Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Last 4 Months
OK . . . .I am sorry that I have not been on for a while. My family has gone through a lot since I was diagnosed. Long story short my Grandpa Gil passed away and the family is just now recovering from the loss. Anyways. . . to let you know what has happened since the last post, Jeff and I went to see a bone marrow specialist in L.A. Not that we didn't trust my doctor but we wanted a second opinion from the specialist himself. He was part of the City of Hope team and that REALLY pleased Jeff, my family and myself. The doctor has the hope that if my CML gets out of hand (which we hope won't be for many years) that they will have a cure and we won't have to go through the transplant. To be on the safe side we had my sisters tested to see if they were a match for a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately neither one of my sisters were a match, which was bitter sweet in the fact that I might have to turn outside the family to find a match but I don't need a transplant at this time. So with that I find myself in so many different emotional states that I can not organize or even control them at times. I have found myself trusting more in God but still pray that he lets me stay on this Earth to see my family grow and enjoy each other. I have blood drawn this week with a specific test to be ran to see if I am in total remission and I will find out next Friday when I see my doctor. Thank you everyone for your support over the past few months.
Monday, June 14, 2010
CML part 2
It has almost been a month since the diagnoses and the doctor says I am in partial remission already. I am surprised that it has been less than a month and I already reached the halfway point of remission. Now I have a long way to go with many things. The doctor is looking for genetic remission which will take longer and ultimately mean another Bone Marrow Test. Thank God that won't be for a while.
Hold please while we experience an earthquake. . . .OK, it is over.
Anyways . . . Jeff and I were reflecting a couple of weeks ago about what has happened in our lives the past few years but also why things happened in the order that they did. Like having Breann when we did. It was unexpected, not planned and a shock to Jeff and I. I remember telling someone (I won't mention any names) that there is a reason why Jeff and I had Breann at this time. My hope though at that time and still is that she is going to be someone great and change the world in some way. The truth is God gave her to us then is because if we waited till now we wouldn't have her. I would not be able to experience having a child and get to see her smile, laugh, sing, and play with Izzy. I do believe that I will understand later in my life why God has given me leukemia and I feel that there will be a lesson learned from this. Whether the lesson is for me or someone else to learn, there is always a lesson. I feel that life is a learning experience. Any situation you find yourself in no matter how big or small you can always learn something from it.
Keep Smiling.
Hold please while we experience an earthquake. . . .OK, it is over.
Anyways . . . Jeff and I were reflecting a couple of weeks ago about what has happened in our lives the past few years but also why things happened in the order that they did. Like having Breann when we did. It was unexpected, not planned and a shock to Jeff and I. I remember telling someone (I won't mention any names) that there is a reason why Jeff and I had Breann at this time. My hope though at that time and still is that she is going to be someone great and change the world in some way. The truth is God gave her to us then is because if we waited till now we wouldn't have her. I would not be able to experience having a child and get to see her smile, laugh, sing, and play with Izzy. I do believe that I will understand later in my life why God has given me leukemia and I feel that there will be a lesson learned from this. Whether the lesson is for me or someone else to learn, there is always a lesson. I feel that life is a learning experience. Any situation you find yourself in no matter how big or small you can always learn something from it.
Keep Smiling.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
A lot of thought will be going into this blog. Not because I am trying to sort my thoughts but more I want my thoughts to come across the way they are meant too.
Let's Begin . . . a week ago last Friday I went to Kaiser to have a routine blood test done in the morning. When I got home I ate breakfast and prepared Breann for daycare. Jeff and I ran a few errands together, then went back home to pick-up Breann and clean the house for our open house we were having that weekend. I was on a roll on cleaning my house because I wanted to join my friend Sara and the junior highers at Parkcrest for a few hours while they were planning on having an all-nighter. Around 5:30pm my mother-n-law receives a phone call from her friends at work saying that Kaiser is trying to get a hold of me and it is very important that they do. At that time I looked at my cell phone which was in the other room and realized I had 2 missed calls from Kaiser. My phone rang again and I picked up and a doctor was on the line. To make a long story even longer. I had to go to the E.R. and have my blood drawn again for another work-up. The doctor came in and basically told me they think I have leukemia and want to observe me overnight. Well, that overnight turned into a couple of nights at the hospital while I had tests performed on me. The worst being the bone marrow test.
Many people asked how I am doing, how I am feeling, what do I think of the whole situation, I even have people who are mad that this is happening to me. Yet for me, I am not mad or upset that I have leukemia. I think to myself, "OK . . . I have leukemia what are my options and what is the best thing for me to do." I am lucky that I could rely on my family and friends around me for support and comfort but nothing could have prepared me for the option I was going to have to take at this time. The funny thing is this option is a miracle plan for people like me and I can live a long and happy life with one exception . . . the chances of having another child is slim to none.
