October 31st

Happy Halloween everyone :)

Mom's white cell count is a whopping 7000!!! And the kicker is that normal is around 4000-5000!!! So, she's back up to par for the rehab program. I think they are going to move her back to that part of the hospital tomorrow.

She reported her pain to be pretty manageable. She only takes oral meds for pain now, which is great. And she only takes pain pills three times a day. So her pain is really not too much of a problem now. The main thing is getting her burns to heal. She still is having trouble with that. But they are getting better everyday and it will just take time for them to improve. I do like that Kennestone is taking better care of her burns. They take the time to clean out the wounds each day before they slather on the burn ointment and that really makes a difference.

So if you would like to see her, that is fine with us. She could certainly use the company! Right now she is in room 539, but if they move her back to rehab, then she will be on the 6th floor. I'm sure if you ask someone at the information desk, they will be able to tell you where she is.

I'll try to post her new room number when they move her. We've also started a schedule that is posted on the bulletin board in her room. If you are visiting and you know when you will be coming back, go ahead and write it down on the schedule so that the family knows when people will be there and can plan accordingly (come as you're leaving so it's not too crowded or to allow you some QT with her). Plus, you can use the schedule to know when the best time would be for you to come back and help plan that as well. Thanks for checking up on mom!

~Lindsey

October 29th

Mom's white cell count is up but she still has a little bit to go before they are satisfied, nonetheless, this is great news. Pat and I were there today and we worked on getting her hair brushed and up and out of the way, and Pat worked especially hard at getting the cream they use for her facial burns less caked on and gooey. So she looks nice and fresh. :)

She is plugging along and we're all still hanging in there. Hopefully, she'll be well enough to get some visitors real soon.

Another good note I'd like to tell you guys about is that the strength in her arms has improved. I asked her to squeeze my hand today and there was a difference from last week when I asked her to. So that's very encouraging as well.

Thanks for checking in again and continue to pray for her speedy recovery.

~Lindsey

October 28th

They moved mom into a regular hospital room yesterday and took her out of the rehab program because her white cell count is extremely low. It's a side effect of the chemo. In fact, now, when we go to see her, we have to put on gowns, masks and gloves just to keep her from getting sick. Since she's so vulnerable, we've decided to restrict her visitors to family only, just until she gets out of this crucial point.

Other than the low white cell count, she seems to be doing well. The burns are still very tender, but healing nonetheless.

That's all I 've got for now. Thanks for checking in!

~Lindsey

October 25th

They moved mom to Kennestone today and she is now in room 660 over there. She has new visiting hours and can only have visitors from 4:30pm - 8:30pm because she will be going through rehab the rest of the day and she needs to rest at night. So if you're going to go and see about her, make sure it is between those hours. She did fine during the move. They gave her a nice shot to keep her comfortable. ♥

They also gave her some chemo in her back on Tuesday. This is of course to treat the cancerous cells that are in her spine. So now she is currently getting chemo directly in her spine as well as another type she gets through an IV called R-CHOP. The R-CHOP is given in about 2.5 hour treatments every 3 weeks. The one she gets in her spine is about once a week I think. And yes, she still has all of her hair. But who knows if that will keep up. We have the name of a great wig place if we need it :)

She still has limited movement and strength in her legs so please pray for that. That is mainly why she has been relocated to Kennestone to try and get things going in her legs and arms again. She is on a trial period at Kennestone and if she doesn't improve, after 7 days, they will release her and we'll have to find some place else for her. So please pray for her strength to return and for her to progress in this program so she can come home and be with us!

Also, she is suffering from some facial burns that radiate basically from each eye and go past her ear and behind her ear on both sides of her face. These are from the radiation treatments and will heal with time, but right now, they are very troublesome for her so pray that she heals quickly from that.

I asked her about the pain in her face and the numbness, and she said that she still has flare ups, but they are not as painful as they used to be and that she could tell an improvement in the movement in her face. So it looks like the radiation has made her more comfortable so praise the Lord for that!

