Day 2.....58 to go!!

Today Don and I saw the doctor. I was concerned he might send us home because of my cold...but he said I was doing everything I was suppose to. Just keep wearing my mask and washing my hands. So we are still a go!! Tomorrow Don will have his CVC line put in and his port removed at 11 oclock. After he leaves recovery we will return to our hotel room and pack, he will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow night for a three day stay for his first chemo here at MDA. He will be recieving two of the three same chemo drugs he had at home. He will be recieving Ifosphamide (I) and Etoposide (E). At home we recieved (C) Carboplatin ....thus the nickname ICE. Now without the C Don says he wont be recieving ICE but IEEEEEEE.....sounds cajun to me..LOL. You can see he still has his sense of humor. His spirits are still up.
After his first chemo he will be outpatient for a few days and give his self Neupogen shots to bring out the stem cells in his blood. When his blood is ready they will let us know and he will begin harvesting. This process is long and drawn out. Now we know we will probably be here for the entire two months. One step at a time. And that is how we take it...just one day at a time. Please pray Don does well on his chemo this week, and has few if any side effects. He tolerated this regiment of chemo drugs well at home, but we are told when the week comes to kill off the remaining stem cells after harvest, the regiment will be much worse and of a different kind. But for now, he is doing well.
I will be updating his blog either tomorrow or Thursday and keep you posted. I pray I will have good news then and be saying he is doing well.
Blessings to All,
Don and Kathi

Day 1 ....59 more to go!

Today was our first day of our long stay for Don's transplant. We spent most of the day testing and walking all over this hospital. Tomorrow we see the doctor and I pray he won't send us home because of my cold. He should tell us more about what we do next. We know Wed. Don has his Central Venus Catheter put in. They will be removing the port he has put in now. They said they could not do the transplant from his port. Tonight we are settled into our hotel room. It is not home, but it will do for awhile. We are gonna try and find us a place to eat tonight and buy some groceries. This room reminds me of when Don and I first got married. Small kitchen without much room, so food has to go on top of the refrigerator....hehe. But we made it home then, and we will make this home now. Missing everyone at our real home already...don't forget us!! To our Sunday School class....save our seats! We aren't gone forever.
Love ya all,
Don and Kathi

NOOOO...Not now!!

OH MY!!!!! I have come down with a cold! Bad timing. Hope they don't kick me out of MDA on Monday. Please pray that God will take my cold away and I don't give this to Don. Going to the store today and buy some mask.
Kathi

We are headed to MDA

Don got his call he had been waiting on. We are headed to MDA for his stem cell transplant on Monday. He is to report for blood work at 1 oclock. Then he will be admitted on Tuesday to start the procedure. We ask that you please remember us both in prayer as we travel, and for the procedure to go well, with no complications of any kind. Also that we find lodging for the two months we will be there. We will be updating as much as possible during the two months, and ask that you please remember Don at this time, he needs it big time. We love and appreciate you all!!
Blessings,
Don and Kathi

We are approved!!

Just heard from our insurance company, they have approved Don for his stem cell transplant. Don wanted to get it done NOW...he got service. Now we must get everything ready for our extended visit. I am getting very nervous at this point. But he is just ready to get this over with. Now is the time to start those prayers coming. And if you dont mind please say a prayer for my nerves as well.
Love ya all,
Don and Kathi

Back home for a little while.

