A little shout-out!

Keep up those prayers! Tomorrow afternoon Joe will get another blood draw, and we'll meet with the doctor. More details when we get them!!!!!

Also, I must wish Ray-Ray a very happy birthday, even though he is currently far far away. Hope you are having fun with your family!!!!

And speaking of family, tomorrow is my dear cousin Lilly's birthday (Dec. 1)!!!!!! She is as much a big sister as a cousin. She has spoiled me and teased me since I was a baby. I love you cousin Lilly/Lillian!!!!!!!!

No Biopsy!!!!!

Joe managed to avoid getting a biopsy today. YAY!!!! His counts weren't much better...but they weren't much worse either. Joe's doctor feels that even though the counts are lower than normal, they seem to be stable. Having a dip in the counts isn't unusual. Just the fact that they went so low was concerning. As planned, Joe will get another blood draw on Friday to confirm nothing weird is happening. If they still look about the same or higher, then chemo Round 6 begins on Monday. Friday is also our monthly appointment with the doctor, so we'll discuss more transplant details.

We did go to Pitt and speak with their chapter of APAMSA. Joe did a great job, and the students really seemed to be receptive to what he had to share. The hour went by much faster than we had anticipated. Thank you to David, Jamie, and May for all of your help coordinating everything!

Thank you to Sheena and Sheena's mom for the yummy food and for your friendship.

Thank you to Lauren and Eric for your sweet card. Hugs are the best, even when they are virtual. :)

Thank you to everyone who prayed extra hard, sent good vibes, crossed their fingers and toes, called, emailed, and otherwise expressed concern for Joe in the past two days. Wow! All of that love really worked. How blessed we are to have such a great network of support!!!!!!

...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
~Isaiah 40:31

Counts dropping

Last week when Joe had his blood drawn, his counts had dropped. We were hoping it was nothing and the counts would stabilize by this week. Today, results of his blood draw showed that Joe's counts have gone down even more. They haven't hit rock bottom, but it has been months since they have been so low. To give you a better idea of where he is...

Normal Ranges
WBC - [4.4-11.0] k/mcL
Hemoglobin - [13.4-17.5] g/dL
Platelet Count - [145-445] k/mcL
Neutrophils - [42-74] %
Neutrophils-absolute - [2.20-7.70] k/mcL

Joe's Counts
WBC - 2.7 k/mcL
Hemoglobin - 16.6 g/dL (the one thing that stayed normal)
Platelet Count - 75 g/dL
Neutrophils - 32%
Neutrophils-absolute - 0.86 k/mcL

We don't know what this means. Joe will get his blood drawn again on Wednesday and Friday to see what happens. If the results on Wednesday show another drop, Joe will be getting another bone marrow biopsy that afternoon to see what is happening with his marrow. I don't know what happens after that. One step at a time. If the results on Wednesday show the counts rising again, then we'll proceed as planned with chemo round 6 beginning on Monday.

We're trying to remember to take one step at a time. Remembering that God is in complete control. It is scary to think things might be changing after being on the positive side of "bad" for so long. But we will try not to worry before we know anything, because worrying won't solve anything. Plus, there is a positive, and that is that everything has already been moving toward Joe getting his transplant sooner than later. God is in control.

Wednesday, Joe and I are also supposed to speak to the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) at Pitt (They are planning a bone marrow drive with Cammy Lee in the Spring!). We're hoping it is informal. :) David from Pitt has been so amazing with organizing everything and keeping us up to date. It is actually a bit intimidating! Pray that Joe will still be okay to go and share his experiences.

Saturday, we were going to kick off the Christmas season and attend a hospital party. With Joe's counts being funny though, we're going to be safe and stay home. Don't want to take any chances!

Thank you to Sandy for hanging out with me. It was really nice to catch up with you!

Thank you to Cammy Lee for the cheery message! You have been a great source of encouragement.

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
~2 Corinthians 3:5

Photos

Just wanted to share some photos from Thanksgiving. Joe made me wear the hat. It gave me the opportunity to act as though I knew what I was doing. :) As usual, the family (aka the guinea pigs) acted as though I knew what I was doing as well. :) Victor was a great food tester.

We went to church today. Joe, updated the congregation on identifying a donor. And then (only half joking) asked that the congregation pray that his donor will practice moderation during the holidays...will stay away from smoking and alcohol...and will return home immediately after work each day, after moderate exercise!

Thank you to Alyssa, Ryan, and Charlotte for the sweet card. Can't wait for the opportunity to meet Charlotte one day!

Thank you to Sheena for playing with me.