Things are going ok. Her spirits seem to be up and her mind is sound. We are very encouraged to get her in this program and get her one step closer to coming home. Thanks everyone for your prayers and kind thoughts.

~Lindsey

October 23rd

Well mom's starting some rehab to try and get strength back in her legs. I think they are going to move her to Kennestone for a rehab program. It will be a trial period of sorts to see how she does on the rehab program. Basically, she needs to be able to walk on her own before they will release her completely and allow her to return home. So let's all pray for her strength to return and for her to be able to come home again!

~Lindsey

October 20, 2006

Update from Rob. Last night, Krista took a full dose of chemo. I asked was she afraid, she said yes. I told her, me too, but you are doing good. She did very well and slept most of the night. Pat stayed the night and were both doing good. When I called this morning, Krista was eating breakfast. The only Physician, has been with her and watching her, through this time. Her sea legs needs to strengthen before she will be released. We have had a good night and morning, TGL (Thank the Good Lord)

October 18th

I spoke with mom's oncologist concerning how weak she is now and also how she lately hasn't been very coherent when I've visited her. Dr. Austin tells me that the weakness is partly her lymphoma and partly her medicines and treatment (the steroids and the radiation and chemo). And all the pain meds she is on is why she has been out of it lately. I can tell she is aware that she sometimes doesn't make sense and she'll trail off when telling me something -- as if she realizes she isn't saying what she wants to say and stops. She really can't feed herself anymore either because she's lost all use of her left arm and she struggles with the right hand.

Dr. Austin also told me that mom is basically at a stage 4 and treatment is going to be a battle because of the location of the cancer cells (in her spine). Also, she says mom's cancer is in about the worst place it can be for treatment. But it's not untreatable by any means and they have a gameplan to fight back. Mainly, chemo is first on the list. I asked if they would be using radiation on her spine and Dr. Austin says that isn't something they want to do, but will if they have to. The reason they don't want to do that is that doing so would really put a strain on her bone marrow and that would negatively effect the chemo. Also, I asked her mom's chances are for a recovery and she says she wants to begin treatments and see how mom does before she assesses that. So, it was a little discouraging talking with her, but I 'm glad she could give me some straight answers.

Mom needs prayer now more than ever. And visitors would be nice. Especially during the morning and then early evening hours because the family can't be there all the time and she needs to be with people. So if you've got 30 minutes or so to spare, please stop by and see her. She's at St. Joseph's in room 616. Everyone is asking me what they can do to help and the best thing I can think of is to just go in and see her.

But please continue to pray for her. She needs strength to be able to walk again before they will release her and at this rate, I'm not sure when that will be. And pray for the family to have the strength to battle this with her. Thanks everyone.

~Lindsey

October 16th

Mom had a pretty good weekend. She started chemo on Saturday, or a form of it. Technically, it wasn't chemo because they were infusing antibodies to help build her immune system but they administered it similarly to how they administer chemo. But there were no side effects and she did just fine. It was a 6 hour treatment that they did through her IV so it was a pretty simple process and there were no complications.

One thing I've noticed that needs prayer is that she's lost almost all strength in her left arm. She can't feed herself or write with a pen -- I asked her yesterday to squeeze my hand with it and she couldn't at all. She's left handed, too so that should be her stronger side. The doctors aren't sure why this is. So please pray for her strength to improve on her left side and specifically in her arm.

They haven't told us yet when she will be released but hopefully this week.

~Lindsey

October 13th - part II

The PET scan came back and there isn't any cancer in her lymph nodes or anywhere else! So the tumor we've been dealing with this past month should be the only one! Praise the Lord!! We are very encouraged and relieved to hear this. Thanks everyone for your prayers and wonderful support. I'm not sure how long she will remain in the hospital, but her new room number is 616 if you want to stop by and see her or send her flowers or something.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~Lindsey

October 13th

Mom had a very busy day yesterday. She had a PET Scan, a lumbar puncture, radiation and chemo. They wheeled her out of her room around 10 'til 11:00am, and she didn't return until nearly 3:30pm! So she was very tired yesterday when I went to see her last night, but she was in great spirits.

