Donation Day

This morning started early...about 5:30 am to get ready and be at the hospital at 7:30 am to give the stem cell donation for Jason's transplant on Friday. Everything went extremely well, considering I was nervous about having the temporary catheter put in my neck...that I ended up not needing as my veins were big enough to go through my arms! Praise God!

The hardest part of the donation was lying with my arms still for 5 hours...but I did a lot of sleeping, so the time passed pretty quickly. Daryl was a trooper...he stayed right by my bed making sure that I was comfortable and getting my drinks and food for me. I am sure it was a long day for him, too.

Modern technology amazes me. Daryl asked the nurse in hemapheresis and he said that my blood left and entered my body 4 times! Once I was finished, there was a nice bag of blood/stem cells waiting on Jason! God is so good!

Believe it or not, I would go through all this again...even for someone that I didn't know. Irregardless of what some may think, I didn't do it for recognition and I don't want any praise for doing what I did. I consider it an honor and privilege to be able to help someone...it just happens to be my brother. I am humbled that God could use me to do something so extraordinary. I appreciate every one's well wishes today and prayers as I went through the donation process...it was a rewarding experience. My prayer is that each cell that came out of my body is enough to save Jason and get him better...as I know he wants to move on with life and be healthy again! I know he will be better...before we know it!

Wow God...you continue to amaze and bless our family everyday!

Two Shots Down

This morning I received the second of my Neupogen shots to prepare my body for Jason's bone marrow transplant. Yesterday I did pretty good, except for I had a hard time sleeping due to my right leg hurting really bad. So, needless to say I didn't get to sleep until 4 am this morning.

After we got back from getting my shot in the clinic and seeing Jason, I decided to stay around the hotel room and rest, while Daryl took Tanner to the SC Aquarium. I knew my body couldn't take all the walking, so Mama and I stayed in the hotel room and she helped me with Tucker and give me a chance to rest. I am definitely thankful that I stayed in the hotel for the rest of the day, because my back and legs feel as though they have been hit with a baseball bat. My leg thigh bone feels like it is huge and about to burst! However, this is a good thing (per the nurse in the BMT clinic) as pains mean that my body is producing some stem cells! They gave me some pain medication at my appointment, so hopefully I will be going to be a lot earlier tonight (actually, as soon as I finish this post)!

In regards to the aquarium...Tanner came in and said, "We had a great time!" He brought me back a stuffed red-eyed tree frog and a picture of him and Daddy in front of a big fish tank. I was disappointed that Tucker and I didn't get to go, but my body needed the rest.

I am scheduled for my temporary catheter (PICC line) on Thursday morning at 9 am. Please pray for me, as I am extremely nervous about having this procedure done. I don't like being cut (especially on purpose) or having to be put to sleep/be given drugs that make me loopy. We all know that I am a control freak and like to be in control of my own body! The nurse that gave me the Neupogen shot this morning gave me a thorough explanation of the procedure, which made me feel a little better...but just pray for me as Thursday approaches. I can handle shots, IVs, birthing babies and pain...but the thought of having a tube in my neck makes me nauseous.

Continue to pray for Jason and Lindsey, too. They need your prayers a whole lot more than I do. Also, pray for Mama. I know it must be hard to deal with both of her kids going through all this craziness. However, I know where Jason gets his determination and willpower from, because my Mama is the strongest person I know! Let's not forget to pray for Daryl, as he dealt (and continues to deal) with my emotions over the last few days. Also, Daryl's parents as he is caring for Jason and Lindsey's three children while they are in Charleston.

Thanks in advance for every one's prayers and support. Keep visiting Jason's caringbridge site and signing his guestbook. He and Lindsey enjoy reading all the encouraging words.

Charleston: Arrival

We made it to Charleston last night (Sunday) around six o'clock and settled into our hotel room. Once Mama and I made a trip to the grocery store to stock the hotel room, we drove over to MUSC to check on Jason and Lindsey (and deliver some cereal and milk that we picked up at the grocery store). Jason looked great, so we took a few minutes to chat and then we headed back over the hotel to relieve Daryl, who had the kids, so he could finish his homework assignment.
You can check Jason's journal for the latest update on his progress.

