Joe's still in the hospital, but he's staying strong! During the day there are still moments of frustration/sadness/questioning, etc. But overall, this hospital visit is much better. Joe is feeling stronger. He's had some time to accept this new life. Things aren't as scary. The big plus is that the fever is staying down, and all of his cultures are negative so far. If he keeps this up, he'll be kicked out in no time!
The things that are frustrating include:
* Joe feeling isolated because he can't visit with friends or run off to the mall. It's tough because he craves that social time, but needs to hold off for now. In fact, only seeing me and his parents day in and day out is a constant reminder of that.
* Not being able to enjoy eating! Beyond all of us trying to focus on a healthier diet and taking a bunch of precautions like thoroughly cooking veggies and washing and peetling all fruit...Joe seems to be prone to little sores or cuts in his mouth and it is making him nuts! Also, IV antibiotics make everything taste bitter to him.
* When he's home, he's SO happy to be home. But it makes him sad to not be able to do things he used to do like...(believe it or not) clean the bathroom or help with the dishes or whatever. He can't go outside too much or do any major exercising.

With that being said, as mentioned earlier, Joe is learning to accept all of this and go with the flow. Not an easy task, since he is one who likes to be in control. Meanwhile, I'm learning to be a more responsible adult. Not an easy task, since I am one who likes to be a free spirit! Both of us are learning to communicate rather than keeping stuff bottled up inside. Each day is a new day of learning and growth. Thanks to everyone who is helping to push us along!

Okay, some encouraging news. Out of the 7 people that were filtered down from the 34 potential matches on the National registry, two have been contacted and getting another test to see if they are ideal matches. And a list of 50-60 potentials have been found on the registry in Taiwan. Who knows? Joe might find a match very soon! That's what we're praying for!

But no matter what, a bone marrow drive is being scheduled at our church for August 20, 2006. There are a lot more "Joe's" out there who need help! So, if not for our Joe...then for another!

The drive is being sponsored by the Cammy Lee Foundation, and it will be a minority based marrow drive. Minority groups are least represented in the NMDP so it is important to up those numbers! Joe's best chance for a match would be someone Asian. So...for all of you "non-minorities" who want to help so much...we LOVE YOU! We absolutely appreciate your willingness and desire to help...but we'll be plotting other ways to get you to help us out. :)

As for you minority folk. :) Mark your calendars for August 20, 2006 and plan a trip to Pittsburgh Chinese Church, 8711 Old Perry HIghway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

God bless. :)

Well, we hit a tiny little bump in the road. Nothing that's going to hold us back though! We're still pushing forward with all of our might...

Joe was told to call the doctor is he had a temperature above 100.5. He's been having some low grade fevers, but nothing above 100. Then yesterday afternoon, it went up to 101.1. We checked it again a little later and it was 100.7. Joe called the doctor, and was told to take some Tylenol and continue to monitor his temperature. It decreased and stayed down the rest of the afternoon, but in the evening Joe started to feel uncomfortable. He tried to sleep, but his tummy felt off...and he had developed another little sore or cut in his right gum. We took his temperature again around midnight...and continued to check every ten minutes. It kept hovering around 100.7 and 100.8. So we called the doctor at 12:30am. He decided that Joe should be admitted. We sat around and waited for the hospital to call back with a room number.

In the meantime...my parents left for Chicago on Friday evening to attend a wedding on Saturday morning. They flew back last night and arrived at our house a little after 12:30am. I know that they were exhausted, but they very kindly offered to take us to the hospital. So we hung out until the hospital called. We got to the hospital at 2:00am. We started off on the 9th floor. Barb, the nurse assigned to Joe was so sweet. But then while talking to the intern and going over everything, Barb told us a room opened up on the 7th floor, so we could move down there. We didn't want to leave Barb...but we wanted to be on the 7th floor. So down we went. We got there at 3am. Shortly after that I fell into a deep sleep. Joe didn't get to sleep quite as well since they were preparing his IV antibiotics and such.

However, this morning he felt much better. And his fever stayed down all day! His gum feels better and his coloring looks better. (Last night he was really pale.) Joe received another blood transfusion today, and that was to be followed by a platelet transfusion. He was even being silly and joking around with the nurses. Hopefully tonight he gets a good night sleep. The doctors say that he'll be out in a day or two as long as his fever stays down. I told Joe, "No more surprises this time, okay?" That boy better listen. :)

Today was a pretty laid back day...which was a good thing. Joe and I needed a day to just chill! Joe's mom came to visit which was nice. She helped cut up the watermelon that my mom brought us yesterday. Mostly it was just nice to have her company!

