April 18 By popular demand...........
Many have asked about the National Marrow Donor Program that is a phone call away. To be honest I had never heard of such an opportunity until now that I need a marrow donor.

Houston
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
1400 La Concha Lane
713.791.6697

Baylor College of Medicine Donor Center
1 Baylor Plaza
713.798.8411

Dallas
Baylor University Medical Center
NMDP Donor Center
3409 Worth Street
214.820.8165

Carter BloodCare
2110 Research Row, S 613
214.351.8150

Fort Worth
Cook Children's Medical Center
801 Seventh Ave.
682.885.7562

San Antonio
South Texas Blood and Tissue Center
6211 IH10 West
210.731.5555

For major cities in other states check http://www.marrow.org/HELP/join the registry.html

You could be the very person someone needs. I was informed today that a new likely donor has surfaced and agreed to further testing. The results should be known by late next week. Meanwhile the marathon continues. Onward.
SS

April 9

This week some friends and family asked why update only once a week. Well....... when you hit the wall, or "jest a sittin an a waiten" the aches, fatigue, metal taste, and blah are nothin to write about. Today son Mark drove over from Beaumont with his grandmother and we celebrated his birthday. I baked a chocolate cake, prepared brunch and forgot about all else. This week is off to a moving start. Maybe the donor match will surface.

April 1 Slow down

"At 18 miles you wonder why you do this" ...... Last week my blood counts were low. This made for low energy. Yet every time I "wonder why do this" words of encouragement arrived from a family member or friend.

Truly devine intervention occurs!

So far the donor match tests have been negative. The wait continues. This is disappointing though not unusual. I accept that running from mile 18 on means dig deep and really apreciate the cheers from others. Thank you so much. The New York Marathon poster reads, "At 26.2 it all becomes prefectly clear". Onward.....

March 27
The Beaumont High School Class reunion this weekend was great. Such fun to see so many friends now scattered across the United States. We shared many hugs and life altering stories. I had not eaten in a resturant or been around a crowd of people since January. Fried Cajun seafood never tasted so good.
Good news Sunday night when we returned home to a message that three potential match donors are being screened for the transplant. Onward......................

SATURDAY, MARCH 18TH: Woman with the Golden Arm
I completed the second round of chemotherapy (called consolidation) this week and was given a shot in the arm of Neulasta. Neulasta costs $6,000 per injection. Afterwards the nurse said, "be aware that your bones and joints may ache". Thanks for the information.

Now I am on a holding patttern until the call from Methodist that a donor match has been found for the transplant. It could be 4 to 8 weeks. In the meantime I am to avoid crowds, infection, and respect fatigue. So far so good.
The special support of family and friends makes both arms feel golden. SS

MONDAY, MARCH13: Brief update. Chemo continues and its ill effects caught up with Sally today. Ever feel blah? Can't get comfortable in any position? Food, even ice cream, tastes like kerosene? Chest hurts from the metal thing implanted in there? Pushing the chemo pole down the hall is the highlight of your day?

If so, you are a member of the "chemo buddy" club. The bright light in the tunnel is that she goes home tomorrow.

The wonderful response from all you readers makes a big difference to Sally. Your cards and notes are truly appreciated and are the highlight of her day. Our biggest THANK YOU.

More later,
Bob

SATURDAY, 03/11/2006:
Again thank you family and dear friends for your cards, comments, prayers, and positive thoughts I am so very grateful to each of you.

Three days ago we walked into Methodist again for the consolidation phase of the chemtherapy. Bob and I carried two suitcases packed with coffee pot, PJs, pictures etc. and the New York Marathon poster. Dr. Foote met us at the door and from that point on it was welcome back. Onward with the program. Everthing is going as it is supposed to. I should leave here late Tuesday for an at home recovery process. The best part is that the entire team supports my decision to attend the Beaumont High School reunion on March 24. Hopefully the transplant process will take place mid to late April.

The poster tells it all. We are going from miles 8 to 18 now. The greatest challenge is from miles 18 to 26.2. Onward............

TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2006

Yesterday I went back to work at my Houston HUD office and discovered all over gagain that I love what I do. So good to see my friends and see the progress they have made. I am really looking forward to being back in touch with my colleagues at the Interagency Council on H0melessness.

Today started with a 3 mile early morning run at Rice. What a joy.

An 11:45 AM appointment with Dr. Foote delivered results from my bone marrow test that shows we have achieved the goal of remission. Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts. Praise the almighty.
So far so very good.

Thursday I return to Methodist to begin 5 days of consolidation chemotherapy.

