New Marrow Uno

Remission

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Here I sit with my tail between my legs 'cuz I've been bad about keeping this blog up-to-date. Part of my excuse is that I've come to learn that quite a large number of people view this blog, which can be intimidating. Especially when you know many are educators. I try to write good, or is it well? Probably the more accurate excuse is that I let life get in the way. There is never a perfect time, so ya just gotta buckle down and gett'er done! (Right, MB?!)

Any way, we went to the Cleveland Clinic a couple weeks ago. The oncologist there said that Mic is in remission. Wow...was that music to our ears! However, statistics say that he has a 60% chance of it coming back within the first year. Each year after it goes down about 10%. By the fifth year, he has a 5% chance of the leukemia returning. This is why we need his sister and brother to get tested to see if they are a match for bone marrow. It's a precaution so that if he needs a bone marrow transplant, it will be on record. We were taught that a sibling, same mom and dad, is your best chance for a match. Please pray that it won't come to this.

Many of you have told me that you keep Mic and our family in your prayers. I want you to hear me say again, your prayers are being answered! We have so much peace about the situation. Peace is a wonderful gift from God, so thank you again!

We head out to Disney soon. Like many, we are battling sniffles, coughs and sore throats. My biggest concern is that we are healthy enough to enjoy our trip. We wouldn't be going if it wasn't for the kindness of the Woodridge H.S. staff and students. They raised the money through a dance and talent show to send us. Thank you again for your friendship, love and support. You will always have a special place in the heart of the Becerra family. I will make every effort to post pictures from the trip.

My dear friend, Bridgitte, is still in ICU battling infections. Please pray that she continues to fight and has a complete recovery.

While I have your attention, I have recently become involved with a Youth for Christ organization called, The Garage. I'm excited about the ministry because it reaches out to our local troubled teens. If you would like to help, I'm hosting a FUN-raiser. Please contact me and check out the link for more information. www.yfcwadsworth.com

Cleveland Clinic

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Please forgive us for taking so long to update this blog. Many would like to know if their prayers have been answered and we have been lazy in keeping you informed. This blog has been therapeutic as a means for getting our thoughts, fears, concerns and praises out in the open. The blog has served as a way to communicate with our friends and family. I personally have had to tell myself that I'm not typing this to seek attention or sympathy. You want to know how things have progressed. Again, please accept our apology.

Of course, a lot has happened since Mic was in the hospital for his last dose of chemo. We were happy that once his counts started to come up, they came up quickly. The last blood draw showed everything in low but normal ranges. All except his white cell count. It was at 2.5 and should have been at 4. We are scheduled to visit Cleveland Clinic this Monday, Sept. 14th. They will look at Mic's test results and do a few tests of their own. It will be a long day, but necessary for us to know where to go from here. It will also serve as a second opinion.

After being released from the hospital, the following weekend was our son's 9th birthday. Unfortunately, Mic had to learn the hard way that his body is not tolerating chicken like it used to. In the past, it just took one Benadryl tablet and a half hour wait, to be able to eat chicken. (If you don't know, Mic is allergic to chicken, turkey and tuna. If he has any of these without taking Benadryl, he swells up and looks like he's been in a boxing ring.) Anyway, we ordered pizza and chicken for the party and Mic ended up on the bed waiting for his allergic reaction to pass. Unfortunately, he missed half the party. Isaiah was so busy with the bounce house and his friends that he didn't notice.

The next weekend we went to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where I had a leadership conference for Arbonne. Because Mic is a Vince Lombardi and Packers fan, he thought we should travel 9 hours to Green Bay as a family getaway. (I'm not complaining, it's just that 9 hours is a long time driving on a flat, straight highway. And Chicago traffic is no picnic!) Regardless, it was a change of scenery from the sterile hospital walls. We ate dinner at a renovated train station along the bay and visited an all-year around kiddie amusement park. Mic took the kids to Lambeau field, where they went on a guided tour and bought a new cheese head. (Our old one somehow got bite marks in it.)