The PET Scan (which is where they inject you with radioactive material and then scan your body with a imaging machine to see where the cancer is) results should be available today so we will find out if and where there is more cancer in her body. The lumbar puncture was to confirm her high white blood cell count and to discern that there are lymphcytes traveling down her spine, which is what's causing the leg/back pain. And of course, the radiation and chemo were for treating the cancer directly.

They originally thought they would release her today, but they are moving her to the 6th floor where all the oncology patients are so I guess that means she'll be staying a little bit longer. I think she may be up for visitors if you'd like to stop by and see her. I'll have the room number later in the day. But please limit your visits to about 30 minutes just so she doesn't get too worn out.

Thanks for checking the blog! Post your comments and I've been printing them out and reading them to her so feel free to leave her or me a message :)

~Lindsey

October 11th - Part II

The oncologist found that there are lymphocytes that are traveling down her spine and that is what's causing her the leg and back pain. She said the cancer isn't spreading right now, but these cells are kind of like little terrorist groups that are causing a bunch of problems.

They are going to start chemo tomorrow and also do a lumbar puncture to see what all is going on in her spine.

The medication is continuing to work and she is comfortable but she needs alot if rest. So please, no visitors at this time.

Thanks everyone.

~Lindsey

October 11th

We took mom up to St. Joseph's emergency room last night around 8:00pm to get her admitted there. We did so because St. Joseph's is also where she is receiving her radiation so its easier and she can still get those treatments. However, Dr. Steuer does't have admittance capabilities at St. Joseph's, which created a big problem for us. We couldn't use her radioloist to admit her either, because radiologists can't admit to any hospital. So, we went with her primary care physian, Dr. Goodman and finally at about 2am this morning, she got a room.

They gave her the most wonderful drug we have come across since we started this endeavor called Dilaudid. It took her pain down to zero!!! Which NO drug has been able to do thus far. When I asked her last night what her pain level was, she said, "Negative 10"! So, she is finally comfortable. The Dilaudid does make her loopy and kind of out of it, but if it stops her leg pain, I'm all for it.

Her radioloist came in and said that he ordered an MRI for her spine because he is thinking that the pain in her legs and lower back may be from other tumours in her spine. He did say that she is responding well to the radiation thus far and I agree. Her face isn't as drawn as it has been and she can talk and swallow alot better.

We are asking that no one visit her until she gets her strength back, because she is very weak and with that new medication, she sleeps alot and she won't sleep if there are people visiting.

Keep praying for her recovery. We don't know how long she will be in the hospital but I hope to have more soon.

~Lindsey

October 10th

Mom is still struggling with sleeping through the night and she is extremely weak. They say it isn't from the radiation because they aren't really zapping her in any areas that would effect her blood cells, so we're guesing it's the lymphoma thats doing it. And yes, it IS lymphoma. Specifically, it's Large B Cell Lymphoma. She has an oncologist appointment tomorrow @ 4:00pm and we should know more about it. I've been googling stuff about it all day but it gets to be so much information!

Her doctors say that the good news about the diagnosis of large b cell is that it's more responsive to radiation and steroids.

That's about all I have. I'm spending the night up there again with her because she doesn't sleep much during the night and its really wearing my grandparents down. We may be putting her in the hospital if it doesn't get better tonight so I will keep you posted about that.

Things are getting rough so please pray for her and all the family as we battle this together.

~Lindsey

October 9th

Well, mom had a good night on Saturday with being able to sleep at Pat's. She played with her kitties and watched the UGA game and slept mostly throughout the night.

Sunday night my grandparents were up with her all night again and she met with her regular doctor (the one she's been going to for years, Dr. Goodman) who prescribed some type of pain reliever for her legs so hopefully we've got that taken care of now.

Continue to pray for her, especially for her to have restful, pain-free sleep. She can't get better if she can't get any rest!

