Lindsey

Clean as a Whistle !!

2008-07-14T11:38:00.003-04:00

Lindsey had a scan last Thursday and it is all good ~ next one is in 6 months. I think this might be the best time to discontinue this BLOG. We would like to thank all of you for following Lindsey's progress and for all of your prayers and good wishes ~ please continue to pray for her continued good health.

Sorry ~ I forgot !

2008-06-24T14:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry I have been remiss - I promised an entry on the 20th. No news is good news on this Blog, however, so forgetting is actually a good thing ! All is quiet, Lindsey looks good, feels better with each day and is going about the business of being a wife and mother ~ just what we'd hoped for. Shelley's wedding went off without a "hitch" (or should I say, with a hitch), and we are quietly returning to normal. If anyone knows what normal is, please let me know, it's been a while...........

wedding getting closer !

2008-05-30T00:27:00.004-04:00

Lindsey continues to thrive, her catheter is OUT, meaning no more blood checks, clinic visits, etc., etc., her next visit with her doctor is mid-June. Her sister Shelley's wedding is next weekend, and we are getting ready to party. All Skogens doing well.........gaining weight and growing hair together.....see ya around the 20th of June.

Cut Loose !

2008-05-13T23:30:00.002-04:00

Lindsey had a clinic visit today and they cut her loose ! Since she's in remission and having no other issues, they told her not to come back for 4 weeks ~ she does have to go in to have her triple lumen catheter removed, however, and they will do that early next week ! That works !

Smooth Sailing

2008-04-24T18:29:00.002-04:00

Lindsey's latest PET Scan was completely clean, and she continues to feel better and better! They are continuing to taper off the anti-rejection medications, so Lindsey's magnesium levels are improving, requiring less monitoring; therefore less trips to the BMT Clinic. They told her to come back in 7 to 10 days. I am writing this post from Florida ~ we decided to take advantage of the long break, so we headed down for a few days on the beach. Weather is beautiful and we are all enjoying ourselves. Needless to say, all family members, young and old, are wearing SPF 50 ! No news is good news, so check here again on May 15.

Checking in

2008-04-14T09:42:00.003-04:00

Lindsey continues to do well; controlling her magnesium level seems to be the only issue, and she takes oral medications for the most part to help with that. Still doing once a week visits to the clinic. They should start to taper off the immuno-suppressive medications soon, and her magnesium level will go back to normal. That's about it ! Next post May 1.

Ease it up a bit

2008-03-17T15:59:00.002-04:00

We know that many of you check this blog daily and that you are all very interested in knowing Lindsey's progress. We really do feel all of your thoughts and prayers, and are blessed to have so many people praying for Lindsey's continued health. Just as the visits to the clinic are becoming less frequent, my posts on the blog will also become less frequent. Things are going very well right now, and I feel it is only fair to let you know how often to "look" to see if there is anything new. For the forseeable future, I will post news once a month. Of course, if there is a need, I will indicate that in each posting, and you will know to check more often. Thank you again for all of your continued support. My next post will be April 15. Happy St. Patrick's Day !

Once a Week!

2008-03-15T08:25:00.002-04:00

Everything is going according to the master plan, and Lindsey was cut down to once a week visits to the clinic ~ not much else to report !

Regular Routine

2008-03-06T12:50:00.002-05:00

Lindsey is doing well and is now on a Tuesday/Friday schedule at the BMT Clinic. She just goes in and they draw blood and she usually comes right home. Lately she hasn't needed anything, other than needing magnesium on occasion. All's quiet on the western front............

Family News

2008-03-02T08:19:00.003-05:00

We have some sad news ~ Lindsey's grandfather passed away in his sleep on Thursday. We were expecting that he would die soon, but it was unexpected that it happened so quickly. I haven't posted this week because we have been busy with his funeral arrangements. Lindsey is doing well, and will return to the clinic for a blood check on Tuesday.

New Schedule

2008-02-26T13:01:00.002-05:00

Got a call from B.M.T. today. Only 2 clinic visits a week! Monday's and Thursdays only. Not bad !

Improvement

2008-02-25T15:35:00.003-05:00

The CT Scan results showed a little improvement; Lindsey continues to feel better, she's eating more and her energy level is getting better. Her Magnesium was a little low today, so they gave her an infusion pump to take home with her. The mag infusion makes her feel a little warm and it's annoying carrying her little 'backpack' everywhere, but she didn't want to sit in the clinic all day to be infused, so this is the alternative. She'll go back Wednesday at the regular time.

CT Scan

2008-02-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Lindsey had a CT Scan done to check out her lung and we should have the results on Monday. Her visit to the clinic was the same as the last two visits ~ she got in and out without needing any intravenous support. So far so good ! Next post on Monday...........

Your prayers are working !

2008-02-20T13:52:00.001-05:00

Same deal - went to the clinic, nothing needed, came home ! YAY !

Steady Progress

2008-02-18T12:49:00.002-05:00

Good news from the clinic this morning; Lindsey's bloodwork looked good today, they didn't need to infuse anything, so they changed the dressing on her catheter and sent her home! Her magnesium levels were borderline low, but they decided to see if she can maintain a safe magnesium level using oral medication rather than IV infusion. So, she will take more pills than she has before and they will see if it is adequate when they check her blood on Wednesday. Hopefully, that will be the case. Now we are working on getting her weight back up, and we are hoping that the steroids she is taking will make her hungry!

Three Days a Week ~ YAY !

2008-02-15T09:50:00.004-05:00

Jacob and Lindsey are at the clinic this morning and she just sent me a text message saying that they have put her on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule at 8 a.m. That is great news! Today all she needed was a bag of magnesium, which takes about 2 hours, so they will be home early. Lindsey also mentioned that she noticed an improvement in her breathing this morning, which is what we were all praying for ! You guys are doing a good job ! ! ! (p.s. - Their cake was really good !)

Great St. Valentine's Day Gift

2008-02-14T19:26:00.004-05:00

Didn't realize at the time of my last post that they had given Lindsey TWO days off ~ they have thoroughly enjoyed their relaxation for 48 hours. Jacob and Lindsey go back tomorrow and don't have to be there until 8 o'clock, which is like "sleeping in" for them ! They aren't waking up until 6:30, which is way better than their usual 5:30 get-up. This is the first break she's had for a while, so we'll be interested to see what her blood looks like ~ her potassium, magnesium, red cells, platelets, all that......Now I'm praying that they will give her the weekend off ~ that would be awesome ! Her breathing is still not normal, and they expect it will take as much as a week to improve to the point where she can take a walk again. . . she's being patient and Jacob is taking good care of her. They had a nice Valentine's dinner of baked Tilapia, and now Jacob and Lindsey are downstairs baking a CAKE ! ! ! I'll let you all know how it turns out...............tee hee.

I KNEW IT !

2008-02-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

All it takes to make Lindsey better is to have Jacob by her side...............she is OUT of the big house and back home with us ~ thank you GOD ! The doctor's had their little "pow wow" and they decided that it wasn't metastatic cancer cells - HUGE - it's not infectious, - HUGE - it's not pneumonia. They think it's inflammation..........therefore, they have her on steroids and she's back home with us. They even gave her a day off from the clinic, so tomorrow (Thursday) she doesn't have to go ANYWHERE ! No getting up early and no boring days being connected to fluids............praise GOD !

Feeling Better

2008-02-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

Jacob is back with Lindsey at the hospital, and she is feeling better. She always feels better when she is with Jacob ! They're not sure when they are going to let her out because the bronchoscopy results have provided no answers so far. There are several things trying to grow in petrie dishes, but nothing's cookin' yet. . . all of the doctors are getting together to have a big pow-wow to figure out what to do. This sounds very familiar, and the situation is similar to what she went through last summer when they 'thought' she had pneumonia but couldn't get any of the infection to grow in the petrie dishes after the bronchoscopy. Last summer, they ended up doing an Open Lung Surgical Biopsy, but doing that might be a little more risky at this point in the growth of her baby immune system. . . we'll keep you posted on what the "meeting of the minds" comes up with.

2nd Day in the Big House

2008-02-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

Lindsey had lots of nausea and coughing yesterday afternoon, which was miserable, but they got control of it by the time she went to sleep and has felt better since. They suspect that the nausea might have been caused by one of the antibiotics, so they discontinued that for today. She's getting a little food down today, and has been able to take her oral medications, so we hope that she'll perk up and get stronger by tomorrow. Jacob will be back from Lookout Mountain tomorrow and that should bring a smile to her face!