A funny story that came out of that visit was when Mic took the kids to swim in the hotel pool. The kids LOVE the hot tub and their daddy decided to join them. As he walked to sit with the kids, he noticed that a couple was relaxing there. When he approached, he saw that the couple's eyes get wider and soon they exit the hot tub. It was later that he realized the pair saw the 4 scars on his chest from the catheters, and possibly thought they were 4 bullet wounds. Instead of recently being released from the hospital, they probably thought he was released from prison! I'm certain he got a kick out of it.

He went back to work full-time the 2nd week of August. Besides the heat in the building, it's been good to get back behind the wheel. From what I have learned, the staff and students at Woodridge H.S. have been glad to have him. I also understand that most are liking his new look. He's now sporting a shaved head (Oops! I almost said "bald") and go-tee (or is it go-tea? Or maybe goat-ee? I don't know, I've never had to spell THAT word before!) Anyway, he looks tough, which is important when you are the principal.

We had fun at Cedar Point this past Sunday, a gift from a family friend. It was such a beautiful day. We are amazed at Mic's stamina. He walked the park and never felt like he had to rest. We all complained that our "dogs" were tired, but he never became winded or short of breath. If you remember, those were the symptoms that put him in the hospital. And, he's even been mowing the entire lawn. . .yippee for me! (I'm just kidding, Sweetie! You know I don't mind the exercise.)

The kids and my Arbonne business have been keeping me busy. I will do my very best to update you in regards to our visit to Cleveland Clinic. It would be great to learn that he's in remission, but may be too soon to tell? Not sure how that works.

I'm sure you've heard enough. Oh, I wanted to add that I love his new mantra. After a long day, and he's feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed, he says out loud, "I'm too blessed to be stressed!" I think that would be a healthy mindset for us all.

Thank you for your continued love and support. You mean the world to us!

Warmly,
Wendy & Family

Please Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:42:00 +0000

I just got a phone call that a dear friend of mine had to have an emergency open heart surgery. It was a 5 bypass surgery and she's having to rely on a "balloon machine" to pump her heart. Please pray for strength and a complete recovery, that Brigitte will pull through this. Please lift up her husband and 2 children. There is power in prayer!

Warmly,
Wendy

Heading home?

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Spoke with my sweetie this morning and he sounded really good. His body is responding positively to his treatment. Last Sunday I posted that his white cell counts were .2. On Monday they were .2, Tuesday .3, Weds. .2, Thurs. .4, Friday .7, then this morning 1.1. This is good news, the cells are multiplying!

His temperature has bounced around a lot this week. It would stay in normal ranges throughout the day, then go up as high as 102 degrees in the evening. They've run a number of tests, including blood cultures, a nose swab and a CAT scan of his head, chest and abdomen. The CAT scan came back "unremarkable." (Those of you that know Mic can hear him say, "Wow! I've been called a lot of things but unremarkable is not one of them!") Since all the tests have come back negative, we can assume that the evening fevers will go away as his blood cell counts go up. And because he is doing so well, it sounds like he may get to come home on Sunday. That's right, this Sunday the 26th! Yippee!

He did end up with a pick in his bicep again (left side this time) which will be removed before he is discharged. His infectious disease doctor told him he's comfortable sending him home with a prescription for an oral antibiotic. This is wonderful news because it is very freeing to not have to wrap your arm in plastic wrap & tape in order to take a shower. Count your many blessings! He hasn't been able to swim with the kids at all this summer, so this also means he will be able to join them in the pool.

Our first born celebrates his birthday this coming Friday. Isaiah turns 9 on the 31st. And did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger's birthday is on the 30th? He'll be 62. J.K. Rowling (author) celebrates her 44th birthday and Wesley Snipes (actor) celebrates his 47th birthday, both on the 31st. (Google's a wonderful tool!)

Praying that this will be his final treatment and that he will be in remission...forever! His oncologist prefers to do 4 rounds of maintenance treatment, which would take us into August. But because he develops the fevers, it seems that this will be his final dose. Some doctors say 3 maintenance rounds, some say 4. He had 3 maintenance rounds of chemotherapy.

I'm not certain where we go from here. I understand we will visit the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. I'm sure that he will have his blood drawn frequently. We understand that his immune system won't be what it used to be, so lots of hand washing! Seems that it's the best way for all of us to stay healthy.

Thank you for all of your support. It's been such a blessing to connect with you and have you pray on our behalf. God hears your prayers.

