amycrame

Good Blood Work, Good Work Blood!

2009-06-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Amy got blood work done yesterday and her complete blood count was great! She continues to do well, walking with PWL in the mornings and having a great time working as Mom. She is now 10.5 months in remission! YEY!!!

Allison and Ashley are now on summer vacation. Plan to take them to the beach.

I am soon to leave the City of Stockton to soley be a New York Life Agent. So if you have financial and protection needs, give me a ring.

Miss and love you all!!!

Stay The Course

2009-05-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting for awhile, but I do want to tell you all that Amy is doing well. We had a check up at Stanford last week, and her CBCs (complete blood count) was all good. She also had a bone marrow aspiration done and the results are great. There is no sign of leukemic cells!!! It will be another week until we confirm that she is still FLT3 negative...which she should be.

Amy is not back at work. We made the decision to not have her go back to VMRC and to be a stay at home MOM. She is quite happy picking up the girls from school, and hanging out with friends and family. She still walks about 3 times per week, and is in great health.

Allison and Ashley are great. Allison started with tennis lessons and is enjoying it a lot. Ashley is being as cute as can be. That's what she's into. Being cute.

I am doing well...with a big change in the very near future. More to come.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. I hope your lives are well, filled with happiness and joy.

Much Love,
Floyd

Nephew Now 13

2009-03-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Ethan and his new iTouch

Amy's on Fire, baby!

Princess Cupcakes...Ethan's request. JK

Kyle's "Blue Steel" look

Ashley & Allison

Happy Birthday, Ethan!!! Our nephew Ethan (Karyn's son) celebrated his birthday today. His actual 13th birthday is on March 31. His favorite gift was a brand new iPod iTouch from his parents. What a lucky kid.

We were all treated to lunch at the new Dave's Pizza (where Portofino's used to be in Lincoln Center).

It's amazing how fast time flies. I remember throwing this kid up in the air when he was younger. Now he's almost as tall as I am....and probably be taller than I next year.

Home is where the heart is.

2009-03-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I might as well write something, because I haven't in awhile. As you might expect, Amy is doing great!!! She's been walking some mornings with some gals from "Brookside", putting in around 3 to 5 miles, two to three times per week. Amy is truly happy being home. She says that her days go by fast. She picks up the girls in the afternoon from school and is having the time of her life. That makes me happy!

She juices on the Jack Lalanne's Power Juicer Pro three times a day, mixing in fruits and veggies. We've been buying and eating organic food too, and consuming more fish in our diet. Life cannot be better right now. Spring is in the air, and the extended sunlight is working wonders on our mood.

Allison and Ashley are doing well. As a matter of fact, it's time for me to wake them up for school this morning. Allison just learned (on her own) how to jump rope. This determined little 6.5 year old can now do 49 straight jumps. Once she gets her mind into something, she doesn't stop until she masters it. It was the same when she was 4 years old and hula hooping. She won a hula hoop contest in Maui and outlasted around 30 other kids. Of course, Ashley tries to follow right behind her. She can do 1 jump on her rope and says, "See, I can do it too!".

Amy will get her routine blood draw the first week of April here in Stockton. The results will be sent to Stanford. She is then scheduled the first week in May for a bone marrow biopsy for a look see. We are both confident and optimistic about the results.

Thank you for continuing to add Amy and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Happy Spring!!!

Good to go for month 7

2009-03-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Amy had a great appointment with Dr. Berube this morning at Stanford. Her complete blood count was normal and very healthy. Next month, Amy will have her blood drawn here in Stockton, then faxed (the results) over to Stanford. Dr. Berube also scheduled Amy for another bone marrow biopsy in May to make sure that she is still leukemia free and FLT 3 negative.

Many of you do not know that I went to New Mexico two weeks ago to El Santuario de Chimayo. This is a place where thousands have experienced miracles. I went for Amy and for a couple of other people. Needless to say, I had an amazing experience. Google it if you have a chance. I also brought back some "dirt" from this hole inside the church. You gotta Google it. Anyways, I know it's going to help Amy.

Thanks to all of you who continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We do have a ways to go, but each and every month that passes by with Amy in remission is a blessing. Our one year anniversary for being in remission is on August 5th. It's a date that we are all looking forward to, including Dr. Berube. We should be able to breath a little easier once that date passes.

Love you all and thanks for somehow feeding Amy and I strength to keep moving forward.

No news is good news.

2009-02-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

Friends and family, I just want to let you all know that Amy continues to do well. We have an appointment at Stanford with Dr. Berube next Thursday, March 5th. Amy is scheduled for blood work, the usual stuff, to monitor her complete blood count. Amy is marking her 7th month in remission. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. End of July will mark her one year anniversary of being in remission. Although 5 years in remission pretty much says that she is completely cured, celebrating 1 year for her will be an important milestone.

We do want you to keep encouraging others who have not registered for the National Marrow Donor Program to do so at most blood banks, or by calling the Blood Source of Sacramento. Also continue to give blood, and also encourage expecting mothers to donate the umbilical cord blood after the birthing process. Remember that there is always someone hoping or waiting for a transplant. It's easy, painless, and is the right thing to do.

We love you all, and sorry for the lack of blogging. We have simply been living better, and taking care of business.

Fun at 39

2009-02-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Click here to see all pics:Thanks to PJ

G.I. Jane & Recruit Amy

2009-02-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

G.I. Jane Cathy Sloan has been giving Amy a tough pilates workout. She's been sore. No pain, no gain, baby!!!

Remember that Cathy is now a breast cancer survivor! Yey!!! Check her out and schedule a session online at : worldclassworkout.com

Fun at John's

2009-01-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

Here's the link for all the pics: Nina's 1st Birthday

We all had tiring kind of fun at John's Incredible Pizza for my God daughter Nina's 1st birthday party. Hope you all enjoy the pics.

Have a great Superbowl Sunday!!!

Lovin' Pick-up

2009-01-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

I have been borrowing my dad's Ford pick-up truck for a couple of weeks now. My dad and Linda are in Hawaii. They have a place in Oahu, right in Waikiki. They go back and forth, but are now calling the islands their home. I know he reads this blog every now and again, so I want to take this opportunity to thank him for the use of his truck. Allison and Ashley love riding in the cab...they love the fact of being right in the front, seeing all the action.

My mom's birthday is coming up. February 1st (Superbowl Sunday). My good friend Harvey Dunbar shares the same birthday, as well as my cousin Butch. Happy early Birthday to all of you!!! My friend/boss Connie's is on February 10th. I have a niece Nina and nephew Joshua with birthdays this month. Don't forget, mine is on the 7th...the big 39. I feel great!!! Probably the best shape I have ever been in. I love the fact that I can say that, rather than saying "I used to be . . . "

Amy is doing great! We are truly blessed that she is doing so well. Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts and gestures. Let's all continue to pray and pull for Michelle Maykin to continue to do well and make it home to S.F. on or before March.

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks ICEA & Blood Source

2009-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

We had a bone marrow registry drive today at the International Christian Evangelistic Assembly. Special thanks goes out to Liz Ustick from the Blood Source, and her daughter Katie for registering around 14 people...most of whom are Asian/Filipino. My running partner/daughter Allison accompanied me. She had a great time. She even got to do arts and crafts, which she loves.

Thanks also to all of the ICEA members who welcomed us with open arms. They have their Sunday service every Sunday from 11am to 12 noon. They always have a potluck right afterwards, and Allison loved the food!!!

We would like to hold more bone marrow registry drives. So if your work or church would like to have the Blood Source come and register folks on the NMDP, just let me know.

Blog you soon.

FLT3 Negative

2009-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Amy is FLT3 negative!!! Yup, you heard it right. We have been doing our best to ensure that she stays in remission...forever. We are really striving to avoid any kind of transplant. We would like to put it in our back pocket or in a safe deposit box, and only use it if she truly needs it.

Right now, my frame of mind is to move forward living life right, stress-free, and day to day. I believe Amy feels the same. I'm hoping that, and feel pretty sure that Amy's doctors are feeling the same way too. Amy is a CHAMP!!! She can't be denied. That championship belt, trophy, and medal is hers. As far as I'm concerned, she's already won her Superbowl. God willing.

We're attending a crab feed on benefit the school in which Cindy's kids go to. We are looking forward to catching up and having fun with old friends. Cindy has two tables booked of people we know. Should be a lot of fun!

Love you all.

Fun in Tahoe

2009-01-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in Lake Tahoe. They haven't had snow since Christmas, so the white stuff icy and hard. It was still lots of fun, and the drive up and back was a piece of cake. No need for chains as the road conditions were clear. Sunny the whole time!

The cabin where we all stayed was great. Except when it came to showering. The last person had no hot water, and it was Amy for a time or two.

We also celebrated my brother-in-law Carlos' birthday. He doesn't look a day over 29. Not bad for an old man!

Casinos weren't that bad. I broke even for the most part. Chow was great, compliments of brother-in-law Ranch, who cooked clam chowder and then pasta for dinner.

Great to be back home! We had fun hanging out with family too. We haven't done that in awhile. We need to do it more often. I'll share more pics once I get them from the other photogs.

Take care, and god bless.

Blasts Off! Yey!!!

2009-01-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Amy's nurse coordinator at Stanford told her that the results of her most recent bone marrow biopsy had ZERO blasts. That means no leukemic cells in her bone marrow!!! Told you so. Isn't that great news? Thought you might agree. We'll find out in a week or two regarding her cytogenetics, confirming that Amy is FLT3 negative.

This is obviously great news. Amy and I are hoping that we do not have to move forward on any kind of transplant. We are doing everything in our power to keep her in remission. We have some tricks up our sleeves. We are hoping that a cord blood transplant or an eventual bone marrow transplant is one of those "break in case of an emergency" type of situation. I believe in the power of positive thinking. Amy has to stay in remission. I have more lovin' to give her.

We will be having another bone marrow donor drive on the 25th at a local church. There's this guy who works for the City of Stockton, Even Marcelo, that initiated and set this up for us. I will be contacting Liz Ustick from the Blood Source of Sacramento to get this going. I will post the info soon.

We are heading to Tahoe this weekend with the family...the Juarez fam, Johnson fam and Mom. We are hoping to see some snow, and spend some good ol' family time!

Thank you for all your positive thoughts, hopes, wishes and prayers.

Good Appointment

2009-01-08T20:35:00.002-08:00

Amy's appointment at Stanford went well this morning. Her complete blood counts were all normal, and there were no signs of blasts(leukemic cells) in her peripheral blood. They also did another bone marrow aspiration (5 total to date) to confirm that there are no blasts in her bone marrow, and conduct another cytogenetics to confirm that she is still FLT3 negative. SO, get your collective positive thoughts, prayers, and power together and wish for this to happen. We should find out the results some time next week, and the cytogenetics should follow the week after.

We sure do act like veterans at Stanford. Trust me, as much as I love it there, I can only wish that my next visit there would be the time my girls start medical school...twelve years from now.

Amy continues to do so well. Everyone loves her hair!