Procedure Went Well and Good News

2008-02-08T17:41:00.000-05:00

Today was an unusual day, that's for sure. Lindsey was due to check into the hospital at 9 a.m. First thing this morning Jacob woke up with a raised rash all over his body ~ it lasted a few hours and went away. However, because of that, we had to take precautions to protect Lindsey's "baby" immune system. Andy is nursing some cold symptoms, so I escorted Lindsey to the hospital, where she was admitted in order to sort out this little something in her lung. When we got to her room, they told her she was to have a bronchoscopy right away ~ well that would've been a good thing to know BEFORE she ate breakfast ~ her doctor had told her she was going in the hospital, but did not mention a procedure so soon. So, since she had eaten, they had to wait until this afternoon to do the Bronchoscopy. No biggie. Everything went well with it, and she is now resting comfortably. The anesthesia leaves you in a wonderful, drowsy, place, and if you're lucky, it doesn't wear off quickly. She keeps waking up and asking me the same questions over and over ~ it's hilarious! Anyway, poor Jacob is banished from being around Lindsey until Monday just in case what popped up is more than an allergic reaction, so Lindsey suggested he go to his parents house for the weekend. His brothers are there, and he gets to go to RP for Church on Sunday. Lindsey's Doctor's asked that he not be around Lindsey until at least Monday ~ presuming he has no more weird symptoms. If anything else comes up, we've got an Internist we're going to send him to down here on Monday. We pray that Jacob doesn't have anything happen over the weekend, Lindsey and Jacob don't like it when they are away from each other ! Shelley is coming home for the weekend, and is going to come up here tomorrow and we are going to try to keep Lindsey entertained all day. They won't be doing anything in particular for her over the weekend, just giving her IV Antibiotics, and fluids. The doctor's explained that they wanted to get Lindsey in here today for the bronchoscopy so that they could get a jump on this before it grows anymore. You can't get any surgery scheduled on the weekend, and by Monday, it might have a chance to get worse. But, even though they got the Bronchoscopy procedure done, we won't have laboratory results until Monday or Tuesday. So, we're just hanging out here at Northside Hospital, watching Food Network and hoping there's some good college basketball on this weekend. At first, they didn't have a room in the BMT Unit for Lindsey, so she is in a regular room. However, one came up just a short while ago, so we'll be moving. The good thing about all of this is that even though the CT Scan did show a bit more of the cloudiness in her lung, since she has been on such great anti-fungals for two weeks they seem to think that is not what has. Fungal infections are the most stubborn, so we are crossing our fingers for a simple bacterial infection. Lindsey isn't having anything serious done to her this evening, so I am going to go home to sleep and return with Shelley in the Morning. Though Lindsey is in the hospital, this is not because she is doing significantly worse. The Doctor just said that what can be accomplished in a few days inpatient would takes weeks out-patient, so we may as well nip this little thing in the bud early on. And we agree. Keep praying for things to be simple, simple, simple. Thats the way we like it.

Entering the Hospital

2008-02-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

Well, the CT scan showed that whatever is in her right lung is not fully better, so they want to put Lindsey in the hospital beginning tomorrow so that they can really figure out what this is. They say they don't think this is fungal pneumonia because if it were it would have responded to the good medicine she was on. She's got a little bit of a hacky cough and shortness of breath. Nothing too bad. Hopefully, they will get it out of her quickly. She won't be going into the BMT Unit at the hospital, just into a regular room. We don't know what her treatment will be, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow ~

CT Scan Today

2008-02-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Lindsey is having her CT Scan of her lungs at this very moment. . . please say a little prayer that it turns out okay...................

More of the Same

2008-02-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

The anti-fungal infusion is ongoing, but they switched to a different one a few days ago, and it is much easier on Lindsey. Overall, she's feeling less tired than before, but the anti-fungals have the unwelcome side effect of causing shortness of breath. It would do her good to get back into the walking regimen that she was on before this came up. She will have a CT Scan on Thursday to check to see if it's been effective at eliminating the cloud in her left lung. If it has, they might be able to lighten the schedule a little bit, giving Jacob and Lindsey some needed days off. That would be wonderful, since the daily grind is wearing on them a bit.

Pretty Good Day

2008-01-31T22:42:00.000-05:00

Lindsey's numbers went up on their own today, and she didn't need a blood transfusion after all! That's good ~ that means that Shelley's stem cell graft is beginning to create Lindsey's new immune system. There will be ups and downs, of course, and she will probably need many transfusions along the way, but not today. She felt pretty good when she got home. At the clinic, they were able to infuse her anti-fungal medication using less benadryl, so Lindsey didn't sleep all day. That's good. She was much more alert and felt much better because they were able to reduce the medications that they have to give her to protect her from the side effects of the anti-fungals. It's all very complicated, but I thank God that they have the smart minds at BMTGA who have figured all of this stuff out. They give you one medication to protect you from the side effects of another, and then another to protect you from the side effects of that one! It's a delicate balance, and we thank God every day that there are people who are smart enough to figure it all out !

Please Donate

2008-01-30T20:29:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone: Lindsey needed blood today, and they were unable to give it to her because they had to order it. We're not sure if it's because of a shortage or because of the particular anti-body component mix that she needs, but it reminded me to renew our ongoing request for blood donations. If you are able to donate whole blood or platelets at any time, please contact ATLANTA BLOOD SERVICES at 404.459.8744. You can also make an appointment on their website, http://www.atlantabloodservices.com/. They have evening hours several days a week, as well as Saturday hours. Many people from out of town have asked if they can donate in their home town to benefit Lindsey. Unfortunately, donations must be made at ABS in order to have the potential of direct benefit for Lindsey. However, donating at home in Lindsey's honor is always a good idea.

ENGRAFTMENT !

2008-01-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

On Day 15, they drew blood and sent it off to be tested to see how the transplant is going. The doctors were very pleased to announce today that the results showed that Shelley's stem cells are 100% "engrafted" ~ all of the blood being produced in Lindsey's bone marrow is from Shelley's donor cells. Lindsey is no longer producing blood from her old immune system. This is an amazingly FAST engraftment, and the doctors were very excited ! Normally, you could expect engraftment to take twice as long ~ Good Job, Shelley ! (I could make a joke here about Shelley being fast both ON and OFF the soccer field, but I'll resist the temptation!) On the pneumonia front, things are also looking up, as they have resolved the water retention issue, and are able to infuse some of the fluids that she needs through a pump that she takes home, making her days at the clinic a little shorter. The only annoying thing is that she had to get connected to the "take-home" pump. However, it's not 24/7, she will wear it until 8 o'clock tonight, when Jacob will disconnect it. At least she won't have to deal with it while she sleeps at night. She still has shortness of breath, but is in good spirits overall, and doing well.

Fungal Pneumonia ~ (perhaps)

2008-01-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

Today was Lindsey's second day of anti-fungal infusion. Even though they don't really have an official diagnosis, they are treating it as fungal pneumonia until what's in the petrie dish gives them a result. They have to give you lots of pre-meds when you get this anti-fungal stuff, because so many people react to it. It can make you shake uncontrollably, and cause lots of other unpleasantness . . . so, they give her Benedryl and Demerol so that she rests comfortably during the infusion. Of course, that makes you pretty tired for the rest of the day. She is also retaining water and experiencing shortness of breath, presumably from the issues with her lung. Just a few days ago, Lindsey was doing so well, we were amazed; now we are seeing what a complication can bring and how quickly things can change. It's a very good thing that this was caught early. Please pray that this will clear up quickly and that she will feel better soon.

Bronchoscopy

2008-01-25T22:18:00.000-05:00

The broncoscopy went well, but they did it in the afternoon, and were not able to do the IV anti-fungal today. They will do that tomorrow. Jacob and Lindsey arrived at home at about 5 o'clock - another very long day - and both of them crashed immediately. Jacob made himself something quick to eat, but Lindsey went right to bed. When you wake up from anesthesia you just feel like sleeping and that is the best thing that you can do. If you fight it and try to wake up, you just feel miserable.........Lindsey is resting comfortably for the night and they will get to "sleep in" tomorrow. They don't have to be at the clinic until 9 o'clock..........Lindsey will receive an infusion of anti-fungal medication tomorrow at the clinic. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day, as there are many side effects of this infusion, so please say a prayer that the side effects are minimal ~ the power of prayer is enormous !

Remind Me..............

2008-01-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

Please remind me never to say that everything is going along smoothly ~ that is certain to bring on a complication...........Lindsey told the Physicians Assistant today that she was having a little bit of pain near the site of her biopsy this past summer. Being cautious as they always are, they immediately sent her downstairs for a CT scan of her lungs. Low and behold, they found something else. She has what appears to be the beginnings of a fungal infection in her other lung, and tomorrow they are going to do a bronchoscopy to take a piece of it to put in a petrie dish for a few days, and they will also wash her lungs with anti-fungal . . . she'll be knocked out for this, of course, but I don't imagine she'll feel great when she is done. They are not going to wait to see what grows in the petrie dish, they will go ahead and give her IV anti-fungal in the clinic after the procedure. Sounds like a long day. They said it was a good thing she complained about the other thing, because this could have gotten to be a bigger problem before she noticed any symptoms. As it is, they expect they have caught this before it can really become something that might warrant hospitalization. Doesn't take much when your counts are down ~ Thank God she complained about her incision site in the other lung. Oh, by the way, that area has a little fluid in the pleural cavity outside her lung, but it's not something they will take care of while her counts are down. It's just a little discomfort. If it really becomes painful they will drain it later. This is a perfect example of "If it ain't something, it's something else." Please say a little prayer that all goes well tomorrow and that this is just a minor inconvenience for Jacob and Lindsey.

Good News

2008-01-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Lindsey is off the Prograf pump, and is taking oral anti-rejection medications. She is so glad not to be connected to that back pack all the time! Also, she's been cut down to one bag of fluid daily in the clinic, so that gets Jacob and Lindsey out of the clinic 3 hours sooner ! THANK YOU GOD ! They still have to get up at "oh dark thirty" to drive up there, but they're out before noon, so that is progress! This will free up Jacob to start working on some other things he has put on hold, and Lindsey will be able to begin her sewing projects and cooking and whatever! She still has to stay home and be away from crowds, so indoor activities are in order. She can take walks around the neighborhood, but that's about it. Let's pray that she continues to make progress and has no setbacks. If and when GVHD symptoms set in (and they probably will) she may have to go back to the longer days, but most likely any minor GVHD will be able to be controlled in other ways. Time will tell...................keep praying !

