Email: The finish line (Day 40+)

I am sorry I have been out of touch for so long. Thank you for all the calls and emails, I am sorry that many of them went unanswered but I am just getting back to the ‘real world’. Today is day 40 and I am finally feeling much better and getting my energy back. I also have some good news to share with you all. Today I had the lines removed from my chest and next Monday the 18th I will be dismissed from the transplant clinic back to my regular oncologist. They have also given me the all clear to go back to work at the office the first week in October. I will still have to be conscious of being around big crowds and can’t go out and about until day 100 but a slow return is better than isolation!

I hope you are all doing well and I can’t wait to see each of you.
Becca

Email: I'm Free! (Day 17+)

Just wanted to let you all know that I am out of the hospital and on the mend. I still to get I still go to the clinic for 6 hours everyday for fluids and to make sure my system is rebuilding itself. So far so good except I can’t seem to start eating and drinking on my own. I know that is hard for many of you to believe, I myself have a hard time imagining myself not being able to eat but it is true J. Today is day +17 (17 days since my transplant) and everyday I feel a bit better. All of your emails and calls are amazing as you might imagine I am really BORED but super excited that football season is here something new to watch on TV J.

Email: Released on Good Behavior (Day 11+)

Today is day +11, which means it has been 11 days since my transplant. I just met with the Dr. this morning and since I haven’t had a fever in 24 hours and my blood counts are on the mend I will probably go home on Thursday, as long as I stay on my best behavior. Of course getting cleared to go home really means I am cleared to go home and to the clinic everyday BUT it is better than being in the hospital. Around day +20 they will probably let me switch to every other day at the clinic and weekends off! Day +50 (September 22nd) is when I will be able to re-join society! J - not that I am counting.

Thank you guys for your emails and calls, as you can imagine it is hard to keep yourself entertained here.
Can’t wait to see you all!

Email: Hospital Food (Day 7+)

Hello everyone ~

Just wanted to send you all a quick note and let you know that I am in the hospital. They admitted me on Wednesday 08/08/06 and think I will be here for about
a week. The main reason I am here is because of mouth and throat sores,
which make it almost impossible for me to eat or drink. The good news is
that I am in the hospital and not eating or drinking their food is a blessing
:) I am doing well just sleeping a lot. I haven' t been able to
answer the phone b/c my voice is a little raw at the moment but thanks for all
the calls.

Today is day +7 which means only 43 days left until I get out of the bubble.

Have a great weekend and I will talk to you soon,
Becca

Email: 07/28/06

I just wanted to send you all an email before I started the final process of my transplant since I will be out of commission for a bit. My transplant was moved up so I have already started my last round of chemo via pills at home. Monday – Wednesday of next week I will take my high dose chemo, which if I have any say in it will be the LAST chemo this body every sees. Then Friday, August 4^th is T-Day (Transplant Day)! Once I get through the transplant it is just a matter of waiting for my body to engraft and my immune system to start growing back. Sometime between 4 and 10 days after the transplant I will be in the hospital for about a week or two. I don’t want anyone to worry about me – it is completely normal and 95% of transplant patients end up in the hospital for various reasons.

So – I will be in touch and hopefully talk to you soon. I hope you are all doing well.

All my best –

Becca

Email: 07/17/06 & Team in Training

I just wanted to check in with you guys and give you a quick update. I have been trying to collect my stem cells for the transplant for the last 5 days; it is going a little slower than expected. Tomorrow is my last day of collection and I now head into transplant preparation. Because the stem cell harvesting was a little slower than expected my transplant date was pushed back a bit. I will be having the transplant around August 11th, if all goes well. In the meantime just more doctors appointments.
I also wanted to mention a hero of mine, Lisa Nikolich. Lisa is preparing to run a MARATHON with an organization called Team in Training. For the record previous to this training Lisa was not a runner! She along with other people just like you and me begin training with this organization everyday to help raise money for cancer research. I am honored to team up with Lisa in her effort to help raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Please see the attached fundraising letter from Lisa or if you would like to donate now please click on the link below, any help you can give is appreciated! http://www.active.com/donate/tntga/tntgaLNIKOLI My hope is that next year you will be making a donation to help my training efforts – by that time I am sure Lisa will be my trainer!

Email: 07/04/06

Thought I would take a second to wish you all a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY and let you know that I am doing well. Final round of ICE chemo was last week and now I head into the stem cell harvesting part of the plan. At this point the high-dose chemo and transplant is scheduled for July 25-28. All I can say is “ARE WE THERE YET?”.
I miss everyone so much and as you can imagine it is killing me to not be as social as I once was. Hunter (my dog) is getting sick of me and has started to give me looks that quite clearly say “stop talking to me, I am a dog”. I am also quite sure that my sister is faking business trips just to get away from me. JUST KIDDING! Luckily I don’t miss everyone at work too much since I am so fondly reminded of you while watching the past seasons of THE OFFICE that you provided for my viewing pleasure on my Ipod. I don’t think I have laughed so much in years….what a funny show.

On a quick side note many of you have asked about platelet donation. We did meet with the donation center last week and all of you willing locals will be called in to help out when possible. You will be receiving an email with donation details from a Laura Lee Jonas, platelet donation coordinator extraordinaire, in the next week or two.

Enough rambling – hope you are all well.
Have a safe and happy 4th!

- Becca

Email: 06/12/06

Just wanted to check in and let you all know that I am doing well. Last week’s chemo was rough – I guess I was such a good patient (ha, ha) on Wednesday I earned myself a private room. Needless to say I owed the nurses a few apologies on Thursday. I am sure that is hard for most of you to imagine J. Anyways – my next chemo, last chemo before transplant, will be on 7/28. Until then lots of testing and doctors appointments. As always thanks for all the calls, emails and cards.

Hope to see you soon!
Have a great week,
Becca

Email: Treatment postponed

I just wanted to let you all know that my treatment this week has been postponed until next week due to low platelet counts. Obviously I am a little disappointed but it is out of my control. They have given me some medicine to help stimulate red blood cell growth so that should help. This issue is completely normal it happens all the time and in no way should it effect my treatment other than it will take longer than I had hoped.
On a good note I shaved my head this morning, so my pirate look is back just in time for the premier of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie! J

Talk to you all soon –
Becca

Email 05/22/06

I just wanted to check in with you all and let you know that I am doing well. I appreciate all of the phone calls and emails. I am sorry that I haven’t been able to speak with most of you. Today has been the first day that I can put together a coherent thought and I have been spending most of my time up until now drugged and asleep (try not to be jealous). I assure you that I am doing well just really tired and ready for this to be over already.

I promise to be in touch soon –
Becca