We have been blessed to have her mom and dad supporting us every day. I do not want to exclude my family, because they have done and continue to do so much for us. But her parents are so unselfish. As an example, they have been lending us the use of one of their vehicles, so that Amy can run errands and pick up the girls from school. We practically have their car here 4 to 5 days a week. I think we'll be buying a used cheapy real soon.

As for The Growing Tree where Ashley attends pre-school. That place is truly a blessing, and their teachers (especially the owner, Ms. Gail) are angels. Ashley truly loves it there. Thank you Gail Farley!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone!!! You all are the reason my wife is doing so well.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hello 2009!!! You couldn't get here soon enough. We celebrated the new year at home with Karyn, Ethan, Kyle, Myron, Georgeanne, Kaede, Corey, and Granny.

We can only hope that this new year is much better to us all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PS: Amy has an appointment at Stanford on January 8 for another bone marrow biopsy. Let's hope and pray that she is still leukemia free and FLT 3 negative....like I know she is.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

(Georgeanne, Jane, Karyn, Kyomi, and AMY)

Let's all say goodbye to 2008, and get ready to say hello to a hopeful, and fantastic 2009. We had a great Christmas, celebrated with both sides of the family.

Amy is doing so well. She would like to wish all of you Happy Holidays, and a great 2009!!!

All Things Considered

2008-12-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's appointment with Dr. Berube at Stanford went pretty well. Amy's white, red, and platelet counts were all strong. The fellow, Dr. Amy McMullen, and Dr. Berube were both amazed at how thick and beautiful Amy's hair was. They loved it! Dr. Berube even went as far as touching it.

We then discussed our current dilemma. Dr. Berube still leans towards Amy doing a cord blood transplant, because she feels that if Amy gets a recurrence with a year, it will be harder to put her back in remission due to her originally testing positive to the FLT 3 gene. Good news is, come to find out, that Amy's last bone marrow biopsy showed that she was FLT3 negative.

You see, it is this FLT3 positive that really gets to Dr. Berube's fears. The thing is, they have only been further testing the cytogenetics of leukemia patients for FLT3 for the past 2 years. Meaning, they don't have a full scope of how bad, or not so bad, this prognosis is, because they don't know exactly who in the past was FLT3 positive, but still did well by getting chemotherapy alone - without any kind of transplant. For two years though, they know that leukemia patients with FLT3 positive, had a higher chance of getting a relapse. Not all of them, but enough did. That is why oncologist are still having a hard time making a decision about recommending a transplant for patients like Amy (good bone marrow, normal chromosomes).

She did do something out of the ordinary. She scheduled Amy for another bone marrow biopsy in early January to see if there are any signs of leukemic cells, and to verify that she is still FLT3 negative. She said that this should help us make a better decision. I know that the results will be good. Amy's been doing so well, strong, and happy...all things considered.

Anyway, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Hope you all are having a great holiday season. We are.

Christmas Decor

2008-12-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

Amy and I finally put up our Christmas decorations...well, she did all of the ones inside the house. She also helped me with our outdoor lights. The girls have been asking us to do this, so we're glad to be done.

Nothing fancy outside. Just lights around the trim of the house, three lit trees, and a lit snowman on the front lawn.

I'm glad that we did it. I didn't know if we were going to have the spirit to do it, but it's done, and we're all glad.

Amy continues to do well. Right now we're trying to manage with having one car. Amy doesn't like to be stuck in the house too much, so she's been busy having lunch with friends and family and picking up the girls in the afternoon. Her mom and dad have been lending her one of their cars and at times, I get dropped off at work so that she can have the Passat to drive around during the day.

Amy has a scheduled appointment at Stanford with her primary physician, Dr. Berube. She's scheduled for labs (to get her blood counts), then her standard visit with Dr. Berube. We will ask her once again about our options of doing a cord blood transplant or not.

Dr. Stein from the City of Hope phoned me last week with good news. The donor search is now in his hands, and he told me that there were 3 cord blood units that match up with Amy's HLA typing, and 1 unrelated bone marrow donor! The 1 bone marrow donor will take a couple of weeks to further test to see how close it is to Amy's type. The 3 cord blood units should be good to go, they just need to have enough stem cells in them for Dr. Stein to move forward with the transplant. He'll know in a couple of weeks as well about that.

For right now, Amy's home for the holidays! I hope forever, without a cord blood transplant, but if she has too, we'll move forward with it as well. I just want to make sure that we make the right decisions.

Thank you for continually keeping Amy and our family in your thoughts and prayers. It's working!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2008-12-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who came out and registered at our most recent bone marrow donor drive - 88 people were registered.

Thank you to Liz Ustick and her husband for everything.

Thanks to Myron, Georgeanne, Karyn, Auntie Nellie, Alicia, and everyone who helped out during the drive.

Thanks to Jennifer Torres (great article) and David Siders for the publicity.

Thank you to Deborah Hoffman and News 10 for her wonderful story.

Thank you to everyone who personally come by and give me words of support and encouragement.

Thanks to Patty and Mitch Tarica for their hospitality and kindness. Same goes to Kyomi and Carlos for our fun stop in Fresno.

Thanks to Van Le, Michelle Maykin's husband (Project Michelle) who emailed and phoned me for support and information.

Thank you to Dr. Kristine Doney of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for invaluable information and 20 minutes of her time over the phone.

Thanks to loving family and friends.

Thank you to all who continue to keep Amy and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, God.

And if I forgot to thank you, I apologize...you know I love you too!

Transplant Consultations

2008-11-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

We want off of this roller coaster!

Amy and I had a consultation with Dr. Wang at Stanford last Friday. We thought that it went pretty well. See, he said that he is not recommending a transplant for Amy at this time. He feels like it will be impossible for Amy to ever find a match for a bone marrow transplant. He actually said that it was "never" going to happen. This is because it practically needs to be an exact match for it to work. Plus Amy's mixed ethnicity makes it harder.

The only other transplant that Stanford offers is the haplo identical transplant, in which Amy's mom and sister Kyomi are good candidates for. The downside, the toxicity level with this type of transplant is around 30%. That means a 30% chance of mortality with the procedure. So he says that we should just see how long Amy can stay in remission. The longer she stays in remission, the better her chances are of being cured from AML. He didn't even suggest finding out more about a cord blood transplant. I didn't like that.

We are fortunate that we had the other appointment for a second opinion/consultation with the City of Hope to find out more about cord blood transplant on our own. Stanford's transplant team for Amy pretty much is quitting finding a match for an unrelated bone marrow donor, and if we weren't proactive with pursuing more options, they would have just left us to gamble about Amy staying in remission on her own with that FLT 3 gene.

City of Hope states that their toxicity level for performing a cord blood transplant is around 15%...the same as the level for a bone marrow transplant. The only difference is that it will take longer to engraft, but has much less Graft Versus Host Disease risk.

Amy will have to stay down south for a period of 60 to 90 days total.

Dr. Anthony Stein from the City of Hope recommends that they take over the search from Stanford, and search for a cord blood donor for Amy. They will also continue to search for a bone marrow match as well. Dr. Stein stated that the best opportunity and chance for a cord blood transplant is during the 1st remission. He also stated that if Amy has a recurrence within the 1st year, as compared to after the first year, that it is sometimes harder to place the patient back in remission.

Anyway, it's been a long weekend for us. After the Stanford transplant Dr. visit, we thought that we were just going to move forward and do our best to provide Amy a stress-free lifestyle, eating right, etc. Now we're back to our original frame of mind of making sure that we put our best effort in ensuring that Amy beats leukemia once and for all.

If a cord blood transplant is just as good as a bone marrow transplant, then I think Dr. Wang should have had a plan B for us, and recommend for us to pursue this option, rather than just saying best of luck and I hope to never see you again (thinking positive). I believe that Amy's primary physician, Dr. Berube, will recommend for Amy to do the cord when there is a match found. NMDP already did one that resulted in finding three 5 of 6s and three 4 of 6s.

We'll now have to wait and see about finding a match for a cord blood transplant. It should be an easier process compared to what we've experienced so far. Although a search was done by NMDP, City of Hope has to do their own with their own criteria.

City of Hope will type Amy as well from the labs that she did earlier today. This should take around 10 days. After they get those results, they will then search the cord blood banks for a match, 6 of 6 equals a perfect match. They can go as low as 4 of 6 to conduct the procedure. Please continue to pray for this to happen.

Dr. Stein says that they wouldn't move forward until the new year. He said that he'll wait until after Christmas to do the transplant...even when they find the match before then.

Call me if you are confused or have any questions. Simply put, we will move forward with a cord blood transplant when a match is found.

We are staying with my cousin Patty and Mitch. We will head back to Stockton tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Thanksgiving is at Amy's mom's house.

Publicity

2008-11-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

The Record article:
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081122/A_NEWS/811220326

From News10:
http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=50899&catid=49

Amy and I were interviewed by The Record's Jennifer Torres to promote this Saturday's bone marrow registry drive. Remember that it takes place from 9am to 2pm at the Pershing branch of the Financial Center Credit Union this Saturday.

We chatted with Jennifer for about 25 minutes and talked about the journey we've been on since June 30th of this year. Amy did great for being shy. I hope that my expression of gratitude to all that have helped and supported us makes it in the article.

Jennifer was sweet and easy to talk to. Come to find out that she is married to David Siders. He is the beat reporter for City Hall, and I see him quite a bit downtown. You see, it was from following David's blog (http://blogs.recordnet.com/sr-dsiders) is where I got the idea to create Amy's. Cool, huh?

We also have an interview with News 10 this morning before we head to Stanford. Reporter Deborah Hoffman will interview us at 10am. I also know her from back in the early 90s when I was working as a personal trainer with her boyfriend who was also a trainer at the former Quail Lakes Athletic Club.

Amy was nervous to get all of this publicity, but she knows how important it is to get the word out about registering on the National Marrow Donor Program. There are so many people who's lives are waiting to be saved. Will you be the one? Someone's hero?

Had lunch with Cathy Sloan and a couple of co-workers yesterday. This woman amazes me. I'm proud to know her. She is one tough and courageous woman. She finished up her chemo, and is now awaiting the start of experimental radiation that should start and end in early December.

She gave Amy a comped pilates session. Amy loved it. Cathy said that Amy did very well. Tough workout, but totally doable. Amy was a bit sore the day after. Call me if you're interested in trying out pilates with Cathy. Imagine that. Battling breast cancer, while helping other people, staying in shape, and staying on top of her game. Cathy Sloan, a true G.I. Jane!

And Then There Were None

2008-11-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

The last remaining potential donor was ruled out this morning, and rated 6 of 10 on the matching criteria. Kid gloves are off, and the reality of the matter is, although we are saddened about this news, we must keep moving forward.

We are having another bone marrow drive this Saturday, November 22nd. The details are on the flier below. Please print and place in highly public areas. Also spread the word that this is taking place. All who are registered this Saturday will have their typing matched up with Amy's HLA typing right away...so we could potentially still have a chance from that.

