July 2008
July 31st 2008 – Day 0 Jacquie’s New/Second Birthday – Transplant Day – This morning Jax did well getting in some laps on the floor prior to the transplant which was scheduled for about 10am. The flight that the donor’s stem cells were on, was delayed. That just goes to show us, regardless if a flight is for an important medical proceedure or for a vacation, the airlines rarely can get it right. Jax did have two bags of stem cells, and at least there wasn’t an additional charge for the second bag 🙂 At twelve thirty she received her pre-transplant medication and a little after one, the first bag of stem cells were infused with Sharon, TJ, and I looking on with great hope and admiration at the level of class, dignity, courage, and strength Jacquie demonstrated. She was ready for this day and for the uncertainty of the future that comes with it. To help prepare, yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting Jim and his wife Denise from Saratoga Springs. They came up for Jim to perform a Native American spiritual healing on Jacquie. It was an extremely powerful and unique experience that lasted almost two hours. The energy and enlightenment proved to be an incredible experience for all of us. The second bag went in taking a total of about an hour for both bags. The nurse was careful to give Jacquie every bit that was in each of the bags. Slowly Jax dosed off during the infusion of the second bag. As I watched the cells drip from the bag on the IV pole, through the line and into the port in Jacquie’s upper chest, I imagined the cells making their way to Jacquie’s bone marrow, engrafting and starting to take over. It doesn’t happen by any means at my minds pace but, Jax has been through so very much already and I just want these donor cells to mature in the marrow and take over and attack each and every one of those damn immature leukemia blast cells right now. In reality the leukemia cells are immature cells with a translocation of the 4 and 11 chromosome. Nevertheless, its beyond the time that the leukemia has to leave Jacquie’s body and spirit. Many situations will come up after the first 24-48 hours and like Jacquie has done so well in the past, Sharon too, will deal with whatever comes her way. Thirty days from today will be the biggest indicator of what’s going on inside when she has her first bone marrow after transplant. The path of uncertainty will be similar to that experience of Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center in NYC the first time around. After sleeping and resting for a couple hours Jacquie was back up impressing the staff by getting in more laps on the floor. Family was close by visiting most of the afternoon and having a typical fun time together laughing and joking around. Seeing Jacquie’s smile all day was absolutely priceless. When the Dr. mentioned she get in some mental stimulation after walking, Jax proceeded to get involved with Cash Cab, Jepority, and Wheel of Fortune. We know he had something else in mind, like reading, but this activity was more fun. She had a little dinner followed with her exercises to get ready for Kevin’s PT routine tomorrow. Then we laughed at the sick humor of Family Guy for awhile. Today marked another milestone on the road for a cure. It is with the love and support of our family, friends, friends of friends, and strangers alike, that has created a belief like no other. The power of Love, Hope, and Belief has no boundaries, something we all share. As you start a new day and for Jacquie, the starting of a new life, for the second time, keep in mind the Essence of Today:
” I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good I can do or any kindness I can show, let me do now, for I shall not pass this way again.”
July 30th 2008 – Day “Minus One” for Jacquie. Tomorrow is “Day 0”, transplant day. After tomorrow, her days will be referred to by Day Plus One, Day Plus Two, etc. Yesterday was a busy for Jax. By 11:00 am, she had received a unit of platelets and a unit of red blood cells BOTH direct donations- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, she had had both her final chemos of the Fludarabine and Melphanan, and had received some IV Magnesium, because her level was low. She was also very popular, as she was visited by at least a half dozen of the BMT team members. Needless to say, she was grumpy. Those of you who know her, know that she is SO NOT a morning person. In her defense, however, she gets very little sleep at night, especially since they are pumping such large amounts of fluids into her to flush out the chemo and try to keep her kidneys functioning normally. Also, before each transfusion, she has to have Benedryl, which makes her sleepy. So all of that combined makes Jax one unhappy camper when I try to get her up in morning. She continues to call me “The Warden” but I don’t really mind, as long as she is doing what she needs to do. Once she is up, Jax stays very busy. She walks the hall, does her exercises, and gets in a great workout with “PT Kevin”. He is with the physical therapy department, and is the most incredible motivator. He can get Jax to workout no matter how tired or grumpy she is. The only days she doesn’t do her scheduled time with him is if she is too sick to get out of bed. He is working hard to get her in the best shape possible for the transplant. More good news- Jax has been eating a little. She had a small appetite yesterday, and thankfully tolerated everything she ate, which wasn’t all that much, but compared to nothing, it was great to have her eating. We hope she will continue to be able to tolerate small amounts of food so that she will be able to get off the TPN soon. Last night, Uncle David came in from Philly and stopped in to see Jax, and they watched the game show “Wipeout”. If you have seen it, you can imagine Jax’s laughter at watching all the contestants try to get through the course without wiping out. Right now, that is the one show she looks forward to watching. She slept poorly last night because of her fluid overload, so she’ll probably try to bargain her way to stay in bed longer this morning. At the moment, she has a unit of blood (direct donation again-THANK YOU!!!!!!!), and some Potassium hanging, trying to get all her levels within normal limits for tomorrow. Today is referred to as her “Day Off”, because there is no chemo or any other tests scheduled. It is meant to be her rest day before the transplant. So she can try to relax in her “corner office” (aka her new room). Her donor was scheduled to donate the cells yesterday, and they will be flown in tonight. Once Roswell receives them, they will be tested and prepared for tomorrow, scheduled transplant time is about 10:00 am. So, friends and family, we need everyone to continue to believe in Jax and believe that she will win this fight. Tomorrow she will show us once again, what she is made of. Her road will be long and difficult. But Jax will make it, becuase that’s what she does and BELIEVING is what we do.