Today was my first appointment at the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) Clinic to receive my first Neupogen injection. The Neupogen injections will increase the WBCs (white blood cells) that my body makes, in turn causing bone marrow cells/stem cells to seep through my bones into my bloodstream. I will be receiving these shots over the next few days to prepare my body for the transplant donation on Thursday.

When I went in for my shot this morning, the nurse told me that the shot would sting a little bit...and boy was she right! It wasn't painful, just annoying...and the stinging lasted for about 15 minutes after the shot was given! She told me if I was going to have any side effects, I would feel them around the second to third day of the shots. The side effects include bone aches (in the back, legs and sternum) and headaches. The aches are caused from the bone marrow seeping through my bones and into my blood. Modern medicine is absolutely amazing!

I also learned today that I would have to give the donation through a temporary catheter that would be placed in my neck and sutured into place. I must admit that I am a little nervous, as I do not like being cut on purpose...but who does, right? I am just praying that God would calm my nerves and that the procedure not be as bad as it sounds. I am willing to go through a little pain to make my little brother get well. Plus, I have birthed two babies...so I am no stranger to pain!

After the doctor's appointment, Daryl and I took Tanner to see the USS Yorktown. Tanner had a blast sitting in the cockpit of an airplane, walking on the flight deck and touring a piece of American history! It was also neat to get a glimpse of what Daryl's life was like when he was aboard a carrier in the Navy. He was our personal tour guide throughout the Yorktown...and he did a fantastic job. It pays to know someone on the "inside". (Click here for pictures)

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers and especially Jason and Lindsey. He is doing tremendously well, but it is only because of God's grace and your prayers. God is good...all the time!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!!

Six Years Old Today!

My oldest nephew, JC turned six years old today! I can't believe that I have a nephew that is six...for Heaven's sake, it seems like yesterday that I was six years old!

JC is one of the funniest, fun-loving and sweetest kids I know. As you can see, Tanner absolutely adores JC and wants to do everything that he does. JC is definitely the leader of the pack. All the little ones follow him around and imitate everything that he does. I have enjoyed watching him over the last few months as we gathered to see him play baseball, football and go to Kindergarten! He is such a smart who has managed to pick up his Daddy's sense of humor and wit!

I hope that this birthday brings you everything you want and a little more! I love you very much!

Does this outfit make me look fat?

I love "wearing" little Tucker...it keeps my hands free and he enjoys Mama holding him and keeping him close while I run around the house loading the dishwasher, folding laundry and making the beds.


I am just thankful that I don't have to carry around a baby in my belly that weighs as much as he does right now! However, I love looking down and seeing that bald head bobbing around, content...and QUIET!

Jason is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant on November 6th and as I have mentioned before, I am his donor. His transplant is scheduled at MUSC in Charleston. We will be leaving on November 1st (for one week) to make the trip down to Charleston so that I can get started on all the things necessary to prepare my body for the transplant.

Here is a copy of the journal entry on Jason’s caringbridge site, that details everything that will be happening in the upcoming weeks. Once we get to Charleston, I will update my blog each day (with information about the donation procedures) and also update the Jason’s journal so that everyone knows how he is doing.

Friday, October 23, 2009 2:00 PM, EDT

Since Jason’s last journal entry, lots of things have transpired! Jason did another round of chemotherapy in the hospital and did extremely well. He had another bone marrow biopsy a couple of weeks ago and it came back “clean”…meaning there were no leukemia cells present. His blood work also continues to show good WBC count and platelet numbers.

Also, Jason decided to go and get a second opinion at MUSC in Charleston last week. Since meeting with the physicians down there, he has decided to proceed with a bone marrow transplant. Instead of doing the traditional method of the donor’s marrow being harvested through a bone marrow aspiration, the donor (me) will give stem cells to Jason through a process much like giving platelets or plasma.

Yesterday, Jason had an appointment at MUSC to get everything in order for his transplant, which will take place on November 6th. I also made the trip to Charleston to make sure that I am healthy enough to be a donor. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Jason while I was down there, but Daryl got to see him as he was passing through the waiting room to one of his many appointments of the day. It was a long day, as Jason and Lindsey started their trip around 5 am, due to having an 8:30 am appointment. Daryl and I got started a little later in the morning, as my appointment was not until 9:30 am.

