Turning Fear into Faith

Things have been going great here in Pleasant Grove. Melanie has been feeling well and is in good spirits. I asked her the other day if it was the visit home. She said it was more just a change of thinking. Last week when she was here and having a hard time, we watched the movie "Emma" one night. In one part Joseph said, "We shouldn't let fear overcome our faith." Melanie said she realized that was exactly what she was doing. I have seen the change in her and it is amazing! I didn't realize the movie would have such an impact on her.

We have had a few great days. Yesterday we went out and about for a bit. Melanie wanted to get a few things for Kaden's birthday and stuff to make Valentine's for her students. We went to Kohl's, Target, The Dollar Tree, and Wal-mart. She would always wear her mask while we were in the stores and then we would sanitize our hands as soon as we got in the car. It was fun to watch the faces of children when they looked at Melanie in her mask. They weren't sure what to think. There was even one mother that couldn't take her eyes off Melanie. That was kind of annoying! For lunch we drove through and picked up some burgers at In and Out Burger. Neither of us had ever been before. We both agreed that it was alright. The burgers were good and a great price, but not as AMAZING as we had heard. Maybe if we had never had a JCW's burger, we would have felt differently. It was a beautiful day, the sky and air were clear, it was in the upper 40's, and it was just what Melanie needed.

Today we took a quick jaunt to the mall for some more Kaden shopping. Melanie hates to wear her mask, because it makes her so hot! She is great to keep it on while we are in public. We also try to go when there won't be a lot of people.

Here are a few pictures from today:


The kids love to do DS download with Melanie! They all compete, laugh, and have a great time. She has decided she needs to get a DS for her next hospital stay. Chase has offered to let her have his old one (that still works perfectly)! That will give her something to keep busy. Last night I even had to get after ALL of them to turn them off for dinner!

Here are some of the shopping bags from our outings.

Today we organized all the supplies and worked on putting together some Valentines for some lucky kindergarten students. Melanie is such a thoughtful teacher!

Forty-four bags ready for delivery!

Ladee called Melanie today and told her that they found some irregularities in the donors blood. She said it is typical for Hepatitis to come back positive, due to the chemicals they use to test for it at the lab. They often will get a false positive. They are doing some retests, and will keep her posted. If there are irregularities, they will have to try donor number 2, and it will delay things. Melanie does not want to put this off any longer. We are praying things can continue as planned. I didn't realize just what a blessing it was that Melanie even had one donor let alone three. There is a lady that was Melanie's neighbor in the hospital, and she does not have a donor. She is just continuing to do chemo until she can hopefully some day find one. We have been truly blessed and prayers have been answered!

A Full Day

Melanie had to be at LDS hospital this morning to get some pre-transplant testing. Since it was early, her and my mom stayed at Greg's last night. She had blood draws, testing for her lungs, testing for her heart, and another bone marrow biopsy. She was planning on being sedated for the biopsy, but it didn't end out that way. One person told her she could eat 4 hours before the procedure, but nothing after that. Well, it is actually 6 hours. So, she could either wait or just do it without sedation. She chose to be a rock star! The lady who did it was super sensitive to Melanie's concerns. She went really slow, and made sure there was plenty of Lidocaine along the way. I know it was not a joy, but Melanie said it wasn't too bad. They are checking to see if this last round of chemo was able to put her in remission at a molecular level. Hopefully it did, because that would be ideal going into transplant.

Melanie was also able to talk with the radiologist today about some of her concerns. They were suppose to make the molds for the shields that protect her lungs during her radiation treatments, but the equipment was down today. Melanie is most concerned about the extra amount of radiation they focus on her head. Since she did have some leukemia cells in her spinal fluid, they do this to try and stop any cells from coming back in the future in her central nervous system. The boost of radiation to the head is controversial, and has some possible side effects. They do make a shield to cover her face, so Melanie was glad for that.

After they were done at the hospital (they were there from 9:00 until 3:45), Melanie and my mom went to Chili's for some food. Her first big outing! Melanie was starving, since she couldn't eat all day. The waiter they had was very good. He sent her utensils through the wash an extra time and made sure her chicken was well done. They also tried to seat them away from anyone. A couple of booths next to them filled up, but Melanie just politely asked if any of them were sick. I met them at Chili's to take Melanie back to Pleasant Grove with me. After a tearful good-bye, my mom and Melanie headed in different directions.