July 28th 2008 – 8:45am. The start of a new week and a new chance for Jacquie. She has had 3 days of her pre-transplant chemo and tolerated them pretty well. She has been out of bed, and working hard to get into shape physically, for the long road ahead. She has been given a list of exercises to try to do everyday and she has been doing them. She is still on the TPN (feedings through her PICC line), but she is trying to get some clear liquids down as well. The cherry popcicles are doing ok, but she isn’t too fond of the broth and the cherry jello! She has been able to keep walking her laps each day, and the docs have been able to see how well she is doing by the chart on her door. She has had some family in to visit, but right now we have to be so very careful that she does not get any infections or colds, or anything that would put her at risk before, or after the transplant. She is working hard to stay in good spirits and to stay positive. It’s not easy and some days are better than others. The concerns, fears and doubts are always in her mind, but she tries to keep them under control. During the times when they force their way to the front, she talks about them and we find a way to deal with the issues and then put them away for awhile. It’s hard to know the right words to say to her, to comfort her and to reassure her, and still be honest. I really think that dealing with the physical problems is much easier most of the time, than having to deal with the emotional ones. I pray each night for the strength to be what she needs me to be, and to be able to find the right words to say to her. It was 10 months ago today that Jax was diagnosed with this horrible nightmare of a disease, and the people who told us it would get easier with time, lied. It is not easier and it is not ok. It is still hard to say the words “ALL” in the same sentence as “”Jacquie”, and it still sucks that she doesn’t have a “normal” 23 years old’s life. The nurse just hung the first of her two chemos she will receive today. The Fludarabine she has been getting for the past 3 days, and today she starts the Melphalan. The new one is very tough, and we’ve been told to expect a rough time for the next few days. She has been given some very strong anti-vomiting medication this morning, so we hope that will decrease some of the harsh side effects. The Melphalan and Fludarabine will be given today and tomorrow, and then her chemo is done. On Wednesday, she has no chemo but will start 2 immunosurpressive medications to help her body accept the new donor cells. The transplant itself is scheduled for Thursday. Thank you all for your support and prayers, for your love and understanding. We are continuing to believe that this second transplant will be the one that succeeds, and we know you are believing along with us. As we have all learned, life is not fair. It can be cruel and unjust, and for Jacquie, it has thrown her some very difficult life-threatening issues to deal with. But she will deal with it and we will all be right next to her to help her. And when this is over, we will all stand next to her to celebrate life. Make today special for someone else, and yourself. KEEP BELIEVING!!!!!!!!!