Happy day.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
~1 Peter 5:7

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy happy thanksgiving. :)

On Wednesday, Joe went into work. He also had his blood drawn. All of his counts dropped except for his hemoglobin. They were all lower than they have been in awhile, but Joe still feels well. We'll be going back to the doctor on Friday, December 1. The following Monday, Joe will be starting chemo round 6. We anticipate that it will be his last round of Vidaza before transplant.

Thursday was Thanksgiving of course. We had a nice family dinner, minus Albert. We always seem to miss him on Thanksgiving due to his schedule. Poor guy. At least we were able to chat on the phone, and we'll see him for Christmas. Hopefully, next Thanksgiving we'll be able to celebrate with all eight of us!

Today, Joe and I were so exhausted from the excitement of Thanksgiving, we spent the day vegetating and marinating - and playing Galaga and Tetris. Haha. :)

This year we have so much to be thankful for. Joe and I are so thankful for our families. They have been absolutely amazing. Obviously, we've always loved and appreciated them. There is no question about that. But if possible, it seems this past year, they have gone above and beyond.

Every year in the past, Joe and I have given thanks for our health. This year is a little different, but we are still thankful. Despite the shock of Joe's diagnosis and the rough summer...we're so thankful that he is able to be home. So thankful he has responded so well to chemo treatments. So thankful that his counts have remained in a reasonable range. So thankful that he has a donor.

We are so very, very, very thankful for our family and friends around the world. It has been amazing to see all of our brothers and sisters at PCC unite in prayer and support for Joe. It has been incredible to know that brothers and sisters in Philly, California, and North Carolina have united to support Joe. It is overwhelming to get posts, emails, messages, phone calls from friends and from strangers letting us know that we are loved. We don't deserve so much love, but you can bet we are so blessed by it! These past few months have not been easy, but it has been apparent from the start that God has been watching over us. All I can say, is amazing. We have learned so much, and gained so much through all of this. There is no doubt that with God continually in our hearts, we will be able to overcome any and all challenges in the months to follow.

More thanks. :)

Thank you so much to my 2nd Auntie and Uncle, and 3rd Auntie and Uncle for your generous gifts. It really touches our hearts to feel your love from miles away!!!!! Special thanks to my 3rd Auntie for writing us such a heartfelt message. We were so very touched. :)

Thank you to dear A.M. and A.D. for your sweet gift. What a lovely surprise! You have shown me nothing but love since I was a little girl. And ever since you met Joe you have embraced him as well. Thank you!

Thank you to our parents and Victor for spending Thanksgiving with us! We love spending time with you.

Thank you to Albert for calling us, even though you had to be at work. We really did miss you, and we talked about you much of the evening!!!!

Happy happy Thanksgiving birthday to my very handsome "nephew-cousin" Alex!!!!!!!! Hope you had so much fun celebrating!!!!!!

And a happy happy Thanksgiving birthday to my dear Nancy. You have been such a dear friend, and I love you for it (old lady. :) )

More thanks.

Here is Louis modeling his marathon gear! Thanks again to Louis for running with Joe in mind. You can read his race notes here.

Thank you to Connie, Anthony, and Zachary for the super sweet note. It totally made my day.

Thank you to Giant Eagle for not being too crowded two days before Thanksgiving so that my shopping trip was not too torturous. :)

And as always, praise for my super awesome husband. That boy never fails to make me smile.

Happy happy belated anniversary to dear Yi-Shan and Osamu. One whole year. YAY!!!!!!

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
~Ephesians 5:19-20

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is this week, and we have much to be thankful for!!!!!

Thank you to Jeff and Neeta for having us over.
Thank you to Brian and Monica for hanging out with us.
Thank you to my mommy and daddy for hanging out with us!
Thank you to Louis and Sha for hanging out with us...and special thanks to Louis for running a marathon in Joe's name and bringing back fun souvenirs.
Thank you to Mrs. Fullmer for hosting a get together for the girls.
Thank you to Crystal, Jomei, Julie, Kelly, Sha, and Vivian for the laughs and entertainment.
Thanks to Angela for baking yummy cookies for the girls!
Thanks to Eric for hosting a get together.
Thanks to Tim for the yummy stew and Patrick for the yummy brownies.
Thanks to Kenny for the Steelers yearbook!
Thanks to the Steelers for WINNING this past weekend.
Thanks to Uncle and Auntie Huang for the yummy cookies.
Thanks to my 3rd Auntie and Uncle, and Yi-Ting for the card!
Thank you to my Cousin Yi-Shan for spreading awareness, and for her friend who donated cord blood.
Thank you to everyone who has been rejoicing with us because we have decided on a donor for Joe!!!!!!

And there's more!!!!!