Melanie could have gone back home this weekend again, but since Kaden was going to be gone for several days at a baseball camp, she decided to just come and stay here. She was in good spirits tonight! She watched Harry Potter #4 with Chase, Brooke, and Austin. We are getting her all caught up on the series! Hopefully we will have some fun adventures to post about this week. The next big scheduled date is next Thursday, January 21st. We have another family meeting with the various doctors to really get into the details of the radiation and transplant. Until then, we will enjoy the time here at base camp.

Mel's Taste Of Home

It was nice to have Melanie home for a couple of days. I loved to walk into my parents house and know that she was there. I know she soaked up every minute of the time spent with Kaden. She even let him sleep in her bed last night. I'm sure that his knee in her back never felt so good. Everything was kept pretty low key, no wild parties or late night pinochle games. Mike and Steph were both sick which was a bummer. Mel had a visit from a good friend and running buddy Anna who will be moving to CO in a couple of months. What a treat for Mel to see her before she leaves!

Today Mel and I spent some time talking, she expressed a lot of her fears for the months ahead. She is scared...who wouldn't be in this situation? The thought of being in the hospital for possibly eight weeks after the transplant is overwhelming. She was so ready to be out of there after the five week stay last time. Her biggest struggle right now is the thought of being away from Kaden for so long. It has also been hard for her to not be here to support him in his sports endeavors...if you know Mel, she was always there at his games cheering him on. She is trying to mentally prepare herself for what is to come, you know, climbing Mt. Everest. I can't begin to imagine what must be going on within her...I'm sure it is a mighty struggle of not letting her thoughts of the worst overcome her. The next hurdle to get over is the week of radiation which is a new thing for Mel. She meets with the radiologist tomorrow and we are hoping that it will be a comforting thing to learn more about the process. Please continue to pray for her as we enter this new phase of treatment.

Mel and her dear friend Anna.

Sunday dinner with Kaden and some nephews.

Mel has a hard time staying warm and could often be found hanging out by the heater vents.

Mel and our mom left for Salt Lake tonight and will report to the hospital in the morning for tests and some meetings. She will be having a bone marrow biopsy and they are going to put her out this time...thank goodness, the last one was very painful. We are hoping that all goes well!

We will miss your smiles here Mel! Keep fighting and we'll see you soon.

Guess Who's Home? As In Hyde Park Home...

One exciting thing we learned in Mel's meeting yesterday is that she could come home for a bit before the transplant. We didn't want to say anything until it really happened. Now it has and... MELANIE IS HOME!!! We pulled into our parents driveway at around 8pm tonight. She will be here until Monday night. She has to be back at LDS Hospital on Tuesday for some tests and will continue to go there several times before the actual transplant. If there's one thing we've learned about this process, it's that things change...a lot! We had been told that she wouldn't be coming back to CV for at least a year. We are all so thrilled that she is here and that her and Kaden get to be together.

The drive to Cache Valley wasn't bad for Mel, she said that the headlights from the cars bothered her, but was free from motion sickness (thanks to the little patch she wears). Mel had a lot of mixed emotions about coming home as you can imagine. She did have a look of contentment when she was walking around our parent's home. It has been a long two months! My mom said, "I thought I'd never see the day" referring to Mel coming home. What a blessing that her blood levels are good enough for her to leave not only the confines of the hospital, but the close proximity to the hospital. The tender mercies of our Heavenly Father are everywhere!

I can only assume that there will be many who would like to come and visit Melanie. If you could please call before coming, it would help. She isn't supposed to be in large groups of people and we will need to manage that somehow. She tires easily so keep that in mind. I know that she would love to see you all, but it may not be possible. She is still very sick and needs to be careful.


Welcome Home Melanie!!!

Information Overload

I'm giving Angie a break and posting today. I rode down with our mom to Salt Lake for a family meeting with Dr. Ash and Ladee (Mel's transplant coordinator). Our dad and Kaden also drove down for the meeting. Mel was sooo excited to see Kaden again. It was good to see Mel and to give her a hug, I have sure missed her. Before the meeting, Mel had her blood levels checked and we are happy to report that they are holding steady. Her neutrophils are good so her body has some germ fighting power. Her red blood cells were a bit low and she has been feeling weak and tired...I think she will feel like that a lot for the next while.

