Changing of The Guard

Today, Kim arrived from Colorado.  YEAH!  She will be staying with Melanie this week.  My mom went home with Kaden and my dad this evening.  I know all the family there are excited to see her for a bit. 

I guess it was an emotional day for Melanie.  She just does not feel well, and she has not been getting enough rest.  Everything just kind of hit her today.  Her counts are still low, she has been more nauseas, and she is still fevering off and on.  They think the nausea is caused by her low counts and the anitbiotics.  They were going to give her some more nausea medicine this evening, so hopefully that will help with that.

As mentioned before, Melanie had fevers the last time around as well.  If the fever is below 101.5, they will not give her anything to take it down.  They don't want the medicine to mask a higher fever.  If it gets to 101.5, they take cultures and then give her Tylenol.  Today, Dr. Asch had Melanie get some chest x-rays.  She just wants to make sure they are covering all their bases.  The x-ray was clear.  All the cultures have been negative as well.  I think tomorrow they are going to check for any fungul infections.  Although it is most likely neutropenic fevers, they are not taking any chances and just assuming.  Glad they are being thorough!

My dad and Greg gave her a blessing this evening.  I'm sure that will bring some comfort and peace.  Hang in there, Melanie! We all love you!



Neutropenic Fevers

I talked with my mom this evening.  She told me that Melanie has been getting a fever off and on since last night.  Last night it was 101.5, which is high enough to warrant some cultures.  She had another one this morning, and this evening again.  The cultures all come back negative.  Melanie did this for a few days last time as well.  They call it a neutropenic fever.  It is caused by her lack of neutrophils.

The fevers make her feel yucky.  They give her Tylenol to help it break, and they have added some more antibiotics to her regimen.  Hopefully the fevers will stay away for good in a few days.

Kim is coming from Colorado on Sunday.  This will give my mom a little break from the hospital.  We love it when Kim comes to visit.  It is so nice that she can stay in the hospital with Melanie.  Hopefully mom will enjoy some time at home with Kaden and my dad.  Although her body will be home, her mind will be elsewhere.

10 Reasons

Today I was able to visit with Melanie and my mom again.  When I arrived, Melanie was feeling pretty nauseous.  They had stopped some of her nausea medicine, and she was feeling it.  They ended up giving her some Adevan, which helped, but made her pretty tired.

I had to take this picture to also show that shithead is empty.  Melanie is unhooked from IVs!  They have to hook her up for some of her antibiotics at night, but during the day, she is a free women.

My mom and I ran an errand and got us some lunch, while Mel was napping.  When we returned, she informed us that she even went for a walk while we were gone.  She is keeping it up!  Dr. Ford also came in and was telling us that she is doing as good as they could have hoped for.  Melanie is not a typical patient, who has followed the typical path.  He talked about how they can't just follow a normal protocol as far as treatment.  This is why the plan is always up in the air and changing.  He was all smiles with how well her and her body has responded to the chemo.

Melanie received a bunch of Valentine's from kids at Providence Elementary.  My mom was happy to have some great colorful decorations for the wall.  Melanie was able to teach some awesome kids!

I wanted to show the book that our aunt Heidi made for Melanie.  It was hard to get descent pictures in her room.  My mom said that it came when she was out.  Melanie told her that she cried reading it.

10 reasons for the fight

...being silly with my son Kaden.

...Tim Mcgraw (need I say more)!

...getting to be Queen for the day (with my fellow princesses).

...time to watch sports.

...setting new hair fashion trends.

...getting to be the favorite child.

...getting time with my parents.

...being the favorite aunt (see previous sibling page)

...not having to worry about bad hair days.

...the love and support of all that care about me.

Thank you all for caring about Melanie!  

Pics and Thoughts from Mel

Hello Everyone! I am doing okay. Luckily I am not as sick as I was the first time around. I believe Heavenly Father works his miracles in amazing ways! I will post more about my thoughts and feelings later. For now, here is a little picture update from me.

 Greg, Charise, and Makayla heading home after a visit

 My dear friend Diana

A great source of pain and discomfort. I am glad it is looking and feeling so much better.