My dear A.M. aka my Cambridge Street mom (even though she's not on Cambridge street anymore. :) ) celebrated her birthday on Friday!!!!! Happy birthday. :)

Kian turned two on Saturday. Boy is he good lookin'! He is going to such a heart breaker! Happy birthday. :)

Yesterday it was the birthday of Chris. As in awesome brother to Sarah, Josh, and Rachel. Happy birthday Christopher!

Today, my best friend from high school, Jennifer, turns 30. Happy happy birthday. :)

And, it is also the birthday of Baby Livi's daddy. Happy birthday, James. We pray for your family every day.

Joe continues to do well. We are so thankful that we'll be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family this year. (But we'll miss you Albert!) We have so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate.

Come, let us sing for joy unto the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
~Psalm 95:2

It's a Girl!!!!!!

Today we received news regarding Joe's tranplant. As you may recall, four people agreed to have additional tests to see if they were a match for Joe. Two of them returned with the same results as our first possible donor. One minor mismatch. Turns out that one spot is a weird one! One individual did match in that area...but mismatched in three other areas. Well, with God in control one minor mismatch is as good as perfect - perhaps even better. Our doctor agrees. Apparently, the mismatch shouldn't pose any problems.

So we now have THREE possible donors. Two females...one in her early 20s, one in her mid 30s, and one male in his late 30s. After a chat with the doctor, it was decided that having a younger donor would be the best. So our first choice is the girl in her early 20s. Transplant would take place in mid-January, so that we can enjoy the holidays! This means, that as long as all goes as planned, next year, my husband will have xx and xy chromosomes. Funny, huh? Furthermore, his blood type will change. He'll be going from O+ to A+. Wonder if he'll start having interesting personality changes too! :)

So praise God, praise God. We didn't get our perfect match, but that won't stop us from moving forward! I think it is just a relief to not be waiting, waiting, waiting anymore. Yes, the idea of transplant is scary. No, it will not be fun or easy. Yet with all the conversations Joe and I have had, and with all the support and love we have from all over the world, and with great doctors and nurses, and God on our side, I'm confident all will be fine. We can do it!!!!!!!!

***

Thank you so much to Sha for the yummy and healthy pumpkin muffins!!!! They were great. :)

Thank you to Graystone Church and Peggy for your continued prayers and messages.

A very HAPPY HAPPY birthday on the 16th to my beautiful cousin Yi-Shan. (Isn't she so pretty? Oh...but she is very happily married. :) ) She has been so great about SPREADING the WORD about MDS and registering to be a donor. I love her for that, and she had better come visit me soon, because I miss her.

Round 5 - Complete

Joe has completed his 5th round of chemo!!!! He is more sore than usual, but that didn't keep him from putting in a few half days of work. Joe's counts are looking good, so continued praise for that!

On Thursday evening, Joe had the opportunity to spend time with Mammen. It was a great time for them hang out with out the annoyance of nagging girls...ok, ok. Without the nuisance of annoying ME! :)

Friday night we went to fellowship. This morning, we got to spend time with Joe's parents. They even brought over some yummies!

That's about it. On to prayer requests and praises!

***
Please pray for Baby Livi and family. They have been stuck in the hospital, because poor Livi got the flu. She is doing
better now, but she won't be discharged until she is off of oxygen for 24 hours. That hasn't quite happened yet.

Pray for Amy and family. Amy was diagnosed with AML around the same time Joe was diagnosed. Her journey has been rough, but she has such strength, and so much faith. Monday is her "Day Zero." She'll be going through a PBSC transplant, with her brother as her perfect match.

***
PRAISES!!!!!

Christine received news (As of Nov. 6) that she will be able to go HOME! She is the girl who had the risky partial-match transplant. She was on hospital grounds for 134 days at the time of her last update. I hope she is home now!

Thank you to Mammen for treating Joe to dinner! It was fun for him to get out of the house.

Marcus celebrated a birthday on Friday. HAPPY belated birthday!!!!!!!

And...the 12th is another SUPER SPECIAL day!!!!!! It is my In-loves' (I've discovered that sounds much better than In-laws....) anniversary! Such a beautiful couple. Happy happy anniversary Mamma and Dad!

And, a very HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MOMMY!!!!!! She's turning...uhm...39. :)

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
~Psalm 71:8,14

Over the hump of Round 5

My Joseph is well into round 5, and he is again doing as well as can be expected. He's expecting the usual soreness and nausea, but as usual he's being a trooper. Joe's counts are all up a little this week, which is a good sign that the chemo is still working as it should.

The two of us are both more emotional lately than usual. The reality of what is and what is to come will just hit us individually at random moments. Fortunately, we're able to discuss all of our feelings openly which helps so very much.