Jason is scheduled to go into the hospital on October 30th and then this is his schedule for the days following:

October 29 – Nothing to eat or drink

October 30 – Place the central line (where chemo/radiation /transplant will be administered) (-7)

October 31 – Admission to the hospital (-6)

November 1 – Administration of Cytoxam (-5)

November 2 – Administration of Cytoxam (-4)

November 3 – Radiation Treatment (-3)

November 4 – Radiation and Administration of Cytoxam (-2)

November 5 – Radiation Treatment (-1)

November 6 – TRANSPLANT!!! (0)

All of the Chemo and Radiation that Jason is receiving above is his conditioning. Conditioning, also known as bone marrow preparation or myeloablation, is treatment with high-dose chemo and/or radiation therapy. It is done for one or more of the following reasons:

•to make room in the bone marrow for transplanted stem cells
•to suppress Jason’s immune system to lessen the chance of graft rejection
•to destroy all of the cancer cells anywhere in Jason’s body
No one conditioning treatment is used for every transplant. Jason’s treatment will be planned just for him. It is based on the type of disease he has, the type of transplant, and any chemo or radiation therapy he has received in the past.

The chemo will be given through an intravenous (IV) catheter or as pills. If radiation therapy is planned, it is given to the entire body (called total body irradiation or TBI). This phase of the transplant can be very uncomfortable since high doses are used. Chemo and radiation side effects can make Jason sick, and it may take months to fully recover. A very common problem is mouth sores that will need to be treated with strong pain medicines. Jason may also have nausea, vomiting, be unable to eat, lose his hair (what little he has growing back), and have lung or breathing problems.

After the conditioning treatment, Jason will be getting the new, healthy stem cells that I have donated the day before (I will explain this process a little later). They will be given through his central line, much like a fast blood transfusion. Jason will be awake for this process and it doesn't hurt. This is an important step and often has great meaning for Jason and his family. This is his rebirth or chance at a second life.

Infusion side effects are rare and usually mild, but can include the following:

•fever or chills
•shortness of breath
•hives
•tightness in the chest
•low blood pressure
•coughing
•chest pain
•less urine output
•feeling weak


Again, side effects are rare and usually mild. If they do happen, they are treated as needed and the stem cell infusion is always completed.

After the transplant, Jason will be in Charleston for approximately 3 months as he begins his recovery stage of the transplant. This recovery stage begins after the stem cell infusion. During this time, Jason and his family will wait for the cells to engraft, or "take," after which they begin to multiply and make new blood cells. The time it takes to start seeing a steady return to normal blood counts varies depending on the patient and the transplant type, but is usually about 2 to 6 weeks.

During the first couple of weeks Jason will have low numbers of red and white blood cells and platelets. Right after transplant, when his counts are the lowest, he may be given antibiotics to keep him from getting infections (called prophylactic antibiotics). He may get anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral drugs. These antibiotics are usually given until his white blood cell count reaches a certain level. Still, complications such as infection due to low white blood cell counts (neutropenia), or bleeding problems due to low platelet levels (thrombocytopenia), may develop. Many patients have high fevers and need IV antibiotics to treat serious infections. Transfusions of red blood cells and platelets are given until the bone marrow is working again and blood cells are being made.

As I mentioned earlier, I also made the trip to Charleston yesterday to make sure that I am healthy enough to be a donor. So, for my first visit to MUSC they took about 20 tubes of blood…to test it for every disease imaginable to man, an EKG to check my heart rhythm and a general health assessment and medical history by a Nurse Practitioner. The verdict is…my blood work was perfect (other than my Potassium being a little low, so they gave me a prescription for some potassium) and everything looked great for us to proceed with the transplant! Praise GOD!

The doctors and nurses took the morning to explain the transplant to me and answer any questions that I may have regarding the donation process. Everyone was very helpful and made sure I understood everything that would be going on. Starting on Sunday, November 1…we will arrive in Charleston for seven days…to get my body ready for the transplant and to be able to spend time with Jason as he receives the transplant. I can’t wait to see the “bag of life” that Jason will get on November 6th! I don’t think I have ever been excited about the chance to help my little brother! To prepare my body, I will receive Neupogen* shots (just like Jason received while getting chemotherapy) to trick my body in rapidly producing blood cells…which will also make the bone marrow cells rapidly reproduce and exit my bones into my blood stream. This will cause joint pain, headache and the long bones of my body to ache. Jason told me the other day that the shot stings a little bit and that my bones will ache really bad…but I am up for it. Anything for Jason. We all want him to get better!