 My first blood transfusion. I had another one on Valentine's Day. I called it my special Valentine's Day juice. It is odd watching the blood move through the line and into my body. I have so much appreciation for those who donate blood. I was always too wimpy to donate, and now I can't. If you are an eligible donor, I strongly encourage you to donate your blood as often as possible.

 

 I have been very luck to have Kami Hodges Fischer as my night nurse. We went to high school together (she was a year younger). It's always nice to see a familiar face.

 My dear friends Rex and Angie Christensen. They are wonderful! Kaden has been friends with their son Wyatt since kindergarten. It was a great treat to see them.

 I had a horrible rash from my chemo for a few days. One night was particularly painful and itchy. I filled my pants with ice bags, which brought comfort and a lot of laughs! Good thing I have been wearing the largest size pants (waaayyy too big) so that my skin can breather a little easier . . . and I can fill them with ice bags. Luckily the rash is barely visible now.

 Hanging with my Kaden. I love it when he plops in my bed.  I miss him during the week, but know he is well taken care of in my absence.

 Kaden's birthday party was a lot of fun. I loved seeing my nieces and nephews.

 They (the kids) love taking pictures and making funny photos.

 A dear friend from my growing-up-days, Alicia Ray Cole, and her son, Adam, came to the hospital and gave me a nice hair cut.

 Thank you so much Alicia!!! You are so gorgeous!!!!!

My new "do" and Valentine's Day picture. My V-Day blanket was in the wash, so the pillow will have to suffice.

That's all I have in me now. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, cards, e-mails, and treats. I feel surrounded by love!

Much love,

Mel

Now a quick update from Angie.  Today was tumor board.  Dr. Peterson is on a cruise, so they can't say anything is in stone until he gets back.  However, they do have a plan.  Melanie's insurance approved the transplant, so Ladee will start the donor search.  There were a few matches last time.  Hopefully they are still willing and able.  They will wait for Melanie's counts to come back up from the chemo.  The time amount for this depends on her body.  After they get to a certain point and she doesn't need transfusions, she could possibly leave the hospital.  She would have to stay in the Salt Lake area though.  Once they reach the optimal point, she will have daily radiation for two weeks.  This radiation will be focused on the area in her breast where the lump was.  They will probably scan to make sure it is gone after that.  Following that radiation, she will have one day of full body radiation.  This will be a low dose compared to last time.  The next step is a dose of a medicine that I can't remember the name of, but she had it last time.  It is not a chemo, but it wipes her levels in preparation for the transplant.  She may have some Methatrexate as well.  They need her body to be in a low state to accept the donor.  The final step is the transplant.  This transplant is not as big as the last one.  The last transplant needed to graft and kill the leukemia in her body.  This transplant just needs to graft, so if any leukemia comes, the donor cells can wipe it out.  There is a greater risk for graft vs. host disease this time around.  It would show up 2-3 months after the transplant, and be more chronic problems (eyes, skin thickening,to name a few).

So, this plan could change tomorrow, but this is what we are going with today.  That is the one aspect of cancer we have all learned.  It is just a day to day thing.

Love to you all!

In the Low

Melanie's counts are up and down, and vary day to day.  Today her platelets were low, so she was given some platelets.  My mom said tomorrow she will probably get a blood transfusion again.  This is the lovely post chemo game.  She still has her rash, but they gave her some medicine that has helped it.  Hopefully, it will go away in a few days.

Melanie loves getting emails and cards.  Everyone has such great words of encouragement.  My mom was telling me about a book our aunt Heidi made Melanie.  I will have to take some pictures next time I am there.  It sounded so neat.  Thanks, Heidi!  Melanie and my mom thought it was so cute, and it made their day.

Not much else to report on.  Ladee is still working on transplant, and Melanie's body is working on getting all her blood counts back up.  Crossing our fingers that they come back fast.  Melanie is ready for some out of hospital time!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Last Night of Chemo

That's right...tonight Mel will receive her last dose of chemo for this induction period. We are so proud of you Mel!! It's been tough and you've been so strong. Mel's rash could last for a couple of more weeks, and she will more than likely start losing her hair this week. The plan for now is to allow her counts to come up. The doctor said it could take three weeks. She'll remain in the hospital until her counts are at a certain level, then she may be able to go to Greg's house. Let's pray for that!