The purpose of the family meeting was to explain what the process of the transplant will be and what we can expect. It was an information overload for all of us. Dr. Ash compared the next phase of Mel's treatment to climbing Mt. Everest! There are so many unknowns and the complications and outcome are different for everyone. One thing is for sure! Melanie is in good hands. We have all been so impressed with the level of care that she has received so far. Her doctors are super smart and have plenty of experience in treating her type of leukemia. As a family, we believe in the power of prayer and miracles!

After the meeting, Mel and Kaden bid a tearful goodbye...this has been one of the most difficult thing about Mel being sick, her and Kaden have never been apart this much. I know that it did them good to see each other even for a short time.

My mom and I will be staying here through Sunday and we will keep everyone updated and take lots of pictures. Speaking of pictures, here are some from today...

Cami, Mel, and Angie waiting endlessly for the doctors and blood results.

Mom, Dad, and Kaden waiting endlessly for the doctors...do you see a trend here?


This is Ladee, Mel's fabulous transplant coordinator.


Just before saying goodbye.


On we go, we're ready for the climb!

A Special Gift

Today was a better day. Melanie still gets teary from time to time, but she has a lot she is processing in her mind. Each day seems to get a bit better. My mom and Cami are coming down tomorrow, so I know that will bring big smiles. Melanie had some fun visitors today and a very special gift.

First off, Grandma and Grandpa Perkes stopped by on their way to St. George. They always bring a fun spirit whenever they are around. We are particularly glad that Grandpa is alright. He was in a car accident earlier this week. It was the accident on the news that was blocking I-15 at 600 N. in Salt Lake. He walked away without even a scratch...miracle and blessing!

Tonight, aunt Eva, cousin Jennifer (with two of her children not pictured), and cousin Julie and her daughter Tyler (who is Kaden's age) came to see Mel. It was fun to visit with them. Jennifer's little boy was so funny when they first got here. He just kept staring at Melanie. Even as we were explaining to him why she was bald, he had this blank stare. We were all laughing so hard!

First off, they are both laughing in this picture, because they went to put their heads together and banged into each other a bit harder than intended. Our cousin Jennifer is a very talented artist. She drew this amazing picture for Melanie that brought tears to all of our eyes. Thank you so much Jennifer, Melanie will cherish it forever! She used a picture that Cami had posted on the blog awhile back. It was of Melanie laying in the hospital bed holding her rock.

WOW!! What a special gift!

The Waiting Game

Today was a pretty good day. Melanie is still kind of hit and miss, when it comes to emotions. She was doing good until anybody would call and ask how she was doing. Then, the tears would come. She is still home sick. She is also feeling nervous for what is coming ahead, and does not like playing this waiting game. Ladee, the transplant coordinator, called and talked with her again today. She had some new dates for us. So here is the plan for now (we are learning that it changes frequently):

January 25th or 26: Melanie will checked back into the hospital for her six days of radiation and 2 days of chemo.

February 4 and 5: These are the days they are harvesting the stem cells from the donor.

February 5 or 6: Melanie's transplant (Sorry Marlene--not the 11th anymore)!


I thought Kaden might like this picture! We may have a DSi addict. Mario Bros. is always a good time! Austin and her were video game buddies today. They played the Wii for a bit as well. What a fun aunt!

This evening, Melanie, Steve, and I played a mean game of Ticket to Ride. Melanie lost due to the fact that she got some countries mixed up. The countries and cities are all in German, so it wasn't really her fault. I'm sure we will be playing it again. Steve didn't want this picture (he was goofing around), but Melanie and I decided he had no choice!

Every night, Melanie has to have her dressing changed on her central line. This is something I was really nervous about at first, but it is super easy!

This is what her central line looks like. The red mark on the top , which is just below her neck, is where it all connects into her body.

It has to be all sterile, when we clean it. The first night Melanie was here, we had the door opened a bit. Chase came to ask me a question, and was a bit startled to see me in a mask, gloves, and a weird thing in my hand. He just walked away, but Mel and I knew he was wondering. Later he asked me, "Mom, what were you doing to Melanie?" The next night, Melanie had him come in and showed him the line and told him all about it. He thought it was cool that she didn't have to be poked every time the doctors need blood or need to give her medicine.

