QUICK update

Wow, it's been awhile... mainly because we've been REALLY busy.  Jo came into the hospital for chemo on Monday the 18th and we're still here.  At first they can't get the vomiting under control and she wasn't keeping anything, including water down. Then her counts started to bottom out and we've had issues with the kidneys, platelets, white blood counts, potassium, etc. so she stayed in on almost constant transfusion of one thing or another...  then Wednesday night she developed a neutropenic fever.  They though it was sepsis, but now maybe not, we don't know... but we're still dealing with infectious disease trying to figure out why we're having such a problem keeping the fever down (last night it spiked up to over 103)... and we've been seeing kidney people and cardiac people because whatever is causing this fever also seems to be causing spikes in her creotine levels and heart rate (it was close to 200 bpm last night)...

Anyway, we'll definately be here still through monday.  I keep people WAY more up to date on facebook because it's easy to do that from my blackberry and do it quickly, so if you have a page, come friend me if you want faster updates.

Hope everyone else is well.

It's Mom ... Praise God for this is the day that he has made ...

Just a quick update: Jo had a CT done on Monday around noon; they called a couple of hours later to say she had a PE (pulmonary embolism or blood clot) and that we needed to increase her Lovenox (blood thinner) from 150 per day to 200 (100 in morning/100 in evening) to try to break it up. So she now gets two shots in the stomach per day ... not her favorite thing and who can blame her?

We went to the doctor today and he said the following:

• the clot(s) seem to be coming from the picc lines so he wants to take them out of the right arm and put them in the left (not a pleasant procedure, but has to be done). He wants it done tomorrow or Friday; they are to call with the schedule


• 
  
  the tumors seem to be holding steady (no shrinkage, but no growth either) so he wants to do another round of ifosphomide. We (Jo and I) were going to hold out for week after next because of Easter, but Dr. Godwin thinks it's best to stay on the 3-wk sked since we do seem, in fact, to be holding steady, so we agreed to next week, but we will go in on Monday instead of Tuesday. We really don't want to be in the hospital over a holiday if at all possible. Staffing is bad enough on a weekend, but holidays are horrible.


• 
  
  Doc has been working on Plan B and has found a drug that is being used in Japan (and approved there) that seems to be very effective on Jo's kind of sarcoma. The drug has not been approved in the US; however, the government does allow it through some "compassionate" program, but only in one place in each state. He asked to set it up at SIU/Simmons Cancer Institute, but was told there's already one set up in Peoria. He was going to check out MO's to see if it might be at Barnes, but we told him Peoria works for us. He is going to speak with the oncologists up there and get back to us. The plan is for him to get information for us on the drug and set up a preliminary interview with the doctors in Peoria who are using the drug. We will continue to use the ifosphomide as long as it seems to be working ... or as long as Jo can stand it ... but, in the meantime if it doesn't seem to be working and/or we have an emergency/urgent situation, we will have a back-up plan in place.

This is all good news (w/the exception of the picc problem, of course). Thank you for your prayers and support. It's only by God's grace that we are where we are; and it's by your prayer power that God continues to bless us because where two or more are gathered (even in long-distance prayer), he is there and he honors our requests. I also want to thank each of you for the additional prayers you send for our family members as well. Without too much detail, I ask you to hold all of the following up in your prayers:

Johnna's brother, Daniel -- her dad, Kyle -- Gary's dad, Maynard -- my brother, Bob -- my mom, Betty; Dad, Don; and brothers, Bill & Mike

Some of the above either just got out of the hospital or are still there; please remember them when you pray for Jo.

BTW, since we plan to be in the hospital next week, I'll tell you in advance that I plan to take Jo's phone from her for the week (and even if I hadn't already decided to do so, her doctor has recommended it ;o). Doc is planning to alter her premedications to see if that will help the mind-bending effects of the ifosphomide. Either way, Jo won't be sending any SOS texts this round (if I can help it :) You can call or text me at 502-4300 instead.

Well, aren't you glad this was a "quick" update?!? Think how long it would have been had I decided to give you details instead of a synopsis ;o)

"Love one another as Christ loves you, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost and being committed to the word of His grace, which is able also to build you up." - from "The Bible Incorporated In Your Life, Job & Business" Take care and God Bless ...