Weekend.

Joe and I attended Sha's recital at Geneva College on Saturday. I haven't been back on campus for over six years. It was neat to walk around and show Joe around. It was also neat to see the different renovations that have been done.

Sha's recital was incredible. What a treat. She introduced each piece and told us interesting bits of information that helped to enhance the performace. Sha also memorized everything. Yeah, sure, she's a pro, but it was still nothing short of amazing.

On Sunday, Joe and I had lunch with my parents. My mom stocked our fridge. After lunch, my mom and I had some mommy-daughter time at the mall. :) When we got home, Joe's parents were visiting. Joe's mom found every tiny little gap available in our already stocked fridge, and now it is stocked to overflowing. I think we're set for awhile. Praise God for moms!

The Steelers...*sigh* Joe was making fun of me, because I was being a very bad fan, and paying far more attention to my crochet than the game. In my defense, the Steelers were only scoring when I wasn't paying attention. During the moments when I'd look up and start rooting them on, they would do silly things like throw interceptions. *sigh*

That was our weekend.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to coke-splashin' SHEENA mareena. :)

Happy Friday

Joe had his blood drawn again today. His counts are about the same...slightly on the low side. Not too low though. Joe is still looking great and feeling great. Yay for that. :)

I helped with the harvest festival today at our church. It was a lot of fun. The kids were just too cute. So many people came over to ask about Joe and to let me know they were thinking about him and praying for him. Thank you so much for that. It really means so much to have so many people watching out for Joe.

My cousin-in-law's birthday is on the 28th. HAPPY BIRTHDAY OSAMU! Hope it's a fun one. :)

Also on Saturday is Sha's recital. :) Sha is a professor at Geneva College, and she is a wonderful pianist. You can hear her play at Geneva College, John H. White Chapel in Old Main Building from 4pm-5:15pm.

And for those in the Lancaster, PA area, there will be a Community Bone Marrow Drive "in honor of Baby Livi and thousands of children and adults like her."

Sunday, October 29th
noon-4pm
Cimbrian Offices
333 North Arch Street
Lancaster, PA 17603

Fundraising is taking place to cover the cost and it is open to everyone, so SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!!!

Stem Cell Research

Mr. Rhino really has little to do with anything. I just thought a photo of a cute rhino might spice up my post a bit! Mr. Rhino lives in the San Diego zoo, where we had the pleasure of meeting him face to face in June. San Diego doesn't bring a lot of happy memories to mind, but the zoo was quite fun.

This evening, Joe and I attended a talk given by his doctor. Basically it was a moral perspective on stem cell research. I actually found a site that sums up the main part of the talk very nicely - far better than I could anyway. So if you're curious, click to read more about the facts and myths about stem cell research. It was very eye opening and interesting. Joe and I learned a lot of things we didn't know before. Also interesting was a photo essay that presented before, during, and after shots of various patients undergoing PBSC transplants.

The really wonderful thing is that Joe and I not only learned more about stem cell research, and more about other patients who have undergone transplant - we also had the opportunity to see Joe's doctor in a different setting. It was very apparent that Joe's doctor is very passionate about his work, and cares deeply for his patients. He was humble and positive, but also very honest. Very refreshing, and very encouraging. Not only that, but it was very obvious that Joe's doctor has so much faith in God as he talked about the Lord placing him where he is today. And, he gains so much encouragement from his patients. Several of the patients mentioned also have displayed incredible faith in their journeys.

It was clear that the transplant process is not all sunshine and roses...not even close. But wow...to see and hear about the strength of these people, and to know that Joe has a doctor that will do all that he can to make sure all goes smoothly...and to know that ultimately God is in control. Well, that is just a very neat thing.

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
~Hebrews 4:16

serious stuff. funny stuff.

Yesterday, Joe went to work, and even did some dictations! He was pretty happy with the fact that getting back into the groove didn't feel as foreign and weird as expected. Joe also had his blood drawn in the morning. All of his counts went down a bit, which seems to be a trend the second week after chemo. Joe is still feeling good, so praise God for that.

