Photos.

I'm too tired to write out a formal blog today. I will write more tomorrow. :) Just wanted to say that Joe's counts still look great, and the meeting we had today with the doctor and the bone marrow transplant coordinator went very well.

Here are a couple photos that Cammy Lee
sent to us!



Joe and Cammy Lee.









My dad, mom, Cammy, Lisa, and Louis!













Thank you to Auntie Rosa, Uncle Horatio, and Ching for the sweet card and the yummy apple cake! Joe says I have to get the recipe now. :) 

:)

I just wanted to wish my beautiful cousin I-ju a very happy birthday! Her birthday is on the 31st...and so in Taiwan, she should be celebrating already. :)




















Also, thank you to Nancy for sending us some fun reading! You are a great friend - thank you for all of your love!

Make sure you read Joe's post below! It's a good one. :)

50th Post!

Hi everyone,

It’s me again making a guest appearance on my own blog. Karen has been doing such a great job updating the blog. I find myself checking MY blog in the morning every day to see what she wrote!

The past week and a half has been really nice. So far, I’ve been responding really well to chemotherapy. My blood counts have been near normal. And I feel much more like a normal person. The pain and soreness from the chemo injections have faded. With my triple lumen catheter removed, I can take regular showers again. I’m still a human pin cushion though, having to get stuck with needles all the time. I still haven’t gotten used to that feeling of the needle puncturing skin. My gum sores have healed and my appetite has returned. I can actually taste my food now! As you can see, Karen has been cooking up some delicious meals for me. I’ve also been able to venture outside of the house more, but we’re still being very cautious and avoiding crowds in public places. Karen and I will take short walks in the park. It’s also been nice to see some friends.

The vast majority of my time is still spent at home. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. In the past two weeks, I’ve read a weird collection of books including The Time Traveler’s Wife, Marley and Me, Kitchen Confidential, and Lance Armstrong’s book. (Thanks to those who have recommended books to me.) Right now, I’m in the middle of a book called Running with Scissors, which is interesting. Of course, there are the radiology textbooks and journals that I can’t seem to get enough of… Karen and I have also watched some good movies including Match Point and Finding Neverland. And there is fantasy football and the Steelers. I’ve watched all the Steelers preseason games, and I’m excited that football season is about to start. The black and gold haven’t looked too sharp, but you can never tell in preseason.

I know that I’m not a particularly eloquent or interesting writer (as pointed out to me by a certain best friend of mine), but I wanted to share some thoughts now that I’m two months out from my diagnosis. Basically, having this disease sucks. Big time. But you make the best of the circumstances you’ve been handed. It is a surreal experience to be told you have cancer, and on top of it a rare and high-grade / high-risk one. Being a doctor who is relatively young, you always think you are immune (!) to this stuff. 32 year-olds who don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs aren’t supposed to get cancer. A million things start to swim in your head, the most notable being, “Oh my God! Am I going to die?!” Everybody has to die sometime, but getting a diagnosis like this really makes you face your own mortality. You start to simplify and prioritize your life. The most difficult thing is not knowing what’s around the corner. I feel fine now, but it is frightening not knowing if and when my blood counts are going to drop again. In the end, you trust God.

I have been very fortunate that my clinical course has been going as well as expected so far. My response to chemotherapy has been excellent and I am well on my way to finding a bone marrow donor match. Plus, my support structure is awesome. I have my own 24-hour caregiver in Karen (who is and always will be my rock), our families are nearby, and all you guys out there have spoiled me with support and prayers. It has been encouraging to see and talk to cancer survivors and those who are currently fighting their own battles as well. Many of those people have or are going through much more than me. We all seem to go through very similar experiences no matter what the diagnosis. I know that if they can get through it, I can too.

Thanks again to all of you who have supported us in so many different ways. We are forever indebted to you. And if you say a prayer (or something to that effect) for us, please remember to say one for all the other people you may know who are going through similar challenges.

God Bless,
Joe

Homemade meatballs!!!!