Still Hanging In There !

2008-01-19T19:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted since Tuesday, there are really no changes to report. Lindsey is beyond the point of having to be hospitalized, since her counts are rising steadily. They gave Lindsey Neupogen to raise her white count for a while, but she isn't getting that anymore. We expect her white count to fluctuate, but right now it's very high. That helps Lindsey keep from getting sick from viral or bacterial infections. That's good. She is also still attached to the Prograf pump 24/7 which is helping Shelley's immune system take hold. She will be disconnected from that pump in a few days and put on oral Prograf for anti-rejection. She may begin to show some signs of GVHD once off the pump. Hard to say. Right now, she's feeling good and hanging in there! Jacob went to Lookout Mountain this weekend for his brother's 21st birthday, so I took Lindsey to the clinic today. Her Dad will take her tomorrow, and then Jacob will return later on Sunday.

The Great, the Good, and the Ugly

2008-01-15T19:14:00.000-05:00

There really is no bad, because Lindsey is making amazing progress. She is part of a transplant study, and one of the doctors in the BMT group is in charge of the study. Evidently, the study is showing that there is 100% engraftment on day 30, with patients treated with thymoglobulin prior to transplant. Dr. Bashey is the BMT doctor who is in charge of the study, and he stops by to see Lindsey a lot. She is an integral part of the study, and is doing so well, that he is always beaming when he stops to talk to her.............Lindsey is progressing so well, that she may have passed the point of having to be hospitalized. That is HUGE. Your prayers are working ... her blood counts are rising, and she has had no fevers and had very small mouth sore issues, certainly not enough to put her in the hospital. Those mild issues are already clearing up and they are talking about letting her have her anti-rejection drugs administered in pill form a few days early. She has been wearing a 24/7 immuno-suppressive infusion pack, and would love to get rid of that thing and switch over to the pill version! That is the great news! The good news is that she has not really exibited any GVHD symptoms yet. She will have something, but we are really coasting so far, when it comes to that. The ugly, is that Lindsey and Jacob were at the clinic almost 11 hours today. Everything was going well; at the end of the day, they flush her catheter tubes. During the flushing, she started coughing and couldn't stop. They called in the nurses, mid-levels, and finally a doctor, to figure out why she was coughing uncontrollably. . . finally they decided she needed an X-Ray of her chest and catheter insertion point. Just to make sure everything was okay. Everything is okay, but it kept them there another 2-3 hours to be sure. Don't get me wrong, being sure is a wonderful thing. But, they pulled into our driveway 12-1/2 hours after leaving this morning... that's ugly.

Day 9

2008-01-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

Still cruising.................its Sunday and Andy took Lindsey to the clinic today so that Jacob could go to Church. We're having a Sunday dinner when they return, and then Andy and I will go to 5 o'clock Mass. Lindsey got her usual stuff at the clinic today, and there's nothing extraordinary to report. . . . . . . . . .

Mild

2008-01-11T11:32:00.001-05:00

The storms quieted down yesterday as they crossed the border into Georgia. All we got was rain and a little thunder and lightning. That works, we need the rain alot more than the tornados that were in those storms earlier in the day. Lindsey corrected me on the GVHD. The mouth dryness and mouth sores are signs that your blood counts are down, not that GVHD is setting in. GVHD signs are skin rashes and gastro-intestinal issues. I stand corrected. I just spoke to Lindsey and she said she was receiving platelets today. She still feels relatively good and has medicine to control the back spasms. Thank God !

Storms Coming

2008-01-10T21:24:00.001-05:00

We're sitting in Georgia watching the radar with big thunderstorms storms headed our way...........we're also watching Lindsey radar waiting for GVHD headed our way.........hmmmm. Lindsey had a few issues yesterday, but today was a good day, we went for a walk and she ate a good dinner. She says that she feels that her mouth is drying out and signs of GVHD are closing in. Although we want this to happen, let's pray that the symptoms are manageable. Lindsey and Jacob would love it if she could avoid hospitalization. Chances of that are not great, but possible ...... Lindsey is wearing a 24/7 pump of anti-rejection drugs, and these tend to rob your body of magnesium. Because of that, they gave her intravenous magnesium yesterday and today, and it caused her to have back spasms. Magnesium affects your muscles, and of course, her soccer-related back injury is her weak spot..........naturally, the magnesium headed right for that spot and it was just too much for her body to handle. She has medication to relax the spasm, but yesterday was a rough day for her. Today was pretty good in comparison.............Let's pray that we weather the thunderstorms and the GVHD and come out the other side unscathed.

Getting Close

2008-01-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

Lindsey's white count was .5 this morning, so we are expecting GVHD to set in pretty soon. She feels okay today, made dinner for us tonight - Lemon Chicken - and is resting comfortably. We are just waiting for everything to happen now. If her GVHD includes anything that keeps her from functioning normally she will be admitted to Northside Hospital. These GVHD syptoms are high fever, mouth sores, gastro-intestinal issues, etc. If she is unable to eat, she'll be in the hospital. Good time for prayers................

More of the same

2008-01-07T19:07:00.000-05:00

Lindsey received some blood along with her regular fluids and intravenous support today at the clinic, and continues to feel 'just okay'. It was a beautiful day here and Jacob, Lindsey and Cooper took a walk when they got back from the clinic. Shelley decided to spend another night at home and we will get her back to Mercer early in the morning before her first class at 9:30. If anyone reading this lives in the Atlanta area and is able to donate blood, it would be greatly appreciated. Lindsey is probably going to need blood regularly, and there have been occasions where Atlanta Blood Services has run short when BMT patients needed an infusion. I know that they have been making phone calls to previous donors lately, telling me that they are especially in need of donations these days. Please consider donating if you can. The phone number for Atlanta Blood Services is 404 459 8744.

Coasting

2008-01-06T10:35:00.000-05:00

Two days after transplant and Lindsey is okay~ just coasting waiting for some form of GVHD to set in. She doesn't really feel that great, but she's eating and moving around, and there's no fever or other major issues. Right now she's at the clinic receiving fluids. Andy took her today so that Jacob could attend Church services in Peachtree City. Shelley is back to her old self, and will be home for another day before returning to Mercer for her last semester.

Transplant Day

2008-01-04T23:22:00.001-05:00

Lindsey received Shelley's Stem Cell's today ~ it was administered at Northside Hospital, where she was monitored for most of the day, and then released. Now, every day she and Jacob will go to the BMT Clinic for 6-8 hours where she will receive fluids and whatever other blood support she needs in order to engraft her new immune system. At some point, we expect that she will be hospitalized, perhaps even more than once. That will be determined by her daily blood draw and vital signs, which they take every day at the BMT Clinic. Jacob takes her temperature regularly, and if it ever exceeds 100.5, or she has other signs of GVHD, she may be admitted to the hospital. We expect that will happen some time in the next 10 days or so. Her spirits are good, and Jacob is a wonderful caregiver. They will get through this together and begin their new life together. We know that God is with them and that they have the prayers and support of all of you during this crucial time.

successful apheresis

2008-01-03T20:21:00.000-05:00

The stem cell collection (apheresis) was a rousing success today. Shelley produced 7 million stem cells, more than enough for Lindsey to receive tomorrow. They will freeze the extras and keep them just in case Lindsey needs a little boost later. Sometimes if the "engraftment" of the new immune system is moving too slowly, they'll give you a shot or two of more stem cells to stimulate the process. All of this is pretty cosmic, and the science involved in this continues to amaze us ! Thank God for smarter minds than ours ! Shelley is recuperating from having a double lumen catheter in her jugular vein, and from having her blood stirred up in a centrifuge. She's a little dizzy and tired, but none the worse for wear. Lots of sleep is in order there. She should be good as new in a few days so that she can concentrate on her foot again ! Tomorrow is transplant day. Please continue to pray that all goes well, and that Lindsey's body accepts the new immune system. We want her to get a manageable form of GVHD (graft vs. host disease), but manageable is the key word there..............

By Popular Demand - pictures of Jacob and Lindsey's Home

2008-01-02T20:56:00.001-05:00

Let's Start Anew

2008-01-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

It's a NEW year and we are going to have lots of NEW this week. Mike is giving Shelley NEUpogen shots to raise her white count and make her stem cells go out into her bloodstream for collection. Although Mike is in Medical School, this is the first time he has ever given shots to anyone, so he is learning a NEW skill. We know that the NEUpogen is working, because Shelley has been experiencing bone pain, which means that her body is accellerating it's production of NEW blood, thus NEW stem cells are being produced in her bone marrow. Shelley will have her NEW catheter put it tomorrow morning, and early Thursday morning she will start apheresis stem cell collection - a NEW experience for her! It is simple ~ she will sit and watch a NEW television show, perhaps read a NEW book, whatever, and the machine will take blood out of one tube and put it back into the other. A centrifuge in the machine separates the different components of her blood and grabs those stem cells and separates them out before returning the remainder of her blood back to her. Those stem cells will become the building blocks of Lindsey's NEW immune system. Lindsey has continued to receive her pre-transplant chemo's, and has tolerated them pretty well. She's really tired, gets up early every day and Jacob takes her to the clinic. They are out of here before 6 a.m., and they have a long day. Tomorrow is the last of the treatments. These treatments will begin to drop her blood counts in preparation for receiving Shelley's stem cells. That will happen on January 4. And that will be the beginning of Lindsey's NEW life !