We are also exploring other transplants. When one door closes, others open.

We meet with Amy's transplant team at Stanford this Friday, November 21. We will then discuss our current situation, and explore the Haplo Identical transplant.

We also have an appointment at the City of Hope in Southern California on Monday, November 24, to explore the Umbilical Cord Blood transplant.

Both have their own respective risks, but they have been proven successful as well.

Amy is doing physically well, and is trying to be strong mentally and emotionally. Amy will have a transplant, the right one for her, and will beat leukemia when it's all said and done.

We want to thank all of you for your continued love and support. It is what helps us get through these tough times. Please continue to keep Amy and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Done with Chemo

2008-11-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

6am Wednesday - Amy finished up her last Consolidation Chemo treatment a couple of weeks ago and came home from her recovery period last Friday, November 7th. Hooray!!!

She is doing great as usual, thank God! It's great to have her home. We just finished up a long weekend (4 days), with me celebrating the Marine Corps birthday on the 10th and Veteran's Day on the 11th.

Amy's next step is the transplant. Remember the original five potential donors? Well, out of the five, 1 is left. It should take another week and a half for the last sample to work its way through the Stanford lab for further testing. Pray, cross your fingers, hope, wish, and think positive so that the last one will be the one for Amy.

Our other alternative is a cord blood transplant. It is only performed in Seattle, Minneapolis, and at City of Hope in Southern California. It's a newer type of transplant, but effective as well. It has less risk of Graph Versus Host Disease, but takes longer to take, leaving Amy susceptible to infections.

We will have another Bone Marrow Drive on November 22nd at a Financial Center Credit Union location. I'll post the information as we get closer.

We meet with Amy's transplant team at Stanford in a couple of weeks to further discuss our next step. Meanwhile, Amy is home for a few weeks, so call or stop by and say hello.

Love you all, and God bless!

More to come (Pics from Ventura, Thanks)

2008-10-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

What a Night!!!

2008-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! Last night's dinner/dance benefit for Amy was a blast. It felt like a wedding reception/graduation party/birthday celebration/family and high school reunion combined into one fantastic evening! Amy had so much fun. Allison and Ashley enjoyed dancing and playing with Nora and their cousins. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face the entire evening.

Thank you Cindy, Tina, Todd, Ray, Edwin, Karyn, and to your respective families. There were so many others who gave of their time and energy, thank you. I am also amazed at the turnout. It was great to see all of you who attended. Thanks for your love and support! It seemed like everyone had a great time!

Do me a favor and leave your comments on this post and tell me what you thought about last night and share your comments. Pictures will follow, one I get them from Ventura. Thanks Ventura for taking so many pictures.

These Shoes Are Made 4 Walking

2008-10-16T18:54:00.001-07:00

Amy joined my Mom, Auntie Emma, and Auntie Nellie for 4.5 laps (which took about 45 minutes) around their neighborhood.

Amy is doing real well. We can't wait to see all of you tomorrow at the dinned/dance. It should be a great event! "Jimenez and Laird 2008" for the White House.

Amy heads back to Stanford this Sunday for her final Consolidation Chemo. Ashley will be going as well. We figured that Amy won't be so sad being away from the girls if she has one of them with her. She'll be back late Friday, October 24.

Keep the positive thoughts, energy, and prayers coming...and much love and thanks to all of you.

Walking Tall

2008-10-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

(Allison & Ashley in back of my Dad's truck today. He's letting me borrow it, so that Amy can take my car to pick up the girls from school.)

Amy continues to do well. She's been walking everyday for about 30 minutes, breaking a sweat and walking at a good pace. Yup, she's feeling good. Ms. Gail and Ms. Ruby from Ashley's Growing Tree Pre School have kindly cooked and brought us dinner. Yummy! And much thanks. Thank you to all the kind and loving people in the world. It's contagious!

The dinner/dance is this Friday! Cindy and Tina have been working so hard at organizing this event for Amy, we can't wait to see you all there. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I love my wife!

Pizza Nite

2008-10-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

American Martial Arts Academy(where Amy used to take kickboxing workouts) is sponsoring "Pizza Night" at Michael's Pizza & Cafe on October 14th on behalf of Amy. Print out the flier and bring it that night for credit. How cool of them to be doing this. Amy misses the workouts there...especially from Jeanne. Thank you to all the staff at the American Martial Arts Academy!

Amy had a great appointment yesterday. Her blood counts were all up. There are now 3 samples in of the 5 potential donors. Positive thoughts and prayers for a great match, please.

Let me tell you about Crame life for us right now. Dr. Berube allowed Amy to stay home for another week (she'll start her final Consolidation Chemo #3 on October 20th). We rejoice at the fact that Amy gets to stay home with the girls and I. Nothing is taken for granted. Nothing. Getting news that she gets to stay home for another week is absolutely wonderful! That's how we find happiness. Amy continues to do well with treatment, and that's a blessing. Thank you for all of your positive energy, thoughts, and prayers.

We will be spending Halloween with her at Stanford. Ashley will be a little devil. Allison will be Mortisha. I will be a sleeved tattoo guy...or something else. We will trick or treat there and have a great time!

Last Chance to Boogie

2008-10-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

Amy and I are at Standford this morning. She has an appointment with Dr. Berube.

Don't forget that the Amy's Dinner/Dance is Friday, October 17. Cindy needs to turn in the count by tomorrow. So, all who are interested need to call her (number is on the flier to the right). Amy, and the girls and I will be in attendance. It will be a great opportunity to see Amy if you haven't seen her for awhile.

Cool Pixs

2008-10-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

(Amy and her new wig. Looks beautiful! What do you think?)

(Ashley with her Growing Tree teachers. She loves it there!)

(Allison & Ashley at Amy's apartment in Mountainview)

Amy is Home

2008-10-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

Amy got home around 4pm this afternoon. I am so happy she's home. I definitely know Amy is happy to be home with me and the girls.

We already went to my mom's house to celebrate my sister Racquel's birthday. I am so ashamed to say that we didn't even get to sing Happy Birthday to her...sorry Racquel. Can everyone take a moment right now and sing happy birthday for her?

Amy keeps impressing me with the way she's responds to treatment. She got back home from her recovery period in record time! You are awesome, sweetie. I love you so much!

Bone Marrow Donor Update

2008-09-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

9pm Tuesday - Just wanted to let you all know that there is still 5 potential donors for Amy. Only one has submitted more blood work so far. They should have this person's results by sometime next week. Remember that the 5 donors need to undergo further testing to ensure that they find the best candidate for Amy. Stanford also searches the NMDP registry every day to find better matches for Amy. The initial 5 people are in the early stages of the sampling process. They might find someone who rates 10 of 10, so I believe it is essential that we conduct another bone marrow drive.

I will be contacting this person, Liz Ustick from the Blood Source of Sacramento, unless she beats me to it (she reads this blog too). She has been in communications with Amy and I, and has even visited a couple of times already. She is a sweetheart, and is on top of her game. Our first bone marrow drive that my Auntie Nellie set up was a success. It will approximately take about a month for those who registered to make it on the registry. It's a good idea to get more, since Stanford and the NMDP matches up Amy's typing on the national/international registry every morning.

Amy is in good spirits, being that she kicks these fevers in their butts. I am so impressed at her attitude. She's my hero! The girls are doing great at home and in school. We can't wait to see Amy in a few days. Thank you to all that ask about me every now and again. I am doing fine, still working out during my lunch hour and drinking my supplement shakes. I'm in good spirits as well, as long as my wife is doing great! And she is. Thank God.

Fever Who Cried Wolf

2008-09-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

6am Tuesday - Great news!!! Amy should be discharged today from the hospital! She's kept the fever at bay...really as soon as she got to the hospital it was gone. I think she willed it to be gone quickly. She should be headed back to her apartment in Mountainview later today.

We're still hoping and praying that her counts start climbing quickly, so that she can either come home to Stockton by Thursday or no later than Friday. Awesome. We have a couple of birthday parties to attend this weekend. Lily Tarica (cousin) is turning 5 and Allison's classmate, Mariah, is turning 6.

My mom's bus trip was a big hit! Sounds like everyone had a great time. Thanks mom for organizing that. And to my sisters and all that helped out during the trip.

Love you all, and thanks for your thoughts, suppor, and prayers.

(This just in: She won't get discharged until tomorrow.)

Hot Blooded

2008-09-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

7:50pm Sunday - We had a great visit with Amy this weekend. Unfortunately, Amy called when the girls and I got home about 7:15pm and said that she has a fever between 100 to 101. Her and Georgeanne are on the way to the hospital to be admitted to the F Ground for immediate antibiotics. Poor girl. She's in good spirits though. I think it's just one of those things that is the result of her low white blood count. She can't help but get a fever, but she feels fine. They'll start her neuprogin shot tomorrow to get her white blood production going. We feel that she will be home by Friday.

This really sucks, because Amy was really being careful all weekend; from eating really safe food, to staying indoors and drinking lots of Vitamin Water and liquids. Oh well, she just has to keep up with a positive attitude during her recovery period.

We are down to 5 potential donors for her bone marrow transplant. One was ruled out already. The others are further along in the testing process. I'll keep you all posted as I call and get updated on their further testing. Regarding the option of using Haplo Transplant, her mom and sister Kyomi are good candidates for that...Karyn's typing was not a good match for Amy :-(

Pray that Amy goes back to her apartment and out of the hospital ASAP.

Thanks.

Waiting for Amy

2008-09-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Amy is almost done with her appointment. She had to get a platelet transfusion.

While waiting for Amy, the girls and I visited the F Ground where Amy was originally admitted. We saw Nurse Liz, one of Amy's favorite nurses. It was great to see her!

My mom's casino bus trip is today. Hope everyone is having a great time, and winning some money.

Don't forget about Amy's dinner/dance that our friends Cindy and Tina are putting together on October 17.

Love you all and thanks.

B107

2008-09-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

6pm Friday - We're all sitting in the living room of Amy's apartment in Mountainview. Ashley already went in the hot tub in her bathing suit. We're watching Zach & Cody on the Disney Channel, so we're right at home here.

Amy is knitting and doing well. She has to get her blood drawn tomorrow morning at 10am to see where her complete blood count is at. Dr. Berube said that they will give her neuprogin shots once her white blood count is down to help it come back up strong. We're hoping that Amy goes home by Friday, October 3rd.

Allison and Ashley are doing well. Ashley loves going to pre-school. Why wouldn't she, all the teachers there are angels. Allison is doing really well in 1st grade. We love her teacher, Ms. Lueck, she's a sweetheart. I'd like to publicly thank Ms. Gail from The Growing Tree. She is so kind, thoughtful, and caring! I wish we were related. I guess we are, because Amy and I consider all the growing tree teachers family.

Today is our 9-year Wedding Anniversary!!!

2008-09-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Amy is doing well in her recovery period in Mountain View. She is staying in the same apartment complex with my mom Alicia. The place is about a 20 minute drive to Stanford.

