Off To Texas....

Well it has been a ok week- Eric's had a little less energy the past week and for some reason his nueropathey pain has returned in the feet. His counts have been holding on there, not as high as we want them but ok. His White cells yesterday were 3.4 and his Red cells dropped a little to 3.72 with his Hemoglobin at 12.7 and Hematocrit 35.5. His creatinine is good at 1.10 and his tacromlimuis level we are happy is at 6.0. So pretty good although we want his White cells to get back to the 4.0's and up on their own but we will take it.

We fly out on Monday 3/1/10 for Texas for 4 days to meet with all of Eric's transplant doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Eric has been getting pretty worked up about going, I think for him it is really hard especially it brings back all he has been through and brings up the fears and possibility of the test results and what they will be. He said he is scared he will be told bad news and they won't let him leave and keep him there at the hospital but I reassured him they have to let us at least come home because the results won't be in for all the tests and biopsies until a week to 2 weeks.....

I understand what he feels, I to silently have fears and have been praying very hard that the results will still be good. That we will hear back that he is still accepting the transplant and that he is still hopefully 99 % grafted with his donors cells. Last time we had just arrived home when the very next day we were called and told devastating news that he had rejected and his cancer was back and he needed to do another bone marrow transplant-ughhh! We were blessed with another miracle and blessing and the DNA results came back that the pathologist was wrong! We are so grateful to Eric's donor and we think of him often throughout the day...what an amazing thing to do for a complete stranger. We pray for him and his family and look forward to the day we can met and show him our overwhelming love and gratitude.

We hate leaving the kids again but at least we know this time instead of 5 months its only for 4 days....We are so grateful to the Lord for allowing us these miracles and blessings and pray for his continued strength and guidance. So off we go to pack and get a few things ready to fly out Monday...

Update...

I was waiting for Eric's results faxed to me from his home health nurse but Eric is still doing pretty good. We have had the last 3 weeks with no IV fluid treatments needed and no Nuepogen shots since his counts are holding their own right now- YEAH!!! Eric's energy has been pretty good, he is not requiring as many naps throughout the day so that is a good sign.

Some days are a little better than others- today for example he doesn't feel very well but it comes and goes. His counts look pretty good right now, we are very happy with them. His White Cells went back up on their own to 4.5, his Red Cells good at 3.76 with his Hemoglobin is 36 which is good and Hematocrit 12.9. His platelets did go down to 69 but hopefully we will see them after today's blood draw and labs that they went up....

We leave in less than 2 weeks now for Texas for Eric's doctors appt's and follow up tests with his bone marrow transplant doctors at MD Anderson. We are a little nervous but you always are it's just part of the game from this fun life of cancer. We have had a good few weeks with the kids, spending time as a family and they are loving it. On Valentines Day Chelsea and Austin gave Eric a card and it was neat to see what they feel and how grateful they are. Chelsea put "Dad you are the strongest man I know and I am so glad you are doing good and home with us now- I love you" Austin put "Dad you are my hero!! I am soooo glad you and Mom are home to spend time with us again!"

We are very blessed to be home and that Eric is doing good right now. I am so grateful for Eric's donor, for his unconditional love. What an amazing feeling it must be to know that you saved someones life and out of unconditional love!! We are so grateful to him and can not wait until we can meet him. I am thankful to the Lord for continuing to bless us with more miracles and blessings and allowing us more time as a family!! :)

Day 154 from Transplant....

Go COLTS.....WAIT Go SAINTS!

1st PLACE-State Champs- Woods Cross High Cheer Team!!!

Today is day 154 from Eric's bone marrow transplant date 9-9-09.....We are still plugging along this journey with hope. We have had a busy past week...Chelsea's Woods Cross High School Cheer Team Squad has been competing the past few weeks they took 1st place at all their competitions and then this past Saturday I was able to take Eric with his mask on to see her perform at their State Competitions and they won STATE CHAMPS- 1st PLACE!!! YEAHHH! We are so proud of her and her team-they have worked hard! That was fun to see her for the first time this year perform since we have been gone to Texas for Eric's transplant. In the past we have never missed any of her performances so to be able to have been there was fun!

Then the Super Bowl- as many know we were hoping the Colts would win that is our family's team. The Saints did good and pulled it out, it was a good game. It was so nice for me to be able to watch Eric and Austin doing one of the things they love to do together- watching football! I have missed that, I couldn't help but watch them and the joy in their eyes and faces and say a pray that I am so grateful that Eric is home again with us and safe, doing well and enjoying family time again. I have missed seeing that and what joy as you can see from the pictures I posted. Austin has this routine he does he surrounded our living room in all Colts memorabilia and attire, Colts helmets, jerseys, flags, everything colts then on the other half of the living room Saints memorabilia. Then on the table in front of the TV he had a Saints VS Colts helmets facing each other as if he was the TV sports commentator HAHA! The whole game he had on all his Colts gear/jersey then in the final stages of the game the moment we knew Colts had lost by that interception Saints got scoring the touchdown that put them away ahead he switched into all his Saints gear HAHAHA!! He is so funny and a good sport even though Colts should have won it!

All that fun family stuff aside Eric has been doing alot better this past 2 weeks. As I had posted we were so happy he has not had to do the IV treatments and Nuepogen shots the past 2 weeks since his counts went up on their own. He did drop this week just barely on his white cells went down to 3.8, red blood cells are ok at 3.70, hemoglobin at 13.0 which is good, and his platelets holding in their at 76 - again normal on those is 140,000 to 440,000. I am a little worried with his white cells dropping again down to 3.8 I am hoping that the results from today's blood work will show they went up again and not down. If we get to the 2.3 's to 2.6 again we have to do Nuepogen shots so we are hopeful. Eric's energy has been better this week he did get tired from going to watch Chelsea perform so that was a little set back but was grateful to be able to see her.

Everyday little blessings and miracles happen some with Eric and some with others. We are so thankful to the Lord that Jodie Clark's test results came back benign for her cancer what a miracle. We know the power of prayers and fasting is what brought her that miracle. She is such an inspiration and miracle to us and we are grateful to the Lord for blessing her and her family! We are getting prepared for flying to Texas to meet with Eric's transplant doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. We fly out on 3/1/10 to 3/4/10, we are little more anxious for these tests results and visits. I can not believe this is Eric's 3 month mark- I pray and hope for continued strength for Eric. We are so grateful for all our blessings and Eric's donor.