A Bedside Update from Georgetown

Since I last wrote we have been speaking with people from the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center out in Seattle to make plans for moving forward.  The first step is to head out there for a consultation.  My amazing bride Hanna and I are leaving on Sunday for a quick one day meeting where we will meet everybody in Seattle and get a better picture of what will happen next and where we will be spending 3 or 4 months.  We are really excited because it will make this whole next leg much more real (that and we will get to see the first Starbucks and maybe toss a fish or two around the market).  We will meet with doctors, nurses, financial representatives, the donor search team, and take tours of the outpatient and inpatient centers as well as the long term housing options that are affiliated with the hospital.  It will put us in a much better place toward knowing what we are about to step into. 

In the meantime, Dr. Broome, as well as the docs out in Seattle, want to make sure that my leukemia stays in remission so I have been admitted at Georgetown all week getting another round of chemo.  This is more preventative than anything but it is the same regimen of drugs that I received last month here at Georgetown.  The timing of our permanent trip out to Seattle depends on how quickly an unrelated donor can be found from the bone marrow registry and how quickly everything gets set for us out in Seattle.  After we get back from our consult, I'll recover for a week or two from this chemo followed by at least one more round here at Georgetown.  Ideally, after that next round of chemo, things will be ready in Seattle and we will be able to head out sometime in July.  It feels good to know that all these balls are rolling and that we are getting closer to a final step and a FINAL CURE.  Until then, patience, prayer, perseverance, and positivity is the name of the game.  The odds are slim of being a marrow match with somebody so the system runs best for everybody if there are tons of people registered to be donors.  It really saves lives and is not much of an ordeal for the donor.  If you haven't, I encourage everybody to look into getting typed so your name gets on the registry (it's a simple cotton swab on your mouth - totally painless).  The registry is the resource that helps save people's lives all over the world.  How cool would it be if my situation helped save someone's life who needs a transplant just like me?  Get more information about becoming a donor at Be the Match Registry here: http://marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx

I can't say enough about the support system that has helped Hanna and I through every step in the last 3 years of my battle with leukemia.  Since June 8, 2009 when I first got the news, our support has never wavered.  We've had visitors, meals, cards, phone calls, and a massive amount of love sent our way.  These are the things that make the day to day manageable and inspiring.  A huge thanks to my cousin Vikki who has organized a fundraiser that will help us with our expenses as this battle heads west to Seattle.  Her support and the generosity of everybody who has donated is overwhelming, and we are forever grateful.

Well, my day at the hospital is passing along with excessive amounts of the game show network and crossword puzzles so I guess I better get back to this episode of Lingo!  I will be discharged tomorrow and then off to Seattle on Sunday!  Much love, God bless, the fight goes on and......

ALL Will Be Well


“Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to His good pleasure and rest in Him.”