The weather is getting colder, and the search for a match will only continue for a bit longer. We have such mixed feelings about it all. On the one hand, we want to get it over with and get past this part of our life. On the other hand we are anxious because of all of the unknowns. It would be nice if we could be guaranteed that Joe will be in remission forever and we can forget the transplant. But there is no guarantee, and because Joe started with high-grade MDS, the chances for a relapse without transplant are really high. Vidaza will start to lose effectiveness eventually...and at least 5 doctors in hem-onc (that is, all the hem-onc doctors we have consulted...) have said the same thing. Joe's best chance for a cure is with a transplant. Winter seems like an awful time to have to go through this, but then again, when is a good time? One thing we're thankful for is that if all goes well, Joe gets to recover at home. From reading the stories of others going through similar things, this isn't very common yet. I know that for Joe it will mean so much to be able to step outside of the hospital every night because it will mean an evening free of doctors, nurses, IV poles, beeping, and rumbling hospital beds. We are both very optimistic that the procedure will go well, but we know it won't be easy either. Fortunately, God is in control. All we can do is give everything up to Him.

***
On a much lighter note, (laughter is the best medicine, right?) I will share a story of today (can you hear Joe protesting? :) )

I am known for losing little things like pens and tweezers and such. Joe always accuses me of squirreling away hoards of pens that will never again see the light of day. :) Joe, is known for knowing exactly where everything is at any given point.

At some point late last year, the second set of keys for my car disappeared. Because I lost a set in the woods last spring (and managed to find them again several months later!) it was assumed that I was responsible. Every so often, I would go through all of my coat pockets, all of my purses, and all of my bags in search of the keys. They didn't turn up! Meanwhile, every month, Joe would turn to me and ask, "hey, whatever happened to the other set of keys anyway?" I would respond by rolling my eyes and saying, "they'll turn up. I must have missed one of my coat pockets..." Well today, Joe came downstairs modeling his winter coat, a cool hat, and a very sheepish look. Turns out my darling, sweet, organized, and responsible husband had the keys in his coat all of this time. Grrrr... Joe looked so very sheepish, I had to give him a hug. Then I thanked him for making me look good, just this once.

Happy day. :)

I lift up my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
~Psalm 121:1-2

Portion Control.

It has been a good week! Thursday, Joe went to work for most of the day. In the evening, we went to Uncle Charlie's house for dinner. Auntie said that Uncle Charlie prepared the whole meal by himself. It was outstanding!!!! Very impressive.

On Friday, Albert came over and we mostly just hung out and watched movies. It's always a treat when Albert comes home. Now if we could only get my brother Victor to come home more often...

Friday night, Joe and I were watching some blurb on television about eating, and portion control, and stuff like that. Well, it was mentioned that people eat less when they use smaller plates. Consistently, people put more food on big plates, and less food on small plates even though they felt like they were doing the opposite. The show also mentioned that eating slow helped with portion control. And so on and so forth, blah blah blah. SO.....on Saturday morning, Joe kindly prepared breakfast. This is what I got...half of a bun on a tiny little plate, with a tiny little fork. My husband is such a ham.














Saturday was fun. I made use of the cookbooks I received last weekend, by making a mess in the kitchen! I made devil's food cupcakes. I've never made devil's food anything before, so I wasn't aware that they would come out looking scary BLACK! I only screamed a little. haha. They were fun to make though, and unless my friends are liars, they were fun to eat too! Marcus hosted a dumpling party at his "mansion." (Yes, Marcus is living in a mansion for a year.) When we arrived, everyone was hard at work making and cooking dumplings. They were yummy, and it was a great time!!!! There are many great chefs in CrossRoads. It is a great perk to be friends with so many people who have a talent for cooking. (Not a perk for the waistline though...) I also fell in love with the kitchen in the mansion. It is huge. To give you an idea...3 sinks, plus a spigot over the stove, 2 dishwashers, 2 ovens, a big island, a little island, a couple warmers, a couple coolers. Crazy. Marcus kindly offered to let me borrow the kitchen for a week so I get take notes for my future dream house. I'm pretty sure that borrowing the kitchen for a week would require cooking for Marcus for a week. :)

Today, Joe went to church for the first time since the bone marrow drive in August. But it was the first time he attended service since...June? It's been a long time. It was great to see him there. Joe even shared some very touching thank you's. He's a great guy.

Thank you to Uncle Charlie and Auntie for treating us to a wonderful dinner! Thank you to Akiko and Joe for the super cute halloween cookies! What a sweet surprise. :) Thank you to Marcus for hosting the dumpling party, and all of the CrossRoads gang for making the dumplings and sides! Thank you to Mammen for all of the pictures and songs. We appreciate it so much. Thank you to Albert for the souvenirs from Mexico, and for hanging out with us!