She has a 10:45am appointment with Dr. Berube. Then she has a couple of blood transfusions at 1pm today. See, this is where your help at the blood drive is going to pay off. Amy's white blood count is still up, as well as her platelets. She's not neutropenic yet.

The girls and I will leave tomorrow afternoon and stay with Amy this weekend.

Good luck and much fun to Mimi Nguyen in her triathalon for Amy this Saturday.

Thanks to all. Much love!

2008-09-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. Spent time with family and friends. Amy attended Allison's soccer game, and Kyle's football game at Lincoln. Girls are off to school today. Amy is doing well. She's experiencing light stomach cramps, and her taste buds are changing.

Coming HOME

2008-09-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

6:15AM FRIDAY - Amy comes home tonight. She'll probably walk through the door at around 10pm. She'll be home til next Wednesday, then she'll have to return to Stanford for her recovery from consolidation chemo#2. We can't wait to see her.

A great thing happened a couple of days ago. You may not know that we postponed pre-school for Ashley until next fall in order to cut cost and all. I got a phone call from Gail Farley from The Growing Tree Pre-School and Daycare on Tuesday, and she asked if they could have Ashley attend pre-school....for free! Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion. I was so impressed by her act of kindness! You see, Allison went there for a couple of years, and I love and miss that place so much. Receiving that offer from Gail was like an early Christmas present. It was so heartwarming when Allison and I walked Ashley into those same doors Wednesday morning to start Ashley's official first day of school. It was a magical moment, that no words can truly express. Thank you Ms. Gail, and Ms. Ruby, Ms. Muffin, and Ms. Angie from the bottom of our hearts. You are truly a part of our family! We love you!

Donor Sunday a Success

2008-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

9:30pm Tuesday - The blood/bone marrow drive that my Auntie Nellie coordinated with the Delta Blood Bank was a huge success. It netted 61 blood donors, and 36 people were registered for the National Marrow Donor Program. Thank you to all that attended. I know some were turned away for different reasons, but Amy and I would like to thank you all for showing your support and making a difference. I big "thanks" goes to my Auntie Nellie, who worked so hard in making Sunday happen. She did this while tending to her own daughter who had an emergency C-Section. No worries, her daughter Kristine is doing well, and Baby Grady is healthy. Congratulations to parents Kristine and Derek. Congratulations to Auntie Nellie and my Uncle Leonard as well.

There are now a few fundraisers being held for financial support. Most, if not all of the donations go to paying for Amy's accomodations. The majority of her treatment at Stanford is outpatient treatment. The apartments and hotels that she stays in cost about $120-$130 a night-plus tax, and she stays for at least a week to two weeks at a time. So you see, this can definitely add up, especially when we get to the transplant phase-where her stay could extend from 1, 2, up to 3 months. Thank you to all that are coordinating these fundraisers, and thank you to all that have donated. It sure is making this journey for Amy much easier for her and our family.

Below are two of the fundraisers that are up and coming. On the right tab is the bus trip on the 27th. I believe there are only a couple of seats left on the bus, so call my mom if you're interested.

Amy is doing well at Stanford. Just homesick and missing the girls and I. We miss her too. I don't want to write too much. Amy reads this too, and I don't want her to get emotional. Hear me, Amy?!?

Love you all.

Consolidation #2 Scheduled

2008-09-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Amy's consolidation treatment #2 starts this Monday, September 15. Remember that consolidation chemo treatment for Amy is 7am and 5pm, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each session last for at least 3 hours. She has Tuesday and Thursday off. She will be staying about 15 to 20 minutes away in a hotel with her mom. Remember that this is outpatient treatment.

Amy is doing really well. It's a combination of being home with family, visiting with friends, and sleeping in her own bed. She keeps up a positive attitude with the whole thing. Don't forget to keep on praying for a great match from one or more of the preliminary 6 donors. We'll find out the results in about a month. Meanwhile, Amy kicks butt during chemo week and the recovery period.

Please don't forget about all three events that are being held for Amy. The blood/bone marrow drive is this Sunday, casino bus trip is at the end of the month, and the dinner/dance in mid October. Please attend all and support my wife.

Thanks again to all that are helping us out. It means so much. We hope that our experience opens your own eyes to the realities of life, and makes you realize just how precious life is. You are all invited to Amy's Cancer Survivor party in '09. Promise!

Thank you Foundation!

2008-09-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

9:30pm Wednesday - I wanted to share with all of you that the National Marrow Donor Program Foundation approved the funding of the 6 donors to be further tested. They also are picking up the tab for the preliminary search of the NMDP Registry. This is great news, one that Amy truly appreciates.

Remember that the preliminary search turned up 6 people that scored 9 out of 10 in the criteria for compatibility. We are so happy. We are also hopeful that one of the six is the perfect one for our Amy.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and positive thoughts. I know this is why this great news happened! Let's keep doing it.

Amy is still doing great! She watches TV late, before she goes to bed. She's been walking around our neighborhood, pushing Ashley, and breaking a sweat. Girl wants to stay in shape. Can't blame her.

We are headed to Stanford to meet with her Attending Physician, Dr. Berube. Dr. Berube should discuss Amy's next consolidation treatment schedule. I believe she'll get another round of consolidation chemo, then to the transplant process.

Apparently, the results from the further testing of the six donors will take around 3 to 4 weeks. In order to start the bone marrow transplant, they have to wait about 6 weeks after the last consolidation chemo to start. Amy will receive chemo that's even stronger than the induction chemo she received initially, then the transplant takes place. I'll keep you posted to that regard.

I'll let you know about consolidation chemo#2 as well after we meet with Dr. Berube tomorrow.

Thanks for everything!

Donate-Dinner-Dance-Drink

2008-09-05T20:53:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to support Amy by coming to the blood and bone marrow drive on Sunday, September 14th. Click on the flyer for more information.

You don't have to committ to both. Either donate blood or register for the bone marrow registry. There is a small charge for the bone marrow registry, but donating blood is free.

You too can help save a life!

Alright. Are you ready to have some fun with friends and family? This is your chance to do that while you're helping Amy fight AML!Click on the Dinner/Dance/Drink event flyer above to get the details.

Download, print and send. Don't miss out!

This first class event is being put together by the Jimenez and Laird family. Thank you Cindy, Tina and Karyn.

Wowawhisky!

2008-09-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

5:15pm Monday - This just in: The preliminary search on the National Marrow Donor registry came up with 6 people who rate 9 out of 10 in regards to the matching criteria. Yey!!! The nurse case manager said that it wasn't a big difference from finding someone who was 10 out of 10.

They will move forward with further testing 5 of the 6, because the NMDP Foundation normally approves the further typing of 5 people. We should find out about the grant real soon.

Oh my God! Amy is so happy about this news! I think it lifted a big burden off of her chest. Let's pray for that one perfect one from the five.

I don't want it to go with being said, that I appreciate all of you. Thank you so much for caring, praying, helping, and loving Amy and our family. Thank you all for joining us on this journey.

Blood & Bone Marrow Drive

2008-08-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

8:45am Saturday - Amy is so glad to be home. We had visits from family already, and Amy's loving it. She's already eaten nachos from Baja Fresh, so you know foods going to be a good gift if you want to visit.

I wanted to let you all know about a blood and bone marrow drive that my Auntie Nellie coordinated with the Delta Blood Bank. All the details are in the flyer below. You are more than welcome to download, print, and post it at your work and other places. We are looking for a great turnout. They need at least 70 people for it to be a success, so let's double that!

Home Not Alone

2008-08-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

5:15pm Friday - Amy's home. It was an emotional homecoming for our sweetheart. She is so happy to be home, and so are we. Her mom really took great care of her.

Amy is now resting in her own couch, in her own home. I'm so glad she's finally here.

Fever at Bay

2008-08-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

10pm Wednesday - Amy is doing good keeping that fever down. She's on a second antibiotic. She received 2 blood transfusions when she was admitted. Good news is that her white blood count is moving up! She has received two shots of this drug that helps her produce more white blood cells. I give her til Friday, then I think she'll be discharged and able to go home. She really can't wait for that to happen. I can't blame her. We want her home too! Great news is that it is a three day weekend with Monday being Labor Day.

We are dealing with bad news in regards to our insurance not covering the search for and the testing of possible matches on the National Marrow Donor Program registry. I know, what gives, right? But I hope it's a minor hurdle. A hospital staffer is looking into tapping into a bone marrow foundation that will grant us some money so that they can proceed with the "unrelated search". We are praying and crossing our fingers that they will come through. Stanford has also started the typing for Amy's mom and sisters. Insurance approved that. But our best bet right now is searching the national registry. It will happen.

Let's all pray that Amy comes home by this weekend, please. I'm pretty sure that it's going to happen. I'm sure mom (Georgeanne) needs to get home too. She's doing a great job of caring for Amy. Thank you.

Bummer

2008-08-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

6am Tuesday - Amy called at around 1:30am and told me that she had a fever and was headed to the hospital. She was admitted to the F Ground once again for at least two days for test results to come back. I believe they also started her on antibiotics. Remember that this was expected if she got a fever.

I'll let you know once I talk to her again this morning.

Thanks to All

2008-08-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

10pm Monday - The girls and I had a great visit with Amy and Grandma Georgeanne this weekend in Mountain View. Amy is doing really well.

Thanks to all who participated in this Saturday's garage sale at my sister Joyce's house. I know it took a lot of work, and it paid off. It raised a lot of money that will help us with Amy's housing during treatment. I want you all to know that everything you all are doing is of much help and we truly appreciate it. You all have made this trying time so much easier, and on behalf of Amy, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My heart is full of joy from all of your love. Thank you for loving my wife as much as you all do! Please continue to include us in your prayers, because it is working.

I hope that Amy's numbers start climbing up real soon so that she can come home this weekend. She should be home for a week or two before starting Consolidation #2. We're still waiting for the insurance to clear so that they can start the search in the national bone marrow registry. I thank God that Amy responds well to chemo, and that she is doing very well.

I am doing fine. I don't know how single parents do it. The day goes by so fast! Thanks to my father-in-law and my mom for helping take care of Ashley and Allison as well when I am at work.

Amy's sister Karyn is with her and Georgeanne. They are watching Blockbuster rented movies. Amy received a transfusion for platelets this afternoon. She will also receive some blood on Wednesday. Counts are currently low, as expected. Start climbing, please.

Good night.

Garage Sale Looking Good

2008-08-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Don't forget tomorrow too!

Mama Mia!

2008-08-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

7am Friday - Amy is doing really well, and looking really good (Skype Video). Well enough to go to the movie theater to watch "Mama Mia!".

The girls and I are heading to Stanford right after work. Got the Aero Bed packed and ready to go.

Amy has a 2pm blood draw today for her CBC. She did receive two units of blood yesterday. Which leads me to a Blood & Bone Marrow drive that my Auntie Nellie coordinated with the Delta Blood Bank. It's set for Sunday, September 14th, from 1pm to 6pm at St. Anne's off of Lincoln Rd. So mark your calendars. We need at least 70 people pledged to attend. We shouldn't have a problem with that.