Warmly,
Wendy and Family

Counts Are Down

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:33:00 +0000

A quick up-date to let you know that Mic was admitted today. His counts are very low. White cell count is down to .2 (that's not a typo), hemoglobin count is at 7, and platelets are at 8. His temperature was up to 103.4 when we got to his hospital room.

I just got off the phone with one of his many favorite nurses, Megan, WE LOVE MEGAN! and she let me know that he had 2 doses of anti-biotics, 2 units of blood and a unit of platelets. They gave him some Tylenol and his temp. is down to 100.9, which will make him feel more comfortable.

His biggest complaints right now are the splitting headaches and the uncooperative veins. Since he has no port or catheter, they have to place an IV in his arm. It's been a very painful process. . .you should see the bruises. But it's what happens when your platelets are low.

The chemotherapy is doing its job, however, we are looking forward to getting through this week. There's a good chance he will not have to under go anymore treatment, praise the Lord! Of course praying that he will make it through this round without a serious infection and that the leukemia is completely destroyed and will not return.

We started planning our Disney vacation, which will be this fall. Looking forward to it and will take any words of wisdom and advice.

Thank you again for all of your kind words. Your prayers continue to sustain us.

Warmly,
Wendy & Family

Home Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Howdy Everyone!

This week of chemotherapy went well, and I came home tonight. The nurses pulled out the pick line out of my bicep, so I have no chemo catheter hanging out of my body anywhere, which is nice since I have had a catheter in my chest or bicep since March. Potentially, this may be my last round of chemo, but this will be a discussion between my oncologist and my family. Wendy, our kids, and I are heading to Port Clinton tomorrow morning to spend a night at a friend's trailer. This will be nice to get away from the hospital atmosphere. My plan for the week is to head back into work for a few days before my counts go down. I may run a fever next week and be re-admitted to the hospital, so I will need continued prayers. God has been awesome through this entire journey.

Best wishes,
Mic

Round three or Is It Round Four?

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Howdy Everyone! I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday. The Becerra family attended two gatherings with several of my "Rittman buddies" and their families. The highlights were seeing my buddy Tim, creator of my blog, and his daughter, while viewing the Wooster fireworks from my other Rittman buddy, Vic's house surrounded with more Rittman buddies.

Currently, I am at Akron City Hospital going through another round of chemo until Friday. Overall, it is my fourth bout with chemo, but it is considered the third "maintenance" round.

Today, a slight concern was my white blood count was low, which could be residual effects from the previous round of chemo (week of June 8), and my doctor debated whether we should wait to do chemo next week and let my counts come up a little. The decision was made to go ahead, which is what I wanted . . . GAME ON, LET'S ROCK-N-Roll! I realize these comments show my "Rittmanite" in me, but these are comments of victory! In addition, this could be my last round of chemo, and I can only praise God for getting me to where I am on my cancer journey.

Another praise is that I was able to spend three days last week in my office at Woodridge High School, and it felt great! I haven't been back as principal since March, and it was good for me mentally to get back to what I love to do. Once again, I can't express enough appreciation for the cards, prayers, and words of encouragement from all of you.

Many of you will never know how important you are to my family, and especially to me. I do not feel alone as I go through this trial (James 1:2-4). I will keep all of you informed, especially next week when counts have a tendency to "bottom out" and I run a fever. Until then, best wishes!

God Bless!
Mic

I'm home!

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:03:00 +0000

I was able to come home today around 6:00 PM. It has been an interesting week, and as some of you know my Hickman catheter (what chemo/antibiotics are run through) had to be pulled from my chest on Saturday morning because of an infection. A doctor placed a pick line in my right bicep yesterday (inserted into the Brachial artery), and it will do the same job as a Hickman catheter. For the last couple of days, my white blood count has triple twice, which allowed me to come home. I was given two units of blood and one of platelets today to make sure that my counts continue to rise. It is amazing that my recovery time was only six days compared to eleven days from round two. I will have one more round of chemo on July 6th, so I ask for your prayers that all continues to go well.

