The oncologist came by a few hours ago and said there is no sign of infection, her blood counts are all fine, except her platelets which will never really come up to any level of normalcy.
Anyway the really GOOD news is she is going home again. Thomas Wolfe wrote, "You Can Never Go Home Again". Well, Tom you were wrong Terry is going home to be with people who love her-with her cat Lacey-where she can sleep all night without interruption-where she belongs.
Thanks to everyone for the continued good thoughts and prayers.
God bless you all.
1/21/12
HERE YOU COME AGAIN
Dolly Parton sang, "Here you come again" and I think that is a fitting title to Terry's recurrent theme of hospitalization. The welcome mats at the hospitals all seems to have Terry's name on them.
Well, the first full day in the hospital has come and gone. Typical of Terry she is showing signs of rebounding---yet again. Her chest x-ray is clear (no pneumonia), temperature is down to normal, she isn't as tired as she was the day before and she has some rejuvenated color in her cheeks. But that might be from the two units of blood she received.
It was a typical hospital day. Lay in bed, watch TV, listen to the beeping of the monitors and try to control the ever present traffic that is going in/out of the room. Rest is a secondary by-product in a hospital if you are lucky.
Karen and Nissa flew in from Nashville last night so Terry was filled with anticipation for the entire day. They didn't get there until 8 PM so could only visit for an hour-but they are good medicine even in a small dosage.
Hopefully today we'll get some news as to the anticipated length of stay, prognosis, etc., etc., etc.
God bless you all.
Well, the first full day in the hospital has come and gone. Typical of Terry she is showing signs of rebounding---yet again. Her chest x-ray is clear (no pneumonia), temperature is down to normal, she isn't as tired as she was the day before and she has some rejuvenated color in her cheeks. But that might be from the two units of blood she received.
It was a typical hospital day. Lay in bed, watch TV, listen to the beeping of the monitors and try to control the ever present traffic that is going in/out of the room. Rest is a secondary by-product in a hospital if you are lucky.
Karen and Nissa flew in from Nashville last night so Terry was filled with anticipation for the entire day. They didn't get there until 8 PM so could only visit for an hour-but they are good medicine even in a small dosage.
Hopefully today we'll get some news as to the anticipated length of stay, prognosis, etc., etc., etc.
God bless you all.
1/19/12
HERE WE GO AGAIN
ONE
Terry was scheduled for 2 routine medical appointments, (if you can call her appointments routine).
She saw the radiation oncologist and he found a new soft tissue myeloma mass in her right forearm, So he radiated this site. This mass came up very quickly and that is not a good sign for her myeloma control.
TWO
Terry was finally ready to her a spinal tap. This procedure was needed to start treatment with drugs directly to her brain. Routine blood work showed that her platelets were desperately low and she needed an immediate transfusion.
THREE
She spiked a fever today and being susceptible to infection she has been admitted to the hospital once again to receive some blood and an antibiotic cocktail. Terry may be down but she isn't out. Terry is a fighter. You can't keep a strong Polish girl like her down.
Just in case, your prayers will certainly help her in this fight.
God bless you all.
Terry was scheduled for 2 routine medical appointments, (if you can call her appointments routine).
She saw the radiation oncologist and he found a new soft tissue myeloma mass in her right forearm, So he radiated this site. This mass came up very quickly and that is not a good sign for her myeloma control.
TWO
Terry was finally ready to her a spinal tap. This procedure was needed to start treatment with drugs directly to her brain. Routine blood work showed that her platelets were desperately low and she needed an immediate transfusion.
THREE
She spiked a fever today and being susceptible to infection she has been admitted to the hospital once again to receive some blood and an antibiotic cocktail. Terry may be down but she isn't out. Terry is a fighter. You can't keep a strong Polish girl like her down.
Just in case, your prayers will certainly help her in this fight.
God bless you all.
1/14/12
BABY STEPS
This was a week of baby steps as Terry is progressing a little at a time.