Hopefully tomorrow we can find some more projects or things we can do to keep Melanie's mind off of reality.

Home Sick

Today had it's ups and downs. Melanie is still down and cries on and off. If you ask her how she feels, her response is, "It depends on the moment." I feel bad that my trying to help is not really helping. I came to understand a bit of what Melanie is going through tonight as I have been pondering the day. Let me back up and explain some things she said earlier.

I thought things were getting a bit better, but then she told me that she wanted to go back to Greg's house. At first I thought, what am I doing wrong? She went on to explain that being here with our family and our routines and such makes her realize more the things that she is missing by not being home. She misses being a mom and being with Kaden so much. As I thought more about this I had some insight. Melanie has been in a hospital a majority of this time. A hospital is so foreign from anything she was doing at home. There was constant nurses, doctors, and others who would be coming in and out. When she was able to leave the first time, she went to Greg's, his house was full of people. My mom, dad, Kim, Kaden, Greg, and Charise were there and it was a busy Christmas season. Going back into the hospital the second time was harder now that she had seen the outside again. I could tell she was getting a bit down. Then she comes to my house. It is just me and my family, and it is full of things that remind her of home and being a mom. I feel so bad, and had no idea this would be the response. I tried to remember how I feel when I am away from my kids. When Steve and I have been on a trip, I am usually good for short periods of time. A few times we have been gone for a couple of weeks, and it gets the hardest when I see other kids or something that really reminds me of one of my own.

Unfortunately, Melanie can not go back to Greg's, unless my mom comes down. She is trying to work to save her days for when Melanie has her transplant. This is another issue that I think is really getting Mel down. She found out on Monday that she will be admitted into the hospital on Feb. 2, and have the transplant on Feb. 11. I know this is farther away than we originally thought. Melanie really just wants to get it all over with. I think all of this is making her a bit depressed. She seemed a bit better this evening and I asked her if she was feeling better. She said she is alright if she doesn't think about it. We meet with her doctors on Friday. Hopefully they can see if there is anything that might help her. I hope she will have a chance to speak with a counselor as well.

Please hang in there with me, Melanie. I love you so much and only want the best for you!

Extra Prayers

Our drive to the hospital and back went great this morning. I think the patch helped Melanie to not get car sick. They drew some blood and we waited in a room for 40 minutes for the results. Everything looked good for now, which meant no transfusion today. That was a plus!

Melanie was still down today. On the way to the hospital she started crying, because she is just sick of being sick. I thought she was good, but later that afternoon, she hit an emotional wall. She cried for 2 1/2 hours. She was sick of all of it, she wanted to go home, she wants to be with Kaden and be his mom. I think the reality of everything just hit hard. It was so tough to watch her crying like that and not be able to do anything but try to console her the best I could. I called and spoke with one of her PA and my mom, trying to figure out what to do. I know she has had so much medication, and I was wondering if any of them can cause depression. We actually talked to Dr. Ash, and she said Melanie had a small window, if we felt she really needed to go to Logan for a couple of days. However, the risk for complications would go up. My mom just didn't feel it was the best idea. Mel and my mom spoke for a bit, and I think Mel realized that she probably just needed to stay until all her counts were up to stay (her white blood cells and nutrephils will start going down in the next few days). Greg and Steve gave her a blessing and she seemed a bit better tonight, but still a little down. She did not sleep much last night or today, so I'm sure part of it was just exhaustion. I really can't imagine what she is going through. I told her she had every right and need to have a break down and let it all out. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Extra prayers, please!!

Patent Pending

Today was a pretty good day. Melanie was still a little nauseous, but not quite as bad. She is pretty tired as well. She takes so many pills that have a side effect of drowsiness. I told her they need to make something to counter the drowsiness. She gets a bit of exercise every day now, because our guest room is downstairs. That is good for her though, right?

My mom, dad, and Kaden headed back up to Logan today. I know it was really hard for my mom to leave! She trained me well, and I am becoming an expert at cleaning Mel's central line, making sure she takes her medicine, and eats. I just need to work on my back massages. I know Mel will miss my mom!

