Don't Worry it Will Grow Back

Today we shaved my moms hair off and she was in really good sprits about it.

A Little Late

Here a just a few pictures of Easter Sunday. On our way back to Idaho we stopped in to see my Mom again.

Jan's Update (April 16th)

Yesterday mom’s energy was really low. She didn't get much sleep the night before so she was extremely tired and worn down. She did feel better as the day went on. Her doctors said that so far everything is looking great.

They got her 922 (Philadelphia Chromosome) test back from her bone marrow biopsy and it was negative, which is great news. A positive test would have meant that a bone marrow transplant would be required. She may still need one, depending on how treatment goes, but it’s a good thing it’s not a requirement.

Today she will be getting some blood platelet transfusions. Her platelet count is low, which means her blood is too thin and could cause bleeding issues. Once they get her platelet count back up, she’ll then get a spinal tap and also a spinal chemo injection.

I’ll continue spending most of my days at the hospital and will be sure to post any news when I have it.

Jan’s Leukemia Update (April 14th)

My mom has been doing very well the past few days. Saturday she started her chemo and has had two treatments everyday. She’s been getting injection treatments and oral treatments. She’ll get a break from here injections for a bit but will continue taking her oral chemo and then start back up with more injections in a few days.

We are so thankful for all the comments and prayers. Jan really enjoys reading and hearing from everyone. It has meant a lot to her know that she has so much support.

I'm going to continue to be down in Utah for the next few weeks helping out. Several people are going to help watch the kids, which we're grateful for. If there is anyone else who would be willing to help watch our kids while I'm down, please give me a call. (208) 760-9216

The Battle Has Begun (April 11, 2009)

My mom signed all her treatment consent forms this morning for chemo. She will participate in a chemo clinical trial that has been running for several years. Her chemo will be more intense and last longer, but we’re hopeful it will also give better results. The doctors strongly recommended it and there was really no down side to being part of the clinical.

Her red blood cell count was low, so she got a blood transfusion right before her first chemo treatment late Saturday afternoon.

The blood transfusion really helped her to feel a little better and she was feeling pretty good after her first treatment. We know that with chemo she won’t always feel good because the side effects will take a lot out of you, so we’re happy she had a good day.

The first phase of chemo will last five weeks. If all goes well, she may come home in as little as three weeks and complete the rest of her treatments in the outpatient clinic.

She is grateful for the love and support. She had me read her all the comments from the blog. There is no question that the support and prayers on her behalf are giving her strength.

There are obviously a lot of unknowns still, but we will stay positive and ask that people continue to pray for her.

My Mom’s Leukemia Update (April 9th)

We saw my mom tonight and it turned out to be an overwhelming night for her and the family. She got an updated prognosis and treatment options explained to her. She has acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The cancer is very advanced. She has been given the option of starting two different chemotherapy treatments – standard vs. clinical trial. They will need to start whichever one she chooses in the next couple of days.

Perhaps the most shocking thing was to find out that if left untreated, she would only have two days to two weeks left to live. We are grateful that the cancer didn’t go unnoticed any longer and have faith and optimism that the chemo will work.

They are still running more tests to see if a bone marrow transplant is needed and they will continue learning more about her situation.

We are grateful for the gospel and the power of the Sprit. We are putting our trust in the Lord and know that all things are possible with Him.

Ryan and I are planning on spending time with her tomorrow. As we learn more details about her treatment and prognosis, we’ll update the blog.

Thanks to everyone who has commented, called and reached out to support our family. We appreciate it very much.

One Of My Best Friends

We had quite the shock in our family yesterday and I’m not quite sure where to start.

My mom has been feeling sick for a few days now. She went into her doctor on Monday and had a few tests done. On Tuesday he asked her to come back in for a few more tests. After getting her blood taken again her doctor told her to go to the hospital thinking that the shortness of breath and fatigue she was feeling was from a possible blood clot. They did more tests making sure she didn’t have any blood clots in her legs or anything in her lungs. They kept her overnight to make sure she was alright.

She called me Wednesday morning and told me she wasn’t to well. Her doctor had informed her that she has Leukemia and yesterday afternoon they took her to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. They have determined that she has an acute, aggressive form of Leukemia, but they have to do more tests to figure out what sub-type she has and determine her treatment options and prognosis.

The next few days we will be getting more test results back. They will probably be some of the hardest days, but my Mom is a fighter and I know that we will all be able to get through this.

I wanted to say thank you to Ryan for being such a great husband and being there for me on this first day of many hard days to come. I love you babe with all my heart.

I Love Vacuuming

The other day we got a new vacuum and I love it! We had our old one for about 7 years (it was a wedding gift) and it was OK while it lasted. It did what we needed until the past year or so. We started noticing that our carpets weren't as clean as we wanted, so we had it serviced. It did a little better for a while, but it wasn't long before it sucked again...I mean wouldn't suck anymore.

So we started looking into getting a new one or I should say Ryan started looking into it. Anyone that knows Ryan knows that he usually will never buy anything unless he has all the facts and has researched the heck out of it and I’m glad he did.

We decided on a Dyson Ball and it is the best thing! I never knew how much crap and dirt was really in our carpet until the other day when I first vacuumed. I've vacuumed our upstairs carpet 3 times now and ever day I continue to get a ton of dirt and junk up.

I didn't think vacuuming could be fun, but it kind of is - for now.