God Bless,
Mic

Back in the Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:12:00 +0000

A quick note to let you know that the chemo. therapy is doing its job. Mic's counts are very low. . .I'll let him give you the details. I had to take him to the ER last night because he was developing a fever. They did all their screenings and got him admitted to the 7th floor within about 4 hours. Unfortunately, his replacement Hickman catheter had developed an infection. The doctor had to remove it this morning. Unfortunately, it broke and the part under his skin had to be removed through an incision. They did the procedure right there is his hospital room with just a local anesthetic. As you can imagine, it is a bit uncomfortable. We are guessing that they will replace the catheter in a few days? Until then, they have to stick him to get blood drawn and has an IV in his arm to administer medications and fluids.

The good thing is that his fever is down. Praise God! They seem to have him on the right antibiotic. Unfortunately, it's causing his skin to be red and itchy.

He's in room 706, which is a small room, but has a shower. The last time his counts were down, he wasn't able to take a shower. There was not a shower in his room and he was not allowed to use the one that everyone else uses due to being susceptible to infection. (We need to be thankful for simple pleasures!) The last time this happened, he was in the hospital for 10 days, waiting for his counts to go up. If it will be 10 days this time, at least we will have him home to celebrate the 4th of July!

Please pray that he will be comfortable and be able to sleep. Pray that his blood cell counts go up quickly. And go ahead and ask for this can be his final round of therapy because he is completely healed. Thank you!

Warmly,
Wendy and kids

Round Three Going Well!

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:26:00 +0000

My round three of chemotherapy is going well. It consists of six bags of chemo spread over three days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) with two days off (Tuesday and Thursday). Since it is going well, my doctor has moved up my chemo for Friday to start late on Thursday, so I will be able to head home tomorrow around dinner time instead of coming home on Saturday morning. Yesterday, I had a spiral CT-Scan to look at the blood clot that was found in my right lung a few weeks ago. The body has absorbed it, so it is gone, but I continue to give myself blood thinning shots in the stomach each morning. I will continue with this practice for another two months to ensure no other clots form. Next week will be the tell-tale week as my counts start to go down. Hopefully, I will not run fevers, and that I can stay out of the hospital.

I do have to take a moment to say my care at Akron City Hospital has been the very best. The oncology floor nurses are true professionals, and a great bunch of people. My doctors are the best of the best, and I appreciate the outstanding care I have received. Although I would not want this disease, the 7th floor is home away from home!

Thank you again for all of the thoughts, prayers, and cards. I believe God is doing a great work in me.

Best wishes,
Mic

Round Three on Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:50:00 +0000

It has been a few weeks since I posted anything, but I wanted to keep everyone updated. First, it has been a great three weeks being home with my family. We enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend and the last day of school for our children as we celebrated with fireworks. I was able to speak at Woodridge High School's graduation at Blossom Music Center, and it went well, although I was emotional during my speech. I head back to Akron City Hospital on Monday (June 8) for round three of chemo. I will be in the hospital for five days, and will be able to come home on Saturday. The concern will be the week after coming home as my blood counts will bottom out, and I could end up back in the hospital with high fevers (much like round two). With the beautiful weather, I am looking forward to spending this weekend with my family before heading to the hospital on Monday. As always, I appreciate all the cards, emails, and prayers.

Best wishes,
Mic

I am home!

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I was able to head home last night from the hospital, which is truly a blessing. My white count was 2.6, which is on the move up, and it needs to at least get to 4.4 to be within a normal range. This should occur by Friday. I was able to head home only if I was willing to have a half hour antibiotic IV drip everyday for eight days. By agreeing to this, I was able to come home early by at least 2-3 days. I will relax and recoup for the next couple of weeks, and then gear up for round three of chemotherapy, which should take place around the middle of June. My current goal is to speak at Woodridge's graduation on June 1. Thanks again for all of the cards, thoughts, and prayers. The support from everyone makes this experience not so lonely.

Best wishes,
Mic

White count going up!