Happy happy birthday Katrina. :) 

*click* *click* Who can we help?

Joe's counts are still lookin' good according to today's results. Also, Albert's home for a few days! We got to hang out with the family tonight. Good day. :)

Today, I'm posting some fun ways to help people...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One way to help is to click your way over to The Breast Cancer Site and click to fund free mammograms! The pink ribbon challenge is on, so your click is worth double!

While you're at it, you can help feed the hungry, fund healthcare for children, fund books for kids, preserve endangered land, and fund food for animals!

If your a Steelers fan, fight hunger with Click for Cans! (i guess you ou can also help if you are not a Steelers fan...)

Thanks to Caryn I learned that you can send Bounty cards that count! "Bounty® will allocate donations based on the percentage of e-cards sent in support of each charity. " The charities are American Cancer Society, Make-a-Wish, and National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

And finally, ways to help dear Alivia, and others searching for a bone marrow donor!
Just click here. Maybe your business can help with a donation. If you are in Lancaster, Hershey, or Harrisburg you can participate in a fundraiser that involves FOOD. And there will be a drive in Lancaster at the end of the month...and this one isn't even minority based!!!!! Again, click here for all the info.

Don't forget about Christine and Jeremy and their food fundraiser!

There you have it. Fun ways to help. Fun, because a lot of amazing people have already done the hard stuff. :)

Much love to everyone. A lot of times I feel like I'm such a nag, "do this, do that, help with this, help with that..." I hope you know that Joe and I appreciate all the ways so, so, SO many people have helped us and people like us. I will say it forever, because I mean it. Thank you.

Thank you to Hannah for the fun card! Clifford is really great. :)
Thank you to A.M. and A.D. for the very cool card. I loved everything about it!

Thirty isn't too bad...

Yes, it's true. I turned thirty on Saturday. It actually wasn't so bad. :) I'm a very spoiled girl. Joe, being the wonderful husband that he is, spoiled me as usual. It's not like he didn't have other things he could be worrying about (as you all know). Knowing that he married a person who is absolutely a kid at heart and has a passion for (not to be confused with a talent for...) all things artsy and crafty my husband got me a craft table on Friday. It sounds silly, but I love it so much.

On Saturday morning, he managed to surprise me with a box of paints, colored pencils, and oil pastels. Where they came from, I have no idea. I do know I'll be having a lot of fun!

All day Saturday I was greeted with cards and phone calls and birthday wishes. It was so sweet, and made me feel quite loved. I really am spoiled.

In the afternoon, Joe's best friends Mike and Jay came to visit. It was really great to see them again! We all went and had dinner with Joe's parents. Joe's parents brought a yummy cheesecake for dessert! Then the boys and I headed home and it seemed the day was winding down. The guys watched some t.v., and I waited for Sheena who said she was going to be dropping something off for me. Sheena stops by and informs me that we're going to have a girls night and hang out. So off I go. We decide to go get coffee, and Sheena whisks me off to a Starbucks that is a million miles away. Really. Then Sheena gets the bright idea to visit some guys from church, just to say "hi!" Okay, off we go...only to show up and realize that it was a big surprise party!!!!!! Even Joe, Mike and Jay were there - which is why Sheena had to find a coffee shop a million miles away. The sweetest part of all, was that Sheena was one of the main party organizers - and yet she was surprised too!!!!! Sheena is an October baby as well, so the party was for both of us. WOOHOOOOOO!

I received a total of four cookbooks. This either means that people secretly think I don't know how to cook, or I'm expected to host a lot of dinner parties! Either way, I'm really excited, because I LOVE cookbooks!

Yet again, I was spoiled at the party with love and gifts and cake! The one who stole the party though was host Patrick's mascot, Mr. Beaver. Quite a party animal. Quite a cutie. Quite a photographer.

On Sunday, Joe hung out with the boys. They played some golf and watched the Steelers WIN!!!!!!! GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!! I was able to hang out with Sheena for awhile. Always a fun time!

By today, Joe and I were BEAT! It's been awhile since we've had such excitment. Fun excitement too! This evening was very nice. Jennifer, Joe, and Gabe had us over for dinner and we had so much fun. Jennifer made the best ribs in Pittsburgh. So yummy. Jen's Joe was making us laugh with all of his stories. And Gabe is the most well behaved almost-one-year-old. What a super cute and friendly kid! Good times.