No word yet on the four people who have gone for further testing. It doesn't look like we'll be getting any other people to test though. It sounds like several other potentials contacted declined to move forward for whatever reason. So after these four, we'll be moving towards transplant no matter what the results. As I've mentioned before, this is both a relief and a source of anxiety! In any case, we are strong. Joe is strong. And with the overwhelming support we have from all over, we will fight, fight, fight.

A lot of fun praises for this week!

A very HAPPY, but belated BIRTHDAY to my Big Uncle! He celebrated his birthday on Monday. Happy Birthday!

Happy 1st birthday to Gabe! Congratulations on your television debut Mr. Dinosaur! You are too cute.

And the 9th, is a very very special day. It is my cousin Yi-Ting's birthday! (Why yes...as a matter of fact, she is single. If interested, simply send your application and photo to me, my mom, or any other member of Yi-Ting's family. :) ) Yi-Ting and I have had lots of fun ever since we were young. Even though we only get to see each other every few years, when we get together, it's as if no time has passed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear cousin!!!!!!

And, the 9th is also a very special day because it is my parents' WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!! (Isn't their wedding photo great?) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM and DAD!!!! Thank you for being so wonderful and loving. You have been a HUGE blessing to us. If you see my parents, make sure to wish them a happy anniversary. :) (I think it's been 32 years...but don't quote me on that. :P)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
~John 14-27

Update.

Thursday, we learned that there are four people who have agreed to additional testing to see if they are a match for Joe. Two are from Taiwan, and two are from the U.S. We're praying, praying, praying that one of them is a perfect match for Joe!

Friday, Joe had his blood drawn, and we met with the doctor. His counts are still looking good - normal, or slightly below normal. Joe's platelets went down a bit, but that seems to be the trend a week before chemo. The plan now is to wait on the four people getting further testing. We're aiming for Joe to go into transplant in 8-12 weeks. This means we have an opportunity for a relatively relaxed holiday season. Transplant will probably be around January or February. Even if we aren't able to find a perfect match, we can go with the next best option, which is a near perfect match (which we have.) The doctor is confident this would be as good as a perfect match. So that's where we stand.

Friday evening, we spent some time with our CrossRoads fellowship. We met up with them again on Saturday evening to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Our fellowship participates every year, and it's one of my favorite things to do for the holidays!

This morning, Joe and I went to church together. It's always a treat when we get to attend together. Joe looks so great now, and everyone is always so excited to see him!

***

Happy belated birthday to Bekah!!!!!!

Thank you to Juanita for baking us a cake! It's really yummy. :)

Also a shout-out to Louis who has been training for a marathon in honor of Joe. Read more about it here. And if you happen to have an itch to donate to a charity, or know someone who does, visit Louis' Team in Training page. I know he'd appreciate it. Don't do it just for Joe, or Louis though. Do it for anyone and everyone who might benefit from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
~2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Happy November!

Joe had a dentist appointment today. Now his smile is even brighter than before! His hygienist was really sweet. She has her own inspiring story, which she shared with Joe. After Joe's appointment, the hygienist actually called me back so she could share a bit with me, and give me some encouragement. I thought that was so sweet. :)

On Friday, Joe has his appointment with the doctor. I can't believe that next week will be round 5 of his chemo treatments. I imagine on Friday we'll have a better idea of what our next few months will look like. I'm not sure if this makes me relieved or anxious. Both I guess.

Here's something cute my mom passed on to me after receiving it from a missionary back home...

Daily Christian Wisdom

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you...Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.
-Unknown
***

Lot of praise and thanks today.

Praise God, because 355 registered to be donors at the drive in honor of Baby Livi. How awesome is that? Yay for everyone who attended.

Thank you to our neighbor Cathy for the really yummy pumpkin bread. Made from scratch even.

Thank you to Myra and Sheru for dinnering with us last night. It was really fun hanging out with the two of you and hearing all of your stories!

Thanks to Eddie who has been working with CLLF hold a drive in North Carolina! We miss you Eddie!

Thank you to my CrossRoad girls. It is so wonderful to have your love, support and encouragement.

***

I have info on Cammy Lee drives for November! Spread the Word!

Nov. 8
Virginia Commonwealth
College Avenue
Richmond, VA
11am-5pm

Nov. 10
Columbia University
New York, NY
11am-5pm

Nov 14-15
Virginia Tech
Williamsburg Room of Squires Student Center
Blacksburg, VA
9am-9pm ,9am-8pm

Nov 15 or 16
Stonybrook University, NY
11am-5pm
(not confirmed at this time)

Nov 26
Apex Chinese Church
Apex, NC
11am-5pm

Nov 27
Duke University
Durham, NC
11am-5pm

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
~Isaiah 41.10