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Well, my white blood cells (WBC) are on the rise along with my red blood cells (RBC) and platelet levels. My wife, Wendy, thought it would help if I explained counts, so people have a better understanding of my counts compared with normal counts. Today, my WBC count is 1.6 which is up from yesterday's 1.0. An average range for WBC is 4.4-11.3, so when my WBC is .3 (last Saturday) it is understandable why I run fevers. My WBC is bouncing back and at times will go up 1.0 or double in a day. It is the low WBC that keeps me in the hospital because it is a reflection of my body's ability to fight infection, germs, etc. For red blood cells (hemoglobin), the average range is 14.0-17.5 with most males running around 15.0. Currently, my hemoglobin is 9.9 which is up from yesterday's 8.1. Remember, it is hemoglobin that carries oxygen through the body, and I can tell my levels are low because I am short of breath or feel light-headed. Last, normal platelet levels are 150,000-450,000, and my current level is 40,000. When platelet levels are low there is a possibility that my blood will not clot when I am cut. With low levels, I am not allowed to use a razor to shave.

I understand this is a lot of information, but I think it will help anyone understand when Wendy or I mention that my counts are low. It does seem that over the last two months that I have lived by numbers and counts, but this is what comes with the affects of chemotherapy. I do continue to receive daily blood thinner shots in the stomach to avoid any other blood clots to form in my lungs. The current clot that I have in my right lung should be absorbed by my body within the next few weeks. The pain has subsided when I breath, which is a blessing. With my counts on the rise, it is my belief that I am go home by Tuesday or Wednesday. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and ask for continued prayers as I walk this journey.

Best Wishes,
Mic

From Brianna

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:03:00 +0000

he is tough for a rittman boy
even though his blood counts are lower than before
i love my dad.

*She asked to post a note. Had a little help from mom and spell check.

Update - Blood Clot

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:09:00 +0000

We found out this morning that the blood clot is in his right lung. It is near the wall of the lung where the nerve endings are located, which explains why he was experiencing so much pain. Have you ever had a cramp that makes it hard to take a deep breath? That's what he feels whenever he reclines or breathes in deeply.

They gave him some morphine to make him more comfortable and help him sleep. They also administered a mild blood thinner that will help with the clot. (It's a shot given in the stomach.) But because his platelet counts are so low, there is a concern for bleeding. We need those blood counts to go back up!

I'll be honest, yesterday evening was probably the most scary this experience has been so far. My mate is telling me he is having a hard time breathing and that there is pain in his chest. Looking at the hurt on his face, I remember thinking, "Oh no, they are going to be treating him for a heart attack!" If you don't know, Mic's dad passed away a year ago (5/6) due to a heart attack. We never in a million years thought his health would be affected by leukemia. We've always thought it would be his heart.

He does want you to know that he is feeling good today. His temperature is hanging out around 98 - 100. They continue to monitor the blood clot and his blood counts. We anticipate his counts will come up soon and that he will be back home cookin' in the kitchen with Brianna.

Prayers Please

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:10:00 +0000

I'm sure all of you are aware that Mic is back in the hospital because of the second round of chemo elevating his temperature. Although uncomfortable--as you can imagine--this is a completely normal side-effect It was expected.

However, Mic started having some unexpected chest pain issues on Tuesday. He had another MRI in order to determine the cause behind the pain. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment, but the physicians believe that Mic may have a blood clot somewhere.

Doctors would normally treat this issue with the clot-busting drug Heparine. As I understand it, using Heparine isn't a treatment option at this time because of the state of Mic's blood cell counts. I wish I could tell you more, but that's all that I have at the moment.

The reason that I'm posting the blog today is simple. I'm asking each one of you to continue praying for Mic, Wendy, and the rest of the family. Also, please pray for the nurses and physicians caring for him.

David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. ~2 Samuel 24:24-25

Counts Still Down

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Still here at Akron City and feeling much better. Saturday was a rough day with his temperature at 104 all day. Sunday was better with a temp. of 102. And on Monday, his temperature stayed around 98 - 99. The doctors and nurses are happy that he is feeling as good as he is with his counts being so low. They are actually lower than the first time he had chemotherapy. In my opinion, he feels so good due to answered prayer. So thank you for praying, it truly is powerful.

Our family will never be able to thank you enough for all the cards, visits, gift cards, kind words, help with the kids, dog and house. Your generosity will never be forgotten.

We were scheduled to go to Myrtle Beach over the 4th of July, but due to Mic's condition, we have had to put off our annual vacation. With the port in his chest, he is unable to swim. As you can imagine, Daddy is the "island" to swim to and jump on and off of in the pool. The kids were very upset to learn that Daddy wouldn't be able to swim with them. However, we replaced their sorrow with joy by planning a trip to Disney in the Fall. To his Woodridge family, thank you so much for all the money you raised to help pay for this trip. The kids are 8 and 6, so this is the perfect time to take them to experience the magic of Disney.