We got a neat cookbook from the Jou's. The super neat part is that the author of the cookbook is named Dr. Luke Lin! Funny, huh? I think I'll get a lot of good ideas from it. Thank you!

Thanks also to Kenny from church. Joe got a goody bag from him with a couple t-shirts, a bunch of Steeler DVDs (Joe's eyes totally lit up when he saw them!) and a really sweet note. Joe will be entertained/distracted for hours! Thank you Sheena for delivering the goods. We hope and pray you made it safely back to Toronto!
And finally a big thank you to our super neighbor Greg! He has been so wonderful. When we're not around, he does things like collect our newspapers and put our trash cans inside after garbage day. Don't even need to ask, he just does it. And today, he helped me with my car! I was heading out to Giant Eagle for some little things when I discovered that my car wouldn't start! I don't even know what I did, but my battery was dead. So Greg helped me get my car started again. Thank you!!!!!

That's all I have to report today. Oh one more thing, it has been tough for Joe to get a good night sleep because when it's bedtime, his mind starts racing. Well, Brian is letting Joe borrow this sleep CD. If Joe sleeps well tonight, Brian gets a thank you tomorrow. :) Just kidding. Thank you so much Brian! Joe really appreciated the talk you had the other night.

Lots of hugs for everyone. Keep sending those big virtual hugs to Joe! He can really use them.

Today Auntie Ho brought over some really scrumptious soup with abalone, mushrooms, and chicken. I know you are all jealous. She also brought us two kinds of cookies. Everything was so yummy. Thank you!

The results of Joe's blood draw today showed an especially low WBC. So Joe is under special surveillance. :) No going outside, masks when people are around, no heavy exercise, etc. He's been behaving himself though and making me proud!

Joe got some encouraging news though. He has 34 potential matches from the NMDP so far. They have narrowed that number down to seven young-ish Asian males to see if any of them are an ideal match. It is most likely that Joe's match is of Asian decent. This is just preliminary stuff...but we'll take any bit of encouraging news!

Meanwhile, a bone marrow drive is being set up for August 20th. Mark your calendars, and I'll be updating with more specifics soon!

Vince stopped by today. Joe was so happy to see Vince and have the opportunity to spend some time with him. Yay!

My parents came over too and we were able to have dinner together, thanks to help from my mom!

That's it. I want to go hang out with Joe now. I did want to thank Anita, Rachel, and Kathy - because I know that you have all helped out with the 7th and 8th grade Sunday school class since I've been away. Thank you so much! If there are others, let me know so I can thank them too. :) And speaking of Anita, we miss you too! Come back and visit us anytime, PLEASE.

Today, Joe had the opportunity to speak with Cammy Lee and Maria from the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation (CLLF). Cammy has an inspiring story of her own, and it was so nice for Joe to be able to talk to someone who has "been there, done that." Maria is really on the ball and seems the perfect person to have on our team! They are both SO sweet and seem genuinely excited to help us! They have all kinds of plans for drives, promotions, and education. It is all very exciting. Plus...Joe and I have been overwhelmed with how many of you are wanting to help help help us with anything and everything. We are SO grateful for this - and as I've been telling people, "don't you worry. The day will come when I'll be coming to you for help!" That day is right around the corner, so all those willing and able, we might be contacting you and asking you to help us and help the CLLF help us as well! We're gonna beat this thing :) *whew* Praise God that we have so many people who are fighting with us.

Special thanks to Vince for hooking us up with the CLLF, and for just being such a great brother. Vince has bent over backwards to help us as much as possible - making phone calls, doing research, being our point man. The crazy guy has been doing this even though he had to prepare for the boards...and now is dealing with moving to California...on Friday. :( We're going to miss Vince like crazy! He's one of those guys that everyone loves. The kind of guy who probably finds himself on the receiving end of lots of deep confessions and venting and other heavy stuff. Vince is the guy who always pays too much when eating out with a group of friends to compensate for the people who pay too little. If it is at all possible - and often even when it's not possible - Vince will be around to help in any way he can. A lot of people in the 'burgh are currently going through denial at the thought of Vince moving! We're going to miss you Vince! But you know you're ALWAYS welcome back in Pittsburgh. This is your real home! Just promise that you take good care of yourself way out there in California. :) (by they way. if you're a single female, you are out of luck. a beautiful lady has already captured Vince's heart!)