Along with all the other tests, they checked my veins to make sure that they were “big enough” for the needles that will be used for the donation. The nurse in hemapheresis said that one arm looked okay, but my right arm was questionable. He said they would try to use my arms, but if they couldn’t…they would give me local anesthesia to place a needle in my neck to remove the blood from the vein underneath my collarbone. The donation process will take about 6-7 hours and will be done outpatiently. Once this is done, they will take the donated stem cells and count them (yes, count them) to make sure they have enough to give to Jason. The nurse explained to us that it is based on the donor’s weight/height versus Jason’s weight/height. As long as Jason doesn’t weigh a lot more than I do, then I should only need to go through the donation process once…if my body doesn’t produce enough, they will do two donations and two transplants for Jason (one in the morning and one in the afternoon on 11/6).

Here is the calendar that MUSC gave me:

November 1 – Check into hotel

November 2 – Neupogen shot in clinic

November 3 – Neupogen shot in clinic

November 4 – Neupogen shot in clinic

November 5 – Neupogen shot in clinic and Hemapheresis (stem cell donation)

November 6 – Possible Neupogen in clinic and/or Hemapheresis (if needed) TRANSPLANT TO JASON!!!

The risks of stem cell donation are extremely low…1% globally for spleen enlargement and then the possibility of leukemia later in life…due to the Neupogen shots that rapidly stimulate cell growth. However, the physician and nurse told us that stem cell donations have been done for many years and they have not seen this happen in the past yet….but of course, they must warn me of the risks. With that being said…I recommend going to the National Bone Marrow Registry website and signing up to be a donor….you never know when you might have the chance to help someone receive a “second life”. There are lots of people out there that do not have siblings that could be a donor and you could be a match for them!

As it gets closer to Jason’s transplant and we get settled in Charleston in the next week, I will update the journal. Please sign Jason’s guestbook and let him and Lindsey know that you are thinking about them as they get ready to leave home and travel to Charleston. Also, I hope to get some pictures of the donation and transplant (maybe even a video) that I will get posted and share with everyone. Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

Please continue to pray for Jason and Lindsey (and everyone in the family) during this time. As I know more details about the donation process and the transplant, I will pass them on via my blog and caringbridge. I hope to take lots of pictures while I am here so that everyone can share in this journey and to prepare a little something special for Jason for his transplant day.

Thanks for all your prayers and support…God has already performed miracles in his life and I know that he will continue to do so.

Happy Birthday Lindsey Lu!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Lindsey!

She has a lot going on right now, but has been so strong and carried her burdens with grace and perseverance. I love you and hope that you have the bestest birthday ever!

I am not quite sure what is going on in this picture, but it was too funny not to share! She probably just got finished fussing at one of the kids (or Jason), but nevertheless, the look on her face is priceless!

Football Fan?

How do you keep this sweet boy in his seat at a football game?

By satisfying his sweet tooth!!

ROAR! I'm Four!

This year, Tanner got to have a "big party"...which means he could invite his friends from church and then anyone else that he would like to come. We only have "big parties" every other year, as to save money and my sanity.

We had a blast! Tanner was so excited to have his "friends" at his house, along with his cousins and family. It was a bit overwhelming, but he handled the excitement pretty well...as much as can be expected for a four-year old, anyway.

The kids ran from the backyard with a bouncy house...to the front yard with a train ride, courtesy of Daryl. It was a little chilly, but the kids enjoyed the nip in the air, while the adults stayed out of the cold and ate birthday cake and ice cream!

Here are a few pictures (more here) from Tanner's dinosaur party, along with his requested rainbow cake. His request..."a cake with different colors" and dinosaurs, of course! After searching, I found this cake that seemed to be perfect! It was a huge hit with Tanner and the party-goers. I will definitely make this cake again!

Also, here is a video of Tanner blowing out the candles on his birthday cake! Don't you just love that cute grin on his face as he waits to blow out his candles?

After everyone had left, we took the balloons outside and let them "go up to Jesus" for Tanner's birthday! Tanner said, "Jesus needs a balloon from my birthday party." Precious...just precious!


A great party...for a GREAT, little boy!