In the meantime, if anyone has a suggestion for a fun family activity that is low key, please let us know.

Back to Akron City

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Sat, 09 May 2009 02:50:00 +0000

Mic did really well with his second dose of chemotherapy. He was very blessed to not experience any of the possible side effects. However, as to be expected, we discovered on Thursday 5/7 that his blood counts were very low. He suspected they were low since he's been feeling "off" for the past few days. Yesterday and today have been difficult days to keep food in his tummy, and it's not due to vomiting. Tonight his temperature has reached 101.3. When it reaches above 100.5, we are to call the doctor. The doctor on call told us to get him to the ER so he can get registered and on antibiotics. My dad took him to the hospital to be admitted. Seems that the real rough days are ahead.

Please ask God to allow these days to pass quickly. Please pray for comfort so he can endure the pain, and rest so he can have strength to recover.

Much love,
Mic, Wendy and Family

Goin' Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Tonight is the last dose of chemo and then home for the next 4 - 6 weeks. It's during the first couple weeks that his white cell counts will slowly go down and he will be more susceptible to infections. We found out yesterday that he will head back to the hospital on Sunday to get a shot that will prevent his white count from going down too low. His strength is up, so yes, he will be at church on Sunday. He intends to have his strength up again by June 1 to give a graduation speech for Woodridge H.S. If you don't know, Woodridge students have the priviledge of graduating on stage at Blossom Music Center. So when Mic stands on stage, he gets to feel like a rock star!

Thank you for all the love and affection you have shared with our family!

Bone Marrow Tap

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Two bags of chemo down, four to go! He is feeling good, considering the high dose that he's being given all at once. The staff seemed pleasantly surprised to see that he's handling it so well. Because his platelet counts were down when he arrived, his oncologist ordered a bone marrow tap. This will allow her to take a close look at what's going on. They did the tap this morning and he did well. They drew marrow and took a sliver of bone from his right hip.

In the meantime, he has to be given drops every six hours to protect his eyes since the chemo is pretty strong. He also has to complete a couple neurological exercises, touching his nose and writing his name, to be certain the drug is not affecting his brain and brain function.

Until next time, thank you for your prayers!

Warmly,
Wendy

P.S. Just received a call from Dr. Payne. She's pleased that his marrow is lookin' good.

Back for Round Two

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:39:00 +0000

We're back at Akron City for ROUND 2! Arrived at 10:00 a.m. with a warm welcome from the nursing staff. They slapped on his wrist band and showed us to his room, which is at the end of the hall in 714. It's not as big as the "Penthouse" he had before, but very spacious. We are very pleased. They took his height, weight and vitals immediately. He's down 11 pounds from when he first arrived on March 10th. If you haven't seen him, he looks really good.

The nurse just came in and took some blood. We're off to have some lunch then he'll start his chemo early this afternoon. The plan is that he's here through Friday, receiving 3 - 12 hour drips. As of today, feel free to call or stop in. It's the following 2 weeks, when he gets home, that his immune system will be compromised.

Thank you again to our loving friends and family that have made this chapter in our lives so bearable. I am often tempted to list the many wonderful ways people have shown how beautiful they are, but I fear to leave someone or something out. It's amazing how the little things make a big difference. I do want to thank Tim Whims for helping us with the blog. I take a picture, forward it to him, and "POOF" it's posted. Majority of these pictures are from my camera phone.

I will do my best to keep you informed.

Much love,
Mic & Wendy

Easter Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:24:00 +0000

We hope you had a wonderful Easter with your family. We went to the 10:15 service where we learned "5 Things God Doesn't Know," then to my parent's house for Porterhouse steak. My mom is an amazing cook, just like my husband, so everything was delicious! (If you are curious about the "5 things," they are at the end of this post.)