Have a great weekend and love you lots!

Back to School, Back to Stanford

2008-08-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

9:45pm Monday - Amy is back at Stanford with her mom. They are staying in a one bedroom apartment in Mountain View that is about 20 minutes away from the hospital. Great looking place with lots of ammenities. It has a kitchen, because she needs home cooked meals due to her being neutropenic.

She had her blood drawn at 2pm today and her CBCs dropped as expected: WBC at 2.9, RBC at 8.1, and platelets at 171. All are not too bad. She will get 2 units of blood tomorrow afternoon.

Back to her apartment. Aparently, it has a view of the huge heated pool. The place also has a large hot tub...not that she'll be enjoying it, but the girls and I will when we visit this weekend. How do I know about this place? Amy and the girls I did a sight survey, or recon (if you will) of the place last week during her consolidation chemo treatment. I just can't remember the name of the place.

Allison goes back to school tomorrow. Big Day in First Grade!

Have you ever heard about Skype? It's a free, internet based chat/video type system that enables you to video conference with a webcam. The girls and I were able to talk to Amy and Georgeanne and see them on the computer, plus have then see as well. How cool! We were all able to say goodnight that way. A little choppy at times, but not bad at all. You might want to check it out...totally free at www.skype.com

Don't forget that my sister Joyce is having a garage sale this Saturday with proceeds going to us for financial help. Call her at 209-986-1573 if you have anything to sell or if you want to help out. Also, many people are interested in buying more of Kyomi's (Amy's sister) bows, head bands and headwear. Kyomi donates what she makes to Amy as well. Note to Kyomi - - - BRING ME MORE OF YOUR CREATIONS, so I can take them to work. Everyone is impressed! Thanks to Anndria for being Kyo's rep too!!!

Blog you later, and thanks for all of your support.

Home Again

2008-08-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

(Finally, a picture with Jim)

(With Dawn at the F Ground)

8:40am Saturday - Great to be home. We got back last night at 10pm with Mom(Georgeanne) waiting for us. Thanks to my mom and Joyce as well for cleaning up.

Amy is doing fine. She just made and ate biscuits with Allison for breakfast. Ashley is still asleep. Allison is celebrating her 6th birthday at Panda Girls today with her classmates and cousin Alyssa.

Consolidation treatment went really well. It was another whirlwind week for us. It's just great to be home!

While we were waiting for Amy to finish chemo last night, the girls and I ran into Jim in the cafeteria. I gave him a hug and asked about his wife Kitten. He said that she's doing fine and is currently staying at the E Ground. Their monitoring her heart, and her most recent bone marrow test showed no sign of leukemic cells! So the last Induction Chemo worked! Thanks to all of you who included her in your prayers. Now you can put a face to his name.

We also swung by the F Ground where Amy stayed last month. None of her nurses were working last night (Shirley, Buddy, and Liz). We did see Dawn, one of the receptionist. She loves seeing the girls.

It's great to be home!

Last Day Consolidation

2008-08-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

(Outside the Stanford Guest House)

(At the University Ave. Cheesecake Factory)

(Allison's first skates - From Uncle Eddie & Auntie PJ)

7:50am Friday - Well, today is Amy's last day of consolidation chemo (round 1). She is currently at the cancer center receiving the morning dose. She'll be done by around 10:30am, then back again at 5pm this afternoon. We're all driving home when she finishes at 8:30pm tonight.

She is doing really well, except for some slight stomach discomfort. We celebrated Allison's 6th birthday yesterday. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with Eddie and PJ, plus Herbie, Jill, Kristine and baby Matthew. It was a great dinner.

Allison got her first pair of roller skates from Uncle Eddie & Auntie PJ. She loves them. She's been roller skating the length of the halls at our hotel.

Amy will only be home until Tuesday. Her counts are going to start to drop down again from the treatment, so let's limit visits for the moment. She's heading back on Tuesday with her mom Georgeanne and are staying at a nearby apartment (about a 15-20 minute drive). She needs to stay close in case she breaks out in a fever or infection. She'll be there for about 1 to 2 weeks. The girls and I will visit on the weekends.

Hotel or apartment accommodations are not free, although they do come with a very slight discount. Oh well.

Amy is still being a trooper with the whole thing. She does have her moments, as do I. We all have to pray, think, and believe that she will beat this cancer outright. I can not accept any other option. It hurts too much to think otherwise.

Fundraisers & Beyond

2008-08-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Amy's sister Kyomi has been hard at work creating one-of-a-kind bows, head bands, and alike. She is selling them and is giving us the money to help us out.

You can call her directly to see more photos, and to purchase them. They are really neat and better than what I have seen in the stores.

Kyomi's number is 559-269-1807.

My sister Joyce is also having a garage sale benefiting Amy on August 23. You can call her for details and assistance.

My mother is planning a casino bus trip on Amy's behalf as well. You can reach Alicia (Mom) at 209-996-8883.

Thanks to all for helping us out. We appreciate all your love and support.

Tuesday with Amy

2008-08-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

4pm Tuesday - No treatment for Amy today. She resumes consilidation chemo tomorrow morning at 7am, then again at 5pm. Each session last around three hours.

After having breakfast at La Bou, we walked around Santa Cruz Avenue (lots of shops and stuff). We then wacthed "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" at the movie theater.

Amy is currently resting and watching TV in our hotel room. The girls and I are downstairs playing with "Moon Sand" while doing laundry.

Amy is doing real well. We'll head out to dinner a little bit later.

Consolidation 1

2008-08-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

(At the Barrio Fiesta. NMDP booth with Brandon and Racquel)

7:30am Monday - We're back at Stanford for Amy's consolidation chemo treatment. Allison, Ashley, and I dropped off Amy at 7am at the Blake Wilbur Cancer Treatment Center. We first went to Starbucks for breakfast. The girls and I are currently back at our hotel room (Stanford Guest House). Amy is such a trooper about her treatment! We also meet with the transplant team this Wednesday to discuss the transplant process and to ask some very important stuff (with the help of our brother-in-law Dr. Juarez).

A lot of us registered for the bone marrow registry at the Barrio Fiesta this weekend. Thanks to all that came out to do so. It means so much to Amy and I.

Amy called and said that she should be out by 11am. We'll head out to the mall for lunch after we pick her up.

We missed Yashna when we checked-in yesterday. They said she'll be back at work today. The girls have been asking about her.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. My cell number is 209-981-4818.

Mabuhay!

2008-08-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Get your "Dirty Mouths" clean and register for the National Marrow Donor Program at the Barrio Fiesta this weekend at the Filipino Plaza. Remember that they just need a mouth culture. Free to minorities and half price ($25) for others.

I'm going to register on Saturday, at about 11am.

Remission. Oh Yeah!

2008-08-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

6:30pm Wednesday - Just got a call from Dr. Berube and she told Amy that she was officially in remission! Berube said that there were no signs of leukemic cells in Amy's bone marrow. Great news! Amy is ready to start consolidation chemo on Monday, August 11. Remember that consolidation chemo is required for all leukemia patients to ensure that they don't have a relapse. Also, remember that Amy needs a bone marrow transplant. She will meet with the transplant team next week. They will proceed with getting Amy on the bone marrow registry after the meeting.

You can, if you want, register this weekend at the Filipino Festival, also called Barrio Fiesta, at the Filipino Plaza. It's free to minorities, and half price for others ($25). Remember that it only requires a mouth culture to register.

We will have more bone marrow drives in the near future as well, if you can't do it this weekend. Remember that there are others like Amy who need help. We will have drives specifically for Amy, but you can look at it this way...It would hurt to know that Amy has a match somewhere, but they only want to donate to their loved one. I can totally understand it, but I'm registering knowing that I can save some one's life. And maybe I'm Amy's match! Wouldn't that be great? I can only pray that I am.

FYI

2008-08-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Understanding Cancer

The word cancer refers to changes in the body's cells that cause them to grow out of control. These cells can grow very fast and spread, eventually crowding out normal cells and damaging entire systems of the body. Cancer can occur in almost any cell. It begins with damaged DNA, the "building block of life" that controls all cell functions, including when to divide (reproduce) and when to die. When DNA is damaged, cells can divide rapidly or outlive normal cells.

How Chemotherapy Works

Chemotherapy is designed to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be administered through a vein, injected into a body cavity, or delivered orally in the form of a pill, depending on which drug is used. Chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells; unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and some healthy cells. So chemotherapy eliminates not only the fast-growing cancer cells but also other fast-growing cells in your body, including, hair and blood cells. Some cancer cells grow slowly while others grow rapidly.

As a result, different types of chemotherapy drugs target the growth patterns of specific types of cancer cells. Each drug has a different way of working and is effective at a specific time in the life cycle of the cell it targets.

But while your chemotherapy treatment works to fight your cancer, it also can cause side effects such as a lowered white blood cell count. A low white blood cell count means your immune system isn't as strong as it could be, which can increase your risk of infection. It also can require your doctor to change your dose or schedule of your chemotherapy. A chemotherapy-induced low white blood cell count, caused by healthy cells lost during chemotherapy, is an expected side effect of your treatment. Therefore, you can plan ahead so it is less likely to disrupt your treatment schedule. A low white blood cell count typically occurs after the administration of certain types of chemotherapy and may continue for several days.

Bone Marrow Tests

This test looks at the bone marrow to see if it is healthy and if it is making enough blood cells. A small amount of bone marrow may be removed and examined. Removing a small bit of liquid bone marrow is called aspiration. Removing bone marrow tissue is called biopsy.

A bone marrow aspiration may be done to find what is causing the low production of blood cells. Since blood cells are formed inside the bones, doctors use a needle to remove a small amount of liquid bone marrow. The sample is then examined under a microscope to check for abnormal cells.

A bone marrow biopsy is usually done at the same time, especially if an aspiration was not productive. A small number of bone marrow cells with a small piece of bone is removed using a needle. This test checks the number and type of cells in the bone marrow. In aplastic anaemia, the bone marrow has a lower than normal number of cells.

Understanding blood counts

Complete blood count

A complete blood count (CBC)—sometimes referred to as your “numbers”—helps you and your doctor monitor the effects of your chemotherapy by measuring cells in your blood in relation to normal ranges. “Normal” ranges provide a reference, but your doctor and nurse will evaluate your specific counts and work with you to determine if there are any problems to address.

A complete blood count measures amounts of 3 types of cells in your blood

White Blood Cells (WBCs)WBCs help your body fight infection by protecting against foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. WBCs form a key part of your natural defenses, which are provided by your immune system. Neutrophils (NEW-truh-fils), a specific type of WBC, help protect against and fight infection. If your absolute neutrophil count (ANC) falls below normal, you have neutropenia. ANC is the typical measure of your body's ability to fight infection.