Melanie was able to get a patch today that will hopefully help with her motion sickness. We will see how well it works on our drive to the hospital tomorrow morning to get her blood levels checked. It also has a side effect of drowsiness!

Melanie came up with a new method of removing the loose, small hairs still falling out of her head. It was very creative! My kids really got a kick out of it. I took some pictures of her demonstrating the novel (patent pending) idea.

THERE WAS A PICTURE, BUT MEL OBJECTED TO IT

STEP #1: Carefully cut a nice piece of Duct Tape. We only had the boring grey, but any color would be fabulous.

STEP #2: Place the tape on the desired portion of your head. The spot with the most hair is what we were aiming for here.

STEP #3: Grab a corner of the tape and gently pull. Melanie informs me that this does not hurt. I'm sure it would not feel good for anyone else to do!

STEP #4: Enjoy the nice, new bald spot!

It beats picking them out one by one!!!

Motion Sickness

Melanie got all settled in Pleasant Grove this evening. It was a long drive here though. She gets car sick even when she feels good! I guess they had to stop a few times, and then she was kind of nauseated for awhile. We are hoping to get a patch or something for when we have to drive to the hospital. We will go to the hospital once a week to have her blood and levels checked.

The Methotrexate is almost out of her system. It was at .02 this morning. Right now she has sores in the back of her throat from the chemo. It makes it painful for eating and talking. Hopefully that will clear up soon, especially once the Methotrexate is completely gone!

Since I had Melanie's camera at my disposal, I decided to put a couple of her pictures on here!

This was from Christmas morning. I think it is such a cute picture of the two of them. Go Cowboys!

This is the line of Methotrexate that was going into her for 24 hours! I told Mel she was really just getting Mountain Dew.

Here is a great picture from New Year's Eve. While Melanie was getting some sleep, my mom was up making these great hats and pom poms (how creative is that)! They headed down and the nurses let them in an empty room to watch the fireworks at midnight. I guess they looked pretty small, but still a great memory!

Melanie ended the year in the hospital, but started the new year out!
21 DAYS OF FREEDOM!

New Year's Eve

Today I was able to go and visit Melanie and my mom for a bit. Melanie was still having a downer attitude. She told me that she wished she hadn't left the hospital for the one week, because it made it so much harder to go back in. She had a feel for what it is like to live outside the hospital again, and she is very ready to get back out! I was able to get her up and walking for a bit, so that was a plus. The doctor came in and talked with us while I was there. He said that she will be able to leave tomorrow! That was great news for Melanie. So, tomorrow she will get her things at Greg's house, and then she will head down to stay with me for the next 21 days. Since I am home, this will give my mom a chance to go home, work some days, be with my dad, and just be normal for a bit. They will all still come down on the weekends.

I took a few pictures:

This is how my mom looks at this moment. She had a tiny surgery on her big toe the other day. She had to have her nail removed, so she has this nice boot that she gets to use until it heals a bit. She is still hobbling around and being mother extraordinaire.

This was Melanie's new New Year's Eve hat. I thought it was really cute! They both said they would probably be asleep by midnight. They decided they would wake up right before and walk down to one of the windows to see the fireworks in Salt Lake. I told her to make sure she bangs on the wall of the man next door. I guess he is always loud and the nurses say he is not very nice. I'm sure it will be a nice, quite New Year's Eve in room 814.

Here is to 2010, and a great new year Melanie!!

A "Horizontal" Day

I asked my mom how today was, and she described it as a "horizontal" day. Melanie was really nauseated from the all the chemo. She wanted to get up some, but whenever she stood up, she felt the wave of nausea take over. They asked her if she wanted this really good medicine that helps with the nausea and increases your appetite. After they explained that it was a sister to marijuana and that it can cause you to have hallucinations, she declined it!

Melanie finished the Methotrexate this morning, and they will start the rescue medicine tonight. Hopefully they can get it out of her system quickly! She was having a difficult day. She was really emotional and just kind of tired of the hospital, the chemo, and the sickness. I guess it was kind of a downer day all around. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Hang in there, Melanie! We will have lots of good fun, when you arrive here soon!
Love you!!

