MIA ... -- RBL Romantica!!

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Date Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 05:25:11pm
Author: Judy
Subject: MIA ...

As a few of my RBL friends know, I have been very ill since mid-September. However, things are beginning to look up! :)

Last year at this time, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone. I did very well on chemo - you would not even have known that I was ill - and went into remission in June. However, at the end of August, the myeloma came back with a vengeance. My oncologist immediately sent me to the Mayo Clinic - one of their three major centers is in Jacksonville, only an hour drive from our house - how lucky is that??

After a month of tests (they even tested me for Legionnaires' Disease!), while I became sicker and sicker with fevers spiking day and night, the doctors found no infection to explain my illness - so they decided that it was the myeloma itself that was causing it. They hospitalized me and gave me a "killer chemo cocktail" for four days in a row - after 17 more days (in other words, 21 days in all for the cycle), they would test for the myeloma and see if I were in remission.

Then, three days after the cocktail, as I was struggling to return to normal from all that poison that had been dumped into my body, a report came back from one of the long-growing lung sample tests that had been sent away - I had fungus in my lungs! I had developed fungal pneumonia, which explained the fever spikes! And because the chemo cocktail had now wiped out all of my white blood cells, I had no way to fight this type of pneumonia. At this point, the doctors told me that I had less than a month to live IF they could not find a way to get my body to develop new white blood cells by the end of the 21 day cycle - and that there was only a small possibility that they could do so. As you can imagine, this is when we all hit "rock bottom" - my family and I spent three days huddled in isolation in my hospital room, tying to cope with this news and contacting other family members and close friends.

In the meantime, the doctors and nurses (and I do believe I owe my life to a few of the incredible nurses who spent their entire shifts dripping transfusions, plasma, and a multitude of drugs, electrolytes, fluids and untold other medications into me - at one time, I counted 12 tubes being emptied into my body - luckily through a huge "port" that had been embedded in my chest cavity) worked furiously to detox me and to get my white blood count to move up from zero. For nine days, it remained there - then, on the tenth day (with only 5 days to go to the end of the cycle), it was 0.3. Talk about jubilation in my hospital room - the nurses were all coming in and cheering, the doctors had huge smiles, I called everyone on the phone. The next day it was 1.1, and it continued to climb from there - on the last day of the cycle, it was 1.99 - and 0.5 was all that was necessary to fight off the fungal pneumonia! So they kept me a couple days longer to be sure I was stabilized, over the detox from the chemo, and sent me home.

I've had a couple setbacks since I've been home - the doctors at Mayo are trying to come up with a formula of chemo (taken from the humongous one they gave me in the hospital) that is not too toxic for me, to continue fighting the myeloma. I just received their second try yesterday - the first try was too strong. When they get it right, my doctor said that I can stay on it forever if it keeps working! I also have been going to Mayo twice a week for hydration drips. I've lost almost 20 pounds (my legs look anorexic!), and my hair has fallen out.

BUT there are many positive things happening in my life now, and I am in a "good place": tests show NO sign of the pneumonia, I can now walk without a walker, I'm decorating for Christmas, I have a killer appetite (gained 4 pounds over Thanksgiving alone), I have appointments scheduled into February (a positive sign in itself!), my dh has learned to cook and clean and do laundry and grocery shop, and I have oodles of time to read and watch TV (The Food Network now vying with HGTV as my fave station). And I think Reny has the right idea (yes, I've been lurking since I started to feel better) - time to get out my Mary Balogh Christmas books to help celebrate what is, especially this year, a truly joyous season.

I have learned - or really re-learned, as I've always felt this way - that family and friends are THE MOST IMPORTANT things in life! With their love and strength and support, I was able to keep a fighting spirit, determined to win the battle I faced. I especially want to thank ReBeLs Beaty, Robin, Linda, Ann, DebbieO, Sandra and Heather for their caring support from the beginning last year - and especially since I became ill this fall. Beaty has graciously taken over the monthly releases calendar for me, and is overseeing other programming things that I did for RBL. Robin is going to work on the Hughies this year (have you been keeping track of your 2011 faves?). I've said it before, but I must repeat - I have made some wonderful lifelong friends here at RBL. Who could have imagined that such diverse women with such different backgrounds from such different areas of the country would bond as we have? RBL became such an important part of my life - and I am so thankful that it did!