Red Blood Cells (RBCs)RBCs carry oxygen throughout your body, giving you energy and keeping your organs and tissues healthy. Hemoglobin (HEE-moh-glow-bin), also known as Hb, is the protein that makes blood red. It contains iron and carries oxygen in your body. Hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit), or Hct, is the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream. If your Hb or Hct level is too low, you may have anemia (ah-NEE-mee-ah), in which case you may feel tired and fatigued.

Platelets (Plts)Platelets help your body stop bleeding by working with other blood factors to form a clot. A low platelet count, called thrombocytopenia (throm-boh-sy-toh-PEE-nee-ah), may lead to excessive bleeding or bruising.

Weekend Highlights

2008-08-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

7am Monday - We had a great weekend! Amy is doing very well. We have been having a great time hanging out with family and friends. We chatted with neighbors outside, ate good food, and caught up with family.

This continued support is so helpful, and I can tell that Amy thrives on it. I know it keeps her mind off of the negative as her beautiful smile shines from the joy that people bring. We are truly blessed to have a big loving and caring support group. I have to keep saying thanks, because you all continue to impress me with your actions. Please know that we are here for you as well if ever you are in need.

This is the week if you want to visit, because Amy's blood counts are normal or above normal. We will resume treatment starting Monday, August 11th. I know she's going to do great during that time as well.

Allison and Ashley are doing great. I am as well.

Please don't forget to take advantage of registering for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) at the Barrio Fiesta this weekend. FREE for minorities, and half price for non-minorities. Please take the opportunity to save someone's life. I know you all want to help Amy, and it would be great if one of you is her match, but someone else out there is waiting as well. It is also someone's wife, sister, mother, brother, father, friend, or loved one who needs a transplant...someone like AMY. Please help.

Calling All Angels---Register to Donate

2008-08-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

From Amy's sister Karyn and Cindy Jimenez: THANK YOU BOTH!!!

Hi, just wanted to let everyone know (there have been several questions about testing) about the bone marrow donor registry testing…There's actually going to be a donor testing booth at the Barrio Fiesta next weekend.

All minorities (partial or full) are free and non minorities are $25 (half-price). It's a cheek swab test and all you need to do is fill out a registration form…you'll need either your Social Security# or Driver's License # along with contact information of 2 people not living with you and not living together (just in case you move and they need to find you).

Please forward this info to anybody that might be interested. Just trying to get the word out there. I guess there are about 6,000 people who are waiting for donors. You can find more info on the website: www.marrow.org/index.html.

It might take between 2-4 weeks to get on the registry. Amy is still waiting to meet with the Transplant Team. They will place her on the registry. That should happen real soon. Thank you to everyone for your continued support. Karyn

Drive Details:
Stockton Barrio Fiesta 1 Telephone Number: 510-568-3700

Drive Name:
Stockton Barrio Fiesta 1

Drive Location:
Filipino Plaza Address: 6 West Main Street Stockton , CA 95202

Drive Date: Aug 9 & 10, 2008 Drive Time: 11:00AM - 3:00PM

What to expect Joining the NMDP Registry is easy. Patients need donors who are between the ages of 18 and 60, meet the health guidelines and are willing to donate to any patient in need.
When you come to a donor drive, we will explain what it means to become a donor, help you understand your commitment, answer your questions and help you through the process.

All you need to do is:

Complete a registration form with contact information, health history questions and a signed agreement to join the NMDP Registry.

To help you complete the form, bring along: Personal identification (such as a driver's license or passport) Contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your address changes. Pay for tissue-typing costs, in some cases (tax deductible donation).

Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample so your tissue type can be tested. That's it! Your tissue type is then added to the NMDP Registry. Doctors search our Registry when they need to find a donor for their patients.

Finding a match:

The basics: For a successful transplant, the tissue type of a bone marrow donor or a cord blood unit needs to match the patient’s as closely as possible. Special testing determines whether a patient and bone marrow donor or cord blood unit are a good match. The closer the match, the better for the patient.

Race and ethnicity matter in tissue matches, because tissue types are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the NMDP Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.

Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are urgently needed as a bone marrow donor or cord blood donor:

African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
Hispanic and Latino
Multiple race

Results & Treatment

2008-08-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

(Being examined by Dr. Berube. Dr. McMillen in background)

(Amy in Blake Wilbur Cancer Center, 2nd Floor.

This is where Amy will receive consolidation chemo, blood transfusions,

blood test, and medication.)

Amy's CBCs came back super good! Blood counts are way up, which is great. Amy is scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy next Tuesday, August 5th to determine whether she's in remission. Dr. Berube is 98% sure Amy is, but the BMB will confirm it.

The doctor then discussed Amy's consolidation chemo treatment. Amy and I were expecting something different in regards to being able to do this outpatient chemo Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and have the ability of going home in between. But the reality is that she has to stay there with a caregiver the whole week. So, it is scheduled for the week of August 11.

I'm planning on being with her and I'm taking the girls as well. The social worker will set us up at nearby hospital housing for free or a minimal fee(maybe). She then gets to come home on the 16th, but has to go back on the 19th to stay for a week to a week and a half. This is when her blood counts are low. If she gets a fever or infection, she has to be admitted at that point...which is a likely event. Anyway, Amy's mom will make the trip and stay with her from the 19th on, because Allison starts school on the 20th, and I have to stay here for work and the girls.

Needless to say, we have a long journey ahead. It's so overwhelming, but it is something that we just have to go through. She has three rounds of this consolidation chemo. They are about once a month. I will only opt to be with her for the first one. Her mom and others have pledged to be with her for the rest. If Amy does find a bone marrow match, they'll proceed with that and cancel the remaining consolidation chemo treatment.

When a match happens, this is when it's going to be the hardest for Amy, because she'll receive the strongest dose of chemo to completely wipe out her bone marrow cells before introducing someone else's marrow. Total time for that process is about a month as well. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Back at Stanford

2008-07-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

12:55 pm Thursday - Amy had her blood drawn this morning to see where her levels are at, plus to get her HLA typing as well, for the bone marrow registry.

We will meet with Dr. Berube at 1:15pm to discuss her complete blood count, and Amy's consolidation treatment schedule.

We are currently having lunch outside in a different cafeteria next to where Amy stayed during her initial treatment. We brought her original staff at the F Ground goodies from Toot Sweets. We also saw and said hello to Nurse Buddy! It was a great reunion. We also spoke to Amy's social worker Anne. She's a great resource.

Amy's eating and feeling well. We are leaving in a couple of minutes to see Dr. Berube. I'll blog the results of that meeting later. Overall, great return visit to Stanford.

Recent Pics

2008-07-28T20:44:00.001-07:00

(Monday Evening, July 28th. Having ice cream w/Kristine & Patty)

(First time home in a month w/Cavero Reception)

(Saying goodbye to Nurse Buddy who kindly helped us out)

(Amy leaving Room 38, F Ground for the last time)

(Posing for last time in Amy's room)

(Final release from I.V. unit w/ Nurse Ann)

(Last outing before Amy's discharge, Sunday, July 27)

(Running Free in courtyard)

(With Yashna at Stanford Guest House - Thank you so much for your kindness!)

10pm Monday, July 28 - Amy is doing fantastic. Recovering well at home. Her energy and appetite is great! We love being home!

I went back to work today. It was great seeing all of my friends. Good to be back!

We want to personally thank the "clean-up crew" who cleaned up our house and made it look immaculate for our homecoming: Thanks to - Georgeanne, Alicia, Karyn, Joyce, and Racquel. You are all awesome! Our house was perfect, clean, and welcoming. Amy and the girls and I are forever grateful for what you have done for us! It was a thousand times better than when we left it a month ago. Thank you!

Amy and I are headed back to Stanford this Thursday for follow-up blood work and to discuss Amy's consolidation chemo treatment for the next few months. We should also be meeting the transplant team this Monday for another BMB and for Amy's HLA typing for the bone marrow registry.

PS: The girls and I had a wonderful stay at the Stanford Guest House. Thanks to Yashna, who's been so helpful and kind during our entire stay there.

Last Blog at Stanford

2008-07-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

4:30pm Sunday - Although Amy will have numerous appointments and outpatient chemo here at Stanford, this is my last official blog entry since Amy got admitted here on July 3rd. I'll continue this blog, but from Stockton!

We are almost out the door. We should be on the road a little after 5pm. We are all so excited. Can't wait to see you all at home!

Thanks to everyone. From family, friends, doctors and nurses, thank you from Floyd, Amy, Allison, and Ashley!

Bye Rm. 38, F Ground. We will miss you.

Countdown to 209

2008-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

12 noon Sunday - We are almost there. Amy's been walking around like the Bionic Woman, in preparation for going home. Her taste buds are slowly coming back...which means she's almost back to her picky self. She looks great and has lots of energy!

All of her numbers are up except for her red blood count, which is expected. We're just waiting for them to determine the nuetrofil count of total white blood cells. They need it to at 500. Her total wbc count is at .9 or 900.

Once home, we are due back here at Stanford for another bone marrow aspiration to determine her complete blood count, and to get her HLA type for the bone marrow registry.

Everything looks good. I'll keep you posted. Thanks.

Saturday, July 26

2008-07-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

11:45am - Myron and Georgeanne are visiting and took the girls around the hospital.

Amy is continuing her amazing hospital experience. Her WBCs are at .7, platelets up again at 92,000, and RBCs at 9.3

She's doing great! We hope to be home sometime during the week. I hope anyway. That would be heavenly!

Thanks for all of your continued support. It helps so much to know that a lot of people care.

Much love to all!!!

UPDATE 12 noon: Doctors just finished with their daily visit with Amy. GOOD NEWS - WE MIGHT BE GOING HOME ON MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll keep you all posted.

Sleeping Beauties

2008-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

9:10am Friday - Can you believe that Allison and Ashley are still sleeping? Amy just texted me and said the doctors already came in and told her that her WBC climbed to .5, platelets at up at 64,000, but RBCs down a bit. She'll need 2 units this morning. They said that the red blood cells are the last to go up.

Otherwise, Amy said that she is feeling good. Eddie and PJ visited and had dinner with the girls and I. We had a great time. Had a full day yesterday. Gave the girls a shower and straight to bed. I think I'll wake them up now so we can have another adventurous today.

Blog you later.

Pics of the Day

2008-07-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

(With Nurse Shirley and Nurse Buddy)

& Sweta w/ Arts and Crafts

WHAT A FUN DAY!!!

Stanford Shuttle

2008-07-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

12:15am Thursday - Amy's doing awesome! Blood counts are starting to go up too! She also finally got her picc line back in. This makes it easier to get medicine, blood, etc. into her system. She's feeling good, just a bit bored.

I also saw Nurse Shirley and Nurse Buddy, but in the next unit. I'm sure they'll come by to say hello. I suspect they both have stories to tell. Amy does have Nurse Liz again today. She's great too.

The girls and I finally decided to ride the Stanford Shuttle from our hotel to the hospital. It was quite an adventure. It took us all over the Stanford Campus, which is humongous! Funny thing about the ride was that we were supposed to get off by a big parking structure on campus to transfer to another bus that would have taken us to the hospital...but we didn't. Long story short, we ended up back at the hotel 30 minutes later. Ended up taking the car to the hospital after all. A five minute ride. Oh well.