Now I leave all of you with a Bible reading from our wedding day. Joe and I have been reading it and reciting it daily. Each day, it seems God speaks to us through a different part of the passage. And of course, every time, we hear exactly what we need to hear...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

~Philippians 4:4-9

Yesterday, the results of Joe's semiweekly blood draw showed that his platelets and hemoglobin levels had dropped. So last night, we went back to the hospital, and Joe got a blood and platelet transfusion. The two of us spent the night - which was a good thing, since the transfusions weren't finished until 2:30am!

Today, we received a lovely package filled with scrumptions cookies from Lauren and Eric! For lunch we had more fresh vegetables from the Liang garden. Thank you so much!!!!!

The big news today is that we learned that Albert is not a match for Joe. The good news is that Vince and Lisa have already done much of the legwork necessary to prepare for a bone marrow drive - for this we are SO very very grateful. So a bone marrow drive will be set up in the very near future for Joe. Right now it looks like it will be funded by the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation and take place at PCC. We'll keep you Pittsburghers updated on the logistics. As for those outside of Pittsburgh...we're figuring out how you may be able to help us as well. We'll let you know either here or through email! Also, after Joe signs some form today, his info will be put through the National Bone Marrow Program Registry to search for a match...and if necessary an international search will follow. We remain positive and hopeful and just know that everything will work out.

In the meantime, Joe has been antsing to come back to our home. He says he misses our bed. I think maybe he misses his t.v. too. :) So I'm back home preparing for his arrival. He'll come back later tonight. Don't bang on our door too quickly though! We are still being really mean and strict about visitors to protect Joe as much as possible. For the most part we're limiting visitors to just family...and the occasional best friend from say...Seattle...or say a certain Dr. Science character who has decided - after being so incredibly helpful and supportive - to abandon Pittsburgh and run off to California. :) Thanks for being so understanding. You have no idea how much Joe wants to see everyone. I'm sure he can tell you himself now that he's a blogger too!!!!!!

That's it for now. Thank you to Michael and Yan for the beautiful flowers you sent! And Joe already said it, but thank you again to Albert and Pamela for making such an amazing dinner the other night! It was totally better than any meal you could get at the Le Mont. You two rock. We loved having you two around, because you make things so fun and cheery!!!!! Thank you!

Hey everyone,

It's Joe again trying out this blogging thing. I didn't realize that Karen was already so comprehensive in update about the weekend. It was so good to see my best friend Mike who came all the way from Seattle just to see me. Just to see him in person and be able to talk or watch TV or share a meal meant a lot to me. It was also awesome that my brother and his girlfriend Pamela came for the weekend too. The house felt so festive and they provided some much needed distractions. Last night, the "kids" made dinner and Karen, my brother, and Pamela laid out a feast. Karen made a really delicious and fresh vegetable soup and Albert impressed everyone with breaded pork chops with fruit, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Pamela of course helped out with everything as the designated sous chef. It was so great to see those guys, but I got really emotional and welled up or wept every time someone had to leave.

Again, I can't thank everyone enough for the total outpouring of love I've received. My dad is constantly telling me about people at West Penn who ask about me and wish me well... and some people he doesn't even know! And then there's everyone from church, my friends scattered all over the country, my parent's friends who are constantly bringing food and even fresh vegetables from your gardens... thank you one and all.

These are some really trying times for me and recuperation has been slower than I would have thought, but I'm really trying to stick to the theme of "staying positive". I struggle with that, but that's something that my dear wife Karen is very good at. She brings sunshine to every room and every situation, so I'm trying to emulate that!

Sorry for my random ramblings, but this blogging is kind of therapeutic in a way. Let's keep in touch, I look forward to hearing from you guys too.

Until next time,
Joe

Joe had a really good night's sleep last night. Today he looks and feels quite refreshed! It has been a great weekend for him, because Albert, Pamela, and Mike have been around. Mike is such a good friend. He's known Joe since 5th grade, and they have so many fun memories! The two of them have just been sitting around talking about everything and nothing and watching movies. On Friday, they were discussing Prune Juice...and yesterday, Mike showed up with Prune Juice! Yesterday they were discussing their love of bread, and today Mike showed up with a bag of goodies from Panera! It has meant so much to Joe to have Mike come visit all the way from Seattle. I'm so glad that they were able to have that time together!