They may do a body scan to see if the breast lump is completely gone. For now, we focus on Mel regaining her strength.

Kaden woke up this morning with a really sore throat, so Dad and Kaden's visit was cut short. My mom said they said goodbye at the elevator this morning. 

We'll keep you all update. Love to everyone who follows this blog!

Birthday Party

My dad and Kaden made their drive down for the weekend.  This evening we had a birthday party for Kaden at the hospital!  Chase, Brooke, and Austin were all healthy, so they were able to celebrate and see aunt Melanie.  Greg and Makayla came as well.

We had a fun evening!  We filled up Melanie's room.

Grandpa and Makayla

Melanie was sad that she wasn't able to be with Kaden on his actual birthday.  I told Kaden he was lucky this year, because he got two birthday parties.

Austin, Grandma, Makayla, Brooke, Chase, and Greg

We had some yummy cupcakes.  I forgot matches, so Kaden had to pretend he was blowing out the candle.  I love his face!  Our birthday song sounded great, and I know all the neighbors enjoyed it.  Happy Birthday, Kaden!

Melanie trying to get Makayla to smile.

Melanie's hat and Makayla's sweater make for a great picture!

Austin was very curious about everything.  Melanie explained all about shithead and her central line.  Grandma let him have a few crackers out of her "kitchen".

Melanie and Kaden had a good laugh about the card Melanie gave him.   I am not even sure what the inside joke was, but I thought it was a fun picture.

They have a few of these white boards in the hall.  You can write messages for the patients.  They erase it every week.  Brooke and Austin wanted to add a message for Melanie, to go along with grandma's.  Melanie was able to read the messages when we went on a walk.

We were quite the crew walking the halls.  My mom had gone to help Greg to his car when we started our walk.  We saw her come out of the elevator when she returned, but she didn't see us.  So, Melanie had a good idea to hide from her. 

We were hiding behind some walls that line the hall.  My mom saw that we were not in the room, so she came looking.  When she looked down the hall, she couldn't see us.  We could hear her talking to another patient, who was walking.  She was telling him and his daughter that she lost her family!  She finally walked down the hall, with some help from the patients daughter (darn her).  We all had a good laugh.  My mom said it made her day!

After our walk, we left Melanie for a quick dinner break in the hospital cafeteria.  We wished that she could have joined us!

Hopefully, it will be a birthday party that Kaden will always remember!

Melanie was feeling good today.  Her rash is still there, but was not acting up like last night.  I guess she was pretty miserable last night!  She has tonight and tomorrow night for chemo treatments.  After that, the rash should go away.  We still are not sure what the next step is after tomorrow.  We should know more on Monday...hopefully.

We love you, Melanie and Kaden!

Melanie is still fighting and hanging in there. She has three more days of chemo for the induction period. It's taking a toll on her body. She has a rash all over her body, except for her hands and the bottoms of her feet (thank goodness). She has been running a low grade fever every night. It hasn't gone high enough to warrant a culture yet. Her blood levels are still down, that won't change anytime soon. It means the chemo is working. 

Her are some positive things happening...Mel's red count was up today due to the blood transfusion she had, I think, yesterday. My mom said her lips have a little color to them. :) The lump she had in her breast is gone (another sign that the chemo is working). Mel's kidney and liver function look good! She survived the nasty chemo she had for five days. We celebrate every accomplishment and love any good news about her condition.

Rex and Angie Christensen visited today. They brought her some yummy treats, kind words and smiles. It really boosted Mel's spirits.

My mom said Mel got a "really cute" card from a former student. Mel loved it! It is hanging on her wall. Thanks so much.

Mel still has her hair! Last time around, she decided to shave it all off before it started falling out. We found out that was not a good idea because she ended up with tiny hairs all over her pillow. This time, she plans to get a really short hair cut and let it fall out in clumps. This time, losing her hair isn't a new thing. It stinks, but she knows that she looks beautiful bald. She just has one of those faces...