July 25th 2008 – Early morning, its been an extremely difficult couple of days for Jacquie and Sharon with very little rest. As we enter another day, the past several have been filled with good and bad. Cancer has a way of never fighting fair. However, its a good thing that Jacquie took off the gloves a long time ago when this all started. This week alone, Jax was hit with more tests than I think I’ve had in a life time. The results have been coming in favorable for the most part. Her spinal tap was good, a bit cloudy, possibly due to some infiltration during the process. Her bone marrow was mostly clear with some leukemia blast cells still present. Her chest x-ray shows improvement with the pneumonia but not completely clear. Jax continues on the TPN feedings and is tolerating clear liquids in a small amount. Its really hard to see Jacquie not eat. For all that know her, she always had a way with being able to eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted…and god help you if you got in her way! Keeping up with her guy friends was not a problem. (For Jacquie’s friends) I said eating not drinking, although she might not have had a problem keeping up with that either. However, a Dad isn’t supposed to know that or admit it 🙂 Someday, we’ll all be able to take Jax to many of her favorite places to eat and drink. And when she can, there will be an army of us to take her. Overall she is starting to slowly come back after dealing with some major issues. It was the transplant team’s intention to push the transplant back a week to allow Jacquie time to recuperate and be more medically, physically, and mentally ready for this most difficult second transplant after all she faced last week. We were notified yesterday morning of the urgency of an afternoon meeting with the transplant team. The rest that we anticipated for Jacquie between the rounds of this fight won’t be happening. Because of the donors schedule it needs to take place now, and the schedule of chemo and transplant will happen over the next seven days as originally planned. The first chemo drug will be administered this morning for the next five days, the second drug will be administered on day four and five in addition to the first drug. Jax will only get one day rest and her transplant will take place the following day on Thursday July 31. Yesterday, Roswell’s blood donation center was very busy receiving nine donations (that I know of) in Jacquie’s name. We and many other patients can’t continue to thank you enough for these gifts of life. The chemo is a necessary evil for cancer patients and these transfusions help patients to continue their fight for life. We were informed yesterday by the donor center that there have been more donations made in Jacquie’s name than for any other patient in the LAST 12 YEARS. Since the nurse that has been there the longest only goes back 12 years, it may even be longer than that. So thank you again to everyone who is giving the gift of life on behalf of Jacquie. Today, TJ will make a check presentation to Roswell from the Country for a Cure Benefit . Our many thanks to family, friends, BigJack, Amanda, and all those that supported the event. Remember to place August 30th on your social calendar while TJ organizes the Criuse against Cancer on that date. I am amazed and so very proud each and every day with Jacquie, and Sharon right next to her side in their relentless efforts against this terrible and unforgiving disease for almost 10 months now. Jacquie has forever changed and in doing so, changed each one of us on how we view each day and how we decide to live it. She has mastered the support of countless Believers and we are forever grateful for all of you !!! We Believe Tink
July 22nd 2008 – 9pm. The end of another tough day for Jax. It seems that lately, they are all tough, but she is tougher!!!!!!!!!!!!. The past two days have been spent undergoing more tests to try to determine the cause of all Jax’s problems. The headaches, the stomach problems, and the pneumonia, to name just a few. She had CATT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, chest xray, another bone marrow, arterial blood gases and a bronchoscopy since Monday morning. She is on (at last count) 6 different antibiotics, and has been seen by doctors in the Infectious Disease, Pulmonary and Cardiac areas. She is still on the TPN, but starting tonight they are letting her try some clear liquids to see how she tolerates it, say a prayer that she keeps them down. Each morning, Jax wakes up and thinks “what will I have to deal with today.” I wake up and think “please let her have the strength to deal with whatever is thrown at her today. Somehow, she does. She listens when the nurses and doctors tell her things she doesn’t want to hear and then she finds the strength to fight through it. There are days when the frustration gets to be too much, and she has a meltdown. Then she finds the strength to get past it and keep fighting. I know she is not the only one fighting the cancer battle – there are so many (too many) others just like her, fighting for their lives. There is a four year old on Jax’s floor who just had a transplant, and a 60 year old waiting for one. Each and every one of these people deserve our respect and admiration. Anyone who fights cancer is a winner, no matter the outcome. What they go through everyday is unimaginable to those of us who have never had to watch a loved one go through it. We must never forget the how much it costs them – physically, spiritually and emotionally. We must always remember that each day is a gift, never to to taken for granted, and those who enter our lives are there for a reason. Don’t be afraid to love and share yourself with them. And remember ALWAYS, to KEEP BELIEVING.
