Hello Everyone, Got off a little early today and am taking the time to catch up on a few things, like this message. As Kerrie mentioned in a previous post, the transplant physician told her Monday that she was satisfied with the results of the bone marrow biopsy and hopes to start the transplant process in about two weeks. At this time we are assuming that means the week of chemotherapy to completely wipe out any blood cells being produced in the marrow followed by the transplant. For the last few days that week Jenn will be receiving the injections of Neupogen to build up her blood ( I get…

It’s a late evening, sitting in the dark of Kerrie’s hospital room, while she finally sleeps. The medication they have started her on, to build up her white blood cell count, has a nasty little side effect of making your bones ache. This is the same thing I will have injected, for several days, prior to doing the bone marrow transplant. I had been told it would take 2 – 3 days before I would feel the side effects, but they hit Kerrie the very first night! She seemed so upbeat yesterday, but when the pain in her legs started last night I think we both knew it was going…

Hi everyone!!!! Since I don’t know how to post on the blog part yet….I’ll post it here…Jenn has tried to show me I’m sure…but after a few hours up and awake….I’m only good for a nap lol.. I talked to Dr. Jana today…so far everything looks good! She’s talking about starting the transplant in a couple of weeks!!!! Not sure if I’ll get to go home first (origionally we were talking of letting me go home for a week between this round of chemo and the next round for transplant (which I’ve been warned is much harsher than the one I just had) my going home depends on my lab…

Hello family, This is just your friendly reminder that the charity raffles for Kerrie will be ending this Saturday. For those you have generously donated already, thank you so much. The raffles are a great success thus far. For those who haven’t checked them out yet, please do! This is your chance, though far away, to lend Kerrie a hand when times are so tough for her. All of the proceeds will go directly to Kerrie to help with her financial strain. And just in case I haven’t guilted you enough yet, let’s remember that this is family. Kerrie is a beautiful person who would lend a hand at the…

It’s been a long week of waiting for an answer. Kerrie had her bone marrow biopsy, on Tuesday morning, and was told we may have the results as early as today. Friday has come, and almost gone, and we are still awaiting the answers we are hoping for. Her doctor has told her the preliminary tests look good, but they are still waiting on the chromosome test and a few other test results before they can determine if she has gone into remission. I keep telling her that she needs to tell Dr. Jana that I am a very impatient person and that I am waiting for an answer.. but…

Hello Everyone, It’s been awhile since I have written……..If I had about 14 more hours in my day I’d be more efficient. Has been a crazy week. Kerrie finished her chemotherapy on Tuesday and is still waiting to crash….but so far so good…  She has ups and downs, but not the deep pit they predicted might happen. Still getting blood and platelets just about every day as her levels keep going down, but they are supposed to.  Her white count is just about as low as it can get without entirely being wiped out (that will happen with the next round just before the transplant). She started getting feedings through…

Kerrie is now nearing the end of her second week in the hospital and seems to be handling all of this very well. We keep being told she’ll be very sick soon, and will hit rock bottom, but it hasn’t seemed to happen yet. Hopefully, the worst is behind her right now.. she has her ups and downs, but every time I talk to her she sounds like the same, cheerful Kerrie. Being her big sister, I know she is probably faking some of this cheerfulness but it’s nice to hear her sound good. Since I decided to do something silly, and come down with the flue, our mother has…

Kerrie’s week has been a long one! I think it was especially hard for her knowing we were having a family reunion, on August 6th, and she wouldn’t be able to be there to see everyone. Our aunt Michelle, always the one to come up with great plans for events, decided it would be fun to bring the reunion to Kerrie.  On Saturday morning, I complained of a headache and asked if I could close her window shade. Down on the street below our family gathered with a huge banner that said “We love you Kerrie” and everyone was holding silk sunflowers ( since she can’t have real flowers). We…

Well, we’re nearing the end of the first week of Kerrie’s hospital stay.   I keep telling her to think of it like summer camp: They wake you up really early in the morning, feed you, make you go out and do excercises, then after lunch you get to do arts and crafts, take a nap, then on to dinner.. after dinner you write letters home and then it’s time for bed 🙂  It’s not quite as simple as that, but we are getting into a routine. The staff comes in, around 6:00am, and takes her vitals signs. They do any needed bloodwork, talk to her for a while and then…

On Monday morning we received news that Kerrie has developed acute Luekemia ( AML) The Luekemia must be brought into remission, before we can go ahead with the bone marrow transplant, so Kerrie has been admitted into the hospital and has begun chemotherapy. We’ve been told this may take up to 5 weeks. If all goes well, we’ll begin the process for the transplant. If, within the next 5 weeks, she does not go into remission they will begin the chemo process again. We were all very dismayed by this, but are hopeful things will go well and we can get the “show on the road” as soon as possible.…