When it Rains it Pours

2007-12-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in this family, it's difficult to know where to begin. Lindsey came home from the hospital, was feeling good pretty quickly, and had a wonderful Christmas at the Skogens. We also had a great Christmas here, Andy was home and we had wonderful get togethers on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Shelley is recuperating nicely from her surgery, and Mike returned to us on the 27th to be with her. On the 26th, Lindsey and Jacob returned from Chattanooga and she has begun her pre-transplant chemo's and is doing well. In fact she is in the basement cooking dinner right now. She has tolerated 3 small treatments so far and is feeling a little 'weird'; but no nausea and she is able to tolerate cooking smells, so that's all good ! Unfortunately, we've had a few other family 'mishaps' that have just made things even more interesting around here. Shelley got into a fender bender on the way to the airport to pick up Mike ~ just before she left the house, I actually told her to take my car, but we couldn't find the keys. My car was out front and her car was in the garage and I was trying to save her from having to navigate the stairs on her crutches. She had to take her own car. Divine intervention is real - no doubt about it ! Unfortunately for her, she crumpled her Honda instead of my Lexus ~ aaaaaaahhhh ! The following day, I got a call from Andy's co-pilot telling me that he is in the emergency room in New Orleans with vertigo. He was piloting a flight from Mexico to JFK, and just over New Orleans his whole world started tipping, so they had to divert. Those lucky travelers got to watch their pilot taken off the plane in an ambulance ~ I'll bet that scared 'em ! Andy says the passengers were all still in a good mood from their vacation, so that helped. Yesterday, I drove to pick him up. Fortunately, I didn't have to go all of the way down to Louisiana, as gracious friends of ours in New Orleans brought him part of the way, and we met up in Mobile, Alabama. (Remember the families that we helped after Katrina? It was Marigold Carter and her husband who helped us !) Andy is still quite dizzy, and his ear is still plugged, but he is recuperating. Let's just top that off with Cubbie, our dog who has had gastro-intestinal distress all over the place for the last day or so. ARE WE HAVING FUN YET ?? Oh yes, it actually has started raining and pouring here in Atlanta, and that is the good news....................

Paroled At Last !

2007-12-22T15:10:00.000-05:00

Jacob brought Lindsey home early this afternoon - YAY ! ! At this moment, she is in their apartment making Christmas cookies with her friends, Katey, Allison and Amanda and her sister Shelley; this is an annual event and they were determined to get it in despite Dr. Bah Humbug keeping Lindsey over an extra night in the Big House ! The cookies look great. Lindsey will relax tonight and all day tomorrow, and then the newlyweds will head to Lookout Mountain for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Two Steps Forward / One Step Back

2007-12-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

Well, Lindsey still has a little bit of fever, so Dr. Bah Humbug came in to see her today to tell her she has to stay in the Big House another night. No reprieve from the governor after all. Lindsey and Jacob are not happy campers, crammed into that little room with Jacob sleeping on a very poor excuse for a bed. Let's say a little prayer that the fever finally breaks so that they can get back to celebrating their first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs !

2 nights in the BIG HOUSE

2007-12-20T17:24:00.001-05:00

The Big House is what we call the Bone Marrow Transplant ward at Northside Hospital. That term started from the BMT clinic nurses who had to send people to the big house when they came in feeling really sick and their blood work was too low to send them home......everybody getting a transplant tries to stay out of the "Big House". Well, Lindsey is getting her infusion of Thymoglobulin and it is going fine ~ she had quite a fever and chills for a time last night, but drugs are a wonderful thing and they helped her fall asleep and relax comfortably through the night. The reason for the second night is that they cannot start the second infusion until 24 hours after the first one, and of course, that wasn't until late in the day. They had Jacob bring her into the hospital at 8 a.m., and nothing happened until 2:30 in the afternoon - figures ! By the time they finish the infusion late tonight, it would be foolish for them to drive home and get up early in the morning to go back for follow up bloodwork. If they behave themselves they will be released on their own recognizance in the morning. Always do whatever you can to stay out of the "Big House" !!

First Step

2007-12-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, Lindsey will be admitted to the hospital for an infusion of Thymoglobulin. This material makes it easier for her body to accept Shelley's stem cells. They do the infusion in the hospital because it is part of a study, so they need a controlled environment in which they monitor the patient around the clock. There is also a chance it would cause her to have a fever, since they are injecting a foreign substance. Other than that, they expect no other problems. She will stay in one or two nights and then come home. The newlyweds plan to spend Christmas up on Lookout Mountain with the Skogens, and her pre-transplant chemo's will begin a few days after that. Shelley is recuperating from her foot surgery, her fiance Mike is with us, and she is doing well. Shelley will begin neupogen shots to draw out her stem cells after Christmas.

Shelley's Foot Surgery

2007-12-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

Everything went well with Shelley's surgery and she is resting comfortably this evening. She will be on crutches for about 6 weeks, so she'll be staying close to home over the break.

VERY ENCOURAGED

2007-12-13T17:47:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob had their orientation at the Blood & Marrow Transplant Group today, and were very encouraged by what they were told. First of all, Lindsey's latest PET Scan shows that she is just about in remission ~ which is very important to the success of the transplant. Having had the original transplant, followed by the Cyberknife, followed by the limited chemo's that she just completed have combined to do the trick. Before cyberknife, her Scan number value was 15, and now it's down to 3.1, which means there is barely a trace of disease left in her body. Praise God! Secondly, we were "educated" about the huge difference it makes having Shelley be a perfect 10 for 10 "sibling match". Recent research shows that having a sibling that matches all 10 markers is the absolute best scenario for Lindsey - it will make her Graft vs. Host disease much milder, and result in a much easier road for Lindsey overall. The doctor's want you to get Graft vs. Host so that they know that Shelley's cells are being engrafted into your body and replacing your immune system. However, if it is too severe, it could result in much more serious side effects and dangerous complications for the patient. The combination of "sibling" and "perfect 10" will make Lindsey's treatment much more tolerable. Just to give you an example, they are finding that it is better to take a sibling that only has 50% of the matching markers, over a stranger that has 100% matching markers. For us to have all of that is remarkable ! Our last piece of good news is that they have developed a drug that Lindsey will be given in the hospital that will make Shelley's cells engraft quicker and easier. Also, Lindsey will NOT be sick for Christmas ! YAY! Today Shelley had her physical and passed it with flying colors. They said she makes a perfect donor candidate because she is in such great shape. We knew that . . . !

Just being Normal

2007-12-11T22:07:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob have spent the last week just being normal. Lindsey will not have any treatments until the 19th, so this is a good break for them. We've been Christmas shopping and buying a few things for the basement apartment just to finish it up. We've been buying things like paper towel holders, and bathroom rugs. Jacob has been doing some yard work and odd jobs for friends and neighbors to make a little extra cash. His brother, Seth has been with us for a few days visiting and helping him do some of the work. Seth just finished his first semester at Furman University, and stopped down on his way home for Christmas. Just normal stuff.............Shelley arrived home tonight and we will do some shopping around town tomorrow. Then, Thursday, we will have our all day orientation at the Doctor's office. Shelley will be given a physical and we will be introduced to all that lies ahead. And then, on Friday, Shelley will have foot surgery - she waited until her soccer career was completed to take care of foot problems that have caused her pain for several years. . . Her fiance, Mike, will be arriving on Sunday to be with her and make her feel better after the surgery !

Weekend

2007-12-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

Lindsey had all of her tests on Thursday, EKG, EEG, CT of her Head, Bone Marrow Biopsy etc.; an entire day at the BMT offices at Northside Hospital on the northside of Atlanta. Today she and Jacob went up to Lookout Mountain for the weekend. Jacob is a groomsman in the wedding of his close friend Isiah. Things are going to be quieter here this weekend than they have been in a long time. Andy just got off a trip and we are going to relax for a change. Shelley is due home Tuesday night for Christmas Break, and both Lindsey and Shelley will be at BMT for orientation and preparations for the transplant on Thursday. And then on Friday, Shelley will have her long-awaited foot surgery. We need to relax before all of that starts!

Apartment Decorations

2007-12-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to pay special thanks to Linda Frazier who spent Thursday evening putting up Lindsey and Jacob's gorgeous tree ~ it is really beautiful, and we appreciate everyone who has sent ornaments to make it special! The entire apartment looks great, and the tree is perfect!

Good Scan

2007-12-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

Results from Lindsey's scan were good and she can now proceed with testing prior to the transplant. We are so glad that she will not have to have additional preparation chemo's. On Thursday she will have a day full of tests. Hopefully, they will be successful, and the results will show she can tolerate the transplant. Next week she and Jacob will attend a day of education which will give them an idea of what to expect in the coming months. As the actual transplant nears, I will explain each step. Until then, keep praying !

Getting Settled In

2007-12-03T18:56:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob had a great relaxing weekend at the Faber's Lake House, then came back to see their new digs. The place looks great, and I think Andy and I will move down there and let the kids have the upstairs ~ haha..............it is really an awesome apartment ! We were thinking back to where we lived and what we had when we were 23 ~ not quite the same as this ! We are so happy to be able to provide this for Lindsey and Jacob. With what they have been through and what they are facing, they truly deserve to be comfortable. Thanks to everyone who helped us put it together. We hadn't immediately planned to do anything with the deck area out the back door, and we returned from our weekend in Charleston to find that Vickie Green had moved out all of the junk and made a nice outdoor sitting area out there. It really looks nice ! Area rugs, a little bench, it's very inviting ! They have a small wood burning fire place out there that was a wedding gift from the Nacke's. If Lindsey is up to it, they could have a nice relaxing time out there on cool evenings. Pretty cool ! Thanks to everyone who has sent ornaments for the tree, they continue to arrive daily, and the tree looks wonderful! Jacob took Lindsey up to Northside Hospital today for her PET Scan. Hopefully, it will show what we hope to see ~ no more chemo's and go right to transplant. We should find out pretty quickly; probably in the next day or so. Until then, we'll continue tweeking the basement and moving things around to Lindsey and Jacob's liking.

