. Today was less scarier than that first round, and a lot more hopeful. We still have questions, but not like 102 days ago. As I go back and read this blog, I realize how far she's come. These past few months have been filled with a lot of uncertainty and what-if's. Her mind has been through just as much as her body has, and both will feel the aftermath of this disease for years to come. 

So, where do we go from here? This is Sabrina. She was the nurse who took care of Mom during that first bone marrow test, and she gave the last dose of chemo today. It was sad to say goodbye to the nurses at the Cancer Center, like a bitter-sweet farewell. They have taken such good care of Mom over the last 3 months, it's hard to believe we won't be sitting in those recliners anymore. But it wasn't goodbye, it was "see you later!" 

Mom will go back in 1 week for blood work and in 1 month Dr. Jeong will do another bone marrow test to make sure all is well. She will remain on the chemo pills for 1 year. During that year they will do periodic blood work. So, June 24, 2012 she will take her last chemo pill. On June 24, 2013, if there have been no signs of the cancer, there is a very high rate that it won't come back. 

That seems like a long time away - 2013. But it will be here before you know it. I will continue to update  this blog, but just like Disney World, there may be longer wait times during certain times of the year. Don't fret, check back the next week and I'm sure the grandkids or firm administrators or relatives or dear old friends will give me some good content to blog about! Thank you to everyone who has sent their love over the last 105 days (it's been 105 days since her diagnosis, 102 days since she started chemo). Mom has really missed "the people" in her life, so hopefully over the next 30+ days she will slowly be able to start some normal activities! 

And that's a wrap!

A Perfect Stranger

Do you recognize this lady? This is Marla Behrends. She was featured in an article in the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper last week. So, why am I telling you all this? Well, the title says it all: she's a perfect stranger! 

When Mom was diagnosed with Leukemia back in March, our whole world came to a halt. We had so many questions and so little knowledge of what was going to happen. What was chemo? What happens to you? Do you feel the side effects immediately? And so on. 

One day that first week, a lady called Mom's hospital room and Aunt Judy answered the phone. She said "My name is Marla Behrens and I just went through leukemia. If Virginia wants to talk, just have her give me a call." She left her phone number and left it at that. I remember thinking "Who calls up a perfect stranger and offers to discuss their medical history?" I found that very strange, but soon I'd change my tune!

Day after day, the doctors and nurses came in to the hospital room with a list of medicines, treatments and procedures they were going to do. Every time we asked "How will she react?" They all answered "I can't say - everyone is different." That got pretty annoying pretty quick! So, one day Mom decided to pick up the phone to get some answers ...from a perfect stranger.

Verizon earned their pay that day! That phone call connected 2 soon-to-be cancer survivors and turned a scary, medical nightmare into a realistic, optimistic journey. Marla shared a lot of the things she had went through and some tips that got her through.

Mom and Marla talked several times over the weeks ahead, and Marla came to visit Mom in the hospital. Although their leukemia was a little different and their treatments were a little different, their journey was very similar. She was exactly the thing Mom needed... a stranger - and she was perfect!

Thank you Marla!

No news is good news

Sorry it has been awhile since I updated the blog. The good thing is that not a lot of "excitement" has happened. Mom has been recovering well from round 3 and getting stronger every day. She did have to go in and get platelets and red blood cells June 3. She had to be at the hospital at 1:00 p.m. They sent her to pediatrics - that's right, you read it right... pediatrics- and put her in a room. Since Same-day-service closes at 5:00 p.m., pediatrics does most of the after-hours blood transfusions. Mom says "They've got geriatrics in pediatrics!"

It took 8 hours and 15 minutes to get 2 bags of platelets and 2 bags of red blood cells. That made for a long afternoon. Since then, her strength comes and goes but her numbers have been getting better and better.

She will have round 4 on Thurs., June 23. It's only 1 treatment and it is back to the orange chemo. It should be like round 2 as far as intensity, so hopefully it will be somewhat of an easy ride. Don't get me wrong - nothing is "easy" about any of this, but the side effects were lesser on round 2 so that's what we're hoping for in round 4. Keep your fingers crossed!

Time for another stop at jiffy lube

Mom's a pint low. She's got a reservation at same-day-service tomorrow to get topped off.

Translation: Mom has lost a pint of blood and has to go to the hospital tomorrow to get some new blood. 

So, how does she get a pint low? She hasn't cut herself or been bleeding-- so how does she lose blood? Aunt Judy answers all these perplexing questions: Everyday you lose red blood cells, and the chemo has been killing them off at a rapid rate, so when they checked it today they saw that she is low. 

A picture is worth a thousand cheers!

There are more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. 

One out of every six people over 65 is a cancer survivor, and 1.4 million were diagnosed more than 20 years ago.

Hug your cancer survivor today!