My Joe is still doing well. He was so excited to see Mike and Jay this past weekend. Actually, this past weekend, we were supposed to be in California at Joe's 10 year Stanford Reunion. Our plans changed after Joe's diagnosis and the start of chemo and such. Being able to see his buddies from elementary school definitely made up for missing the reunion. Plus, Joe heard from Jim, Yang, and By who were at the Stanford reunion.

Lots of thanks. Thank you to my awesome cousins, Lilly, Sandy, Osamu, I-ju, David, Li-Ming, and Pei-chen...my "big" auntie and uncle, 2nd auntie and uncle, 3rd auntie and uncle, brother Victor, Indiana parents, and Monroeville parents...Pastor Jim, Kathy, Angela, Rachel, Katrina, Jessica, Jeremy, Colm, Lauren, Caryn, Joanna, Gretchen, Jocelyn, Nancy, Evan, and Cousin Van for showering me with love.

Thank you to Sheena, Jomei, Sha, Marcus, Mammen, Patrick, Tim, Eric, and the rest of the CrossRoads gang for the party and for spoiling me! I can't believe how many of you showed up!
Thank you to Mike and Jay for going out of your way to come visit us. It was so great to see you guys!

Thank you to Jim, Yang, and By for taking the time to think of Joe and contact him while you were at the reunion!

Thank you to Jennifer, Joe, and Gabe for a great dinner, great entertainment, and great conversation.

Thanks to Kenny for sharing those awesome photos!!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers. We truly do feel them and appreciate them. It is always such a blessing, and so amazing to me, to hear that people are still praying and still fighting with us. Praise God for your love and faith.

For you created my innermost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
~Psalm 139:13-14 

End of Round 4!

We didn't get a call today stating that Joe's perfect match was found. We haven't lost hope either. There is always next week!

Today Joe had the last of his injections for round 4. YAY!!!!! I know he is way happy about being done for a few weeks. Me too! The results of Joe's blood draw showed a little dip in his WBC, so they are back to "right under average." Not too bad. Joe's platelets look good. And funny enough, his RBC are now on the high side of normal. Hopefully they stabilize. It seems weird that they suddenly just keep going up.

I snapped a picture of the view from the top floor of the hospital parking garage. Can't tell from the photo that the weather is getting COLD!

Please pray for Christine. I've mentioned her in the past, and posted some of her poems. She is an amazing person, and is very much a poster girl for minorities who need bone marrow and PBSC transplants. We were so excited a few weeks ago when we found out that after a very risky partial-match transplant the marrow had grafted. Unfortunately, this past week things haven't been looking so good. Christine is experiencing many complications. We don't know her, but she has been such a source of inspiration. Keep her in your prayers.

On the same note, there will be a fundraiser and bone marrow drive in LA, in Christine's name as well as her friend Jeremy. Click here for more info.

And of course, lest you think I've been slacking! I have more bone marrow drive info from CLLF!

Friday, Oct.20
11am-6pm
Drexel University
Creese Student Center
Philadelphia, PA

Mon, Oct. 23
11am-4pm
John Hopkins University
3400 Charles St.
Baltimore, MD

Wed, Nov 8
11am-5pm
Virginia Commonwealth
011 College Ave
Richmond, VA

Tues, Nov 14-15
10am-8pm
Virginia Tech
Williamsburg Room of Squires Student Center
Blacksburg, VA

Spread the word, spread the word, spread the word!!!!!!

Thank you to Yi-Ting and my 3rd auntie and uncle for the sweet cards. You are the best!
Thank you to hubby Joe for the second best gift ever. (You being all better will be the BEST gift ever! Of course, if we want to get all technical and sappy, you are the best gift ever.) I'm praying for you always!

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
~Philippians 2:14-18

Just one more day.

Joe had his 4th day of Vidaza. Today's injections were not fun at all. They were injected very slowly, and really burned going in, and so Joe was in some extra pain. He still keeps saying that all is well, and he's doing fine. I know Joe was exhausted today though because he kept falling asleep. He took 2 or 3 naps today. Poor guy.

There is a potential donor who went forward with the extra testing to see if he is a match for Joe. We're supposed to find out very soon. We're praying and praying and praying that it's a perfect match. There is only one thing that I'd love more - and that is that Joe would be perfectly fine and not need anymore treatments of any kind. That possibility passed long ago though...so I'll take the next best thing. A perfect match, and a perfect transplant. Maybe tomorrow will be the day. Friday the 13th can be as blessed a day as any other!