Yesterday there was a big bash at Marcus' mansion! It was a house-warming/going away party for Vince. Sounds like it was a huge success! Joe REALLY wanted to go. But of course he can't be around a lot of people right now. He did call the mansion to check up on the party though - and got the chance to talk to a whole bunch of friends as the phone was passed around. It was great for Joe to have that opportunity to connect with others, even if it couldn't be face to face. It's so hard, because I feel this is a time when he most needs to see people and get lots of hugs...and yet that is something that just can't happen yet. He misses everyone so much. Especially now that he's starting to feel stronger. As always though, it's comforting to both of us to know that we have everyone's love and support! I know Joe will get better. I'm not worried about that. The hard part is watching him go through all that he is experiencing. But when this is all over...there will be some major celebrating!!!!!! One day at a time. God's Love!

Thank you to Uncle Fu-Tyan and Auntie Fu-Mei for bringing over some of their famous eggrolls! They were SO yummy. Apparently they were a new and improved low-salt, low-fat version - but they were so flavorful, nobody could tell!

It's a new day! My babe is still doing A.Ok. No fever and enjoying life at home. Each day he looks a little stronger, a little cheerier, a little brighter. We're taking baby steps, and that's all good.
Praises this week...We got some fresh and yummy vegetables courtesy of the Liang garden. Thank you!!! Also, the Tong's dropped off the sweetest card and the yummiest almond cookies. I need the recipe! Uncle Joe and Aunt Jennifer sent us Ginseng. We're excited to try it! Thank you thank you thank you!
This weekend, one of Joe's best friends, Mike, is coming in from Seattle to see him. Albert and Pamela will be back too. YAY.
We're being so careful with Joe though. Too many people, and the masks come out. I think we'll be sheltering him for awhile, because we don't want him back in the hospital anytime soon!
That's about it for now. Joe took a shower today, and I flushed his lumens and that was a big highlight of our Friday. heehee. Joe absolutely loved reading all the heartfelt comments left for him. Made him a little weepy, he was so touched. Have you all forgotten that I need to beat up people who make my hubby cry? :) We love all of you!

Hi everyone. It's Joe. Today is the first day that I got to see Karen's blog. Isn't she the best! I'm so glad to be home from the hospital, but the recuperation process has been kinda slow. I feel like my body has been through hell. The last few weeks have been the toughest weeks I've ever had to experience, but day by day I am getting stronger! It's been so amazing the outpouring of support and love I have received from everyone. It really means so much to me that there are so many people who care. It has been difficult to always stay positive, but with my beautiful wife, my family, my army of supporters, and faith in God, I'm going to continue to fight and beat this thing! Thank you so much for your support.

Joe

Hi everybody! Well, Joe and I are camping out at his parents place. He is so happy to be HOME! It is a bit of a transition. First of all, he's not on steroids anymore, and it was a pretty high dose they were giving him. So he's getting used to that. Joe's dealing with the tenderness in his thighs and abdomen from the chemo. He's trying to catch up on sleep, get used to stairs, and stay regular. :)
Yesterday a home care nurse came to change his dressing on his triple lumen. She also taught me how to flush each lumen. I get to play nurse once a day! I'm sure it makes Dr. Joe crazy to have me doing something he could do better...but he's been very patient with me!
Joe's parents have been awesome and bending over backwards to make sure Joe has everything that he needs. I'm getting some cooking lessons, so that's cool! All is well, and apparently Albert will be back to visit his big brother this weekend. Yay!
Keep praying for Joe, as I know that being back at home and not being able to bounce right back into his normal routines is a tough reality for him right now. It's a lot to take in, and now that he doesn't have millions of doctors and nurses and fevers interrupting his day, a lot more time is available for him to worry. He is feeling better little by little though. And as always, he is so thankful for everyone's love!!!!!! Happy day.

Happy happy joy joy! Joe finally did it! He got himself kicked out of the hospital. WOOHOOOOOO!!!!! Yesterday, they decided to just stop his steroids. Today he got his last dose of chemo for this cycle. And now, he is happily out of the hospital. :) He was so excited, and rightly so. :)

Joe is staying at his parents house for now, so I'll be shuffling back and forth. There is a home nurse set up for him so that he doesn't have to go back to the hospital all the time for blood draws. Now we sit around and keep Joe away from crowds, unpeeled fruit, raw stuff, and other such things until his next doctor's appointment which isn't until August.

