Sunday night

Hope you all had a good weekend..

Still some back pain for Becky..the kind that takes your breath away if you move in the wrong direction. But we know in time, this will (hopefully) subside. Nice day today..After church Abbey and I got some plants..(tomato and flowers) and planted them..and Becky was able to sit outside with a mask and watch-supervise us. It was a cool family moment.
Briefly, my Dad had a 90th Bday party today back in NC...kinda cool My sister sorta surprised him with some folks gathered in the church fellowship hall..she read him a poem and then of course it was time to eat! Another good family moment.

We hope and pray you are having good family or people moments as well..
Stay positive..Have Faith in what is unseen, not seen...

Much Love to you all..

Bill, Becky & Abbey

Up..Up..Up :)

We are seeing a wonderful rise in the platelets..it's hard to believe they are now 145K! Yes, 145,000. The normal range is 150 to 350k! Wow, let's celebrate! Can't recall the last time we ever saw these numbers. The white count is 5.5 which is good. Just to temper this, we had to have a 4 to 5 hour IV today, beginning at 7am..Becky's overall immune system is low..and needed this 'liquid booster", a gammaglobin somethin, somethin booster. We may have to do this once a month for the next few months, but hey, bring it on... She also had a CT scan,,this will show if these infectious lung spots are leavin' town..We certainly hope so. This means we can curtail the home IV..until then, we still have to administer it for the next two weeks or so. Becky and I taek this chore on. Not too much rocket science..Just have to plan for it and make sure all procedural points are met.. Get the med out of the frigertator so it won't be so cold..wear gloves, clean the lines, make sure the IV is dripping correctly and more. This entire process take about an hour.
Becky seem stronger in the legs. Even though she still has to wear a right leg brace, and there is fluid buildup in both legs, we can see her pace of walk has improved. She can shuffle with confidence. She can do her exercises with more ease. WE do hope and pray her right leg will return to full use within months...but this could take a year. Which means driving is still a distant goal. We are not going to push this one. It will come grasshopper, it will come. She did go see her favorite Chiropractor, Dr. Joga in Santa Monica. Becky was having some major back muscle issue. Dr. Joga knew just what to do on this first visit, and sure enough, Becky is feeling improved. Not at the 'much improved' state yet, but again, this will come grasshopper.

So, we do feel the 'health scale' is tipping toward the positive. Yet, we also know the other 'stuff' will be 'hanging around in the room' for quite some time. We know the Graft vs. Host disease can still have a party. We know with her immune system generally low, other viruses can take the driver's seat for awhile. But for now, we Praise GOD for this incredibly rapid rise in the platelets and white count stabiltiy. Dr. Snyder even reduced her City Of Hope visits from two a week to once a week! That's so cool! So cool!

Thank you all for your prayers...Again, we know many of you have your own trials and hardships. You are enduring some difficult moments. We thank you for taking the time to read Becky's blog. We encourage you to stay in prayer, do not neglect the privelege we have to kneel in prayer to a loving God. He wants to meet your needs. Let Him know them. In Christ we do have strength.

The journey continues..it's sure one wild ride..

Celebrate life...Much love to you all,

Bill, Becky and Abbey

PS. Saw this line in a publication I read at the hospital - writer "unknown"

"There are two kinds of people in this world: those who finish what they start, and..."

Homegirl..

Still going well at home..yes, still some of the usual complications, but manageable..Currently, she has a back pain, muscle discomfort that is excruciating. One of those pains we all have experienced, whereby you move a certain way, and your breath is interuppted, or almost taken away. Wow, of all the complications she has had this one had to come on...But there is some relief at times. She can sit or lie down a certain way and feel a dullness, and sometimes even a total dismissal of the pain. HEY! GREAT news, the platelets were 80K Thursday! That's just awesome, awesome. Haven't seen this number in over TWO years! The white count dropped to 2.4, but no need sound alarm button. This is still OK. We don't have to wear a mask in the home. That's cool. Becky has to have a bone marrow 'draw' next Friday. Just part of the process. Just want to make sure the marrow is lookin good, and with the steady increase of platelets, we think it ishould look OK.. looks there is a good "production team" assembled! But, of course, must wait to hear from Dr. Snyder...
It is so nice to get family orientated again. Sounds strange, but when your loved one is out of house for so long, you get into other patterns, or just simply 'change lanes' in your day to day living. Nothing negative neccesarily, just the way it is. We are now we are starting see some slight sense of the normalcy, or I should say, normal adjustment to this new life we have now. By no means, are we the same as before. I don't think mentally we will ever be as before, but let the record show, this statement is to be construed as positive. Really positive. I'll be able to define it more as the weeks and months pass, but for now, it rests as is.. It will take a year or two before we really see what definition 'normal' will present itself as...
So, even with the small pharmacy we have here in the home, the rearrangement of daily living and the complications that arise. We will press on..press on with the faith that really does NOT look at what is seen, but what is unseen..And yes, it takes a tremendous, tremendous effort to press on at times, but we do..

OH Lord, 'We know you cause all things to work together for good to those who love you'
WE know there is no promise of wonderfully sustained health, no promise of material riches in this life..But we do hold on to your goodness and mercy in all things, and your promise of eternal life.

To whomever may be reading this entry..We hope all is well with you and yours.

Really do celebrate this life we have been given...!!

Have some fun..along with all the serious stuff..

Much Love,

Bill, Becky & Abbey (who is doing great, and she is such a good helper with the cooking and laundry chores)

Rain outside...lookin sunny inside

Yes, lotsa rain here in SoCal...lotsa earth movin' and flowin', and we are in a flow at home, a stable flow...Of course, still taking an unbelievable amount of meds. Getting the IV at night for the next 4 more weeks..still weak, but able to get around the house quite well with her walker. And sometimes, Becky picks up the walker and just walks! I scold her for this one, but she wants to feel the "walk in my own" zone...Her right leg still requires a brace when she knows she has to do lots of walking or standing. Like tomorrow when we go to City Of Hope..although at the hospital, we have to cover so much ground, we use the wheelchair. It's the better call to do this...Her 'numbers' were good on Monday! Platelets 74K! Haven't had this for over two years! Her white count at 4.4..this too is awesome! We hope and pray for the same tomorrow during her regular visit. Her hair is starting to return, ever so slowly..But her wig sure looks nice on her...Though Becky hasn't had the occasion to wear it much, since she has orders to stay at home until the DR. feels she can venture out into the public...other than her hospital visits.
So there you have it for now..

We hope and pray all is well with you..especially the east coasters who have been snow-pummeled..a snowmaggedon indeed...Maybe some good family time has been found in the 'stay at home' days...

Celebrate life...God does offer peace..real peace, even amidst the battering 'life' storms...

Much Love,

Bill, Becky & Abbey

Home update...

Doing good..much more mobile and independent than last 'visit'..So good to see this!
Still needs 'daycare', insuring her stability and basic needs. But otherwise, this home stay has a good feel.. Went to City Of Hope today..her 'numbers' are good, except the white count dropped..but still OK, according to Dr. Snyder..But man, those platelets increased 10K from Monday..59 to 69K!
We just pray the white count will increase. The in-home IV is very manageable..
So, onward forward we go..we take what seem like canyon steps forward, we take what seem like caterpillar steps..But any step forward is ALL GOOD! And we of course say, thanks to the ALL loving, all encompassing God..Thank you Lord..

May you have a great day or evening...may it be 'well with your soul'..

Much love..Celebrate life..

Bill, Becky & Abbey