Lots and lots of things to be thankful for today!!!!!

Thank you to Dr. Tabor for donating to AAMDS in Joe's name. It means so very much to us. And Joe is really enjoying the books!
Thank you to Van, Rune, and Hannah for the wonderful gift. I know you must be trying to make us fat, but we love you like crazy anyway!
Thank you to Jen, Joe, and Gabe for the sweet card. We have much to catch up on. We'll be praying for you too!
Thank you to Mr. Christopher for planning a trip to see us. Sorry you ended up feeling under the weather. Hope it didn't last long. Surely there will be another opportunity to get together.
Thank you to Cammy for the cute card. We love you too! You better come back to Pittsburgh!

Happy happy 30th birthday to Heather. Wowie! Hope you're having fun.
Happy happy 2nd birthday to Evan! Thanks for singing to me. It was great!

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
~Philippians 2:12-13

Round 4, Day 3

Joe made it through day three of round 4 of his chemo. Each day he gets two subcutaneous injections. It is pretty quick. Getting his treatments might take a minute, or two at the most. However, we travel about an hour round trip and sit in the waiting room for quite a bit.

As a whole the chemo Joe is getting is very well tolerated compared to other chemotherapies. Still, it is not at all fun. Every round the side effects are just a little bit different. This time around Joe is feeling much more tired than usual. He also gets really itchy at times. Two of the three injections sites aren't as red this time as in the past, but they are still very sore.

It is interesting to us that all the nurses have different thoughts about giving the injections. I already mentioned the issue with Bandaids. The other issue is where to give the injections. In the beginning, Joe was getting three injections. Each day the nurses would pick three completely separate locations. (One on either side of his belly, one in a thigh...) Then he had a nurse who gave all the injections in the belly. Then came nurses who gave all the injections really close together. That started to become consistent. Then a nurse who refused to use the belly. And now finally, Joe is told no belly, no thighs...just arms and hips. Joe did figure out that he likes staying away from his stomach. So we'll see how the hip area goes.

After Joe got his shots, we went upstairs to visit Lilly and some of the residents. It is always nice to see everybody!

Happy belated anniversary to...
Emily and James...we are praying for you and Alivia daily.
Ressica Jicketts ( ;) ) and Jeremy...you are so loved!!!!
Holly and Jonathan...let us know when you're back in Western PA. you're missed!
Bethie and Dave...a whole year, can you believe it?

Happy happy anniversary to cousin Van and Rune. You two have much to celebrate. :)

Happy happy birthday to dear Jeannette/Angelica. heehee. You need to come back to PA too!

Thank you to Shelley for the funny card. Your love is very much appreciated...even if you are a Browns fan. :)

*****
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness,
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death -
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
~Philippians 2:5-11

Perfect Score!

Joe had his blood drawn again today. The result? A perfect score!!!!! Everything was within the range of "normal." That shot of Neupogen on Friday really worked wonders. It's pretty temporary, but hopefully the especially low WBC was pretty temporary too. 5 needles down, 7 to go. Joe's arms are sore, but he's acting tough. :)

The weather has been so beautiful, but it looks like tomorrow will be a different story. Joe and I decided to take advantage of the sun and take a walk in the park. We have a lot of friends in the park! I snapped a few photos so you can see for yourself! The tree folk change a bit about once a month. It's really cute and fun.

Thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Borst for the sweet card. We hope you enjoy your time down south!

Another good weekend

Besides the fact that Joe was sore for a full day due to his Friday Neupogen injection, we had another good weekend. Joe's cousin Sandra visited Pittsburgh for the weekend. Joe and Sandra haven't seen each other since Joe was 3 and Sandra was 5! So it was a fun time of catching up. We had dinner with Sandra and Joe's family on Saturday night, and then dinner with both of our families on Sunday night.

This morning Joe started round 4 of his chemo treatments. I can not believe we're on round 4 already. Is it possible? Between the Vidaza and blood draws, Joe gets poked 12 times this week. So 2 down, 10 to go! Fortunately, he gets rewarded for being a human pin cushion, because two of his best friends will be visiting him at the end of the week. Yay! Joe had a short bout of nausea this evening, but he was fine when he sat down to eat. I'm always happy when Joe has a healthy appetite!