Here We Go Again

Chemo is back in full swing. Mel was really tired and nauseated today. She is being hit pretty hard with some toxic and lethal stuff. She received methotrexate today and will continue to receive it through a drip for the next 24 hrs., then they work hard to get it out of her system because it is lethal...scary stuff I think. She has been on my mind non stop as I'm sure she has been for a lot of you. Pray that she can make it through this week, it is going to be a tough one. We are all behind you Mel!! Hang in there and remember all of the prayers being offered in your behalf.

Here are a few more pictures from Mel's week of freedom. There were lots of fun times and laughter. It was like a family reunion for many of us, especially Mel's nieces and nephews who hadn't seen her in over a month.

Mel's smile is the best!!

Dad, Kaden, Mel Kim

Kim and Mel.

Mel wearing her halo! I think this hat is so cute!

Kim, Ethan, Mel, Kaden

Melanie finally had someone with the same hairstyle! We had fun taking pictures of her and Eric (brother in-law).

Mel and Eric.

Cute bald heads!

Mom and dad buffing them up! Never a dull moment with us!


We want to thank all of those who contributed to Kaden and Melanie's great Christmas! you will never know how deeply appreciated you are! Tricia, thank you from all of us for working with Sub For Santa on Kaden's behalf. You brought many smiles to Kaden on Christmas morning. Although we had a different Christmas this year, it was one that we will never forget! We saw the pure love of Christ!! A very sincere thank you again to all of you!!

We're Back

We are back from our Christmas break from blogging. It was a great Christmas!! I have pictures from Christmas Eve, but not from Christmas day. We'll have to get Christmas day pictures on here tomorrow. Until then, let's talk about our Christmas Eve party (at least the part I was there for).

We started out watching the Christmas classic "ELF". The party list included Melanie, Kaden, Peggy, LeRoy, Kim, Greg, Charise, Angie, Steve, Chase, Brooke, and Austin.

After the movie, we played some games. Melanie was the official spinner for TWISTER!

My dad brought some presents from Melanie's classes and some relatives. Her classes gave her some great ornaments and a class picture. She loved seeing the pictures of each child! She loves her students and misses them so much! Melanie's cousin Nancy and her family sent some nice cards and treats. Her aunt Arlene also sent a present down. So thoughtful of everyone!

She had some help opening gifts from her nephew Austin! Greg can never resist getting in a picture!

Dinner was delicious! Way better than anything she would have eaten in the hospital. It was fun to finally get to see some nieces and nephews. They were super excited to finally get to see their aunt Melanie as well! Kaden had the privilege of reading the Christmas story from the scriptures this year, and I hear that Santa did make it there that night...

I know Cami and her family and Mike and his family came down over the weekend. I think everyone was able to see Melanie sometime over Christmas. Kim left to go back to Colorado today. Once again, she was such a help while here! She will be missed until she returns sometime next month.


Today, Melanie checked back into the hospital at 8:45 for some more chemo. First thing, they drew some blood to check, and all of her counts were up really good! She received quite a bit of chemo today. They put some in her spine (by way of another lumbar puncture), put some in her central line, gave some through a drip line, and then she took some in a pill form. We'll see how she is feeling in the morning. She was pretty good tonight, just tired.

My mom explain that tomorrow she gets a high dose of a chemo called Methotrexate. They give it to her for 24 hours. This chemo is lethal, so after the 24 hour period, they do something called a rescue. They basically give her some kind of a vitamin that gets the Methotrexate out of her system. They have to test her several times a day, and then once the chemo is out of her system, she can check back out of the hospital. They say it could take 4-5 days, but it varies depending on the individual. Hopefully she will be 4-5 days and no longer! She is now in room 814, which is right next door to the room she was in before.

We will pray for a quick hospital stay, Melanie!!

Merry Christmas!

Another great day gone by. Four more days out of the hospital. I will check in on Monday at 8:45 for my next round of chemo. The stay shouldn't be too long. I have to stay in until one of the medications clears my system - maybe 4-5 days.

Unless something eventful happens, we will be taking a break from blogging for the next few days. My family and I wish you all a super, fabulous, wonderful, merry Christmas!

I Got My Boy!

Hello my wonderful friends and family. I am posting before I am too tired to do it. Life is good at my brother and sister-in-law's house. It's nice to be able to move around with out "shi-thead" hindering the distance.