What a day !

2007-11-29T08:42:00.000-05:00

The move was hectic, but went very well. The movers were expected at 3 o'clock, but arrived 3 hours late; good thing ~ the last of the workers left at about 3 o'clock; it gave us a chance to do some clean-up before the furniture arrived. Thanks to all of our friends who showed up to help; Sally and Calvin Daley, Karen and Bill Thurber, Lehua Graham (who brought crock pots of homemade chili and soup), Nancy Conner (our personal interior designer), Lee Ann Hanie and her daughter Lydia, Marci Castro and her daughter Jenna, Judy Schneider, and of course, Grandma and Aunt Danka. Many thanks to Diane and Kyle Bartels, who couldn't make it personally, but sent over pizza to feed the troops! Shelley is coming home this weekend and she will be working on the window treatments with Vickie Green, (her friend Tori's Mom), and Shannon Shockley. They'll also be watching all the dogs because Andy and I will be in Charleston for the weekend. Lindsey and Jacob are up at the Faber's lake house, and she called when she arrived and said it was fabulous ~ they will be relaxing for the weekend, and will come home Sunday. Monday afternoon, Lindsey will have a PET Scan, and then the doctor's appointments will begin. Too much going on all at once.

Moving Day

2007-11-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

Right now, our basement looks like an episode of Extreme Home Makeover. We've got 3 plumbers, 1 electrician and 5 more guys doing touch up painting and hanging doors. The only thing missing is Ty Pennington and his bullhorn.................! Everybody is working feverishly to finish everything before the movers arrive. The "Two men and a Truck" guys just called and they have just left Lookout Mountain with Jacob and Lindsey's stuff, and the newlyweds themselves are in their van driving down here, (with Cooper, of course!) We've got a bunch of folks coming late this afternoon and evening to help unpack and get the place set up. It's really going to be a nice apartment ~ wish all of you could see it !

Planning the move

2007-11-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob are up at their apartment packing and preparing for the move on Wednesday. We've hired 2 Men and a Truck to do the actual move; however, many people are helping Lindsey and Jacob prepare. Lindsey's energy level is improving, but she certainly doesn't have the stamina to handle a lot of packing without help. Thanks to all of those who are helping them get ready for this move ! At this end, we are finishing up the final work on their apartment in our home. The plumbing and heating / air will be finished up tomorrow, and we hope that the light fixtures will also be hung and the electrical finished Monday or Tuesday. Tuesday morning the carpet arrives, and then we will spend the rest of Tuesday and early Wednesday cleaning and getting ready for the movers to arrive. Once they get here, we'll be unpacking and loading up cabinets, putting away clothes and setting up furniture. If anyone can help on Wednesday evening and Thursday setting up Lindsey and Jacob's apartment, please let us know ~ many hands are needed............

MOVE IN !

2007-11-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here's the plan: Lindsey and Jacob are going to come down here on Wednesday (11/28), drop off the dog, get her blood checked, and head for the hills ~ literally ! Our good friends, Jim and Amy Faber have given the newlyweds access to their log home on a lake near Cashiers, North Carolina to relax and enjoy from Wednesday night until Sunday. While they are gone, we will move them in, get everything set up, and decorate the place for the holidays. Wednesday morning is cleaning time - dust, vacuum, dust some more. Once the furniture arrives, we'll put it in place, unpack all of the boxes, and get everything set up. Our good friend, Linda Frazier is in charge of the Christmas Tree. We've already received some ornaments from friends - thanks for those, and keep them coming ! Wednesday morning till Thursday evening will be our set up days. If you can be of help, please give me a call ! My cell number is 404.862.9456. Thanks ! Tina

Happy Thanksgiving !

2007-11-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob arrived this afternoon. Lindsey went to the Doctor's office first thing and got a Procrit shot. Her hemoglobin is a little low. They said if she still feels weak and achy they will give her whole blood on Monday. However, by this evening, she said she felt better, and is hoping that by tomorrow morning the Procrit will take hold and she'll feel stronger. We watched a movie tonight and the newlyweds went to bed early. We've made great progress on the basement. The painting is nearly complete. On Friday, they will come in to put the shelves and rods in the closets, and install the bathroom vanity sink. The appliances were also installed today. Monday we are expecting the plumbing, heating & air and the electrical to be completed. Carpet installation is Tuesday.................Two Men and a Truck will pick up their stuff from their apartment on Wednesday and bring it down here ! That's when we will need some help ! Please see the next entry.

Better

2007-11-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

Lindsey is taking tylenol and levaquin and the fever hasn't come back ~ let's pray that keeps up! They'll be on the Mountain until Wednesday when they return for a scheduled blood draw. Shelley will be home today and stay for a few days, but will spend Thanksgiving with the Narveson's on Tybee Island. That should be fun ! Countertops are in place and most of the moulding is up in the basement ~ it's looking good !

Low Grade Fever

2007-11-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Lindsey has developed a low grade fever, they've called in a prescription and we're hoping it's nothing serious..............she's been resting all day................please say a prayer that this doesn't develop into anything ~

back to the Mountain

2007-11-15T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, they had to stick around an extra day; Lindsey's numbers showed that there was a reason for the dark circles under her eyes and her pale lips. She needed platelets ~ she got 'em today and Jacob and Lindsey immediately left for home. They'll be packing and preparing to move for the next week or so. We hope to have the basement done in time, since the movers are scheduled for the 28th ~ please say a prayer for that ! If it's not totally done, we'll just put their stuff in the garage, we should be just finishing up the last remaining touches by then. Before Lindsey's chemo we bought a Christmas tree for their apartment down there. If you're wondering if there's a little something you can do for them, I think it would be great if their family and friends could help decorate their first Christmas tree; a little ornament would be a wonderful gift for them. Our decorating scheme down there is maroon instead of bright red, and silver instead of gold. Just send them to our house ~ 305 Broadmoor Drive, Fayetteville, GA 30215..........the week of the move, we are sending them away to relax, and when they get back, their apartment will be all set up for them, including their Christmas decorations ! If any of the local folks can help, please let me know and I'll let you know what day we are doing the work. Thanks !

Feeling Better

2007-11-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

We saw a dramatic improvement in Lindsey's energy level throughout the day today. She started out a little droopy, but had pancakes for breakfast, so I knew she had turned the corner. She went for a short walk later in the morning, and then actually went for a ride with Jacob in the truck. We sent them to the dump ! haha . . . We had a truckload of construction debris to get rid of............poor Lindsey, finally gets out of the house and she gets to go to the county dump ! Now that's excitement ~~ Tomorrow afternoon, Lindsey will get her blood drawn and we'll see where she's at. If she feels good and everything is okay, Jacob will take her home to the mountain tomorrow afternoon. The basement work is going well, more tile went in today, the accoustical ceiling was placed in the exercise room, and they started on the moulding and trim.

recovery

2007-11-11T21:26:00.000-05:00

Lindsey slept alot this weekend, but, with the help of her medicines, we've stayed ahead of the nausea. She's recuperating from the chemo treatment as expected. These particular chemo drugs induce more fatigue than we're used to, but that isn't all bad. Jacob is a wonderful care-giver, and he is managing her care routine very well. Andy and I just provide support. Thanks to Lee Ann Hanie for bringing us dinner on Saturday night. It was wonderful! Shelley had her conference championship game and Mike flew in to watch her play. Jacob stayed home with Lindsey, while the rest of us went to the game. Shelley finished her successful soccer career with that game. The Mercer Bears played a great game, but lost 2-1. We're very proud of them, as this was a very successful soccer season for the team. It was a great season for Shelley and a wonderful way to finish her career. Mike spent the night and then flew back to study for a test that he has tomorrow. Today the cabinets were installed in the basement, and they look great !

Chemo Today

2007-11-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

Jacob and Lindsey just left for chemo ~ her bloodwork on Wednesday showed a few low numbers, but Dr. Ballard contacted the doctors at BMT and they said that he should go ahead with the treatment. They will be there from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. While they are gone, I will be buying the doors for the basement. The work downstairs is progressing nicely - the tile is being put it in and the cabinets go in this weekend. Andy left this morning for a short trip, and will be back by dinnertime. We were all able to watch Shelley's team win their conference semi-final match last night. The Skogen family even drove down from Lookout Mountain to cheer for the Bears. The Championship Match is Saturday evening, and the winner goes to the NCAA tournament. Good luck Shelley !

Good Weekend !

2007-11-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

Lindsey and Jacob have been with us since Wednesday, and we enjoyed having them. Their dog, Cooper got along famously (hooray !) with our two dogs, ~ that is good since they will be living in close quarters for a long while..........their previous times together had not always been friendly, but we've turned the corner ! Lindsey's blood numbers continue to rise on their own, which is a good sign that she will be able to get her second treatment at the end of this week. Jacob will bring Lindsey back here on Wednesday for a visit with Dr. Ballard. They will make the determination of whether or not to give her the treatment on Friday at that time. Lindsey looks good, feels good and is getting stronger each day.