Joe's chemo treatments are given in 5 day cycles every 28 days. We're not expected to see a response until the 3rd or 4th treatment. The plan is to do the chemo, and then go into the bone marrow transplant. So pray for a match! Vince and Lisa have done a ton of work in figuring out logistics for a bone marrow drive. None of that needs to happen though unless Albert is not a match. So for now just keep praying that Albert is a match! We'll find out in a week or two. Thank you again for all of your prayers and words of cheer. Joe feels so loved which is awesome!

Other notes. I forgot to thank Myra and Sheru for letting Joe borrow a bunch of movies! Thank you! Thanks also to the MRI department for sending up a basketful of goodies! Joe loved it. Thanks to everyone who works on the 7th floor. They were all so wonderful and took such good care of Joe. Thanks to Lilly for stopping by before Joe left. He loved seeing your cheery face. :)

Congratulations to Pastor Jim and Kathy, because they have a son-in-law now! And Congratulations to Ariel and Kelly who had a baby boy on Saturday night. YAY!!!!!!!

Yesterday and today were pretty good days. Joe continues to feel better and better aside from constantly being exhausted. We continue to take walks around the very scenic 7th floor of the hospital. His appetite is good. His steroids are being tapered. And he is no longer attached to a saline drip 24/7. Being able to go home seems to be right around the corner now. :)

Today Albert and Pamela came to visit. It was so good for Joe's spirit to have them around! Plus, Pamela hand delivered special cupcakes from New York! What a treat.
Brian brought by a movie which Joe and I watched in the evening. Fun stuff! Thanks Brian!
Louis stopped by with a balloon and a card yesterday. Thanks Louis!

So things are definitely looking up. Yay for Joe! I'm so proud of him for staying tough through all of this. He's my hero! Today was his third dose of chemo. So far so good, and no negative side effects. Yippeeee! In case you're curious, he's on VIDAZA. I wasn't going to burden you readers with specifics...but then I realized that so many of you are doctors and pharmacists you might be craving that info. :)

I apologize for missing phone calls lately. I promise I'm not trying to ignore you guys. :) Sometimes if I'm not in the room I miss some calls...and then because I selfishly want to spend more time with Joe I don't get a chance to return all the calls. We do appreciate every call and all the well wishes though. So much love!

We are trying to limit visitors to Joe's room to mostly family. Joe would love to see more familiar faces of course. I know he misses seeing everyone! But we want to be cautious since he's neutropenic and on chemo. Beyond that, it's hard for him to get any rest at all since doctors and nurses are constantly going in and out to check up on him. So please be patient with us. :) We realize that there are a lot of you big hearted people who want to come and bring him some cheer. And we LOVE that. But for now, we're playing it safe.

Today Joe said, "Looks like I'm finally making a turn for the better!" It was a good day. Joe got a fun little toy the other day - an incentive spirometer to help him exercise his lungs. He made great progress with it today - getting closer and closer to the marked goal. Then, we discovered that when I gave him extra fake incentives like, "The Steelers have another chance of winning the Super Bowl, but it is all dependent on you and your incentive spirometer!" Joe was able to reach his goal marker! Fun stuff.

We went on two leisurely strolls today - touring the block (aka the 7th floor!) It was great for Joe to get out of his room and move around. For lunch he had some yummies from his mom, and for dinner he had some yummies from my mom.

Joe got in a bunch of naps today. He started reading a novel today. And this evening he felt well enough to watch a little t.v. and send me home! He is still exhausted, but he's smiling more and more.

The first dose of chemo went well. Joe signed a contract this morning. In the afternoon he got three quick injections in three different spots, and it was over! So far he doesn't feel or notice any side effects. Joe will be getting these injections in five day cycles. We're feeling really good about this, and we just keep on praying!

Meanwhile, the results of Joe's HLA typing are done, and apparently are being run through the national registry. Joe's brother just got his typing kit, and that will be sent off to see if he's a match. Joe's info is also being sent to relatives in Taiwan so they can check to see if they are matches. So yes, a bone marrow transplant is planned for the future...but for right now, we focus on the chemo. One day at a time. Today was a good day! Love and hugs for everyone!