1-She finished her radiation on Thursday and will be reevaluated in a week to see if more is needed.
2-She has more use of her hands and is able to feed herself as long as things are cut for her.
3-The physical therapist was here 3 times this week and got Terry up each time. This is a real ordeal for
Terry as she is afraid of falling. However with three people holding her and urging her on she is now
standing for 12 minutes. That really wears her out.
4-She has developed a candida infection in her throat (thrush). It looks better since treatment was started
last week but her mouth and throat are beet red and makes swallowing difficult. The thrush is an
expected side effect of the radiation.
5-Again this week there was an outpouring of love from friends and neighbors. People bringing food,
others spending time with Terry when I need to get out for chores and offers galore from people we
have never met. There are a lot of really nice in this world and we are blessed to know or meet so many
of them.
Hopefully I'll be able to report more progress next week. Keep the prayers coming.
God bless you all.
1-She finished her radiation on Thursday and will be reevaluated in a week to see if more is needed.
2-She has more use of her hands and is able to feed herself as long as things are cut for her.
3-The physical therapist was here 3 times this week and got Terry up each time. This is a real ordeal for
Terry as she is afraid of falling. However with three people holding her and urging her on she is now
standing for 12 minutes. That really wears her out.
4-She has developed a candida infection in her throat (thrush). It looks better since treatment was started
last week but her mouth and throat are beet red and makes swallowing difficult. The thrush is an
expected side effect of the radiation.
5-Again this week there was an outpouring of love from friends and neighbors. People bringing food,
others spending time with Terry when I need to get out for chores and offers galore from people we
have never met. There are a lot of really nice in this world and we are blessed to know or meet so many
of them.
Hopefully I'll be able to report more progress next week. Keep the prayers coming.
God bless you all.
1/7/12
WEEKLY UPDATES
As long as things are copacetic in Terry's ongoing saga, I will publish a weekly blog rather than a daily one.
Lots of things this week:
The radiation oncologist thinks that everything, from his perspective, are on track. Terry has limited use of her hands for the past month and the shrinking of the tumor in her shoulder blade should alleviate that soon.
Lots of things this week:
The radiation oncologist thinks that everything, from his perspective, are on track. Terry has limited use of her hands for the past month and the shrinking of the tumor in her shoulder blade should alleviate that soon.
The orthopedic surgeon saw her yesterday for the first post-op visit. The staples are out, he likes the job that was done in Buffalo with the rod placement and he wants her to start weight bearing (up to 10 pounds).
Karen's friends started a,"Bring a meal to us every Monday and Friday". We knew nothing about it, until her friend Dr. Eileen Lopez called us to let us know what she has made and would be delivering. The meal was delicious but the outpouring of love from people Terry nor I know is just unbelievable. I think I am gaining weight from all this food.
There are a lot of really nice people in this world.
God bless you all.
1/4/12
MY GIRL
Did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world? And if you did, was she Polish, Polish? Words from an old Bobby Vinton song. The photo was taken yesterday on the way to radiation therapy. By the way Terry is Polish and most certainly beautiful girl in my world.
1/1/12
2012 STARTS OUT PRETTY GOOD
Today was a pretty nice day. The hoist is working like a charm, getting Terry from the bed to a chair and back again. It makes everything much easier and lessens her apprehension. We had some wonderful friends over to visit. The Doerrs, whom we were supposed to spend New Year's eve with, brought us our hats and noisemakers. (FYI, our cat Lacey isn't crazy about the noisemaker.) The Kellys were also here and Cindy brought spread fit for a king and queen. Karen and Nissa made a delicious brie that we all shared with a bottle of Stump Jump Shiraz.
Terry didn't have any medical things to endure today-just a nice day at home with nice people. It was a good start to the year.
The following is an old Irish toast that we wish for all. “In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want." God bless you all.
Terry didn't have any medical things to endure today-just a nice day at home with nice people. It was a good start to the year.
The following is an old Irish toast that we wish for all. “In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want." God bless you all.
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