Now many of you don't know but Jeff and I were planning on having another baby next year. With the intentions that other things fall into place and Jeff finds a job. Well earlier in the week Jeff found a job and we both could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was becoming more and more excited to the idea of being pregnant again and Breann having a sibling. Finding out that pregnancy was not an option was the worse news of all to me. Other people thought that was more like a side note and I can't blame them, my health is more important to them then another child in the world. Yet to me and my selfish needs I wanted another child, I wanted to go through the experience of being pregnant, I want to sing to my belly and tell Breann that her baby brother or sister is in my belly. I had several moments where I would break down and cry and pray to God that he would find away around this. No answer yet but I am willing to wait. I really have to thank Jeff because he is looking into all the possibilities for me to have a normal life and the chance of having another baby. He is also working hard with the World Financial Group in starting his own finance business so if I am unable to work at any point our family wouldn't have to worry about what is going to happen next with the house, car or whatever. He even started a donation fund to help pay for the medical bills that insurance won't pay for and to make sure I can get the best care there is. Well this blog has been an emotional one and I still have more I would like to reflect on but I think it is time to take a break and rest for a while. I will save the rest for another day.
Keep Smiling.
Let's Begin . . . a week ago last Friday I went to Kaiser to have a routine blood test done in the morning. When I got home I ate breakfast and prepared Breann for daycare. Jeff and I ran a few errands together, then went back home to pick-up Breann and clean the house for our open house we were having that weekend. I was on a roll on cleaning my house because I wanted to join my friend Sara and the junior highers at Parkcrest for a few hours while they were planning on having an all-nighter. Around 5:30pm my mother-n-law receives a phone call from her friends at work saying that Kaiser is trying to get a hold of me and it is very important that they do. At that time I looked at my cell phone which was in the other room and realized I had 2 missed calls from Kaiser. My phone rang again and I picked up and a doctor was on the line. To make a long story even longer. I had to go to the E.R. and have my blood drawn again for another work-up. The doctor came in and basically told me they think I have leukemia and want to observe me overnight. Well, that overnight turned into a couple of nights at the hospital while I had tests performed on me. The worst being the bone marrow test.
Many people asked how I am doing, how I am feeling, what do I think of the whole situation, I even have people who are mad that this is happening to me. Yet for me, I am not mad or upset that I have leukemia. I think to myself, "OK . . . I have leukemia what are my options and what is the best thing for me to do." I am lucky that I could rely on my family and friends around me for support and comfort but nothing could have prepared me for the option I was going to have to take at this time. The funny thing is this option is a miracle plan for people like me and I can live a long and happy life with one exception . . . the chances of having another child is slim to none.
Now many of you don't know but Jeff and I were planning on having another baby next year. With the intentions that other things fall into place and Jeff finds a job. Well earlier in the week Jeff found a job and we both could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was becoming more and more excited to the idea of being pregnant again and Breann having a sibling. Finding out that pregnancy was not an option was the worse news of all to me. Other people thought that was more like a side note and I can't blame them, my health is more important to them then another child in the world. Yet to me and my selfish needs I wanted another child, I wanted to go through the experience of being pregnant, I want to sing to my belly and tell Breann that her baby brother or sister is in my belly. I had several moments where I would break down and cry and pray to God that he would find away around this. No answer yet but I am willing to wait. I really have to thank Jeff because he is looking into all the possibilities for me to have a normal life and the chance of having another baby. He is also working hard with the World Financial Group in starting his own finance business so if I am unable to work at any point our family wouldn't have to worry about what is going to happen next with the house, car or whatever. He even started a donation fund to help pay for the medical bills that insurance won't pay for and to make sure I can get the best care there is. Well this blog has been an emotional one and I still have more I would like to reflect on but I think it is time to take a break and rest for a while. I will save the rest for another day.
Keep Smiling.
Monday, April 5, 2010
It has been a while . . .
Yes . . . It has been a while since I have posted a blog and it just seems to become harder to find the time. Between working, giving my full attention to Breann, making sure I socialize and sleeping I don't seem to have time to just sit. But enough about me I need to let you know how Breann is doing. In a few weeks she will be a 2 year old and boy is she taking full advantage of the terribleness that comes with it. Each day is a gamble on whether or not she will be in a good mood when I get home. Just the other day I was driving with her and she was talking to herself when all of a sudden she started to scream and yell for Mickey Mouse. I was no where near Disneyland for her to think that. Crazy moments with a drama queen child . . . she must get that from Jeff. Just Kidding. So our hands our full at this time and hopefully Jeff and I will keep our sanity through it all. Have a nice day everyone.
Jennie
Jennie
Monday, January 4, 2010
Advent Conspiracy
So this Christmas I wasn't sure what I should give people as a gift. Jeff still being out of work made money really tight this year. I was really worried and it wasn't until I went to church and they introduced The Advent Conspiracy and the first topic was spend less, give more. I thought, "Perfect!" and the message brought wonderful ideas to a family that is tight on cash. Also Jeff and I wanted to break away from all the commercialism that was surrounding Christmas. First our small group decided to pitch-in and buy a goat for a family in another country. (Sorry I can't seem to remember what country it was).
Another suggestion was give time with each other. Your presence is a good present. So I was trying to think of what I could do with my family that would be a good way of spending time together. I got crafty and made coupons that were specified to each person and each one was either a way I could spend time with them or do something for them, like clean the house or wash the car. The next thing was I bought some wood photo frames and one night we all sat down to paint them. The trick was I said that in order to receive the picture for the frame we all had to paint them together. My family had a great time painting and we all had a blast enjoying each others presence. So here are a few pictures of us painting and the finish products of the frames.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
