Support Amanda

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 11:04 PM, CDT

I've been trying to put 15 minutes together all day long to update you all and mention a few things, but haven't had time until now.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
First of all, just as a reminder to anyone who plans on visiting Amanda, it's extremely important that if you're sick, have been around someone who's sick, think you may be getting the slightest little sniffle, or just have an aversion to bathing, DON'T COME. As Mary Jo so aptly put it, it doesn't mean you don't love or care about her if you don't visit. Frankly, it's showing that you do care. Her immune system is so fragile right now that the slightest little bacteria could cause severe complications.
Meanwhile, if you are healthy, and don't mind watching a beautiful sick woman sleep, you may visit, but it's still important to be vigilant about clean hands especially, but clean everything. I don't mean to patronize any of you, but now that the chemo has done all its dirty work she's about as susceptible to infection as she'll ever be and will be for a number of days.
So ya, the chemo's is done for now. Let’s hope for good, but realistically it’s just done for now. Now we wait. The cells in her bone marrow will begin rebuilding, and in about a week they'll be able to tell what percentage are the cancer cells or Blasters. Again, she began with 70% and we’re shooting for a percentage between 2 and 5 percent for the cancer to be considered in remission.
As I've reported, she's been feeling pretty banged up for a number of days, and we expect that to last for a while longer. But after some blood transfusions and lots of fluid and rest she should begin to improve after that! 'Really looking forward to that day.
The chromosome tests we've been sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for began to come back today. Normal. That was what I was told about that. Just, normal. My expectation, based on the importance they seemed to place on those tests, was somehow greater. I guess, though, that it's good news that it's not bad news. There are a couple more specialized chromosome tests that we're still waiting for, but I'm not expecting much from them now.
-Z