Yesterday, Joe had a hankerin' for good ol' spaghetti and meatballs. I decided to try my hand at making homemade meatballs. :) It was quite fun. Albert and Joe's mom stopped by before Albert had to fly back to Boston. I wasn't thinking clearly, and hadn't considered they might need to stay for dinner. I was all too happy to invite them to join us...but I was pretty embarrassed about serving Joe's mom spaghetti and meatballs! Usually, I try to make something at least *slightly* more impressive for my dear in-laws! Well, Joe's mom was very gracious (as was Albert!) and we had a very fun meal.

Today, Joe was due for yet another semi-weekly blood draw. Now that Joe doesn't have his triple lumen, we don't get a home care nurse. Normally we would go to West Penn to get his blood drawn, but since Joe had no other reason to see anyone at the office today we decided to go to AGH, which is closer. We did save a good half hour round trip. But we had to pay an extra dollar for parking! AND, we had to wait ALL AFTERNOON for the results. Usually the results are back in around 30 minutes when we go to West Penn. When we had the home care nurses, it might take 2 or 3 hours. Today it took more like 7 hours! No worries though, we didn't have to wait at the hospital. We were just being impatient. :) Joe's results were pretty good. His Hemoglobin and platelets are still looking great! His WBC did go down a bit, but not enough to be worrisome. Thursday we have a big family meeting with the Bone Marrow Transplant Coordinator. We'll be discussing all things BMT related. It should be very informative, and we'll be able to ask all the questions that have been running around in our heads.

If you are in Virginia, or know someone there, CLLF is holding another drive!!!!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
University of Virginia
9am-4pm
Newcomb Hall Room 389

Spread the Word!!!!!!

For those PGHers who missed the last drive, STAY TUNED! Plans for another drive (or 2?) in Oakland are in the works. :)

Now a couple photos, so you can see how great Joe is looking these days!
This is one of our reunion photos! Isn't it cute how all the "kids" coordinate, and our dads match?














And here's Joe! We had meatball hoagies for lunch. Yum!!!!! Joe's appetite is BACK, yay!!!!!
 

Reunion. :)

We had a family reunion today. :) Albert is home for the weekend, and my brother is finally back from overseas! So the Lins and the Lans gathered together. We had lunch at Kotobuki. That was a nice treat for Joe. And yes, he stayed away from all things raw, including the salad. It was fun for all of us to be together and share stories. Albert hung out with us for most of the day, and graciously ate the food I served him for dinner. :) He was also able witness the joy of participating in a fantasy football draft! Joe was all too happy to introduce Albert to the world of fantasy football. Maybe next year Albert will have a league of his own!

Here is a photo of the boys. :)



Thank you to Auntie Katy and Uncle Jer Yuan for the sweet card, and for printing out the newspaper articles for us! Actually, Auntie Katy took the photo of me and Joe that appeared in the ECJ! Also, thank you to Louis for picking up some copies of the ECJ for us. And thank you to Sheena for delivering the papers to us!!!! Thanks for the beautiful framed photo too. I love my CrossRoads girls!!!!!

Happy day! 

Still cool!

We went back to the hospital today for Joe's routine blood draw. Another day of good results! We could definitely get used to this. :) Based on the first round of chemo, this next week would be the week we would expect to see a fall in Joe's counts. We're praying they stay up though!!!! Also, the nurse practitioner checked out the area where Joe's line was pulled. She said it doesn't look like there was any type of infection...plus none of Joe's cultures came up positive. So really there was no reason for the ambulance ride! At least Joe had some adventure this week, right?

We went for another walk in the park today. Since Joe is feeling stronger, and his counts are up, we're taking full advantage! We need to get him strong so he's ready for his transplant when the time comes! It was nice, because at the doctor's office today, Joe was able to meet two gentlemen who are doing well and looking well after a bone marrow transplant. One was a man in his 40s who had AML and one was a man in his 60s who had ALL. Joe felt better after seeing and talking to these two men who were able to laugh and joke about what they went through. It was pretty cool.

Friday is 2-degree Louis' birthday! Happy birthday Louis. :) Hope it's a fun one!

Now for the entertainment portion of this blog. :) Joe has once again succumbed to the pressure of joining a fantasy football league! It's pretty funny though. Last year he was SO serious about preparing for fantasy football, and choosing players during the draft. You can see how serious in the following photo. (Note, one computer wasn't enough...)














Joe ended up finishing last...or maybe next to last!