Today is a big day, so please keep us in your prayers. It has been decided that because Joe's fevers were so high before the steroids, that they were stemming from his diagnosis. So today, he should be getting his first dose of a type of chemo that will be injected subcutaneously. I'll try to keep everyone updated on how that goes.

Thanks to Auntie Grace and Uncle Tim for bringing over a feast last night. It was so good, and great to see the smile on Joe's face while he was eating. :)

And before I go, two things...First, I just wanted to mention some people. (thanks for bringing this to mind Gretchen, I've been wanting to do this for awhile. :) ) John and Carole. And Emily, James and Alivia. Those two families are experiencing their own trials with cancer and leukemia. They also have huge networks of people who are loving them and praying for them. And they are also the most positive people you could meet. I truly believe that God was feeding us strength through their stories before Joe and I even knew we would need it. I've seen in them such faith and determination. Truth be told, I've never gotten the chance to develop a true face to face relationship with any of them. But I still feel that I know them, and feel a bond that is difficult to describe. All I know is that one of these days, we must all get together. Thank you John, Carole, Emily, James and Alivia for being fighters and being such an example to us!

The final thing I have to say...and I feel the above people should be able to relate. (Not sure exactly how to word this, but I'll do my best.) Through our journey that has just only begun, so many people have told me that I'm so strong and mentioned how tough it must be being in the hospital and caring for Joe. Here's the truth though. I truly hate to see what he is going through and anticipating what is to come. But I take joy in being able to to be present for him. I don't consider it a duty at all. It's a pleasure. I married that silly boy for a reason. And I promised to love him in sickness and in health, among other things. I truly cherish every moment I have with him. Plus, the two of us have recognized that God is truly breaking us and reshaping us through all of this. We are learning and growing each day. Couples and families go through different trials all the time that make them stronger - this is ours.

We love you all, and we love every word of cheer and encouragement that we receive. Praise God for new friends, old friends, unseen friends, and family. Thank you!

Woohoooo, PRAISE THE LORD!!!! Joe's temperature is normal now. :)

Monday was rough after the broncoscopy (aka scope thing.) Joe was coughing and coughing and his temperature went up higher than it's been all week (40.8). He was so uncomfortable, and having a difficult time breathing. So they gave him oxygen and started him on breathing treatments every 4 hours. He didn't sleep much at all that night. His fever never went down below 39.0 even though they gave him a few doses of steroids.

Tuesday Joe was completely exhausted. He kept nodding off any second there was nobody bothering him. He did enjoy the yummy lunch that Auntie "Avon" brought for him. Thank you!!!!!

Joe learned some breathing techniques early afternoon to help him get some release from all the hospital commotion and relax. It was so very helpful, and he's been practicing a lot. You can see his face just relax, which is really great.

Late afternoon Joe was given a high dose of steroids to bring down his fever. He started getting excited about finally breaking into a sweat!!! One of his best friends ever - Jay - came to visit him. It was so great for Joe to see Jay. As I've mentioned before he's a hem-onc dude of the genius variety, so he's been a great friend to have around.

In the evening Joe and I watched Napolean Dynamite! He was feeling pretty good. He started dozing off about 10pm. His temp was 36.7 by then. Shortly after that he was sleeping like a baby. He didn't hear the nurse, the beeping of his IV. Nothing. Joe slept a good 6 hours before waking up, and we all realized he was drenched in sweat. His sheets and gown were changed, and poor Joe was shivering from being cold. He snuggled under the covers though, and immediately fell asleep again.

His temperature was normal this moring. YAY! The only thing is he's feeling a little shortness of breath. He says he feels a million times better than yesterday though. Even when he was shivering at 4:30 in the morning, he kept saying, "this sure beats having a fever!" God's Love!

Well, the weekend was a bit tough. I stayed with Joe Saturday night because he was just feeling so fragile and vulnerable. It's so tough being in the hospital. It is difficult for Joe to sleep because his fevers have generally been worse in the evening, keeping him up. Saturday was extra incomfortable because he had all this contrast in his system since he had a CT scan and MRI. (That's all I'll say about that. I can just feel all of Joe's radiology cronies sitting on the edge of their seats preparing to laugh hysterically at my account of his studies...) It took all day and part of the night for him to get it all out of his system. Joe was so miserable. In the evening, he slept about 3 hours, and then couldn't fall back asleep between fevers, sweats, and going to the restroom.

