Friday, December 1, 2006

Update # 76

Good Evening,

This last week at home has proved to be busy and interesting.

Barnes called us on Tuesday to say that Jeff did not need to see Dr. DiPersio's assistant on Friday since Jeff is being admitted the following Monday.  One less trip!

I played phone tag with the Social Worker from Barnes for a couple of days.  She is the person who had to send in the referral for our stay at Hope Lodge.  We finally spoke on Wednesday to do a small application.  Hope Lodge called about 2:30 this afternoon and said there should be an opening when we arrive in StL on Monday.  Ken and I will have to attend an orientation there at 7:00 PM that night.

My First Grade Team members at school had a surprise farewell for me at school yesterday morning.  They fixed a wide variety of breakfast items for the entire staff and had a banner for Jeff and us.  We'll keep it displayed in his hospital room.  If Jeff's transplant and recovery go well, I plan to return to work the middle of January.  The kids and I had big hugs before leaving at the end of the day since I'm going to be gone a "long" time.  They and their parents have also been very supportive.

Yesterday was my last day since a winter storm was on the way.  We dismissed school early at 1:00 PM with ice already on the trees and bushes.  The ice kept coming down and we were notified at 8:30 last night that school was cancelled for today.  The ice kept up for hours and we watched the tree branches hang down to the ground.  After Midnight came a loud crash which was a huge branch coming onto the roof outside our patio door damaging mostly the gutter.  Another branch had fallen onto the driveway.  While Ken was outside checking things, the fire department called (1:00 AM) to say a call had come in about the church -- they used the lock box to get in and found no problem.  Well, the whole night brought loud cracking noises and crashes.  This morning showed some snow plus a branch on the roof above our bedroom, another through the roof of the shed, many more down on the driveway and the side of the house plus some out front.  So people have said for months "let us know what we can do to help" -- today they got the call.  We had a teacher with her husband, 4 church members, and a high school friend of Jeff's.  It took the 9 of us a little more than an hour to chain saw and move limbs.  The tree guy can now come whenever to do more trimming and remove the huge pile we made out back.  Ken and I were thankful that we were still home and not down in StL when this happened.  And that there's no real damage.  Thank you all again for the help!!!

A doctor from Barnes called late this afternoon requesting Jeff to come down earlier on Monday for the possibility of needing platelets before the broviac procedure.  So we'll have to be there at 11:00 AM to have a CBC determine his counts with the procedure still at 1:00 PM.  

Then not long after that phone call, was the nurse coordinator calling with the results of Jeff's bone marrow aspiration from Monday.  It shows he is still recovering from that last round of chemo.  They still think he is in remission which means next week's chemo won't have to be so aggressive.  

We've all been more restless at nights this week and spend less time sleeping.  Jeff is getting things together that he wants to have with him.  He's ready to have this all done.

Thank you one and all for the continued love, help, and prayers.  That's what helps us through days like today.  God does watch over us.  We pray He continues to watch over you also.

love,

Marcia