We saw Jim again in the cafeteria. He always has a cup of coffee in hand. He said that Kitten was doing better and should get off of the ventilator real soon. She's still in the I.C.U.

Nurse Liz just walked in and Jim and Kitten came up in our conversation. Liz said, "They are so sweet. They are so in love. They've been married for 43 years, and ended up celebrating their anniversary here in the F Ground. They even shared their cake with the staff." How cool!!!

Tunnel Light

2008-07-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

9:15 pm Sunday - The Attending Doctor came in this morning on her morning rounds, and said Amy's doing great. Dr. Liedke said that her blood counts should start climbing anytime. Initially in small increments, then expediently. She said it may even be possible that Amy be released as early as after the weekend! Of course, all depending on her blood count. That certainly is great news, but I'm preparing for a slightly longer stay, so that I'm not disappointed if it's longer. We all have to hope for some fast regenerating cells.

Amy is mentally ready to go home. Poor girl! It's has to get boring being confined to the same areas. I feel so bad for her. I am so proud of how she's mentally handling everything.

I'm ready to go home as well. I know the girls feel the same way, although they are having a good time.

The nurse staff look forward in seeing them everyday...morning, noon, and night. They always say "Amy's girls are here!" every time they hear their voices from the entrance to F Ground.

I miss work too. I'm proud of my guys, Nick and Kenny at Channel 97 for taking care of business! I am also lucky to have Connie (my manager) carry the load while I'm gone. She's been so kind, helpful, and supportive. I miss City Hall. I really do.

I can't ever say it enough. Thank you all so much for your support, kindness, love, and prayers. My family is doing so well, thanks to all of your actions. I'm so grateful for your acts of kindness.
We are forever indebted to you. Thank you all for stepping up!

Another Good Day

2008-07-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

10:30pm Tuesday - Amy had another good day today. Her sister Karyn is with her tonight. I am so happy at how she is doing. Let's start praying, hoping, and wishing for her blood counts to start climbing on their own. I can't wait until they can guesstimate the date when I can take Amy home.

The time here seems to fly by so fast, at least for me anyway. I hope Amy feels the same.

Amy's friends from work came and visited with her this morning. Candice and Maricela came with gifts and a box of assorted cookies from Toot Sweets. Amy can't have them, so the girls and I offered them to the nurse staff. They loved it. It was gone in a minute. Thanks C & M. I can't say enough about Amy's friends at VMRC. Give them all a raise, please!

I Want My Mullet Back!

2008-07-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Hannah Montana's dad "Robby Ray" or the real Billy Ray Cyrus.
Taken this morning in our hotel room.

"I want my mullet back. And my Camaro and my 8-track"

SING A LONG, WILL YA!

Antibiotic Woman

2008-07-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

11:30pm Monday - Yup. I'm still up. At the hotel, and the girls are asleep.
Amy had a really good day, except for having a low grade fever earlier that really didn't affect her. It was gone later, but for good measure, Dr. Zach gave her the last kind of antibiotic (the one that treats fungal bacteria. She also got blood work, and a CT scan to rule out anything.

I didn't want to forget to mention the whereabouts of two famous nurses who care for Amy. All of them are really good. Some are great. There's nurse Liz, who's really sweet. Then of course there's Nurse Shirley, who 's been gone for almost a week competing in a triathlon. Plus, there's Nurse "Buddy", a gay Filipino nurse. He's quite a character! He would often spend over an hour in Amy's room telling us stories about his dramatic love life. He's great. He would go on and on about his boyfriends and his heartbreaks. He went to Brazil for four days for "fun". He should be back any day now. Bet he's got some stories to tell. I feel bad for the other patients, because he spends so much time in Amy's room. He brings a smile to Amy's face.

Good night.

"Blacky" The Squirrel

2008-07-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Every morning, the girls and I see this cute little black squirrel gathering nuts and snacks by the hospital's garden entrance. The girls look forward to seeing him everyday. He hangs around the same tree and is normally out in the morning time only. We also found his home from a hole in the ground next to the tree.

If Blacky is not around when we pass by, the girls call for him by this area.

Much of the Same

2008-07-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

7:15am Monday - No news is good news, right? Dr. Zach came in and it was business as usual. Amy is doing great! He said that her counts should start climbing up on their own real soon. The Phlebotomist came much later this morning. Actually, he came just 15 minutes ago. They usually get blood at around 4am. I'll report CBCs when they come back.

Both grandmothers go home today and won't be back until Friday. Amy's sister Karyn might come and spend the night on Tuesday. I think I'm going to have an adventure with the Allison and Ashley that I'll blog about and share with you.

Thanks again for all the visits. I don't think Amy's been bored since she's been here. I know you have all helped her out with your visits. It's great to see so much support!

Kitten's Her Name

2008-07-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

11:29pm Sunday - Forgot to tell you. Saw Jim coming outside the garden entrance when the girls and I came in this morning. His wife was to be moved to the I.C.U.

His wife's name is Kitten.

Weekend Over

2008-07-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

(With the Juarez Family)

7:20pm Sunday - Amy is doing great tonight. She's been great physically and mentally for a few days. Thanks for all of your support and prayers.

She made me a list of frozen and dry foods for me to pick up at the grocery store. Brought it back, stored it in the freezer and in her room. Prepared for her Pizza Rolls (pepperoni). Out of fifteen bite-size pieces, she ate about half.

I'm trying my best to be the man that I have to be. I need to provide love, care, effort, and sympathy for Amy. I also need to ensure that my daughters are healthy, happy, and well taken care of. I hope that I am appreciated for the man that I am. Someone who is dependable, steadfast, devoted, loyal and loving. I simply can't be any other way. There is no one that can do better than how I am handling my family crisis. I would simply like to thank you all for your continued support.

I'm with Amy this evening, where I need to be. And when I'm not, I'm with the two other girls that I adore so much.

Sunday Morning

2008-07-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

(Friends from Delta Blood Bank: Christine, Yvonne, & Cindy)

(At the mall fountain)

10am Sunday - Amy's doing well. Her blood counts are good. The attending doctor told Amy this morning that her white blood cell count should start climbing in a couple of days.

Allison and Ashley are watching Hannah Montana on my computer in her room. Grandmas are catching up with laundry.

Nothing else to report at this time. Have a great Sunday!

Donor Info

2008-07-19T10:33:00.001-07:00

10:30am Saturday - Happy Weekend! Amy says "Hello". And thank you, of course, for all of your support.

She's doing real well again today. Expecting some visitors, so that's a good thing.

For those needing more information on Bone Marrow Transplant, the url is below:

http://www.marrow.org/

Thanks again for everything. We love you all so much.

Hair Getting Shorter

2008-07-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

This Just In

2008-07-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

11:25am Friday - Good news! You don't have to be half Filipino & Mexican. So, whomever's interested, get tested now or you can wait until Amy's on the regristry.

Amy is doing great again today. Lots of energy, plus a great attitude.

Blog you soon!

What To Say

2008-07-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? How about Amy is the strongest, bravest person I know! She truly is amazing! People often wonder about their purpose in life, mine was to meet Amy and to have our two beautiful daughters. Period.

It took me awhile to update this blog, because it's just been a difficult afternoon for me. Needless to say our 2pm much anticipated cytogenetics result discussion finally came at around 5pm. And it was one of those "good news, bad news" scenario.

The good news is that her bone marrow is at a normal level, compared to being at the poor level. The doctors said that people who are at the normal level do fine after treatment. But with advanced technology, they are able to check a little further and look for a mutated gene called "FLT3". This gene, if found, increases the likelihood of someone going into relapse. The bad news; she tested positive for it. Therefore, they recommend her for a bone marrow transplant.

It will pretty much serve as a guarantee of a relapse free state, but it does come with risks. She may stay in remission just by the chemo treatment alone, but there's always a chance of a relapse with this FLT3 gene. What are the risks of a transplant? She will basically be getting someone else's immune system. All recipients receive different levels of the new immune system attacking vital organs, and they're all controlled with medication, for months, to a few years. But the doctors believe the benefits out weigh the risks, given that Amy is young and otherwise healthy.

The plan is still the same, with Amy being able to go home in a couple of weeks. She will have 4 series of consolidation chemo
( lower dose, outpatient style) that will last up to 5 days at a time. This will take place at Stanford within the next 4-6 months. Unless she gets matched up with a donor during this time.

If that is the case, she will receive even stronger chemo (stronger than the induction chemo she already had) to completely wipe out her bone marrow, then infuse the donated marrow. This process will also take about a month, with strong chemo for the first week, then allow time to see if marrow and cells are wiped out, then infuse new marrow, then monitor her during the stage when her CBCs climb back up and regenerate.

While she is waiting for a match, she will be monitored and kept in remission.

She will have her final bone marrow aspiration before she is released, to see where her numbers are at, and to also get the info they need to register her in the national registry for bone marrow transplant recipients. So wait until she is registered before any of you get tested. To start, you have to have the same ethnic make-up as Amy (Mexican & Filipino). The test is a simple mouth culture. It's unfortunate that even her half-sisters Karyn & Kyomi won't do.

I'm overwhelmed, but confident Amy will be fine. Amy 's got a great attitude and a positive outlook. Remember that the marrow transplant is simply a sure-fire way of staying cancer free. She'll still be in remission without it, but better off with it. They (doctors and nurses) were happily surprised at how well she responded to chemo (meaning it worked at destroying her blood cells). They said some people need more and more to even make a dent...remember Jim's wife with the same AML? So that is encouraging.

Thank you again for all of your support. It means a great deal to us.

Amy is recovering really well! She welcomes visitors, as long as your not even slightly sick. We and staff believe it's great to see all the support from family and friends! I think it does wonders for her morale and boredom. Just remember to gauge the length of your visit according to her energy.

She's one strong woman. I already knew that of her. She makes me proud to be her husband and the father of our kids. I know what I need to do. I've found my purpose!

2pm Countdown

2008-07-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

(Karyn cut it short. Amy contemplating buzzing it)

10:40am Thursday - Team met with Amy during their rounds this morning and told her that they will come back at 2pm this afternoon to discuss the cytogenetics results. Cross your fingers, pray, think positive thoughts for good news.

While feeding the girls this morning in the Atrium, a familiar face was coming down the steps. It was an older man with gray hair and a mustache, t-shirt and shorts, a smile and a cup of Joe in hand. I've seen him a few times, sharing a smile and a greeting, in the F Ground unit where Amy is. So I finally introduced myself. His name is Jim, and he and his wife have been here since May. He says my daughters looked like little princesses. They said thank you.

His wife also has AML, although at a later stage in her life. It hit them like a bullet train as well, coming on so quickly, with no warning signs. Unlike Amy's positive response to the induction chemo, his wife has had a rougher time...she has had three of them. With her heart not so strong, the first two induction chemo treatments were lower doses spread out to seven days at a time. Her latest treatment was the same as Amy's (stronger and for only four days). It's been a couple of weeks now for her, and Jim says she seems to be doing better than before.