My mom told me a funny story. The CNA weighed Melanie today and wrote down the wrong weight, so the nurse saw it and thought Mel had gained 14 lbs in a day (which can happen in water weight). The nurse started pumping Mel full of lasix, which makes you pee a a lot. When the new nurse came on shift, she was asking Mel if she'd noticed her ankles or feet swelling and Mel told her she had not. Mel asked the nurse what weight the CNA had written down for the day, and Mel told the nurse that it was wrong. Mel had not gained any weight. I guess she got a good flush to her system :)

Look who turned 15 yesterday!!

He is such a stud! Happy Birthday Kaden! Mel and him will have a fun celebration this weekend.

Love you so much Mel!!

Tape Trouble

I just got off the phone with my mom and received the scoop for today.  Melanie is having a really hard time with her central line right now.  It is not so much the line itself, but the tape they have been using to keep it covered and in place.  She has super sensitive skin, and it is raw and painful from the tape.  They are trying to figure out the best thing to do for her.  The shields they used last time are not made anymore!  They are putting gauze on it and letting it air out and heal for now.  Hopefully, they figure out what will work good.

Last night and tonight, Melanie has had a low grade fever.  Nothing alarming at the moment.  If the fever gets too high, they will try to culture and see what is causing it.  They are just watching it for now.  She also has a rash on her legs and torso.  This could be a side effect from the chemo, but they are not sure.  My mom said it looks like a heat rash. 

Melanie was awake most of the morning getting some personal things taken care of.  She had a great walk and then got a good nap in the afternoon.  Tonight will be her 10th day of chemo.  She will have 4 more days to go.  We are not sure what the plan is after that.  Ladee is still getting approval from insurance for the transplant. We are hoping a donor is found quickly.

Thank you for your continued prayers! 

Induction Day 9

I was able to go to the hospital today and visit my mom and Melanie for a bit.  Melanie was feeling great today.  She has been able to eat well, which the doctors love.  She has started to get a red throat, which is a side effect of the chemo.  She is hoping that it ends there and she doesn't get a ton of mouth sores.  They moved some of her medications to oral instead of IV.  That is always a good thing when she can take her medication orally.  They will wait and see how she does with the developing soreness in her throat.

This is the closet in Melanie's room.  I love to see the sayings that my mom writes on it.  It is metallic, so there was a lot of glare!

"...have miracles ceased?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of man."  Moroni 7:29

Melanie took a few minutes to look on the Internet.  She has received quite a few emails via the hospital.  It is fun to read all the words of encouragement and love!  Keep them coming!!  Melanie also visited with her first transplant donor today.  It was two years ago yesterday that she had that transplant.  Thank you to Jordan for his act of kindness that gave her two wonderful years!

My mom and I went on a little outing, while Melanie tried to take a rest.  It is always nice for my mom to get out of the hospital for a bit.  We went to Smith's and did some shopping for Melanie.  Kaden's birthday is Thursday, and Valentine's is coming up!  While we were there, we got a few things to spruce up the room a bit.

We added a few Valentine decorations to her door...

and grabbed a nice heart to put by her picture.  It adds a little color to the drab white walls.  I think we need to get some more decorations! 

We had a yummy lunch from Kneader's, and then took a walk.  All the nurses and doctors are proud of Melanie and her walking.  She can move a lot faster than the last time she was here!

This is the long hall that she walks down, after making the circle around the nurses and doctors area.  She made it four times around today.  Good job, Melanie!  We have to get a walk after lunch, before she takes her synthetic marijuana.  That is the drug that makes her sleepy.  I always tell her,  "Good dreams and hallucinations."

I love visiting and seeing how well she is doing.  I talked with her a bit about how she is feeling.  She said, even though she is tired and has a few annoying side effects, she feels so much better than last time she was here.  She would love to be in a place where she can just get up and walk around.  I know she would be visiting every patient in the wing.  However, anytime she leaves her room, she has to put on the gown, gloves, and that darn mask.  It is just too uncomfortable and hot!  So, she sticks to her room, except for her daily walks around her loop.  Melanie is getting a little stir crazy!