July 20th 2008 – For Jax, the fight continues. Since the last update, she has undergone many tests and procedures- some in preparation for the transplant and some to try to find out where the many physical issues are coming from. It has been determined through blood work and through 2 chest x-rays that Jax has an infection in her blood and also has pneumonia. The doctors have been continously trying and then changing, antibiotics in the hope that they find the right combination to get rid of organisms causing these infections. Jax is now having to wear oxygen all the time in order to get enough oxygen to her organs. She is still retaining fluid, but not as much, and her body seems to be doing a better job of getting rid of it on it’s own, without having to use the medications. Between Friday night and Saturday morning, Jax received 4 units of platelets that were all direct donations (THANK YOU TO ALL OUR INCREDIBLE DONORS!!!!!!!!!!!). Her platelets count needed to be increased because Saturday morning Jax had to have a Lumbar Puncture (LP). Her doctor inserted a large needle into her lower spinal cord, and took out some of her spinal fluid. This was done under a local anesthetic, Jax was awake the whole time, in a very uncomfortable position-the spine has to be curved to allow for the proper insertion of the needle. It took two attempts to do it, and although she cried, Jax NEVER asked him to stop. It was so painful for Torey and I to watch her go through this that I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels to her – I wanted to scream and tell him to stop hurting her. She also had a CATT scan of the head done, both the LP and CATT were done in an attempt to try to determine the cause of the severe headaches she has been having. Jax has begun vomiting again, for an unknown reason, so the doctors have ordered that all food and fluids be held (NPO) except for a little water to take her meds with. Her fevers have continued, not going below 101 and sometimes as high as 103. I wish the infections could be cleared up, then maybe some of these other problems would start to resolve too. Her TPN feeds will continue for as long as she needs them, and will give her the nutition she needs to heal. Today, we were informed that Jax would not be able to go to transplant on the 31st, as was planned. Her body is not physically up to the challenge, and they wouldn’t be able to take her into it with the infections still going on. So, the plan is to now back it up 1 week and hope that she is ready then. Please Please pray that she is ready to have transplant on the 6th or 7th. Jax has been fighting so long and so hard, she needs to have this transplant in order to continue her fight. And although we know what lies ahead, we know that that is the only way to get to where we need to go – a healthy Jacquie. Everyday, here at Roswell, I meet the most courageous men, women and children. I see their struggles, accomplishments, determination, commitment and even sadly- sometimes their defeat. I see a world I knew existed, but like most of us, never thought I would have to live it. For all of us, family and friends, this nightmare was something that only happens to other people-not us. Now, we are those “other people”. Each day that passes brings us closer to our goal, and brings Jacquie closer to a time when she will be able to live her dreams. We must continue to BELIEVE.
July 17th 2008 – Hello family and friends. Once again, there is a lot to catch up on. The evening of my last posting (the 14th) Jax took sick. She had just finished infusing a unit of packed red blood cells, when she started to feel chilled and out of sorts, not quite sick but not well either. We had the staff check her temp and it was 99.5. To make a very long story short, by 11:30 pm it was 103.1 and by 3:30 am it was 104.9. I was feeling very scared by now even though I knew that an infection was most likely the cause. I prayed it was only a reaction to the transfusion. However, her pulse continued to rise and her blood pressure fell and by 6:30 am her pulse was 150, and her BP was a dangerous 71/30. The staff was scrambling to stabilize her- she received 1500 (a liter and a half) of fluid over an hour and 45 minutes, a chest x-ray, blood, throat cultures, Demerol to stop the severe shakes she was having, Benedryl then Platelets and was started on many antibiotics, antifungel, and and antiviral IV medications. At the time, the docs were not sure what was going on but knew it was some type of infection, not a transfusion reaction. Because her BP was so dangerously low, they needed to start a specific med to get it back within normal range. This med would need constant monitoring and have to been given by nurses who are certified to do so. Therefore, Jax was transferred off the pediatric floor to 5E- the Bone Morrow Transplant (BMT) floor. This all happened very quickly and efficiently. The staff on both floors were terrific and in addition to taking care of Jax, they found the time to try to reassure Torey and I that they were doing everything they could to help her. Tuesday passed by quickly, with many tests, scans ultrasounds, monitoring and blood work. By the evening, her pulse and temp had come down and her BP had come up. She was still feeling very lousy, and was physically and emotionally exhausted. Yesterday, (Wednesday) she was feeling a little better and was out of bed for a while. There were many doctors in and out all day, from many different services, trying to find some answers. Jax began having stomach issues again, headaches and abdominal pain. She had trouble taking a deep breath because her chest hurt and the fluid retention continued to be a problem. Wednesday was another long and exhausting day for Jax. Today was a better day. She was out of bed longer, took some laps, and tried to eat a little. Her vital signs remain stable so we are breathing a little easier. One big concern that continues is that certain lab values are staying too high, and some too low. The doctors are trying many meds to treat these problems and are hoping to find the right ones to get the labs back within normal range. Jax has had to have transfusions of blood and/or platelets everyday so we continue to be thankful to so many of you who are able to give Jax the gift of blood. The past few days have given us a glimpse of what is to come down the road. And we realize that this was an “easy” situation compared to the ones that will challenge us in the future. We are trying very hard to get her ready for the fight of her life, and FOR her life. We know that nutritionally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, she will have to go into this in the very best condition possible. And we will make sure she does. If you could all just see how hard she fights every day, how hard she works and how much it takes out of her to keep fighting this battle, you would be in awe of her. I know that I am. I keep telling her, that in addition to being my BFF, she is my HERO. And we will never stop believing in her and what she is capable of achieving.