So this year...Joe has a new strategy. This is how Joe is preparing for fantasy football this time around!














Hahaha. Gotta love him! I know all of you guys in his league are gettin' scared!!!!!
Happy day!

P.S. If any of you think you know the secret to great lasagna, please share! I can make good-ish lasagna...but I want to make great lasagna!!!!! Thanks in advance. :)

Strolling through the Park

Yesterday morning, Joe’s mom stopped by for a visit. It was so nice to see her and just chat! Plus, she brought us some fresh vegetables form the Liang garden (thank you!) And she made us some Peanut Soup! It might sound strange to some of you, but it’s a really yummy dessert soup. Auntie KT says that the skins from the peanuts are good for platelets! We’ll try almost everything – especially if it’s yummy!!!!

Before dinner, Joe and I went for a stroll in the park! It has been a good two months since Joe has been TRULY able to enjoy a leisurely stroll. We went to an area that doesn’t get too crowded, so there were only a handful of other people around. Joe LOVED being outside, and having the opportunity to get some SUN!

This weekend should be wonderful. My “little” brother is FINALLY coming home TODAY after being in China for about 2 months and Japan for a few days. It will be really great to see him again. His Mandarin should be quite fluent by now – they worked him really hard over there! Now he can say all sorts of mean things behind my back! Plus Joe’s “little” brother is coming back to visit this weekend. It has been a long time since our family of 8 has been together. Usually, at least one of the brothers is away. We’ll likely have a little reunion this weekend. YAY!

For those of you in New York, and those of you who know people in New York, spread the word!!!!! CLLF is holding a drive on Saturday, August 26, 2006.

Cambodian New Years Celebration/ Health Fair
2751 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY10468

Some of you are having babies soon!!!!!! (Congratulations!) Some of you know people who are having babies soon. A few of you have either asked about how you can help, or asked about saving or donating cord blood. A couple of you are already making it your mission to SPREAD THE WORD! (Thanks Cousin Van!) You can find more information here. If you have already decided to make arrangements for personal storage, that is a personal decision and totally cool. If not, then the umbilical cord and placenta are commonly tossed after birth. Consider making arrangements to donate the blood. It could help save a life! If you will be giving birth in a hospital that is not affiliated with a cord blood bank (for example, Pittsburgh does not have a cord blood bank yet) you may call Cryobanks International, and visit their site for more information. The number is 1-800-869-8608. They accept donations from all over the U.S. You must register between the 28th and 35th week of your pregnancy. Spread the Word!!!!!

Thank you to Peggy for the letter and prayers on behalf of Graystone Church.

***Happy belated Birthday Hannah! Hope it was fun, and that you enjoyed your chicken nuggets and French fries! We love you!***

Added Bonus!!!!! Some photos of my handsome hubby. :) Yes, he pre-approved the photos. :)

The first is just Joe looking handsome, holding a package from Lauren and Eric!



















Here is 2-degree Louis, Joe, and the Cammy Lee, the evening before the drive.















Joe and the beautiful Lisa (aka Lisabe), sportin' the shirt she designed, at the drive on Sunday.

Adventure. :)

I'm not quite sure if Joe was simply up for an adventure...or if he was just missing the hospital. In any case, he had quite an adventurous day!

We slept in. Then we decided to wait for the home care nurse to come do his semi-weekly blood draw and change his dressing before having some food! All was going according to plan- Joe's lines were flushing properly and they all had good blood return. Joe vital signs were all normal. He was feeling great and he was looking great. Then the nurse began to change Joe's dressing that protects the insertion site of his triple lumen. She notices a tiny drop of what she felt could be pus. It was a bit yellow. Fearing it might be a sign of a line infection, the nurse called the doctor's office. They asked her to pull Joe's line and send it in for a culture. Joe's counts have been staying up and he hasn't been requiring transfusions or IVs lately, so there had already been talk about possibly pulling the line until he needs it again. The line was pulled. It was quick and painless and Joe looked pretty relieved to be rid of it. However, about a minute later, he started coughing...and then sweating profusely, and it wasn't stopping. Joe kept saying he would be fine momentarily. Our nurse looked worried though, and she didn't like the sound of Joe's cough. Not wanting to take any chances, she called the paramedics. She just wanted to be absolutely positive that it wasn't something serious - such as bleeding due to unexpectedly low platelet counts.