This evening Diana Hatfield came and visited with Melanie.  She worked with Melanie at Providence.  Her dad was in the hospital for surgery, so she stopped in to say hello.  My mom said it was a nice visit.  When I talked with my mom last, Melanie was not feeling very good.  Her counts are just going to continue to go down.  This is a good thing, because it means the chemo is working.  It just makes it hard on Melanie.

Sleep tight, mom and Melanie.  Thank you for the fun day!

Not much has changed since yesterday. I talked with my mom tonight and she said Mel is hanging in there. She's very tired. Her counts have dropped even further today. Her immune system is really weak, so we need to be careful. The plan for her care seems to change a lot. The doctor told my mom that they will probably do more chemo after this round and will do one day of low dose, full body radiation. Ladee is working on approval from Mel's insurance to do the stem cell transplant. Once they get the green light, the search for the donor will intensify. 

Melanie got some cards today and they cheered her up. Thanks so much!

Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming! We love you all!

A Weekend Of Visitors

I was lucky enough to go to Salt Lake this weekend with my dad and Kaden. It felt so good to see Mel and give her a hug. Her presence is really missed here at home. She continues to fight! She is doing whatever the doctors ask her to do and has her eye on the prize of getting home and being with Kaden. There aren't as many unknowns this time around. Mel is familiar with the treatment and the feelings that she's having. It's still scary and the treatment seems counter productive, but Mel has faith in her doctors and in her Savior.

Mel was given her last dose of the super powerful chemo on Friday night. She continues to get chemo every night, but it isn't as nasty as that other stuff. Mel's blood counts are beginning to drop. They dropped quite significantly from Saturday to this morning. She has been so, so tired, and is starting to lose her rosy red cheeks and pink lips. She is more pale.

Shi-thead. This pole is Mel's constant companion, it delivers her life saving fluids, as well as chemo. So, it is kind of a love- hate relationship.

Dad and Mom.

 Mel had some visitors on Saturday. Her bishop came first and they had a nice visit. She also had a visit from some neighbors. Mel has such a knack for making friends and they bless her life. Her neighbors went over and cleaned her town home and have been so good to her. They had a great visit. They brought her a heart blanket and some other stuff. They also went and got her a sandwich at Jimmy John's...a welcome break from the hospital menu. These visits gave Mel a good boost to her spirits. Thank you!

I need to give a shout our to our parents. They are quite the team! They are great examples to us. They are willing to do whatever is needed to help Mel and Kaden. They have sacrificed so much and never complain or feel sorry for themselves. They are the rocks of our family. Love you two!!

 Today, mom, dad, Kaden, Ethan, and myself went to the hospital branch. It was a short, but powerful meeting. It was nice to feel the spirit. I know it gives my mom the spirit food she needs each week. What a blessing to have a branch there. Mel was given the Sacrament earlier in the day. She stayed behind and had a nap. She spent a lot of time sleeping today. As her counts continue to drop, she will be more fatigued. The medicines she takes also cause her to be sleepy. I find it peaceful to be there while she's sleeping. I couldn't help but wonder what the battle going on in her body looks like. Her body is fighting so hard!

 

Kaden and Ethan.

After Mel's nap, she went on a walk. Let me tell you, she books it down those halls. She wants to keep her lungs working and her circulation going.

Mom, Dad, Kaden (look how tall he is!!), Mel, Cami, Ethan.

The hardest part about our visit was saying good-bye. It is always tender. Melanie loves her son so much and being away from him is harder than any of the treatments. Kaden is her reason for fighting so hard. He is one lucky boy to have a momma who loves him so completely.

The plan going forward is to continue the chemo she is currently on for 9 day total (7 days left). After that, they will let her counts come back up while they search for the donor. She may have some spot radiation. Once they find the donor, they will have to take her the brink of death once again and then infuse her with the donor's cells. That's my understanding. It's hard to keep everything straight.

We'll be sure to keep you all informed. 

Continue to send emails and cards. It means so much! We hang up all of the cards she gets. Prayers on Mel's behalf are awesome too. We appreciated all of the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers. It's hard to put into words just how grateful we are. 

You are LOVED Mel!!