Next Week

2007-11-01T07:36:00.000-04:00

Lindsey and Jacob arrived mid-day yesterday, and went immediately over to Dr. Ballard's office. Her blood work is improving dramatically, but they decided to wait another week before giving her the second chemotherapy treatment. We didn't realize it, but a 21-28 day cycle is normal for this chemo regimen, so Dr. Ballard said it was no big deal for them to wait. Lindsey looks good, feels good and is planning to spend the weekend with us. After returning from the doctor's office, we took the newlyweds over to Lowe's to pick out shower tile. The basement project is moving along quickly, they have the drywall up and it's starting to look like a place to live ! In the evening, Andy and I headed down to Mercer to participate in "senior night" festivities with Shelley. The Mercer Bears fought valiantly, but had to settle for second seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, as they lost to visiting Kennesaw State 3-1. It was a good game, and we're proud of all of them for having such a great regular season! It has been the most successful season in the 5 years that we've been following Mercer Soccer. Our friend, Nancy Jacobsen made us a huge platter of lasagna and brought gifts for Lindsey and Jacob. Thanks Nancy !

No Platelets

2007-10-29T11:37:00.000-04:00

Lindsey and Jacob drove to north Atlanta this morning, expecting that Lindsey would receive a platelet infusion, but her numbers were rising, so she did not get the infusion. Had they gone down, she would've gotten the platelets. It is better to have your body naturally recover than to give you a platelet infusion that will temporarily raise your numbers. By not giving her the infusion, they will get accurate or "true" blood work results on Wednesday when they have to make the decision to give her the chemotherapy treatment. If her numbers haven't risen adequately, they will just wait until they have the numbers they need. Lindsey feels fine, but the bloodwork shows she is anemic, so they gave her a shot of Procrit to help with that. Remember, however, that Lindsey's body is still recovering from the first transplant, and she is still rebuilding her bone marrow and immune system, a process that takes a full year ~ her transplant anniversary date isn't until March 2. Chemotherapy makes your numbers drop, and they want hers to be as high as possible before they give her any treatment. Jacob, Lindsey and Cooper will come back to Atlanta on Wednesday, and they will decide whether or not to give her the treatment. If we have to wait a few days, it will give them a chance to come down to Mercer with us on Wednesday evening for Shelley's "senior night". It is the last home game for her team, and they are playing an important game that night which will determine the regular season conference champion. Mercer is tied for first place in the conference, and have won 9 games in a row ! Go Bears ~

Drywall installation

2007-10-26T10:16:00.000-04:00

Down here in the South, they call it "sheetrock", but, whatever you prefer to call it, it's going in today. We're making progress in the basement; we've ordered the cabinets, and the plumbing and electrical is roughed in. We're moving very quickly, thanks to our neighbor Don who has orchestrated the entire thing. God has blessed us with wonderful neighbors and friends - we've got a doctor on one side and a contractor on the other, and they have helped us enormously. We are clueless when it comes to this building stuff, of course, and Don has lined up all the sub-contractors, handled all the negotiations and keeps us on the straight and narrow. Needless to say, his help has saved us money and time. Jacob and Lindsey's lease is up at the end of November, and we should have the basement finished in plenty of time. Hopefully, Lindsey and Jacob will have another relaxing weekend. They are planning to give her a platelet infusion and a shot of Procrit on Monday, because her numbers are not as high as they would like them to be prior to a chemo treatment. God willing, they will be able to give her the scheduled treatment next Wednesday. Please pray for that !

Just being normal

2007-10-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

Lindsey had a restful weekend, watching football and going to Church, just trying to have a normal life. On Monday, Jacob went to work and Lindsey's father-in-law, Rev Kev took her to Atlanta for her blood check. Thankfully, no platelet infusion was needed, just a shot of Procrit, and they headed back home. Jacob will take off work on Thursday and they'll go back for another check. Friday will be Jacob's last day at work. They'll stay up in Chattanooga until Wednesday when she returns to us for her second chemo treatment. Hopefully, this one will be easier on Lindsey than the first one. We just found out today that on November 19 they will do a "re-staging" CT/PET scan and determine if they will do additional chemotherapy treatments before her transplant.

Hoping for a good weekend

2007-10-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

Lindsey had a rough day yesterday, but we finally got ahead of the learning curve with regard to her meds by the end of the day. She had a good night's sleep - finally ! This morning was a new day; I knew she was feeling better because she put her make-up on ~ always a good sign ! Jacob packed up the van and they stopped at the doctor's office for a blood draw and an X-Ray before heading up to Chattanooga for the weekend. If her blood numbers stay in range they are hoping to remain at their house all of next week. It will be good for them to relax and sleep in their own bed and have some privacy. Jacob will drive Lindsey to Dr. Ballard's north side office for blood draws twice during the week - Monday and Thursday. Please pray that she continues to gain strength over the next 10 days so that she is well enough to receive her next treatment on October 31.

No Deal

2007-10-17T21:11:00.001-04:00

Dr. Ballard didn't think Lindsey was strong enough to receive her treatment today. They took her blood, and although her numbers were borderline 'okay', she was neutropenic, and they decided to pass on the Day 8 Gemzar infusion. She will stay with us until Friday, when she will go back for another blood draw. Lindsey and Jacob are hoping to spend the weekend and next week up on the Mountain. She will have to go to Dr. Ballard's north side office twice next week. We are hoping this works out because the work being done on our house next week will be noisy and dusty. Our great neighbors have offered for the newlyweds to stay at their homes during all of this construction, but they'd really rather just sleep in their own bed. Can't blame them for that. If it becomes necessary for her to stay in the Atlanta area, we will, of course, take them up on their hospitable offers. Lindsey is tired and weak right now, but we think a few good nights of sleep will help to perk her right up. Prayers are definitely in order.

Ups and Downs

2007-10-17T12:54:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't made an entry lately, we've been overwhelmed with basement refinishing and taking care of Lindsey. She's had an up and down time the past few days. Sunday she felt great, not so on Monday. Tuesday she was given an infusion of platelets and felt pretty good last night. Now it's Wednesday, and she doesn't feel good at all ~ it may be because she hasn't been getting any sleep. She has an appointment with Dr. Ballard this afternoon. They are supposed to give her a chemo treatment, but given how she feels, we'll see if that happens.

Feeling Better

2007-10-12T18:51:00.001-04:00

Lindsey was more active and felt a little better today. Jacob took her into the doctor's office to have her dressing changed on her catheter, and they also drew blood. Her blood numbers looked okay, but since she was a little sluggish, they gave her an infusion of fluids which took about an hour. After that she perked up and felt stronger. The newlyweds left Atlanta late in the afternoon and will spend the weekend at their home on Lookout Mountain. Her doctor wants to see her on Monday afternoon to check on her, so they will come back here on Monday morning. Lindsey has a second chemo infusion scheduled for next Wednesday, so they will most likely remain with us for several days next week. Progress on the basement is moving along. We're hoping to have the heat/air, electrical and plumbing roughed-in by the end of next week. I picked out kitchen cabinets today, and the installer will come out to measure the space sometime next week.

Rest

2007-10-11T21:05:00.000-04:00

Lindsey slept for most of the day. We had to work out the balance of the different medications so that she would not have nausea. The result is sleep........Most of the anti-nausea medications make you sleep. I think she will wake up tomorrow and start feeling better.

First Treatment

2007-10-10T22:19:00.001-04:00

Today was a long day. Lindsey had her catheter put in place and her first chemo treatment. She's feeling pretty tired and has a little bit of a queasy feeling, so she's been sleeping since she got home at about 5:30. They've given us lots of meds to help control any nausea. In the past, she has gotten queasy from anesthesia, so adding chemo on the same day didn't help. I expect she will be slow to recover tomorrow and will spend the day resting and sleeping a lot.

Unbelievable !

2007-10-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

The last time Lindsey had a triple lumen catheter put in, we went to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta for the procedure. She was very happy with the way things went during that outpatient procedure, so, of course, we wanted to return there again. Well, this time it didn't go as well as we had hoped. It was the same group of doctors, but the hospital messed up. When she and Jacob got there, they thought she was having a PICC Line inserted, sent her to the wrong procedure room, the pre-op stuff was all wrong, everything was wrong. Lindsey had to set them straight about what she needed to have inserted, and they realized their mistake and sent her home. So, today was a waste of time medically speaking. However, at home, it was a different story. We began the construction on the basement, and made lots of progress. We had a wall knocked down and opened the room up beautifully. More work will be done tomorrow on the basement. Lindsey and Jacob will try again tomorrow with the triple lumen catheter - this time at our local Piedmont-Fayette Hospital. Hopefully, they will do a better job. If it is done correctly, they will go right up stairs for the first chemo treatment and a long awaited visit with Dr. Ballard. We'll keep you informed. Let's all pray that they know what they are doing tomorrow.