I can see the sadness and pain on his face. Yet he still smiles and greets us in passing. Now we'll share more than that.

Late Breaking News

2008-07-16T22:34:00.001-07:00

10:30pm Wednesday - Dr. Venayak told Amy that the bone marrow test showed that the induction chemo worked! That means she's done with chemo for the time that she's here. HOORAY!

We're just waiting for the cytogenetics to determine whether her marrow is at a high, intermediate, or low risk of a relapse (this determines if she needs a bone marrow transplant). Let's hope and pray for the best.

It was a great day! Hope for another tomorrow. Her sister Karyn is spending the night with her tonight. Good night and thanks for caring!

Pics of Day

2008-07-16T16:44:00.001-07:00

(With Andres & Roonicia)

(Running at Hospital Courtyard)

Georgeanne Goes Home

2008-07-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

11:15am Wednesday - Grandma Georgeanne left for Stockton this morning. Today is her and Myron's wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary! She'll be back this Friday afternoon with my mom Alicia.

Amy is doing great today. She went for a walk before breakfast. She's in a great mood, and really has plenty of energy. Stomach is doing much better, and fever is gone. She's getting ready to take a shower. Her hair is really coming off in chunks. It doesn't seem to be bothering her too much. She understands it's temporary, and that it will grow back. She's to decide what to do with her hair when her sister Karyn arrives this evening. Karyn is spending the night and all day tomorrow with us.

The girls are snacking on chips and watching a Lizzie McGuire movie.

Thanks for all the art work kids! Her room is finally customized.

Amy's Tally: 9 blood transfusions, 3 platelet transfusions, 3 bone marrow aspirations.

Cramps Revealed

2008-07-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

1:25pm Tuesday - Amy's doing good. Ate taquitos for lunch, and now just waiting for Dr. Venayak to perform another bone marrow aspiration to determine how well the chemo treatment worked. It will tell her, probably by tomorrow, whether Amy needs more chemo or not.

Karen Costa from the City just came by to drop off gifts for Amy and the girls. Many thanks.

Right before the bone marrow aspiration, Amy got another bout of over-5-minute chills/shakes. They said these are due to her fever spiking. Got a double dose of Demorol. She's ok now.

They also found out the true cause of her stomach cramps: ECOLI! Test confirmed, so antibiotics should take care of it.

Bad Chills, Not Bad Chili

2008-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

8:00am Tuesday - Amy woke up in a good mood with energy. She took a shower. Hair was coming off more. Then chills came. Really bad. Lasted for about five minutes. They brought in about a half a dozen warmed blankets, plus my warm body covering her, and they turned up the heat in the room. They gave her Demerol and now she's fine.

Dr. Zach and Nurse Buddy were on the ball with this bout. She's currently on two antibiotics (viral & bacterial). Increasing the dose on one of them (bacterial). The only thing they're holding back on is the antibiotic for fungal infections. They believe this is all due to the normal bacteria in her digestive tract doing a number on her now that her white blood count is low. Test results should soon confirm that.

She's getting a platelet transfusion this morning. Her count was at 5,000 this morning. RBCs are around 9.

Pink Floyd

2008-07-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

8:00pm Monday - Girls left for the hotel with Grandma Georgeanne. But before they left, Allison had to put the icing on the cake...pink lipstick. At least I can wipe off the lipstick, the nail polish won't come off until sometime tomorrow. So I sported it during dinner. No problem, as long as my girls are with me, I have an excuse. The problem's going to be when I'm alone, needing to go to a public men's room. Oh well!

Amy's still fighting a fever, but she's not really showing signs of fatigue. Her stomach cramps are still around. Hope they're gone tomorrow. She's watching TV at the moment, and chatting, and laughing with her night nurse.

I'm ready for a fun time tomorrow with the girls. I'm trying to make sure that they are entertained and are having fun. I know there are some tired and sad days, but they don't need to experience that. So we have a blast hanging out. Visit with mommy for parts of the day. That's how we're surviving and living the moment. I want to close my eyes, and open them to the day when we all go home.

(Update - 8:35pm: Amy feels chills and decides to call it a night with extra sheets. I'm calling it a night as well.)

(Update - 10:45pm: Amy and I have been chatting for about an hour now. She kicked off her blankets, and decided to be Chatty Cathy, so I woke up and obliged. Now she's in her bathroom, reading a magazine. It truly is a series of ups and downs...in a matter of hours. So for now, she seems fine.)

PS: Forgot to mention, while at Target earlier with the girls, I picked up a current issue of People Magazine (couldn't find US) for Amy. She laughed when I gave it to her, she said "What the hell is this? It's in Spanish". Oops.

Cafeteria FAVS

2008-07-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's official. The chili and pepperoni pizza at the hospital cafeteria are "off the hook" when it comes to Allison & Ashley's appetite! They can't get enough of it. Amy's mom is with her, the girls and I are in the hotel doing laundry & hanging out. By the way, my fingernails are pink, thanks to Allison. Ashley says lipstick is next. "Please hurry dryer"!

When we get back to Amy's room, the girls want to do braids - we bought a kids braid set at Target earlier. Thank god my head is buzzed!

Amy received more blood today. The cramping is lighter, and she is doing good. I'll be able to blog later to catch you up. I'm spending the night at the hospital. Switching with Georgeanne.

We love you all!

180 degrees

2008-07-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

8:10am Monday - I'm with the girls. They're still asleep. Georgeanne spent the night with Amy. Amy says she feels a whole lot better today. She got 2 blood transfusions yesterday, and is currently on antibiotics for bacteria in her digestive tract. She said she ate well this morning and feels really good!

She had a great visit with Anndria and Crissy yesterday.

Fill you in more as we get going today.

1st Fever

2008-07-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

11:20am Sunday - Amy got her first fever this morning. They are treating it with Tylenol and antibiotics. She also is getting blood transfused due to her RBCs dropping below 8 today.

Stomach cramps are still lingering, so instead of opting for Vicodin, she asked for and received morphine. Spirits are OK, but it's the stomach cramps, which she describes feels like labor cramping, is the only thing that is getting her down. She was advised by the doctors to stay in bed today.

Thanks again to all of you for always keeping in touch and reading this blog to find out about her status. I was busy entertaining Allison and Ashley yesterday, so I took a rest on the blog. The Crame Girls are doing great. They are currently drawing and coloring with their cousins Kaede and Corey in the Atrium.

Karyn and the Johnson boys, including Ranch of course, are on their way. That should brighten Amy's day. Plus her sister Kyomi came up from coming back from Maui yesterday, and spent the night with her.

Eddie and PJ came again, and were such a big help. PJ is great with the girls. We are impressed, and are truly greatful for her love and patience for them.

Auntie Nellie, Lita, Emma, and my sister Joyce came up again. I think they got lost going home once more, but they did stay for awhile, and even did some shopping at Target for Amy! Thank you.

We are currently staying at the Stanford Guest House. Great place! Reasonable price! Google it.

See you soon!

Angels Among Us

2008-07-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Two angels delivered gifts from Amy's friends at VMRC totalling over $1000 for our family. Needless to say, Amy and I were overwhelmed by this outpouring of generosity. You are all angels watching over and caring for Amy during this trying time. It means so much to our family, and appreciation for your gesture, words cannot truly capture. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!!! Thank you for loving Amy!

I would also like to thank all those that have sent or given support from gifts, cards, money, and love throughout this ordeal. It truly goes to show that our family and friends are the best in the world! Thank you for sharing in the pain and suffering, the happiness and strength, the ups and downs of the battle. It is far from over, but you have all made it an easier journey.

Tummy Cramps

2008-07-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

7:30am Friday - I forced myself to sleep through nurse interruptions last night in preparation for Allison and Ashley's return today. Amy is doing fine, except for irritating stomach cramps. She will be given pain medication for that today starting with Vicodin, then to Morphine if needed. I asked for medical marijuana, but I was refused.JK.

Amy's eyes are doing great. Super strong if you ask me. We had a great visit from Rowena, Cindy, and Tina yesterday. We're looking forward to more this weekend. During your visit, just keep in mind or gauge Amy's energy compared to her niceness. Meaning, she won't ask you to leave, so try to tell her she needs to rest and say goodbye. You decide that length. You guys might stay for an extended time if she's up for it. Just something to think about, if she has a lot of visitors this weekend. If no one is waiting, then by all means, stay longer.

Amy's eating well this morning, or forcing herself to finish what's on her plate. Nurse Shirley is on again today! I'm also checking in to a new hotel today - The Stanford Guest House - I'll get that all set up for the Crame girls' base camp.

Semper Amy!

Seeing & Eating

2008-07-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

12:50pm - Yeay! Amy can open her eyes, plus she's eating very well. She had a good breakfast and lunch. Doing really well so far!

My cousin Rowena is on her way for a visit. We can't wait to see her. Today's turning out to be a good day compared to yesterday. Celebs Cindy and Tina will be here late afternoon for a visit as well.

I bet you can't wait to find out the answer to the poll question. You'll find out soon enough.

Can't wait to see our girls tomorrow. I'll take them out to the movies, shopping, playing, and whatever else they want to do. We can't wait to see the Hawaii vacationers too! Her sisters Karyn and Kyomi are in Maui vacationing. They'll be here this weekend - smelling like coconut I hope. I love coconut, especially Pina Colada! I hope they are wearing coconuts...and grass skirts. Especially Ranch and Carlos.

We miss you all very much: Friends, Family, Co-workers, citizens of Stockton!

I'm Bringing Shirley Back! (song)

2008-07-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

(I should win an award for getting this picture)

8:15am - Our favorite Nurse Shirley is back! She brought joy back to our hospital lives. What a way to start the day. Amy is already in a better mood. If you look up nurse in the dictionary, I'm sure you'll see a picture of Shirley! Yeah, she's that good.

Dr. Koontz (Zach) confirmed that she does have pink eye on both. He says that it is a side effect of the chemo, so he got her back on the steroid drops (Shirley already dropped them in). Watch out visitors, she might have x-ray vision due to all the steroids her eyes are getting. She can't stop looking at me. Now I know why! I feel violated.

On a serious note: RBCs are still at 9 (so no blood transfusion), platelets are good, and WBC at 0.2.

I'm feeding her breakfast, because she can't open her eyes yet. Still romantic, though. I do what I can. Breakfast in bed, how sweet. Great appetite this morning.

Blog ya later!

Eyes Wide Shut

2008-07-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

4:45am Thursday - I was awoken by Amy for a guide to the bathroom. Both her eyes are bothering her. Hard to open, sensitive to light. She probably has conjunctivitis (pink eye) on both. She says it's hard to keep her eye lids open. They're teary and itchy as well.

She stayed in bed for the most part yesterday. She felt dizzy just from taking the short 5 steps to the bathroom. She slept quite a bit yesterday, so I had plenty of me time. Spent it sitting in front of the computer, watching movies and killing time.

Hope for a better day today!