One funny thing is that it seems that there is a Bandaid "controversy" in relation to Vidaza. Some of Joe's nurses have adamantly refused to apply a Bandaid after giving Joe his injections. Others say they always give Bandaids. Hmmmmm... Joe hasn't noticed a significant difference either way.

Today's blog features photos from Cousin Lilly and photos from my parents. :)















Thank you to Indiana mom and dad and Monroeville mom and dad for stocking our fridge this weekend, and also for being very generous and loving! Thanks to Sandra for visiting. Come back anytime! Thank you to Louis for the bluebird, jam, and reading. Gotta love the blue theme! So fun! Thank you to my cousin Yi-Ting for the fun earrings and tops.

Happy happy anniversary to Cousin I-Ju and David!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!! And Happy happy birthday to my funny lookin' Latvian friend Mr. Christopher. :) 

Two trips.

We returned to the hospital today. When we met with the doctor, he told us that there are currently 12 "potentials" who will be contacted for further testing. The search for Joe's "miracle match" will likely go on for 1 or 2 months. If we find a miracle match in that time - awesome. If we do not, then we go with the closest match we have. Joe's doctor is confident that the closest match will be just as good as using a "perfect" match, if it is necessary. Vidaza is working really well for Joe right now, but apparently it can lose it's effectiveness by round 10 or 11. So the current plan is to avoid that. While at the hospital, we learned that Joe's counts for today were good except for his WBC which came down to 2.4. After we returned home, we learned that his neutrophil count was below 1000. Joe's still fine, but the "safe zone" is above 1000. Joe is starting round four of his chemo treatments on Monday. The doctor wanted to punch up Joe's WBC's before his next cycle...so...we had to go back to the hospital. (We had a message on our answering machine.) Joe got a shot of Neopogen. He's not confined to the house, but we will have to be more cautious for now.

Cammy passed along some fun photos from this past weekend, so I'm going to share. :)

Cammy and the Lambda brothers.
















Cammy and the Ott family.















Joe, me, and Lisa after the church drive.
















Joe's parents, Joe, me, and Cammy.

This is really silly, but I just found out that I missed Pamela's birthday a couple weeks ago. And since she is so sweet, and family and all. :) Happy belated birthday, BFF!!!!!

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

~Philippians 2:3-4

Google Doodle. :)

I learned today that the March of Dimes is petitioning Google to create a "google doodle" for Prematurity Awareness Day. Since I'm all about spreading awareness about MDS and marrow donation, I think it's only fair that I share in spreading awareness about other things too. So here is the link to sign the petition.
March of Dimes Petition

Also, I've encountered some people who *think* they may registered with the NMDP but don't remember. Others have moved or gotten married. All you have to do is go online to marrow.org to update your information. You can also call 1-800-marrow-2.

I received my letter informing me that I'm officially listed on the Registry now. Woohoo! It came with a coupon good for one free online registration. If you haven't already, many of you who have registered in the past month or so should be getting similar letters. Make sure you give your coupon to someone who can and will use it! If you don't know anyone who can and will use it, let me know and I'll make sure the coupon is put to good use! Thank you!!!!!!

Joe is still doing great. Tomorrow he gets his blood drawn again, and we have an appointment with the doctor. Next week we should be starting chemo round 4. That seems so hard to believe. Still praying every day for a miracle match.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
~Philippians 2:1-2

Blood drives.

I realize this is really last minute. I just discovered this information though, and felt it was worth sharing. Just in case. :) (This is for October 4.)

"The Bengals and Hoxworth Blood Center are scoring one for patients in local hospitals today by hosting the Fifth Annual Bengals/Hoxworth Community Blood Drive at Paul Brown Stadium.Presenting sponsor of the event is Champion Windows and Patio Rooms. The Blood Drive will be open until 7 p.m.The event is located in the stadium's East Club area, and free parking is available on the East Plaza level (enter off Elm Street.No advance registration is required, and all donors will receive a free Bengals blood drive t-shirt. Visitors can also sign up to become an organ donors, or to join the national bone marrow registry.Last year's Bengals/Hoxworth Community Blood Drive attracted 436 donors, making it the largest single-day, non-emergency drive in Hoxworth history."

Also...