October 7th

I spent the night with mom again last night, and she had trouble sleeping all through the night. She is having aching all over in her legs and occaisionally in her lower back. I think it's a side effect of the radiation, mainly, her muscles weakening combined with her rapid weight loss. No medications that we currently have for her seem to help. We are trying to see if maybe we can have her doctor prescribe some muscle relaxers to help ease the aching and get her sleeping comfortably again.

~Lindsey

October 6th

Hey everyone. I had the pleasure of spending the night with mom last night. I went up to my grandparents' to sleep with mom and let them have a little bit of rest during the night. The night before, mom started having pains in her legs, almost like a constant ache allover. The doctors attributed it to them lessening the amount of her steroid intake. So, they bumped it back up to 3 times a day and things are better. She did wake up this morning around 6:45am complaining that those leg pains were back, but I gave her some cereal and she took her steroid and went back to sleep a little bit later. So, for the most part, she had a pretty good night. And memaw and papa got to sleep better, too.

The biopsy report came back and memaw thinks they told her it's lymphoma. But don't quote me on that because she can't remember for sure. (I told her to write stuff down!) So, we could be looking at chemo here in the next few weeks.

We would like to thank everyone for calling and visiting mom, but we as a family would like to make some requests. Please limit your phone calls with her to between 5-10 minutes and limit your visits to half an hour. When several people a day call or come over and stay or talk too long, it really wears her out and we need her to keep her energy up as she continues to go through more radiation treatments. Thanks again for checking on her via the blog!

I'll be spending the night with her again tonight and then I will take her over to Pat's house in Woodstock so she can watch the Dawgs play and spend Saturday night there. She will be back in Smyrna with my grandparents on Sunday evening. ~Lindsey

October 5th

Again, not too much to report. She's going through her treatments just fine, but they are making her much weaker. Of course, if you ask HER that, she'll tell you she's fine, but she is weaker. :) Tonight we have plans to go and get a burger for dinner and she's actually craving one so that's good. She has 10 treatments left, including today. She told me that there's nothing to these. They actually administer the radiation in about a 2 minute or so time span and that's it. She said they signed in the other day at about 11:04 and signed out at 11:17 so it's really not that bad.

That's all I've got for now. Thanks!

~Lindsey

October 4th

Hey everyone! Mom made it out to the funeral home yesterday and everyone was encouraged to see her. She had a new outfit on and looked great with her hair done and makeup on. She's doing well as can be expected. She will be attending the funeral for Uncle Gene this morning at 10:00 am.

I think she had an oncologist appt. today but they moved it to next week sometime. She's continuing with her radiation treatments and is improving everyday. It makes me happy that these blogs are getting shorter and shorter because that means she's doing better and there isn't much to report.

~Lindsey

October 3rd

Mom is doing well. She has an appointment scheduled to see an oncologist and hopefully, they will be able to shed some more light on what it is she has because we still don't know! The radiation tires her out still, but she's managing.

Mom's uncle, Gene Ostell, passed away unexpectedly yesterday morning. She's going to the funeral home today for the viwing and to the funeral services tomorrow. She seems to be handling it ok.

That's about all I have to report for now. Thanks for everyone's continued support.

~Lindsey

Oct 1

Well, mom is feeling pretty good. She said on Friday she got up and showered and put on makeup to go to her radiation treatment and everyone at the hospital complimented her on how pretty she looked. :) So she was excited about that.

She's lost a total of 52 lbs. now and is fitting into jeans that are too small for me! I know it's not a great way to lose weight, but anything that she sees as positive out of all this, I revere because we need to concentrate on positives. If she gets to 60, Jason, my brother, has to quit dipping so she's trying to get there to make him stop so we'll see. However, she's eating more and more each day and having things that a few weeks ago she couldn't even think about eating. I think yesterday's menu involved a hot dog and a few chips with some french onion dip. So her appetite's getting better and better everyday.

She said she's gonna try and make it to church this morning, which is great. Her pain is still there and around a 4 or 5 so continue to pray for her.

~Lindsey