Home..home...

Home is so nice for Becky..she loves being in her own bed after 90 days! Loves having Abbey nearby for more than just an hour or two visit! Loves home cookin, even if it's just a good piece of toast that arrives hot and buttered. BUT as straightforward as I can put it, please pray for her physical strength..she is very weak..she needs the walker to get around, which we knew would be neccessary for awhile. Yet, I have to help her out of the bed, the chair etc..She even need helps moving around in the bed. She fell twice..but fortunately I was able to pick her up..She did not get out of bed today...felt not so good in the morning, but better in the evening. We know the various medications will and have siphoned muscle strength..Regardless of this fact, we just want to see a bit more strength. She knows she must get out of bed and work hard to gain the muscle she lost..I need prayer to be strong and stable. To be emotionally and physically equipped to handle the responsibilty. I know I cannot and should not 'macho' this out either..Will of course step back and gather, strengthen myself as needed. Her mind is amazing in that she has a decent grasp of the meds she must take...many pills at various times of the day! A nurse comes to administer an IV..this for the next two months...Yet, I am also trained in how to do this..which I did tonight...So, yes, there are challenges..We continue to rely on the strength or our Lord..We know He will uphold us...even in the most difficult of times..

Good health and blessings to you in 2010

..Celebrate life! Bill & Becky

SHE IS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Yes, Yes, Yes...HOME! After almost 90 days at City Of Hope..She is home! We have the mistletoe..don't have the snow..but hey who's keeping score? It is just incredible to see her home. She came through the door Christmas Eve around 6pm. Honestly, it was still a bit 'touch and go' as far as discharge,..having some liver issues..but the Dr. asked her.."do you think you can handle it?"...what do you think she was going to say? Of course she said: "I would certainly like to try, OH YEAH! "..And it has been the best 'medicine' for her. Need I say, a wonderful "gift" to Abbey and I. Abbey is so happy! We thank the Lord for Becky being here with us. It was emotional for her to actually exit the hospital and get in the car..of course, it would emotional for anyone who has endured what Becky has endured. The world was magnified one hundred times on the drive home. The beautiful sunset, the lights, the smells, the road rage of LA drivers, all welcomed Becky...and she embraced it. AND let me say, we embrace the gift of God's son coming to earth..A gift for the world. The Prince of Peace...This Christmas day was indeed a day of gifts...
Hope you all had a great day with family and friends. Presents are nice, and I love em' just as much as the next guy. But, when you got your loved ones near you..and you have the health to hug, walk , talk, fuss a little bit, cook, clean, shower, sleep, fuss a little bit more , pray, watch tv, pet the family dog, (our dog followed Becky everywhere she went in house) you've got presents of immeasureable value. In the classic movie "White Christmas" there is a song called "Count Your Blessings"..it says; "when you can't go to sleep, count your blessings, instead of sheep" That's exactly what we will do...even amidst this challenging time, we will count our blessings.
For Becky, the road to complete recovery will have it's trials. She will have daily nursing visits for the next two months to administer a medicine that can only be done via IV. She will be at City Of Hope twice a week for the next few months, and she will have to take over 15 different meds/pills daily, but for now she is/we are counting our blessings..Home together for Christmas and not in our dreams..that's a good start..

Merry Christmas to one and all..Peace...
Celebrate Life!

Much Love,

Bill, Becky & Abbey


PS. Thank you again for ALL of you who have prayed and continue to pray for Becky. Even when many of you had your own life challenges and extreme hardship...
We didn't have the strength to pray sometimes, but we knew you were praying...
We felt them, and we feel them now..So precious to know this. So reassuring.

Just remaining positive..

82 days..Becky still an inspiration to those around her, and even those who are miles away. She's known as the 'sweet one' among the nurses. I tell ya, it's hard to be so sweet some days, when you see what she endures. She needed platelets today...they dropped pretty low, which brings on the constant nose bleeds. But she got a good 'batch' infused, thus immediate improvement was seen. As mentioned before, we know the platelets will be more 'turtle than hare' in regards to recovery...but they will catch up. Normalcy will be seen in due time.
Becky saw Abbey today, and that's always good medicine. We are still praying that ALL meds can be converted to pill form, thus expediting or solidifying a greenlight home! And we will sing that song.."I'll be home for Christmas"..YET, YET, it ain't done til it's done..
We have a parallel mentality. We are braced for Christmas at the hospital and we are embracing the thought of her coming home. We wait, we hope, we pray.
Hope you and yours are doing well. Don't worry about having the gift-list just right. Just enjoy being together with family and friends....live, laugh, love...Grasp the true meaning of Christmas..
A wonderful present indeed...

Much Love, Celebrate life.

Bill, Becky & Abbey

Going the course..

Supposed to have a CT scan today to see if those 'spots', which were found to be fungal...it is 'something' she had latent or dormant in her, and of all things was picked up from the soil!  And now decided to do a song and dance on her lungs.  They can appear when the immune system is low or compromised.   Wow, go figure.  Dr. Snyder, the lead physician, said they can appear in any of us, if our systems endure a situation such as Becky's.  Man, some of this medical stuff is head turning and scratching.  We do really like Dr. Snyder.  He is the real deal..  Becky is in good spirits..had a little blood pressure issue last night due to the meds needed for this latest 'hiccup'.  But all is under control today.  Again, we hope and pray the CT scan shows signs of improvement with these spots.  If so, then we really could see sweet Becky home for Christmas. Abbey is in the school Christmas program tonight.  I know Becky will miss being there..