Ready to Go

2007-10-07T22:55:00.000-04:00

Jacob and Lindsey spent a relaxing weekend at Furman University, visiting Seth who is a redshirt freshman on the football team. It was family weekend, so they wanted to be there to represent the Skogen family and spend time with Seth who is recovering from foot surgery. They stayed at a lake house owned by our good friends, the Grahams. Weather was great and they even got to use the jet ski's. Andy and I spent some time down at our rental place in Florida, checking it out and fixing a few things; as well as entertaining our friends from Alabama, Keith and Kay Morris and their daughter, also named Shelley. We had a great time with them and got some needed R & R. While there we watched OUR Shelley play soccer - the Mercer team played in Jacksonville on Friday and Sunday, and we saw both games. Shelley scored the winning goal on Friday night against Jacksonville University, and the team was also victorious against University of North Florida on Sunday. Shelley has a few days off of school, so she will join us back at home on Sunday night and stay until Tuesday afternoon. Lindsey and Jacob will come down Monday night in preparation for her catheter placement early Tuesday morning. Our appointment is at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, and Lindsey's first chemo treatment will be on Wednesday. They will stay with us a few days to make sure that Lindsey doesn't have an adverse reaction to the treatment, but we don't expect any problems. I'll post again on Tuesday after her catheter procedure.

Our Prayers Have Been Answered

2007-10-03T21:52:00.000-04:00

We've got a match ! The HLA Testing Results are in and Shelley is a "perfect" match and will be the donor for Lindsey's Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant. This is absolutely the best scenario that we could have hoped for. Lindsey will have a much easier transplant experience because of a sibling tissue match, and her GHVD (Graft vs. Host Disease) should be much less severe because Shelley's stem cells are similar to hers. Praise God ! Lindsey is scheduled to have her triple lumen catheter put in on Tuesday morning, and will have her first pre-transplant chemotherapy session on Wednesday. She will stay at our house through the week, and probably return home on Saturday. We expect that her first chemo will be well tolerated, and that she will be feeling fine by the weekend. After our meeting with her doctor on Wednesday, we will have a better idea of the timeline of her treatment. Hopefully, we will get all of our questions answered then. Andy and I are taking a needed break down at our place in Florida. It's a part work, part relaxing couple of days, and we will be back home Sunday. My next blog entry will probably be early next week. Keep praying !

Still Waiting

2007-10-01T18:33:00.001-04:00

No news on whether or not Shelley is a match - hopefully we'll hear soon! The doctors are formulating a schedule for her pre-transplant chemo's. First up is the outpatient surgery that she will have to put in her triple-lumen catheter from which she will be given all of her treatments. She's had one before, so this is something she is familiar with. That could happen as soon as next week, but we really don't have a timetable yet. In the meantime, I just wanted to tell everybody about a fundraiser that they are having here in Atlanta, sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, called "Light the Night". This is a great group that we have raised funds for in the past, and I've been to their offices in Atlanta. They are working hard to help fund research and support services offered to Leukemia and Lymphoma patients. It's a great organization. Lindsey's friend, Sandra, whom we met during her first transplant (I've mentioned her here before) is participating in this wonderful Event, and she has a page on the website - the link is below. If you can, please make a donation - we'd be doing this ourselves if Lindsey wasn't in treatment right now, so it's great that Sandra is there so that we feel like we are participating. On the homefront, we've been keeping busy getting the basement cleared out so that we can begin finishing work in preparation for Lindsey and Jacobs move here. We've already had the electrician in to give us his bid and the carpenter comes Wednesday. We're making progress ! Here's the Link to Sandra's Light the Night Fundraising Effort. http://www.active.com/donate/ltnAtlant/2069_skhalil

Preliminary Results

2007-09-26T13:49:00.000-04:00

We got a call from BMTGA (the transplant people) and they said that the preliminary results of Shelley's HLA testing were very positive! Evidently, they have 10 markers that they test, and they have completed 6 of them, and Shelley is a 6 for 6 match! Normally, they don't call you until final results are in, but they were so excited at these preliminary findings that they just had to let us know. Let's pray that Shelley is a 10 for 10 match...we may know by the end of this week.

back home

2007-09-24T08:25:00.000-04:00

After the treatment on Friday, Lindsey and I hit the road and made it back to Chattanooga by 11 p.m. Lindsey and Jacob got back into their normal routine right away, and Lindsey is teaching her second graders today. She is starting to feel a few side effects of the treatment, but it's not anything unmanageable; she's tired, and feels heaviness in her chest from the radiation. She will be able to rest and take things slowly for the next week or so. No word on her and Shelley's HLA testing yet, we expect that to come in soon. We're starting our planning for their return to our home. We don't have a timeframe for that yet, but it should be sometime between now and the end of the year. If Shelley is a match, things will happen more quickly than if we get a donor from the national registry. We're cleaning out the basement, and will have it finished so that Jacob and Lindsey and Cooper will have their own space. We'll put in a bedroom and bathroom, with a living area and kitchen.

Another Double Session Today

2007-09-20T11:50:00.000-04:00

Lindsey did very well yesterday, the technician said she had no problem being perfectly still for the longer double treatment. In fact, they said that they had never treated a patient who was able to lay as still as Lindsey did - for over two hours. They were amazed at her self control. Lindsey laughed at them and said that the idea of going home 4 days sooner was all the motivation she needed. She didn't move a muscle ! Lindsey is getting treatments 4 and 5 today, and will get #6 tomorrow morning. We will probably pack up and get ready to hit the road this evening, and then leave straight from the hospital tomorrow morning. I will take Lindsey directly to her apartment where Jacob and Cooper will be anxiously awaiting her arrival.

Two sessions Today

2007-09-19T12:57:00.000-04:00

I am in the waiting room waiting for Lindsey - the technician just came out to tell me that they are doing two sessions today - he said the hardest part about it is that she will have to lay still for so long. I imagine we will be able to decide whether or not she can tolerate it, and that will determine how soon she completes the treatment. Knowing Lindsey, we'll be out of here sooner than later. She is determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.

First Treatment

2007-09-18T21:43:00.000-04:00

Lindsey had her first treatment today. It went very well, pretty seamless. It lasts about an hour or so. She just lays still and the robotic arm moves around her and targets the radiation to pre-determined positions in the center of her chest. We will find out tomorrow how many days of treatment she will have. We originally thought Lindsey would have 3 or 4 sessions, but yesterday they told us it had to be broken down into 6 sessions. They are checking into whether they might be able to do two a day starting tomorrow. They are checking to make sure there is no overlap in the targeted radiation fields in order to do that. There is a maximum amount of radiation that your tissues can be exposed to in a day, and they have to be careful to protect her heart, lungs and spinal cord. So, we will either be done here on Friday, or next Tuesday. We're fortunate that we are staying in a two bedroom apartment, and not a hotel room. A hotel room would've gotten old very quickly. Here we have a full kitchen, living room and two bedrooms with private baths. It's in a very pleasant setting, overlooking a golf course. It's working out very well, but we still want to come home as soon as possible!

HLA TYPING

2007-09-16T17:02:00.000-04:00

Many people have asked about being tested to see if they would be a suitable donor for Lindsey's transplant. Human Leukocyte Antigen Typing is the process used to identify donors. HLA's are proteins or markers found on most cells in your body. First, Shelley will be tested, and then we will go from there. If you are interested in finding out information on the subject go to www.marrow.org. It is the website of the National Marrow Registry. I will be posting information regarding this in the coming weeks.

Treatment Details

2007-09-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

After this cyberknife regimen, the long-term treatment that Lindsey will have is called an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant. It has many similarities to the Autologous Transplant that she just completed. The major difference is that this transplant uses Stem Cells from a donor. In her first transplant she used her own stem cells which were harvested from her blood, frozen, and then transplanted back into her body after the high dose chemotherapy. This time, she will have general chemotherapy (just a few sessions), and when she is in partial remission, they will insert the donor Stem Cells. The donor cells will then engraft into her bone marrow to make a new immune system. It is that new immune system which will keep the cancer from returning. There are many hurdles along the way. First of all, a donor must be identified. Her sister, Shelley is the most likely candidate to be a tissue match. She has a one in four chance of being a match, and that of course, is the ideal, since they have the same parents and have similar DNA. The closer the tissue match, the better chance of her stem cells "engrafting" into Lindsey's system without complications. Even using such a close match, it is expected that Lindsey will have to go through what they call "Graft vs. Host Disease" or GVHD. The doctors actually count on that happening. It is part of the plan, and they have many ways to keep Lindsey protected during the GVHD process. Shelley's Stem Cells are the "Graft"; they will enter her body and attack both her immune system and the remnants of the cancer. Even though the GVHD is the most difficult part of the process, the doctor's count on it to kill the cancer for good. If Shelley is not a match, they go into the national donor registries to search for as close a match as they can find. That process can take anywhere from 2-3 months, and we are hoping that there will not be a problem finding a suitable donor should Shelley not be a match.

lots of down time

2007-09-16T15:56:00.000-04:00

Since we have been here, we've had three short visits to the doctor's office preparing for the Cyberknife treatment. Lindsey had a CT Scan, a PET Scan, and of course, we have had two visits with Dr. Medbery to discuss the treatments and go over the scans. That has given us a lot of free time, and we've been keeping busy. Andy, Jacob, Lindsey and I played 9 holes of golf, went to the Oklahoma State Fair, and have gone to a few nice restaurants in town. Jacob's grandparents came up from Texas to be with us on Saturday evening and Jacob also has a great-aunt and uncle who lives here; they all had dinner together last night. Also, the former Pastor of NMPC, Pastor Mark, is now here in Oklahoma. We all attended services at his Church this morning, and Lindsey and Jacob went to Pastor Mark's house for dinner after the service. Pastor Mark was the Pastor at the Church they attended while they were both students at Mercer. It's been nice to have a lot of company to support us while we are here. Lindsey will have her first treatment either tomorrow or Tuesday (they'll call us) and we are expecting 3 or 4 sessions. That should get us on our way home Thursday or Friday.