Well, the paramedics came, and Joe was starting to feel better. But just to be certain, he agreed to go to the hospital. Joe got to ride in an ambulance! They didn't turn on the lights and sirens for him though. :) I followed them in my car and met Joe in the ER. By this time he was feeling completely fine and ever so slightly annoyed to be in the hospital! We were only there for a little over 5 hours. :) Apparently, the "pus" was quite possibly just some skin or something. And the coughing and sweating was likely a vasovagal response. Just to cover all the bases, Joe was given a gram and a half of Vancomycin. I noticed Joe getting a bit red. But he was acting so calm and nonchalant. The redness started inching down slowly. I kept pestering Joe and asking him how he was feeling, and he kept saying he was fine...maybe a little itchy. Near the end of the Vanco, the "little itchy" became one HUGE itch, and Joe's whole head and chest area looked red. He was given Benadryl which made him immediately drowsy and caused the rash to fade. Of course NOW we now that he had red man syndrome! Fortunately, it is not uncommon, and was an easy fix. So Joe's back home! Once again, the results of his blood draw were good! And Joe is FREE from his line for now, so he was able to take a REAL shower, by himself, and without a huge covering of saran wrap and tape! He is a happy man this evening. :)

The bone marrow drive yesterday was wonderful! Thank you to every single person who registered to be a donor. We were SO touched by all the people who were signing up. In total there were 88 people who registered. Yeah, I was praying for HUNDREDS. But 88 is a good number. We are hoping to have another drive in the future - in Oakland! So stay tuned for details. :)

So, I arrived at the church a little after 9am. Of course, Lisa, Louis, and Cammy were already set up and ready to go...and there were already people signing up, including Eric who helped with registration as soon as he finished swabbing! My dear parents showed up shortly after I did. They were great for moral support. They let me sit next to them during church service, and I literally had to force my mom to go grab some lunch with my dad...close to 2pm! I'm so grateful for them. My mom stayed up all night Saturday to make flan for Joe! Then my parents spent the whole day at the drive - mostly thanking people for being so wonderful. Afterwards they made sure that Cammy and Louis wouldn't go home hungry, and drove Cammy to the airport. I'm so blessed to have such great parents. :)

Lisa was sporting a "Blue Bird in the Forest" shirt that she designed, and was giving away darling "Blue Bird in the Forest" pins! How cool is she? (The answer is very very cool!) Lisa has been so passionate about helping us and spreading the word about registering with the NMDP and MDS and Leukemia. She even refused to leave her post, even though my mom offered to take over so she could grab lunch. I got her a plate, but I don't even know if she stopped to eat!

Then there was Louis. I totally forgot to ask if I could get him a plate of food...and he missed lunch. I felt so bad! Fortunately, my parents took him out for food afterwards! Louis also worked the whole day, and he even brought a bag of movies for Joe and I to borrow. Fun!!!!!

Erica, I have met once for a couple hours. However, we have talked weddings a lot online. Well, she kindly gave up her Sunday morning to help with the drive. It was so nice to see her, and it meant so much that she was willing to come out to help! She was good for hugs too!

Camille...I met her for the first time yesterday! She is another girl that I've chatted with about weddings and married life. She kindly gave up her Sunday afternoon to help with the drive. She was working so hard, and people thought she was with the Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation! My friends and family were so amazed that these girls I met online were so willingly going out of their way to help. It was amazing. :)

It was great fun to meet Cammy Lee this weekend. And yes, it really was THE Cammy Lee. (She swears she had nothing to do with the naming of the foundation - and she has had to tell a lot of people that yes...she is in fact alive and well! She does have quite a survivor story though.) She is sweet and funny and understandably passionate about what she does. We are SO thankful that Vince hooked us up with her!

Since Joe's counts have been good, he was able to visit the drive in the afternoon. He was wearing a mask of course. :) He also made me his DH - Designated Hugger! This made me laugh, because on message boards, he's my DH - Dear Husband. :) Joe was SO THRILLED to be able to see so many friends from the church and from outside of church. It really did wonders for his spirit to be able to see everyone! Joe had a smile on his face straight through the end of the day.