Love to you all!

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Replies:

[> Well Judy, I am so stunned all I can say is...GOD BLESS YOU!!!! -- SKYE O¿O, Tuesday, November 29, 06:09:22pm

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[> Glad you are feeling better, hon!! It is so great to see you posting!! -- Robin, Tuesday, November 29, 06:14:50pm

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[> Dear Lord, Judy! I'm so glad things are looking up for you... From here on, it's all good news, I hope and pray. Please continue your healing with thoughts of tons of RVL Good Vibes winging their way to you. -- Merry, Tuesday, November 29, 06:28:06pm

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[> [> Ummm.... That should be *RBL* vibes! Typo. Sorry -- Merry, Tuesday, November 29, 06:29:27pm

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[> I'm rejoicing with you, Judy! I've still got one more glass of wine in my bottle to toast to your continued health. DH feels I've been enjoying it way too much. *G* ((((HUGS)))) Oh, yeah. Wait till you see the December releases. I did a Christmas background. It's going to be a very humpy....err....happy Christmas! *VEG* -- Beaty, Tuesday, November 29, 07:21:02pm

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[> OMG, Judy. What an awful, terrifying experience, and what a great family you have. You're so right - it's these kinds of life crises that make you realize what's important. Hope you fully recover fast! Major hugs. -- NicoleJ, Wednesday, November 30, 07:01:46am

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[> It sounds as if you have a great team effort going. I found I reread Mary Balogh and JD Robb during some long sleepless nights. Love, family, relationships and basic kindness are so important in life. I am so happy you are winning your fight and have so much support. -- Reny, Wednesday, November 30, 11:31:14am

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[> (((((Judy))))) you have been through he!! and back and I am so glad it turned around for you!!!! I know the Mayo clinic has superior staff &treatments,I'm so glad you were able to get help there and that they aren't too far from you.I admire your courage & determination and hope you just keep feeling better and better every day.We love you lady,keep those heels dug in and don't give an inch!!!! -- Bo, Wednesday, November 30, 12:08:30pm

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[> Sending lots of *hugs* and well wishes. -- Louisa, Wednesday, November 30, 01:58:23pm

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[> Well, just seeing your name in a post here makes my day!!! I can't tell you how good it feels to "see" you here among us again!! You know all the hugs & good vibes I'm sending your way! -- , Wednesday, November 30, 05:49:18pm

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[> Sweet, Judy, you hang in there! My thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm a 20 year survivor of breast cancer. Did chemo and radiation. You hang in there! It WILL get better. -- Diane, Thursday, December 01, 08:17:56am

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[> Wow Amazing..what the human spirit can achieve. -- Nally, Friday, December 02, 11:55:06am

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[> Oh, Judy! I am so sorry you've had to go through this! I'm so glad to hear that you are doing better and am sending good thoughts and prayers that your health will continue to improve -- Love, Maggie, Sunday, December 04, 12:31:33pm

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[> Well, what a time to pop in for a look at my lovely RBL. I wish you all the very best Judy, you are a truly inspirational woman and I will definitely be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad to hear you're reading lots and aren't we lucky to have such a gloriously portable hobby for just such things as this. Take care sweet lady. -- Chez, Monday, December 05, 12:13:28am

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[> OMG, Judy! I have tears in my eyes thinking of you going through all of that. ((((((((Hugs)))))) Gosh, but hugs just aren't enough! I'm so glad you pulled through and that you had doctors fighting so hard for you, and nurses, too. And you, yourself, must be one heck of a fighter. I'm sending you lots of love and big hugs and good wishes that the hardest part of this is behind you and that you're heading toward a beautiful Chrismtas and a New Year of health and happines and all the miracles you need. -- P.C. PamelaC

, Wednesday, December 07, 09:36:03pm

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