We went to his oncologist this morning. They took blood and found that his counts are all in normal ranges. Yipee! We also found out he will have 3 more rounds of chemo, each spaced 4 -6 weeks apart. Seems that this is protocol. His second round starts the week of the 27th. He'll be hospitalized for 5 days to undergo 3 - 12 hour drips through an IV. He'll be released and be able to spend his recoup time at home. Being at home will be nice, however, with the white counts bottoming out again, there will be risk of infection and bouts with fevers. Like before, it's all going to be touch and go. He may have to be hospitalized for several days so they can control the fevers. Then again, maybe not.

We are still waiting to hear from Cleveland Clinic, where he'll spend the day for what seems to be a second opinion.

We were told we would have a long road ahead of us. Today it seems longer than we thought. That's okay. He's getting the treatment he needs so that we can have him for years to come.

Thank you again for your prayers. . .they are so powerful!

Warmly,
Mic, Wendy, Isaiah and Brianna

5 Things God Doesn't Know:

A sinner He doesn't love John 3:16, Romans 5:8
A sin that He doesn't hate Rom. 3:23; 6:23
Any way that man can save himself Ephesians 2:8-9
Any way to salvation except through the cross Colossians 2:13-14; Acts 4:12
Any time better to be saved than today! 2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 1:18

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:48:00 +0000

HE'S HOME! We pulled in the driveway around 3:00 yesterday afternoon, exactly 4 weeks to the day AND THE HOUR from when he found out his blood work showed possible leukemia. Pretty crazy!

It was funny how he thought everything looked so different. . . much more colorful! And the new Giant Eagle has really developed since he was admitted.

Once he got settled, he took a nap, we had dinner, he got showered, and hung out watching that crab fishing show, Deadliest Catch. The one where men go out and risk their lives to catch crabs. Have you seen it?

He slept okay, but he's accustomed to the hospital noise, so the quiet hurt his ears. And because he has the port, he hasn't been able to sleep on his stomach like he used to.

It's such a comfort to have him here. The kids fly in with my parents tonight at 11:00 p.m. to Akron/Canton. They do not know their daddy is home. And if they are not asleep when they get in, we know they are going to be soooo excited to see their daddy! Isaiah is 8 and Brianna is 6. They knew Daddy had to be in the hospital for a long time. But if you think about it, what's a long time to a kid? A single day can be a long time.

Also, if you do not have a church to celebrate our Savior's resurrection, you are welcome to come to Northside with us. We are offering 5 services, hopefully one will work for your family. The web address is www.northsideweb.org. Please click and read the "Welcome" and "What We Believe" links.

For those of you that will be at NCC on Sunday, if you run into us, his nurse said that he can attend the service, but no hugs and fist bumps are best.

A home nurse from Summa will come to the house today to teach us how to care for his port. He has to be back at Akron City for a check-up on Monday. I'll continue to post from time to time.

Again, much love to you all! We couldn't have come this far, as smoothly as we have, without you!

Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:15:00 +0000

Praise the Lord! The bone marrow results look good. Sounds like he may be coming home TODAY!

We have a long road ahead of us. Sometime in the next 2 weeks he will have to spend a day at the Cleveland Clinic for further testing. He will then have to return to the Akron City for another round of chemo in 4 weeks. His chemo treatment will be 3 out of 5 days, but then get to come home. Of course if he has fevers again, he'll have to spend some time in the hospital. He'll have the port in his chest for quite awhile.

He made it through phase 1 and was a "textbook" patient! And I believe the staff would say he was the "ideal" patient. ( :

We covet your prayers and ask for continued strength, healing, and a positive attitude. We love you!

Warmly,
Mic, Wendy, Isaiah, Brianna and Broozer

Bone Marrow Tap

noreply@blogger.com (Mic & Wendy) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:33:00 +0000

If you know Mic, you can hear him saying, "I was up all night studying for the test. I hope I passed!" Of course THE TEST was his bone marrow tap. He said to tell you that it was painful, but he got through it. We should have the results by tomorrow afternoon.

As far as his blood work goes, his white and platelet counts are in normal ranges. The red cells are the last to move up but are slowly climbing. The doctor expects them to be in the normal range within a couple weeks. He might need one last blood transfusion, but that has not been confirmed.

His color is good and his cough is almost completely gone. He's off all antibiotics and is no longer considered neutropenic. This means no more IV pole and machine! (Guess that means no more pole dancing, Honey!)

Hoping that he will come home soon! Please continue to pray for complete healing.