So the drive was a success. Cammy was happy with the turn out, and so were we. I tell you though, next time we're shooting for HUNDREDS!!!! :) Thank you so much to Pastor Jim and Pastor Caleb for so willingly opening the church up for the drive. Thank you also to their wives Kathy and Esther - because I dunno...but every awesome pastor that I know has the support of a very awesome wife. :) Thank you again to everyone who registered. It was SO wonderful to see and feel all of the love and support! Thank you to everyone who had the heart to donate but were not eligible for whatever reason. Thank you to everyone who has been faithfully praying with us. Thank you to Margaret who was visiting for the first time and decided that she wants to help set up a drive at her church in Virginia. Thank you to Liz, Rachel, Chris, Melissa, Alex, Dorothy, Lauren and Tony for the *beautiful* handmade cards. We loved every single one of them!

We just felt so blessed and so loved this weekend. But then, we feel so blessed and so loved all the time! Praise God for that, right?

Thank you to Precious for the card and the licks. :) *Arf Arf*

Thoughts...

Recently, I've been reading the blogs of others who are battling leukemia. Links to those blogs are in the sidebar. As Joe and I have read through various entries and prayed for others who have been shocked by unexpected news we've had various discussions and have just been amazed. It is all at once sad and beautiful, thought-provoking and eye-opening. I want to feel sorry for these people that I may or may not know...my heart aches as I read words that have come from my own mouth, or that I've heard from Joe. But then...always as weaknesses are revealed, strength is seen shortly after. That is a beautiful thing. Also beautiful is the faith I see that everything is under control. The willingness to accept this life that has been dealt and live it the fullest! And finally, seeing friends and family band together to help the people they love is beautiful.
It has all been very thought-provoking for us though, and very eye-opening. I mean, it is incredible when you realize how many people out there are affected by leukemia or MDS or cancer. And it is positively mind-numbing when you stop to realize how many people are affected by other things that are just as scary. It's just interesting how Joe's diagnosis has caused me to notice things I might have ignored in the past. I don't know. There is so much running through my mind right now, but no way that I can put any of it down in a remotely eloquent manner! It's late, and the drive is in the morning! Maybe tomorrow I can unjumble my thoughts more.

Thank you David for stopping by before studying for your boards! It was so great to see you. Thank you to Cammy for flying down from New York for the drive! And thank you to Louis for picking Cammy up from the airport. It was fun sitting around with the two of you and eating pizza, spaghetti and jello! Thanks for the puzzle too Louis!!!! It was so sweet of you to get it for us...especially since I'm always stealing yours when we visit! Thanks to Ray too for stopping by and bringing the gifts from Hawaii. I'm so impressed that you picked them out yourself. You have great style!

I hope to see a big turn out for the drive tomorrow!!!!!! Big hugs to everyone.

Doctor's orders!

Joe was "prescribed" a night out for dinner by the doctor's office. This was such an exciting moment for us!!!! Joe still needs to be cautious, as his counts may still fluctuate while he's on chemo. But we don't need to be as strict as we were before! So we went to a restaurant nearby that we knew wouldn't be very crowded. We were both a little nervous. It has been weeks and weeks since Joe has been anywhere besides home and the hospital. We did enjoy a lovely dinner, and then we came right back home! So, Joe is still expected to avoid crowds and people who are sick. He doesn't have to wear a mask when we go out unless Joe will be around people for prolonged periods of time. And, he needs to be armed with Purell at all times! We can handle all of that. :)

Joe and I are really excited about the drive coming up on Sunday. We continue to hope and pray that there is a great turn-out. I'm going to be there! Who's with me? Information about us and the drive was published today in the World Journal and the Erie Chinese Journal. The articles are online as well as in print. Exciting!!!! Cammy Lee will be arriving tomorrow afternoon, and we're so excited to meet her! Thanks Louis for picking her up from the airport for us.

As a reminder, here is all the drive info again. If you are Asian, unregistered, between 18-60, and in the area come on out!!!! (All the cool kids are doin' it! ;) )

Bone Marrow Drive set up by Cammy Lee Leukemia Foundation
hosted at
Pittsburgh Chinese Church
8711 Old Perry Highway
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

from 9am-3pm.
(For those who are interested, there will be a combined service that Sunday with the Chinese-speaking congregation and the English-speaking congregation. Service is from 10am-11:30am. Sunday School is from 11:30am-12:30pm.)