July 14th 2008 – Hello family and friends. I know it’s been a while since an update has been posted, so I thought I’d fill you all in on what has been going on. On Friday, Jax received her last chemo dose for this round. For the five days of chemo, she was having bloods drawn every 6 hours to monitor her chemistries. The chemo she had is very toxic to the liver and her liver enzymes started to climb way above normal. If they got too high, the chemo would have to be stopped and we didn’t want that to happen. But Jax and her liver hung in there and she was able to receive the full course. In about a week, she will have another bone morrow done ,to see if the chemo did it’s job, which we are sure it did! Jax’s appetite continued to decrease and on Sat the doctors had to start her on the TPN feedings again, (she was on this for about 4 days after the transplant at Sloan). These are special nutritional liquid feedings that are given through one of her PICC line ports in her arm. For the near future, they will run 24 hours a day. TJ and Jax think the bags look like vanilla frosting or vanilla milkshakes. Whatever they look like, they will help keep Jax’s nutitional status up, so she is able to go into this next transplant in the best possible condition. On Saturday, she was able to be out of bed a little longer than usual, and yesterday was her best day since re-admission. Since the chemo was finished, the meds she was taking to prevent nausea and vomiting were stopped, so she was less sleepy and more awake. She has been able to resume her laps in the hall, and work on the exercises that Kevin has given her to do. She has also been able to have some family members visit, something that hasn’t happened since re-admission. Another issue Jax has been dealing with is retaining fluids, also due to the chemo. Her face, feet and legs have been swelling a lot and she has been given many doses of Lasix, a diuretic, to help her body get rid of the extra fluid. Yesterday, after being out of bed for a while, her feet and legs became hugely swollen and Jax remarked that she now knows what it’s like to have “cankels”. These, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, are when your calves and ankles are one continuous body part, and it is NOT considered a positive thing to have by women! Fortunately, the Lasix did it’s job and Jax now has her ankles and calves back. Jax has been started on a different appetite stimulant, and we are hoping this one is a little more effective than the last one. We would like to see her off the TPN as soon as she is able to eat well enough to keep her nutritional status where it needs to be. Emotionally, Jax is hanging in there, as always. But this past week was harder than expected and she had so many new issues and problems to deal with. We are hoping for a quieter and easier time this week, as she needs to start preparing her body for the very difficult time ahead. We continue to feel blessed at the amount of love and support we are receiving, and know that we can count on your prayers. Jax still has much to do in her lifetime, and we WILL make sure she has the opportunity to do it. Jax continues to share her plans, hopes and dreams and we know that she will have the chance to fulfill them all. You can help make that happen. PLEASE, KEEP BELIEVING
July 9th 2008 – Jacquie is now settled back into Roswell and into day 2 of recieving her chemo treatments. She will recieve 5 doses over 5 days and then more leading up to her transplant. Before recieving these tretments, she is heavily medicated to combat nausea, vomiting and any other sickness that may occur as a side effct from these treatments. When she recives these medications, they make her very sleepy. It becomes difficult for her to be able to eat, get excerise or function. However, as everyone can expect Jax managed to get in 2 laps around the floor before returning to bed and begining her treatment! However, this type is very aggressive and very intense on her body and, it has began to take its toll on her. After last nights dose of chemotherapy the doctors have discovered the enzyme levels in her liver are beyond where they should be. This is something that they had spoken to us about and there was a possibility of it occuring but, it is still a serious problem that must be addressed. Becuase of the toxicity of the chemotherapy drugs, her body is having a difficult time processing all that is going on. What Jacquie has endured for almost 10 months has been unimaginable. It is very difficult to think that she is still continuing to recieve toxic chemicals that put her body at risk for so many things. Every single night Jacquie has laid down to sleep, she goes to bed wining the war against cancer. And every single day she wakes up ready and willing to continue the fight. Regardless of what each day brings, we know that Jacquie will continue this battle for as long as at takes. Leukemia may be relentless and it may be persistant, but after spending 23 years in this world with Jacquie Hirsch and in this family, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. Especially something that is this important. So with Jacquie’s strength and determination, your love and support and our “togetherness” lets stay strong and keep BELIEVING. Believing that once and for good this is the last we will see of Leukemia for Jacquie Hirsch. Its not fair and its about D*MN TIME.
