Sally Stevens Shipman March 23, 1938 - May 28, 2007

"......Mom and I often compared her journey with leukemia to a marathon. We both have a poster with the following message:

"At 18 miles you wonder why you do this. At 26. 2 it becomes perfectly clear."

She finished this marathon, only she finished this one in Heaven with God welcoming her at the finish line.

As she would say to us all, "Onward"

May 24, 2007: Thank you family and friends for your prayers, positive thoughts, clever e-mails, cards and phone calls, it means a lot.

Relapse! I am back at Methodist Hospital for chemotherapy which will lead to another bone marrow transplant this summer.

Bottom line, the transplanted marrow of youth and beauty did not triumph over age and wisdom - darn!! This go round I have suggested a male donor in hopes we can be more compatible.

Going home in a few days, please stay in touch, ONWARD.......

May 11
Remember the country western song ? Detour there's a muddy road ahead.
Two weeks ago after months of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) . " Irregular cells showed up in the bone marrow biopsy. Thankfully through osmosis your calls, cards, prayers and positive thoughts reach me with every bump along this muddy road.
The immediate approach is stop the steroids and immune suppressants, twice a week visits to Methodist to evaluate what the donor cells are doing to destroy blasts, and experiencing what GVHD is like without immune suppressants. Good news -my brain seems more normal? Challenge - my skin looks and feels like a Gulf Coast sun burn complete with itching. Onward on the muddy road.

March 19, 2007 - Trucking on.......
Recently a friend asked, "Why have you not updated your blog?" Before thinking I responded, "because the last three months have been ----!"
I am exhausted after working all day, tending to family responsibilities, and yielding to health needs. So there. Instead of a marathon or a roller coaster the "recovery process" is what hauling a truck up a hill must be like.
My body is entering the fourth month of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). Steroids and other oral drugs appear to be working as the measles like bumps abate. Every time I become discouraged mentally a phone call or mail from family or friends interupts the piety party. Call it divine intervention or osmosis. Some how some one brings cheer. Your wonderful love and support makes the truck move on like the Little Engine That Could. Thank you so much.

Above the two good looking men are Sergio and Jack. True our daughter had a lot to do with Jacks creation and maintenance, yet he looks like his dad. His second birthday was 2/10/07 and I had fun helping.

April 9 - Within minutes of writing the above update on March 19 food poisoning arrived with vengence four hours after lunch at a fancy resturant NO further words necessary. Five days later because Susan,Carol and I had accepted a friend's invitation to her lovely home in Vail months ago, we did just that. The Colorado Rocky Mountain high really works. Pictures will be posted on the next update. I have promised our family that I will update at least once a month so that you all will know what is going on. June 14 marks my one year transplant anniversary. Onward.......

October, November, December JOY TO THE WORLD

Thank you so very much family and friends for your continued encouragement. Strength is contagious!

October 22 Susan completed the Nike Ladies Marathon for the Leukemia Team in Training. Firefighters in tuxedos greeted finishers with a Tiffany silver necklace. Our family cheered her on and then spent time touring the wine country in celebration. Susan was the top fund raiser for the Texas Gulf Coast.

I resumed work in October just in time for our long planned Colorado family vacation in Estes Park. Rocky mountain National Park looked beautiful. That's son Mark and me at frozen Bear Lake.

Over a 100 years ago a pioneer Colorado woman built her home and a successful Tea Room along the wagon trail in what is now Rocky Mountain National Park. I felt strong just standing in her footsteps.

November 18 Bob completed the Tour d Tucson 110 mile bike ride with the Leukemia Team In Training. We cheered him on and contributed to the local economy.

Mid-November five months after transplant Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) showed up in the form of a body rash that itches like #*&&. Now at month 6, steroids and a topical cream have it under control. The medical team tells me this is expected. Now I know why athletes take steroids. My energy bounces, my weight continues to move up and I am dangerous. The brighter note is that the 6 month bone marrow biopsy results are good. Onward......

October 16
Good news. During the 26th annual Womens Week, while canoeing on the Guadalupe with Jan my lungs blew off the mask and breathed fresh hill county air. What a wonderful week of friends and fun. The medical news is also good. I am off the IVs, free of "the port", and my bone marrow biopsy reveals 100 %healthy donor cells. The challenge now is to nurture those healthy cells and achieve full recovery. Onward.

September 22 - Day 100

I am not sure why day 100 is supposed to be the transplant turning point, but it is. So I tossed the wig. Energy is now about 8 on a scale of 1-10 though I have always been a 15. We enjoyed an AM visit from friends Carter and Sue from Amarillo. Our friendship dates back to UT days followed by years of UT/OU games when Carter and Sue lived in Dallas. Today I also enjoyed my first hair appointment in 9 months. Though my hair is not coming back blond, Brad took care of that. Onward..........