I have decided that Leukemia is my. marathon for this year. I have reached mile 9 with 17.2 miles to go. My poster from the New York Marathon reads "At 18 miles you wonder why you do this. At 26.2 miles it all becomes perfectly clear." I am bringing the poster to Methodist with me on Thursday morning.

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, 3/1&2/06 combined:

No pictures today but...... we are home!!!!

Yesterday I walked out of Methodist Hospital just as I walked in exactly one month ago. Well not exactly as I walked in on February 1. Last month my blood count was exteremly low yet I had the usual bundle of energy. Now the blood count is up and the energy is shall we say in the catch up phase. The medical team advised that I resume running so I tried today. OK no comment. I enjoyed the birds singing and admired the blooming azaleas throughout our neighborhood.

My coming home surprise from Bob is that he has planted red geraniums all accross the front of our house. Beautiful. This time off is so nice before I go in for another round of chemo in about ten days.

Thank you family and friends for your prayers, positive thoughts, cards and mail. You are so appreciated.

TUESDAY 02/28: MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER.....MAKE ME A MATCH! "Fiddler on the Roof" Mom's brother, Ken, Mayor of Buffalo, TX rode his Harley to Methodist to have his blood tested. Sister Carol, Ph.d., had her blood tested in San Antonio. Neither proved to be a match for Sally and in fact nor for one another. Mother Dorothy has reassured that all three have the same father! On the brighter side, the internation bone marrow registry identified 200 matches for Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very exciting news. Mom says: " Can you imagine 200 Sallys running around on the planet!?!?" Her counts are strong and steady and all the doctors are very impressed. Looks like we'll be home soon to get ready for the next round. Stay tuned........

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 02/26: So wonderful to visit with daughter Sarah from Austin, who also happens to be the mother of our perfect grandchild. Sarah and Susan drove from Houston to Beaumont to celebrate Mother's 95th birthday this weekend. It is sunny and beautiful here today in Houston and I long to be outside. Looks like I will be soon! My energy has soared by 50% in the last 24 hours, yeah! yeah!

SATURDAY, FEB. 25: (Dr Bob reporting)

All quiet on the Methodist Hospital front but lots of good news. The numbers are great. White blood cell count is way up (thank you Nupragen) and platelets too. Bottom line - home Monday or Tuesday, MAYBE, resting up for the main event - transplant.

Some nausea/upchuck this afternoon. Maybe reaction to sudden abundance of new white blood cells (thank you for that technical explanation Dr. Bob). However, one little shot and she's off to dreamland, breathing loudly at present (snoring!). Anyway, the docs are very pleased with the situation. Said she has done perfectly all the way along, couldn't be better. We credit this to lots of help, please keep praying.

Today was house prep day for her return. Cleaning people did the air conditioning unit and ductwork, cleaned all carpeting and favorite couch. Area rugs and draperies will be returned from their cleaning on Tuesday. At our house it takes a major life event to get all this done!

And by the way, eleven cards and letters today. She was thrilled, a real boost to her feel-good. Thank you so much, you folks are wonderful.

Bob
(p.s. pictures tomorrow, Susan will be back from Beaumont where she, sister Sarah and Aunts Carol and Jane are having a "girls weekend" with Sally's mom, Dorothy, celebrating her 95th birthday)

FRIDAY

FEB. 24

NOON

Cowgirls Rule

Go Texan Day at Houston's Methodist Hospital brings together one of the world's largest collection of "Dudes" (as in dude ranch). Sally's WWW cowgirl costumes fit right in since most of the doctors could pass as Vets today (the nurses say every day??)......... Bob

"Sally sez" the Med Center has to keep up with the rest of the City on the eve of the world's largest rodeo. U.T. alums say we 'Horns bleed orange. This may be so because my blood has so many chemicals in it no telling what color it is.

I love your cards and letters, emails and comments on this blog. Thank you. More tomorrow.... Sally

Thursday, 02/23: Another good day, Mom slept really well last night and has had a good day. She is continuing tofocus on flying the plane as Ken has coached and it is coming along beautifully. It looks as though the sun has finally come out in Houston and this also reflects our spirits today. Hopefully by this time next week Mom will be back at their house and in her own bed, always a good feeling! Off to watch more Olympics!