July 6th 2008 – Jacquie had a very good weekend here at home with family and friends. She was able to recieve some visitors and ate a lot of good food. This time at home was very much overdue and certainly not long enough. Jacquie will be admitted back into Roswell Park tomorrow morning at 6am. There is a tentative transplant date scheduled for July 31st. Begining tomorrow, Jacquie will be recieving a new series of chemo which is in its experemental stages. The doctors feel that this is a good course of action to take and becuase of Jacquie’s status, its critical that her leukemia remains under the 30% threshold in order for her to recieve her next transplant. This will be much more of a challenge for Jacquie, and for the rest of us than her first one. In her first transplant there was little to no evidance of GVHD becuase of how Sloan-Kettering prepared the transplant cells. For this next one, we were told to expect a lot of Graft Vs. Host Disease and even though this is difficult and painful at times for Jax, the doctors will allow and encourage this to take place in an effort to promote Graft Vs. Leukemia. This is what needs to happen in order for the donor cells to recognize and attack Jacquie’s Leukemia cells. This will, again, be a very long and difficult road to travel but we’ve done it once and we will do it as many times as it takes. With all of your love and support we will continue right on through this. Tomorrow will bring with it new ups, downs and challenges but with Jacquie’s strength, determination and beautiful smile leading the way and with an army of people who BELIEVE, nothing is impossible.
July 3rd 2008 – Hello friends and family. I haven’t written one of the updates in a while, so I figured I was due. TJ and Torey have been doing a great job, but I thought it was time to write again. Jax has been doing well (YEAH!), sleeping in her own bed, and being with Shelby have done wonders for her. Her appetite has improved a little, and she is eating more of a selection of things, so we’re are very happy about that. Yesterday (Wed.) she had clinic again at Roswell and had to receive both red blood cells and platelets- and both were direct donations to Jax. Now, not only is Jax looking for the green tags, but the nurses are as well. Everyone seems to know, or know of, Jax, and her huge following of people who are donating directly to her. The people in the donation center are amazed at the number of people who have been coming in for her. The downside of getting blood products is that she has to be pre-medicated to prevent any more reactions. The medications she is given make her tired and she sleeps for hours after receiving them. So, the afternoon yesterday was a very long nap. By dinnertime, she was awake and ate pretty well, and then went outside for a little while. It’s great when she is able to be out and not have to wear her mask, it’s one more small thing that makes a big difference. I realize how blessed we are to have been able to have this time at home. Our family is together, sharing laughs, watching movies, eating meals together, and being “normal”. After Jacquie goes back in, it will likely be a long time before we are all here in our home together again. Until she has to go back to Roswell, we will continue to treasure our time together with family and friends, we will start to store up strength and energy to fight this next challenge, and we will make new memories to hold us through until Jacquie comes home again. I know I have said this before, and I will continue to repeat it many times- we are very thankful for all of you, our family, our friends, and the many strangers we have yet to meet who have gotten to know us through Jax’s fight. All of you are the glue that holds us together, the voices that tell us that we are not alone and that we will win this fight. The fight that we thought was behind us is once agian in front of us. WE WILL WIN because WE ALL BELIEVE..
July 1st 2008 – A great day for Jax at HOME ! She slept in, Mom made breakfast and TJ delivered it to Jax in bed. I helped with morning meds and then Jax got to sleep in a bit more. A quiet afternoon relaxing at home then a short walk with Billy and Shelby. Dinner followed by watching our new favorite TV show “Wipeout” and a visit from the Ciao Bella Girls for some laughs and gossip. Then off to bed – early clinic day at Roswell tomorrow, probably will need blood or platelets because her bone marrow is really slacking on its job. Jacquie will stay home till next Monday (a huge bonus – we only expected the weekend at home), going to outpatient clinic tomorrow and Saturday, provided all stays well and no infections, temps., etc… then she will be admitted to start a new regiment of chemo on the 7th and the second transplant is scheduled for the end of July. Believing, as we head to bed. Have a good night!