Then in the morning, each time Joe tried to take of his glasses and nap, a doctor or nurse would come into the room. Poor Joe. He really needs some sleep!

Sunday morning his fever had come down...but it didn't stay down. He felt pretty miserable until mid-afternoon. Then he was able to eat some lunch and move around a bit. Joe ate quite a bit for dinner as well. YAY! David brought some goodies.

Now for a bit of entertainment. I don't want to mention any names, like Sheena for example...but I have to share this story. :) Last night, a friend...we'll call her Mareena. She came by the hospital to pick me up so I could crash at her place. I walked out of the hospital and headed towards her car. Lo and behold, what do I see? "Mareena" was crawling out from the back seat of the car. Weird. She had a sheepish grin on her face. Turns out dear "Mareena" left a can of coke on the ledge by her rear window. Unfortunately, her car was sitting out in the sun...And "Mareena" discovered that the coke had exploded ALL OVER HER CAR. Oooops. So she was wiping it all up. Her car has a nice sweet smell now. :)

This morning, I got to see Joe bright and early. He looked great this morning! Relaxed, happy, and hungry. :) He ate most of his breakfast, took a shower, and shaved. WOOHOOOO! Plus, Ariel was visiting, and he brought Joe all kinds of entertainment. (Be thinking about Ariel, because he's going to be a daddy very very soon!!!!)

One of the tubes in Joe's triple lumen hasn't been so cooperative. So Joe went downstairs today to see Dr. F. who fixed him right up. At 3pm today, Joe is getting a "scope-thing" (haha) to check out his lungs and such for any possible infection. He had a blood culture come out positive...but only one of four tubes drawn was positive, so everyone believes it was just contaminated. So we'll see how that goes. Joe's mom is with him now while I'm at home doing laundry. :)

I had lunch with Joe's parents in the waiting area. Joe's mom brought all kinds of goodies from whole foods. It felt like a little picnic. Very sweet!

Oh, and before I left, Pastor Jim came by to visit. He's a wild one! It was good to see him. He brought some fattening goodies too. hehehe. (Being thinking of Pastor Jim, because he's walking his daughter down the aisle on Friday!!!!!)

That's it for now. More laundry to be done. Thanks again for the emails, cards, and phone calls. As always, LOVE YOU ALL!

Just a quickie little note because Joe is finally getting some nap time. :) Yesterday and today, it's been more difficult for him to stay positive. He remains febrile, and it is getting uncomfortable. We can sense that he's getting frustrated and discourged...but that's not keeping me from doing anything to bring a smile back to his face!

I know that many many friends have started prayer chains for Joe. For that we're both SO very grateful. Just wanted to share that Auntie S.B. started a prayer chain as well...and those in her group are planning to all pause and pray for Joe at 9pm tonight! So feel free to join in, I know he'll feel the love. Auntie S.B. also brought over some food that Joe can enjoy for dinner. Thank you! Thanks to my mom too for making lunch. Joe loved it.

Thanks to Shelley for the smily chocolately goodness. :) We got it! Thanks to Sheena, Eric, Mammen, and Ray for bringing me some food late last night and just being really good friends. And thanks to Vince for the Foxtrot book! It gave us some laughs this morning when we really needed them.

I'm sure there's more I could post, but I want to get back up to my Joe. Much love and thanks as always.

HUGS

Last night I stayed at Sheena's place for the third time this week. It is just so nice to have the company of someone who is a little more removed from the situation, ie. not in the family. :) Plus, I like being close to the hospital. As always she was the perfect host...although we stayed up a little too late, having some girl talk. We were literally running on fumes, and were acting quite loopy. It was great to have that release though. Some other sweeties who live near the hospital like Myra and Neeta have offered to let me sleep over as well. I may have to take them up on their offers soon before a)They change their minds! and b)I wear out my welcome at Sheena's. :)

I got to the hospital early, and visited Lilly. She is such a doll, and has been very helpful in helping us figure out stuff like insurance and other things that are important but don't come to mind immediately when someone you love is sick. Well, while we were having our nice little chat, Shalin walked in and joined us. Then the next thing I knew, most of the radiology residents were in the room. Of course they were all asking about Joe, which made me feel good. Everybody loves him!

When I went to see Joe, he was smiling and eating his breakfast. He looked even better today. It's exciting, because he started the week pretty miserable (understandably!), but each day he looks a little bit more relaxed, and a little bit more positive. YAY. After breakfast, he was immediately wheeled down to see the dentist again. They decide the didn't want to risk doing anything with his gums since his platelets are so low. So he was just told to continue to use the special rinse and use a nifty little gadget to irrigate the area.