Blood Drive
Sponsor: Alle-Kiski Medical Center
Date(s): Wednesday October 04
Time(s): 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Highlights: Help your friends, family, and neighbors by donating blood.
Location: Destination Wellness
556 Pittsburgh Mills Circle
Tarentum, PA 15084
Location Contact:Megan Klucinec
724-274-5208724-274-5210
mklucine@wpahs.org


Blood Drive
Sponsor: Alle-Kiski Medical Center
Date(s): Saturday October 07
Time(s): 10:00am - 2:00pm
Highlights:Help your friends, family, and neighbors by donating blood.
Location:Destination Wellness
556 Pittsburgh Mills Circle
Tarentum, PA 15084
Location Contact:Megan Klucinec
724-274-5208724-274-5210
mklucine@wpahs.org

In other news, Joe has been fighting off a cold for the past week. Fortunately, his counts have been high enough that he has been able to handle it. Joe's just been a bit sniffly and stuffy at times.
Yesterday, Joe went to the dentist for a thorough check-up that is required before transplant. It went well for the most part. He just has to floss and stimulate his gums more. :) And just so you know, Joe is normally very good about flossing...he was just getting mixed messages about flossing when he was neutropenic. Fortunately, for now, that is not a concern. Plus, when it comes to Joe's teeth, we trust his dentist. :)
Our buddy Eddie is working with Maria at CLLF to hold a bone marrow drive in North Carolina. Yippeeeee! Thanks Eddie.

Congratulations to Ming-Chen and Bill who are parents of a darling baby boy as of September 21. So many baby boys this year!

I love Joe. :)

Okay, so last year Joe and I celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary. We figured we were newlyweds, so it was allowed. I decided that after the first year, it would no longer be necessary to celebrate half year anniversaries. Seems a little silly (although, who doesn't love an excuse to celebrate?) However, Joe and I have been through so very much in the last 6 months, I've made the executive decision that we are allowed to acknowledge yet another 6 month anniversary. (And what a great day it was!!!!!!!! see super long post below for proof.)

So let me just say, that I love you dear Joseph!!!!! A year and six months ago, I offered you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promised to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

In recent months, I've come to realize the meaning of those words more than ever. And guess what? I have no regrets!!!! I am so proud of you. You are strong, patient, loving, and faithful. I'm so very blessed to be married to you. Thank you for loving me so much and accepting me just as I am - silly, klutzy, and with lots to learn! I will love you forever whether you like it or not, and that's a promise. I praise God for you every single day.

[We] can do everything through him who gives [us] strength. ~Philippians 4:13

Love,
Karen

(p.s. to our parents. thank you for knowing better than us and setting us up even though i was being extremely stubborn and resistant.
p.p.s. to any single taiwanese kids out there with crazy parents who like to set you up with all kinds of weirdos. keep an open mind, because sometimes parents can be smarter than we think and actually do a good job. (boy is that hard to admit!) ) 

Amazing weekend.

What an amazing weekend! It was full of praises!!!! On Saturday, Joe and I went to pick up Cammy from the airport. We took Cammy on a mini tour of Pittsburgh. It was fun, because Cammy doesn't usually get to see the cities where she has drives. She just hosts and drive and then leaves. We even rode the incline! After the mini tour, we met up with Pastor Hugo at PCC-Oakland so we could see where we would be setting up the drive. Then we met up with Joe's parents for dinner. It was a great dinner!

On Sunday, I left for the drive. It was really neat to go to PCC Oakland. Everyone at the church just seems so warm and caring. What a blessing to worship with them! I have to confess, even as I was praying for many to register, part of me kept from being too helpful. After all, even though the drive was at a sister church, most of the members had no clue who Joe and I were. We were blessed though, 88 people ended up registering. (Same number as PPC Perry!) So many people expressed concern and love. It was amazing. Lisa, Cammy, and I were busy, busy, busy. I'm SO thankful for Lisa and Cammy. They were such troopers. They worked from 10:00-4:00pm at the church...straight through lunch even. Then we all went to Cammy's hotel room to double check everything. It was a long day. But a good day. It was neat, because we were even going to pack up a little early (around 3:30pm) because the church was suddenly empty. But just as we were walking out, another group of people showed up. Yay!!!!!

Sweet Sheena drove Joe to the drive in the afternoon when we knew it would be less crazy. He looked so handsome! After the drive, we met up with my dear sweet cousin Lilly. She was at a conference in DC for a week, and instead of heading straight back to Seattle, she came to visit for a day! I love my cousin Lilly so much, she's so good to me. So it was great to see her. She let us put her to work immediately, so post-drive work go finished really quickly.

