Quick Pre-Thanksgiving Update

I have time for a quick update in case you were wondering how I am doing. Last Thursday my platelets were 16k so I required a platelet transfusion as an outpatient. Since it was on the spur of the moment, they didn't have any HLA-matched platelets available and my body reacted to it and ate up the donation and then some! The next a.m. my platelets were only 3k which was rather dangerous so I was admitted into the hospital last Friday to receive platelets and red blood which was in the 8's. For a reference point, normal platelets are at least 150k and normal hemoglobin is at least 11.

Also, remember last week I was supposed to go into UCLA for preliminary baseline testing of all sorts. Well, they were so booked that we were unable to get in. The good news is that they faxed the orders to my local doctor and we had them all done on Friday while I was in the hospital which was super convenient.

I stayed in the hospital until Monday, until my white blood cell count started building on their own which they did. If you recall this is the timing when your blood counts drop because I had the other chemo treatment the week before. So all this was sort of expected. I say sort of, because it's always surprising to me when I have been feeling so good to be suddenly low in the blood volume and therefore feel fatigued, weak and lightheaded.

The reason I didn't get a chance to update you is because I spilled water on my laptop while I was in the hospital over the weekend and it went kaput. But we have a friend, Jimmy Todd, who is VERY gifted by God to bring these things back to life! A computer healer :) He went in and scraped the corrosion off the transformer and voila it was a beauty again! This is the second time Jimmy has saved my bacon in this way (the first time I had dropped the thing and I still can't believe my Dell is working now). We really appreciate your generosity Jimmy!

I was given some materials about the transplant and insurance process which seems quite daunting. We need to call them to see what they cover and don't cover. Please pray for God's provision for our financial needs. I'm sure He will provide because I know Him to be a faithful and loving God.

I also need to call UCLA again and find out the status of the preliminary search. Who knows how quickly I'll be in there getting the trasnplant, but I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later. It could be in the next 2 weeks or the next 2 months.

My mom and her husband Glen left yesterday in their RV - sad to see it drive away! We enjoyed their 5 week visit and wish they could have stayed for the holiday, but they had a sense of urgency due to the snow storm coming in Colorado. For Thanksgiving we had many offers and are pleased to stay local and enjoy the fellowship of our friends the Austins and Dalfornos. Thank you for your invites and your prayers and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 29:13 "Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."