Back after a long weekend...

we had a great break from treatment and it is soooo hard to come back but we are so very grateful to "Habitat for Hope" for this apt. It has made it possible for Mike and 6 of the kids to come with me. It is truely a blessing.
Tessa continues with the every 8 hours IV antibiotics but other wise appears to be doing well.
It is late and the kids need to get to bed so I will close

a better day

well, today was a better day and we got home around 1pm. we got our supplies and tonite her IV will be at 10pm and not midnite....whew! we see her Dr tomarrow so maybe we will have more info on this bug she has.

I am looking forward to going home on wed

Happy Thanksgivng thoughts

As I sit here in Memphis with Tessa and Annie Grace I can't help but be so very thankful for all the good in my life, even today as I try to deal with yet another problem caused by this horrible cancer I realize that we have so much to be thankful for! I met a woman in passing yesterday on the elevator and she was going up to the 4th floor. (On the 4th floor the kids have or are waiting for bone marrow transplants.) Her son was not doing well and there was nothing more that could be done for him. My heart went out to her.It could have easily been me saying the same words that mother was saying.
I am so thankful for my children . My son and his wife Marie, with out them we would not be able to manage . For my wonderful husband Mike, who is at home with 6 young children, cooking,cleaning,changing diapers and being both a mom and a dad while I am away. I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate him. For friends who have: cooked meals, pies, bacon green bean bundles(yum),sent packages to Tessa, called me or listened to me while I talked and prayed for us. I am thankful for perfect strangers who have given us gift cards for gas, meals and prayers....
I am thankful that I am not hearing bombs everyday and seeing death constantly, that my children have enough to eat and hopefully they will continue to grow up in a free Nation.I am very thankful to the American people for putting so much faith in man of color , so that he may in turn give hope to my children that they truly can be anything they want in life.
Most of all we are thankful to God for being so awesome !

sorry for being so slow!!!!

well, today was a very hectic day for us here, they have found a bacteria that is growing in Tessa's blood. So, she will have to have antibiotics every 8 hours and an oral one also...they only have the preliminary results back , so they may have to change the meds. I have to get up at midnite....those who know me know that I don't do good with out my sleep....I have Annie Grace with me and all things concidered she is being soooo good. Well, will try to do better on the updating..

back in Memphis....

well Tessa,Ella and I are back in Memphis . Tessa starts her radiation treatment in the morning. Soon it will all be over and hopefully it will seem like a bad dream that we have finally awakened from.
Hopefully the kids at home all get well, they have had strep and Emmalie isen't doing very well.
well I will keep the site updated ....

Tessa is home!!!

I went to pick up Tessa and Mike today .She is doing great and seems to be feeling fine. We looked at the apt where we will be staying thanks to "Habitat for Hope" in Memphis, it will be great to have some of the kids with us and hopefully we will get to do some things in Memphis.It will seem like a vacation for them.
I will attempt to keep updating the blog as often as I can but the kids want most/all of my attention...LOL
Dana

discharge hopefully tomarrow!!!

If Tessa has no fever tonite she should be able to come home tomarrow....YAY!!!! if she has a fever then she will have to have a lung scan to check for fungus . I will keep the blog updated (try)
I am so ready to get this all behind us, Tessa seems so little to have such a harsh treatment and we continue to pray that she will make a complete recovery. I think that we need a relaxing trip after all of this!! I haven't seen my son and his family in so long and am anxious to visit.....we will see.
Dana

counts still "o"....

I wish that I had something better to post but Tessa's bone marrow is just really taking a long time to recover this time. She has a 101 degree temp also....It seems like we are in limbo....Mike is at the hospital with Tessa and he is anxious to come home and get back to work....we forgot what income is....LOL...(I am trying to lighten things up)
The plan is all up in the air really depending on her counts.
Otherwise she is doing pretty good her appetite is poor but will improve I am sure when her counts do
Keep ya posted
Dana

Problems with my computor....

I am trying to get some pictures on here but having a heck of a time!! Tessa is still at St Judes with "o" counts. Hopefully she will come home by Thursday. Mike relieved me so I could come home...now it is on to how the heck to organize the next 6 wks!!
Dana

counts still "0"....

well I had hoped that things would be on the "up" swing but not so...I guess now they have some concern about her elevated heart rate and her blood pressure has been flucuating also. I am thinking she will be here all of next week.
We then have to come back the following week for tests and appts , then the next week (17th) the radiation will start...so it is looking like Memphis will be our permanent home for a while.
I am hoping that Mike finds a ride here today so I can get home and get our house in order and pack for the following weeks! Mikes brother Jim is having surgery tomarrow for his gall-bladder so please keep him in your prayer also.
Dana

counts still "0"....