Sunday evening was really fun. Cammy had discovered that she had very close family friends who are relatives of the Ott family! So the Ott family treated us all to a wonderful dinner. We had such a blast. It was really a wonderful time. After we got home, Lilly, Joe, and I had a silly time swapping stories. Joe and I also had the privilege of being entertained by Lilly comparing and contrasting her favorite chips (Snyder of Berlin Bar-B-Q chips) and Joe's favorite chips (Troyer Farms BBQ chips). It was really amusing, and it seems that in the future, Lilly may not be quite as loyal to her favorite!

This morning, Joe got his blood drawn at the hospital. Everything went up except for his platelets. They dropped again...but they are still high enough. So, it was yet another blessing! We also stopped by to see Joe's dad while we were at the hospital. That was fun. And, Cousin Lilly and radiology resident coordinator Lilly got a chance to meet each other. Yay!

We then headed over to the CMU drive. We thought we were going to help. Turns out, our help wasn't needed! Those Lambda brothers were amazing! They had created a shift schedule. They were also recruiting like crazy...in English, Mandarin, and Korean. It was awesome to see. So we got "kicked out."

Joe and Lilly used to take piano lessons at CMU from the same teacher, Mrs. Avery. They decided it would be fun to go visit the building again, and see if Mrs. Avery still used the same office. We were walking around and couldn't tell where Mrs. Avery was teaching. The amazing thing is that we ran into Mrs. Li, Albert's former piano teacher. If we had walked down the hallway a minute sooner or later, we would have missed her! Mrs. Li was so shocked to see the three of us, and immediately called Mrs. Avery to tell her! Mrs. Avery immediately made plans to meet us on campus (we found out she still has the same office.) It was amazing, because Mrs. Avery was just about to head outside to her garden, so the phone call came just in time! Within minutes, Mrs. Avery was able to have a little reunion with two of her former students! Too perfect.

Lilly needed to head to the airport, so after a great time of catching up with Mrs. Avery, we stopped by the area where the drive was being held. Wouldn't you know, they just ran out of swab kits! The drive had to end an hour early. I believe 122 people registered. So we ended up with a total of 210 registrants between yesterday and today. What can I say, praise God! Cammy has promised to come back in the Spring with boxes and boxes and boxes of kits so that even more people can register, and we won't run out of kits!!! Now I just keeping praying that these drives benefit Joe and many others who are searching for a match!!!!!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this weekend. Thank you to Cammy for spending so much time in Pittsburgh and helping us with the drives. Thank you to Pastor Hugo and PCC-Oakland for opening up their church for the drive, prayers, and support. Thank you to Lisa for working all day Sunday and acting as though it was such a natural thing to do. Thank you to Sheena for driving Joe to the church. Thank you to hubby Joe for being so thoughtful and bringing snacks and drinks! Thank you to Cousin Lilly for going out of your way to come to Pittsburgh to see us and spoil us, and help us. Thank you to Louis for helping to coordinate the CMU drive and spreading the word to all of your connections. Thank you to the CMU Lambdas for being SO amazing and energetic about recruiting. Thank you to all the people who helped to spread the news about the drive via word of mouth, fliers, and emails. Thank you to all of the people who registered. Thank you to all of the people who made plans to register but weren't able to because we ran out of swab kits! You are all amazing and beautiful. Thank you to Joe's parents for dinner on Saturday. Thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Ott for treating all of us to dinner on Sunday. Thank you to Gordon and Julie for coordinating the dinner. Thank you to Maura, Lydia, and Abbey for being so fun and entertaining. Thank you to Mrs. Li for taking time out to chat with us and calling Mrs. Avery. Thank you to Mrs. Avery for rushing out to see us! Thank you to everyone who is praying, supporting, and loving us from afar. Every day we feel so blessed and just know that even through the hard stuff God is watching over us. But this past weekend was especially amazing. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.




Joe, Lisa, and Cammy after the church drive.














Joe's dad, Joe, and Cousin Lilly (Lillian!)

Photos.

Joe sportin' his blue bird in the forest shirt designed by Lisa
and a pink ribbon supporting Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Lilly sportin' her Bravery Bracelet as part of the AA&MDSIF Awareness Campaign.

Cammy sportin' her Carnegie Mellon shirt from the CMU Lambdas!


Joe, Lilly, and Mrs. Li


Lilly, Mrs. Avery, and Joe