Much Love, Celebrate life..Live, Love, Laughter..

Bill 

So close. yet so far..

Becky was really, really close to discharge...excitement was in the air. But of course, we do know after 72 days, just take it one day, one moment at a time. Said it before in the blog, I'll probably say it a few more times. So, she had a routine xray, and found on her lungs were a few nodules, infectious 'spots'. These 'bad boy blemishes' cannot be allowed to 'hang around'..could lead to more serious infection, pneumonia, which technically, anything on your lungs like this is considered a form of pneumonia. She is at this moment in a biopsy procedure. This will determine the exact form of these nodules and how to treat them, even though the DR. began a form of treatment as soon as he saw these spots. Yes, they can be treated, it takes awhile, yeah, heard that one before, BUT! the good thing is, after some period of treatment here at the hospital, these unwelcomed visitors can be treated at home. BUT, we just don't know when the home part will become reality. And part two of the 'so far' is a viral strain found through a routine blood test..Yes, getting treated for this also. So a double whammy..but we know these offenses can be defeated, just like the Graft vs. Host disease is showing signs of defeat. She is almost totally on solid food! NO, nutrition bag, and she is almost ALL pill form in med treatments. Yes, there are some meds that must be IV only for now, but hopefully soon, they will be ceased or changed to pill form. A newly introduced IV has to 'tackle' these new development.
Discouraged, you bet. But always realistic when is comes to such an involved medical treatment as this. Each day seems to bring a new 'oooohhh or ahhhhh'. Or 'OK, let's deal with it"..Or "hey, what's that?".. But, Becky though disheartened, still remains positive that soon..We will be singing.. "I'll be", or make that, "I am HOME for Christmas!" She was so very grateful the xray found these 'spots' BEFORE she went home! VERY grateful. Because, she had NO symptoms. We thank the Lord for being the all-knowing physician. His compassion is never ending. They are new every morning, AND we continue to thank the lead physician for his compassion and thorough oversight. We know he cares so much. He too wants Becky home soon, but it's got to be ALL greenlight, no yellows..
So, there you have it..We still keep the music playin..still gonna remain positive..

Hope your December is relatively stress-free..Have a nice little glass of egg nog...

Much Love, Celebrate life!

Bill & Becky..

PS. Abbey still doin good in school and other activities..she loves Christmastime..

'Bageled out' for now.../ 68 days at COH

68 days at City Of Hope..still hopin and praying the Dr. will enter the room tomorrow (at 7am! his usual time)..and say; "well let's start to change the meds to ALL pill form..so maybe we can get you on the road to home"..This would be a big deal if he were to say this. But, as said many times before, one thought, one day, one small step at a time. Becky said she's takin a break from bagels for now...She had pancakes! Yummy good. All still appears normal with the digestion and 'processing'..hallelujah! She did need platelets and red blood..We knew the need for platelets would be ongoing and consistent after the transplant..so not too concerned about this.
She was in good spirits today..Sure helped that she was able to be with Abbey yesterday. That is always good 'medicine'.
So onward forward..we just pray Christmas will have the gift of Becky home.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"..will be the theme song..
May you keep a song in your heart..."Joy To The World, The Lord Has Come"..sing it!

Celebrate life!

Bill &Becky..

A Bagel never smelled, tasted so good..

Ahhhhh, the smell of a freshly toasted bagel..Think of your most favorite food and the aroma, or think of that Pizza or pretzel stand that just stops you in your tracks, Now magnify it 10 fold..50, even 100. Now you got it...This is how Becky felt. The olfactory senses were in hyper drive. It was mahvelous..Becky was given the OK to have some semblance of solid food. This is GOOD! Very good! The Dr. suggested mashed potatoes..So, Becky ordered them and a bagel..She took that bagel and caressed it like fine porcelain, then she put it to her nose and just closed her eyes and went to a place where only she could have gone with that bagel. She just couldn't get over the wonderful smell, intoxicating and liberating. Yes, to eat these delectable goodies was indeed a positive, but not only to eat them, but to be able to digest them with some normalcy! This is the result medically desired. Sounds so simple, yet in Becky's world. This is a huge. Period.
She feels good. She knows this could be a turning point toward a discharge. But, she knows to take it one day at a time. Just savor this moment and pray for the best.
So, 66 days and counting. We certainly do hope and pray she will home for Christmas, but I repeat, one day at a time is the modus operandi..
May we share with you that today,, Abbey got TWO character counts awards and a student of the month award. The presenting teachers, one in tears, spoke of how Abbey was an inspiration to the other students. Abbey was and is a Godly/Christian example of kindness, helpfulness to her peers and the faculty even while she was enduring this difficult life situation. She was stunned..She had no idea this was coming..It was an awesome, awesome, moment. She has had to 'restructure' - rethink her young life, from being shuffled here,there and everywhere to of course emotionally processing this situation.. and she has done a beautiful job..

Hope all is well in your families..Remember the reason for the season!!!

Celebrate life! Much Love,

Bill, Becky & Abbey