New Treatment Plans

2007-09-15T00:32:00.001-04:00

We've been in Oklahoma since Tuesday, it is now Friday night. Our consultation with the doctor here did not go as we had expected. In addition to the cyberknife treatment that Lindsey will have in the coming days, we have begun plans for her to have an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant; a treatment program that will involve the next 9-12 months. We expected that the doctor here would be able to take care of the remnants of the Hodgkins using the Cyberknife, but he just couldn't promise that he could eradicate it for good. He recommended that she undergo the Cyberknife, and then return to Atlanta and begin another transplant. After the initial shock of receiving this information, (Andy and Jacob both joined us immediately) we are doing much better since their arrival. There are many details to be worked out, of course, but the overall plan is for Lindsey and Jacob to move back to Georgia to live with us during this treatment. Jacob will have to leave his job at the High School, and he will act as Lindsey's primary caregiver. I will be the back up. Over the next few months we will be planning and organizing the many changes in all of our lives that will need to occur in order for this to happen. I will keep everyone abreast on this BLOG as best I can, because we are going to need help in many ways. We will keep you posted, as I know that there are many hands that will be eager to help, and we will have many opportunities for that to happen. We continue to be thankful for everyone's thoughts and prayers during this trial. Please keep Lindsey and Jacob in your prayers.

off to Oklahoma

2007-09-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

We have an appointment this Tuesday at 3:00 for our initial consult for cyberknife. We really don't know exactly how things will go after that. I am projecting that Wednesday they will do the necessary scans and preparations; there might be a day or so while they do the treatment planning, and, hopefully by the end of the week she will have her first cyberknife session. They are probably going to do 5 sessions, so we will be there 7-10 days. We're driving, so we will leave on Monday (after Lindsey teaches that morning), and spend the night somewhere along the way. As long as we are in Oklahoma City by early afternoon on Tuesday, we should be in good shape.

good check up

2007-08-29T21:24:00.001-04:00

Lindsey had her post-op check up with the thoracic surgeon today and everything went well. An X-ray showed that all was good. She looks great, feels good and is getting stronger with each day. Marriage definitely suits her, as she is very happy. We are waiting on our insurance approval for the Cyberknife and hope to have it soon !

Tentative Plans

2007-08-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

All the paperwork, records, etc., are being assembled for the insurance approval process, and we should be going to Oklahoma in the next couple of weeks. We had hoped to go on September 7, but we may not have approval by then. Until then, Lindsey has her post-op appointment with her Thoracic surgeon tomorrow so we will meet her in Atlanta for lunch. She's been gearing up for her tutoring job at the Classical Studies Center which starts next Tuesday. Hopefully, this trip to Oklahoma won't keep her from that job very long.

Plans are in the works

2007-08-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

As I write this, Lindsey's case is being presented to a Thoracic Conference. Her case is being presented by Dr. Clinton Medbery, a medical and radiologic oncologist, who specializes in Cyberknife Radiosurgery. He has reviewed all of her medical records and is presenting his plan of treatment to the conference so that the other physicians in the conference may give their input to her treatment plan. Cyberknife is a relatively new technology, and is the 'next generation' of radiation therapy. Dr. Medbery is probably the pre-eminent Cyberknife physician in the country, and has been using it since it's inception. The technology uses image-guided robotics to accurately pinpoint high dose radiation without damaging the surrounding tissues. Given the location of the Lindsey's mediastinal mass in her chest, and the necessity for high dose radiation, we are hoping that this procedure will be the answer for her. Once the final treatment plan is in place, we will travel to Oklahoma City for the initial phase of her treatment. That could be as early as next week ! If you are interested in learning about Cyberknife Radiosurgery, go to the following website: http://www.cyberknifesupport.org/CyberKnife_Radiosurgery_Patients_Guide_Brochure.pdf You may recognize the last name of the Physician that will be treating Lindsey - the pre-eminent Cyberknife expert in the country is Robbie's brother; it is no coincidence that she moved into the house next door to us and she continues to be our guide through all of this. It is truly like have a personal physician at your service 24/7. Besides saving Lindsey's life at the start of all of this, she has continued to help us navigate the medical maze that confronts all patients with a serious illness. (Not to mention all of the times she helped us manage the many complications that Lindsey has had to endure.) Robbie is Lindsey's guardian angel, and God has put her in our lives, there is no doubt !

Wedding Bubbles

2007-08-20T19:53:00.000-04:00

Lung Looks Good

2007-08-20T19:17:00.001-04:00

They did a CT of her lungs today, and they are dramatically better ! That means the antibiotics are working and that there is no inflammation from previous treatments, and no visible permanent lung damage. The doctors were worried that some of the chemotherapy drugs had done a number on her lung, but it seems that all that cloudiness was pneumonia after all. Had they seen persistent inflammation, steroids would have been prescribed; and, although they have done wonders for Barry Bonds, we'd just as soon avoid them, thank you very much! The antibiotics, albeit slowly, are working and her lungs are vastly improved. Prayers work ! Now we can concentrate on the plans for attacking the stubborn remnants of Hodgkins in the center of her chest............plans on that should be forthcoming shortly. You're not done praying yet !

Relaxing

2007-08-15T21:47:00.000-04:00

Just spent a night up on Lookout Mountain with Lindsey. Jacob is taking Thursday off from his teaching job to be with her, so I came home. The last thing they need is the mother in law moving in with them !! Our plan right now is to take care of the issues with her lung before dealing with the Hodgkins. She will have appointments next week, get a CT scan, and probably start some steroids to get that lung repaired. Then, we will deal with the mediastinal mass. Both of the other young people (twenty-somethings) who finished Stem Cell Transplant ahead of Lindsey had continued activity in their mediastinal mass that had to be treated with radiation at the end of their 100 days. Seems to be a pattern here...........anyway, Lindsey is happy when she is with Jacob and he is spending as much time as possible with her. We'll try to keep it that way. Thanks to all of the folks at RP who are providing dinner for them so that they can just relax and be together. You guys are wonderful ! Robbie has the best medical minds in the world working on her treatment plans for the Hodgkins, and we will keep you posted on that progress. Keep praying !

Out of the Hospital

2007-08-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

Lindsey was released yesterday. Jacob brought her to our house, and we'll stay here for a few days. Then I'll take her up to Lookout Mountain so that she can be at home and sleep in her own bed. I'll stay with her up there until Friday so that she's not alone while Jacob is at work. She's just relaxing and recovering, she's a little sore, but none the worse for wear. We'll be watching movies on the couch for the rest of the week while she gets her strength back. Nothing has been decided yet in terms of what we do next, but her records are being sent all over the country to different doctors to look over, and the best minds are being consulted. We've got several weeks to make a decision, but we might have something sooner.

Results

2007-08-10T15:36:00.000-04:00

The pathology results came in from Lindsey's surgery. The biopsies taken from inside her lung all came out negative, but they will continue to watch them to see if any bacteria develops. At first look, the doctors think that the antibiotics she is taking are eliminating pneumonia, but it is just taking time. That's very good news. However, there is still malignant activity in the anterior mediastinal mass in the center of her chest. That means either the chemotherapy given during stem cell transplant didn't completely eliminate it, or that it is growing again. This was the site of her original disease, and it may just be that it is going to be the hardest part to completely eliminate. All of the doctors are conferring, and of course, our neighbor and dear friend, Dr. Robbie Medbery is making sure that the best doctors in the world get involved. Lindsey's friend, Sandra, who preceeded her in all of the same treatments by about a month, had the same thing show up on her 100 day scan. She underwent radiation and is now in remission. It will, hopefully, be just that a little 'clean up' work has to be done in order to strangle this monster for good. One possibility for treatment is Cyberknife Radiation. Robbie's brother is the pre-eminent Cyberknife Radiation doctor in the U.S. He pretty much 'wrote the book' on it, and he is being sent her scans and records. If he feel like he can 'zap' this thing, we will travel to Oklahoma City and stay for a week or two while he treats her. There will be minimal discomfort to Lindsey for this type of treatment. Robbie and all of the other doctors will be working on this over the next week or so. Right now, we're working on getting Lindsey out of the hospital. Jacob is staying with her there right now, and we hope they will let her out tomorrow. They've disconnected her from all of the telemetry she was hooked up to all week, and they've removed her chest tube; she's starting to be up and around more. She did have major surgery, though, so her full recovery will take a little bit more time. We've known for some time that Robbie was a Godsend, but now there is no question in our minds why she moved in next door to us. Lindsey and Jacob need your prayers right now, but please also say a prayer that God will guide Robbie in helping us make the right choices for Lindsey's care.

Word is getting out

2007-08-08T11:14:00.001-04:00

I delayed in putting out a message on this blog, because we were hoping to wait until we had some definite news to report. However, word is getting out, and many people have been checking the BLOG to check on Lindsey. As many of you already know, Lindsey's doctors decided to go into her lung to see what was going on. Yesterday, she had surgery, and they took about 15 different chunks of material from areas inside and outside of her lung, to test to see what is happening. Before the surgery, she was feeling fine, getting stronger, picking up weight and enjoying married life. She's not very happy that they have interrupted that, but it has to be done. Lindsey is in St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, and probably will be for the rest of the week. The surgery went well, but it will take 4 to 7 days for results. She has her computer, so that's the best way to get in touch with her. And, of course, prayers are always welcome!