Wednesday, 02/21/2006: My brother Ken, the Mayor of Buffalo, rode his Harley to the New Orleans Mardi Gras with his best friend Gary. Upon their return I was honored with a half dozen "Aunt Sally's" pralines! Nothing like a Louisiana sugar fix to get me through my day. For you medical afficionadas, my blood count continues to go in the right direction, albeit ever so slowly. On the really bright side, I formed a new friendship yesterday with a woman my age, size, athletic prowess and personality type that experienced AML a year ago. She had the stem cell transplant and looks marvelous as well as leads a very active life. She really lifted my spirits!

TUESDAY, FEB. 21, 10:00 AM:
Blogger(s) screwed up yesterday and failed to post Monday's comments. Not a big loss since Sally felt generally lousy as a result of (a) mucho antibiotics (b) lack of sleep due to a nightly recurring sinus headache, trips to the bathroom and nurses working their magic, (c) low grade fevers, (d) 3 weeks in the hospital. However, you know Sally - "tomorrow will be a better day".

Today is "tomorrow" and she was right, "tomorrow" is a better day. After a great night's sleep due to meds for headache and other sleep beneficial chemicals, Sally is feeling great this morning. Our nurse-buddy RACHEL and Dr. LAWRENCE FOOTE shared the good news that the white cell count is double what it was yesterday. Dr. Foote also cautioned that going from 2.0 to 4.0 is "like doubling your money when you only have a penny." But it could be the start of the trend we want to see.

Dr. Foote is Houston's best physician/communicator. He shares complete information in a manner that always makes you feel good. For the past three days he was on a trip with his daughter to look at small liberal arts colleges in North Carolina. Next they will go to New England, etc. He told us about their arts programs, study abroad programs, campus life today and current euphemisms such as "hooking up" - means that a couple is having sex. See what all you can learn on a blogsite.

More later today. Bob

SUNDAY 02/19/06: "Bald is Beautiful"! However I prefer a turban. It serves two functions, the first being it keeps your head warm and second, when it coordinates with other attire, why not??

SATURDAY, FEB.18:

Our buddies, Evelyn, Lea and Norma, ganging up on Sally. This crew is wonderful as are the other staff members in the rotation. Nurses work three 12 hour days plus 4 hours on a fourth day. Twelve hours of tending to sick folks and smiling at the doctor is a real challenge. Whenever you next talk to a practising hospital nurse BE NICE!

Sally is now having full benefit of the dark side of the chemical brew. Hair, headache, fever, metallic taste, lack of appetite, etc. Forewarned we have been but its still no fun when the real world arrives. The "good" news is that the doctors are pleased with the progress. All the numbers are on track. Maybe go home for a while the end of next week.

Sally sez "FATIGUE is the word of the day"

Tune in tomorrow - Sally will have a new look.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17: Happy Friday to all. Everything continues to go well in Methodist 891. Sally started her day with the treadmill workout, perhaps slightly less vigorously, then got a new, pixie haircut, had some Hagendaas and a really nice afternoon visit with (UT) college roommate, Diane Lister and husband John (Bob's A&M classmate).

Things get quiet on the weekend at the hospital so we will enjoy a less hectic few days. It's amazing how busy the days are with medical related activities, meals Bob and Susan bring Sally from the main cafeteria downstairs, afternoon coffee and/or previously mentioned Hagendaas, going through all the wonderful cards you are sending, phone calls, pole stroll trips across the room to the bathroom, daily housekeeper visit and so on. Definitely not boring. With Sally that's no surprise......
End

THURSDAY 02/16: My room at Methodist hospital is decorated with cards, photos and artwork from wonderful friends. These two works of art were done by my two beautiful nieces Emma and Ellie Keller of Richmond, VA. Now for the saga of service with a smile, a la the grilled cheese sandwich. One of the effects of chemotherapy is dulled taste buds and a lousy appetite. It is important to eat and therefore time is spent trying to figure out what tastes good enough to indulge in. The other day, after much thought and contemplation, I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich from food service. By the way, all food is ordered here off a menu and not just delivered on a tray at certain hours. With dreams of melted cheese and the flavor of butter I eagerly ordered my sandwich. Alas, what arrived was two pieces of cold bread with a slice of American cheese in the middle. No big deal, I consumed the other stuff and that was that. Well, when the patient liason arrived to ask if I had any complaints, I had to think hard as this is a very nice place with a wonderful, caring staff. After thought, I casually mentioned the disappointment over the grilled cheese sandwich. Before I knew it, the nutritionist visited the room offering coupons for the cafeteria and the head of food services personally came calling to find out what the problem was with the grilled cheese sandwich. After profusely apologizing, she insisted on giving me a $10 gift certificate good at any facility at Methodist, including Starbucks! Lesson learned, these folks take quality of service very seriously and aim to please!