Our visit to MDA was exhausting. We didnt get back to writing the blog the next night like I had promised because we had so much going on. We were handed a schedule for the day and it was very full. We met so many people, filled out so much paper work, and were shuffled from one department to another. Don had blood work done, we met with our doctor (who we were surprised to find out was Italian...who would think with a name like Nieto! We thought he was oriental..hehe) Then after a few more meetings with various departments, he had an ecco. He passed all his test.
When meeting with our doctor, he explained the entire process of a stem cell transplant. It will be much more complicated than we had thought. Our stay will be two months!! We didnt like that too much, but we understand the time frame now that we know the entire process. Don will be on chemo for an entire week, followed by a week to do the process, then a week to ten days for engraftment to take place. So he will be in the hospital for three weeks. Afterwards we will be outpatient for a few weeks until they feel all is well and we can return home. Then visits to Houston for checkups every three months for awhile.
It is gonna be hard being away from family and friends for that length of time. But very much a must to do this process. The doctor explained that, just as Dr. Wold had said to us, the cancer will return without it.
We saw so many bald heads at MDA, it is so heartbreaking. Some very young patients, cancer doesn't discriminate. Many people from all nationalities. But we also saw how different that hospital is from most. It wasn't uncommon to see people walking all over the entire hospital with I.V. poles, taking chemo while shopping in gift shops, having coffee at one of the coffee shops, or just sitting around looking out the windows at one of the many sitting areas. They have a comfort place to go and just sit in recliners and relax...it was so different.
People with carts come around all the waiting rooms and ask if you would like a snack or coffee. They cater to all the people there. Here doctor's offices have signs that say "no food or drinks allowed" There they have vending machines for snacks and drinks right in the waiting rooms, or come and offer you a drink!!
In the back lobby there is a man who is playing piano, and it was so relaxing and beautiful. The entire atmoshpere is different than anything we have ever seen. It is amazing!!
We were told to come back home and wait on our phone call to return. Our doctor told Don he was a prime candidate for the transplant right now! Don told him, "o.k...lets do it!" The doctor said next week!! But then the financial/insurance councelor laughted and said..."He can't do that!" We have to wait until the approval of insurance goes though. So the doctor put "Urgent" on our file to try and speed up the process. Now the ball is in their court. We wait until hearing from them. But we are glad to be home now for awhile. We will write more when we get that call....
Blessings,
Don and Kathi

We have arrived at MDA!!

We are all settled in our home away from home in Houston. Today we first stopped by Baytown, Tx. to visit my cousin Sharon and her husband James. They treated us to a wonderful seafood lunch at their favorite place overlooking Houston ship channel. It was so nice and we really enjoyed their company.
Afterwards we drove on into Houston and found our Extended Care Hotel. There was a mixup with our reservations...so we were upgraded to the Executive Suite...WOW!! And at no extra cost! God is soooooo good!! We walked to the hospital and took a practice run to the doctor's office, and practiced taking the shuttle bus back. The hospital is HUGE!!!!!! But so easy to locate your destination. The cafeteria has every kind of food you could ever want. And I plan on taking another look at that gift shop...LOL.
Tomorrow we have our first doctor's appointment with Dr. Nieto. We will be updating our blog tomorrow night and let you all know what they have planned for Don this week. We already know it will be testing.
To our Sunday School class....we brought our "Bag of Love" and it has already come in handy. I used my stain stick today...hehe. We love all of you so much and look forward to putting this behind us and returning home soon.
Blessings,
Don and Kathi

We are sooooo Blessed!!

I just had to take time to post something on a personal note. We have the very BEST Sunday School class on the face of this earth. This sunday all our brothers and sisters in Christ presented Don and I with the most precious gift! A cloth bag with all of their names written on the back...and large words "Kathi and Don's Bag of Love!" written on the front. Inside it was full, and I do mean FULL, of all kinds of things we will need while at MDA. LOTS of snacks for Don's sweet tooth, and books to read and puzzle books to keep us occupied. Even a Tide pen if we have any stains...hehe. They thought of everything. And they just dont know how much LOVE we felt from them. They have been there for us every step of the way though this journey, and I know they always will. That my friends is true love. We have been so blessed to be a part of their family. We thank GOD for sending us to Kingsville Baptist Church, and to all the sweet loving people that have become a true family to us. WE LOVE ALL OF YOU SOOOO MUCH!!
MUCH THANKS!!!
Don and Kathi

Processing begins for MDA

We have been hearing alot from M.D.Anderson this week. They have begun the processing for our arrival for Don's stem cell transplant. We are to spend a week at MDA week after next for a check up and probably test. I am thinking maybe they will go ahead and harvest his stem cells while we are there. They will be frozen until time for the transplant. We have been looking into lodging for our new home away from home. Hoping to find one close by the hospital. I think we are both getting a little nervous at this time. When they call and actually give you a "date" it makes things all so real!! Praying God will provide us both with a peace in knowing everything will be alright. Please join us in that prayer.

Thanks to all for being a part of our journey. We love you all.
Don and Kathi