Kaden is here now. Thanks for bringing him down Jacqui! It will be great to be able to spend some time together outside of the hospital. I think he was pretty bored today, but boredom is much better when at a house.

Nothing new has happened. Just plugging along and eating too much. You know, the usual holiday stuff. I think I may go back to the hospital 10 pounds heavier. My doctor may be pleased, or shocked.

I'm trying to build up strength in my legs and arms. I am amazed at how quickly you lose muscle and strength. Going up and down the stairs is a challenge; so, my new routine is to go up and down Greg's stairs a few times a day. It kind of feels the same as running 5 miles.

I have a new-found appreciation for my kindergartners and the struggle some of them have with handwriting at the beginning of the school year. If you don't write for 2 months, you're hand just doesn't write the same. I've thought a lot about how I tell my students that some students' hands are still trying to get strong and so coloring in the lines and writing on the lines is harder. I can't color in the lines! Luckily, I know that my hands will get stronger. :)

Thanks for all your love, prayers, support . . . I am very blessed and lucky person!
Mel

Boy blood

Just wanted to let everyone know that we found a ride for Kaden. Thanks for your responses :) Let's just hope that the weather cooperates.

It was so nice to be able to sleep without being woke up all night. Although Melanie did wake up at 4:30..... I guess her clock was programmed. haha It was really nice for her to be able to move more than just in a hospital room. She felt like she had a bit more energy too. It was great! She had a couple of visitors as well. Grandma & Grandpa Perkes, her friend Jackie, and also her friend Suzanne and her girls.

Melanie's Coordinator (LaDee) for her transplant called today. There are 3 perfect matches for her! Amazing! They are 3 young males. The interesting thing about this process is that if they check her blood after the transplant, it would say that she was male..... She was bit concerned at first, she didn't really want to grow chest hair. haha But LaDee reassured her that her blood will be the only thing male. :) The hormones are not going to be affected. LaDee will get with Melanie's doctor to go over the donors and pick which one will be the best fit for Melanie. We are all so very grateful for their generosity.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! I know Melanie and our family are truly grateful for everyone. :)

It has been a great day hanging out with you today Melanie! I love you! sweet dreams......

Picture Updates and FREEDOM

As stated earlier today, Melanie is free from the hospital for a week. What a wonderful Christmas present! She wanted me to put some pictures from yesterday, and then I can talk a bit more about today.

This is Pam and Jenny. They are Melanie's friends, who came to visit. They brought her a nice SOFT robe. She keeps calling it a towel...chemo brain.

Melanie's brother Greg is an amazing singer with some amazing singing friends. They came yesterday to sing Melanie some Christmas songs and some hymns. We have known Brian Monson for years. The women are DeeAura Thompson and Aubrey Morrill. Melanie said they brought a great spirit into the room. They all sat and cried throughout the personal concert.

A big thank you to the group! It really lifted Melanie's spirits!

Melanie's good friend for years came to visit as well. Stephanie and Mel had a nice visit. She left Melanie with a guardian angel.

Today, before Melanie checked out, we were able to get a better picture of her and Andy Williams. What a great guy! Notice the t-shirt? No hospital gowns for a week! Her neutrephils were 2,100 today!! Yesterday they gave her a shot to boost them...I would say the shot worked. The great numbers were her ticket out!

Melanie was a bit anxious at first. After 38 days in the hospital, it is kind of scary to leave. Once she settle and relaxed, she was great. She was getting all of her pills organized in her new pill organizer. She takes about 10 pills a day right now.

She left her little table tree for a bigger one at Greg and Charise's. She was excited to wrap up in their nice cozy blanket as well.

Here she is enjoying a REAL dinner. She loved the salad, which we washed well so she could eat it. She will enjoy a variety of food this next week, without having to look at the same menu! Prayers have been answered! Melanie had so much energy and a new vitality for life being in a brighter and better setting (and a bigger TV).

Is anybody from Cache Valley coming this way Tuesday afternoon? Kaden was going to come down on Thursday with my dad, but Melanie would really like him to come earlier, if he can. It would be nice for him to get to spend more time with her, while she is out of the hospital. She will be back in for more chemo next week. Give Melanie a call or leave a comment. Thank you!

Enjoy the freedom and all it entails, Melanie!!