Joe's rash looked better today. Yay! However, he is still febrile - but no more shaking chills. We keep praying that fever comes down!!!!!!

Kitty, Dr. B., and Brian stopped by for a visit. Vince also came to visit. Keep praying for him, because that boy has boards in a week. Joe's mom brought some lunch for Joe, and he ate almost all of it. YAY! I got to eat Joe's lunch. hehehe. In the afternoon, Joe felt well enough to roam the halls with me. It was the first time he felt good enough to venture out of his room just for fun.

(hmmmm...i don't remember if i mentioned this...but in case i didn't before. joe's back on the "better" floor. he was transferred there on wednesday. yippeee! also, we're still trying to limit visitors as best we can...but it's hard to turn away all the cool people who work at West Penn with Joe! and they are good and just come one or two at a time. the nice thing is no more gloves and masks necessary. but it is "no" to coughers and other sick people and "YES" to washing your hands!!!!)

After the walk, Joe and I both took a little nap. Ariel came to visit and brought some soup for Joe! So Joe ate some clam chowder for dinner. Much better than the pureed beets that silly boy ordered. They smelled so awful, he immediately slammed the cover back down and refused to lift it up again. Ariel also brought a "card" from the breast center. It was really cute, and also came with the message that a case of these special shakes have been reserved in his name! (healthyshakes.com) Too sweet. Myra and Sheru stopped by in the evening. Poor Myra got paged a million times in 2 minutes.

Now for the true highlight of our day. Since Joe is feeling better, and gloves and masks aren't necessary, he asked the doctor, "is it okay for me to hold my wife's hand?" Joe asked about hugs too. And we got the green light! So today, I got the biggest and best hug EVER. Honestly. It was definitely a "swipe away a tear" kinda moment. :) It has been so hard not to give Joe a million hugs a day when he's been going through all of this scary stuff that seems to warrant the need for EXTRA hugs. So yippeeeee for hugs!!!!! We're still being cautious of course. But my boy needs some hugs from me!

So today was the best day yet. We're hoping to get him home very soon so that he can rest properly, and get stronger before real treatments begin. Special shout out goes to "Student Nurse" Erin. She's not technically a student anymore. But in any case, she took care of Joe all day yesterday and today, and she was SO very sweet and careful and attentive. Also...Joe's door had been SUPER squeaky, which was SUPER annoying. It was especially awful at night when he was trying to sleep and the nurses needed to take his vitals. Well, today maintenance came up, and the door squeaks no more. ALSO, the DVD player in Joe's room wasn't working so we couldn't watch brainless movies to distract us. (Everybody Loves Raymond proved faithful though.) Well, that was fixed today as well. Lots of yays today.

Keep up those prayers and happy vibes, because they are definitely working. :) We need Joe's fever to come down and stay down so he can go HOME!!!!!!!! *****HUGS***** for everybody. Tomorrow is a new day. :)

Just a very quick update. Yesterday, a "mean fellow" pretty much told Joe that his rash could be Leukemia affecting his skin...which would mean that he would not respond as well to chemo. Uhm...he had just gotten a skin biopsy with no answers yet, so why freak him out like that?

Well, PRAISE GOD! Because today we found out it is actually a weird drug reaction, which is most definitely the least of all evils. Also, he had the inflammation of his gums checked out and for now he just needs to gargle with a special mouthwash. Tomorrow he may see the oral surgeon here for possible irrigation and debriding of the area.

Joe was mostly smiling today, which is GOOD! Especially considering he didn't sleep so well last night. He spiked another high fever. I know that it is so rough being in the hospital and going through all that he is going through. I'm so very proud of him though for trying to stay positive.

Joe's mom made him some goodies for lunch, which he was able to eat. And he ate most of his hospital dinner too. Yippee. My parents were around today too. My mom made Joe some cake, and he loved that.

That's all for now. I can't keep my eyes open. But as always thank you all for your wonderful messages and words of cheer! Sara and Mike M. sent balloons which really brighten up the room. And Lisa, who I must call tomorrow has been amazing in using her connections to plan an upcoming bone marrow drive! Sometime I'll have to make a list of thank you's. It would seriously be miles long, I think. We love ALL OF YOU!