It is a minority based drive.

All donors will be required to fill out a confidential donor information and consent form. (Donors must be between the ages of 18-60). The form will ask for:
* Name, DOB, Age, SSN, Sex, and Driver's License Number
* Donor telephone and email information
* Race and Ethnicity information
* Contact info for two close relatives or friends who may know how to reach you if your address changes or you are unable to be contacted.
* A medical evaluation
Donors also fill out a confirmation card.
Then one just needs to do a cheek swab from four areas of the mouth to complete the registration. Remember, even if you are not a match for Joe, you could possibly be a match for someone else who is praying for one!

Check out this NMDP site for more information.

Thank you to Frank and Janet for the lovely card. We love that you are always looking out for Joe. Thank you for your love! Thank you to Pamela for your sweet card. You are a sweetie, and sure make me proud to be related to you! And thank you to Gordon and Julie for the book and box of chocolates you left at our front door. What a lovely surprise! Hope to see you soon. :)

Happy day!

Happy day!

Yet another good day. Joe had his semiweekly blood draw today. The results were better than ever! We were just so thrilled. We still need people to come out for the bone marrow drive on Sunday though! The best case scenario is for Joe to be in remission when he gets his bone marrow transplant. However, even if his perfect match is found tomorrow...or Sunday (!) all the logistics and procedures that need to take place would put the transplant 6-8 weeks from now. He's pretty darn close to remission...but that does not mean cured. We are hoping and praying though that his counts continue to stay high until transplant time. Then he would be able to go back to enjoying some of the things we've taken for granted in the past, without fear.
Cammy Lee is coming to Pittsburgh on Saturday, and the drive will be on Sunday. We are really praying that all of these drives being held in honor of Joe will help in finding him and many others a donor.

We got news that more people have donated vacation time. Joe and I tear up...and sometimes cry (happy, thankful tears!) thinking about how generous people are. It just doesn't get old. It continues to be overwhelming, and we continue to feel far more blessed than we know we deserve.

Another drive. :)

Another fever free day in the Lin household! Joe continues to be doing well. He is reading a lot lately! His injection sights are still sore, but he's experiencing far less nausea than before. Joe was able to eat quite a bit today. Yay!

We're getting really excited about the upcoming bone marrow drive. Don't forget to come! August 20th. You'll be really happy you did it!

I also wanted to tell you about another drive that is coming up in September - also hosted by CLLF. It will be held at Cornell University. If you or your friends are in the area, send them over! Here are the times and locations...

Monday, September 4, 2006
11am-2:30pm
Cornell University
Willard Straight Hall

Monday September 4, 2006
5pm-7:30pm
Cornell University
Appel Center

Tuesday, September 5, 2006
11am-2:30pm
Cornell University

Tuesday, September 5, 2006
5pm-8pm
Cornell University
Robert Purcell Center

We are so excited, because tomorrow we don't have to go to the hospital!!!!! It has been tiring to go back and forth from the hospital. A very different kind of tired than when Joe was going back and forth for work. And it's funny, we're always together...but we still don't always feel like we're spending time together! He stays busy with his little rituals revolving around his medications, diet, and hygiene. I keep busy with all kinds of house stuff which is never ending. It is nice though because we get to spend all of our meals together, and just chat. I love that time...and I'm pretty sure Joe does too! Tonight we played Hoopla, which is a game in which all the players play against the clock rather than against each other. It was fun...but we cheated a bit. hehehe.
Joe had his last chemo shot this morning. He is so tender everywhere. Even if he barely brushes an injection site, he can feel it. Hopefully that goes away soon! We had the opportunity to speak with the doctor. He is SO encouraged by Joe's latest blood work results. Often a response to the chemo isn't seen until after the 3rd or 4th round...and Joe showed a response after just one round. WOOHOOOOO! We are praying this second round shows an even better response.
That's it. Thank you again for all of you love! I can't tell you how often Joe and I will pause throughout a day just to give thanks for all the love we have received. We are just in awe.
Thank you to Auntie and Uncle Chen for the card. It is so nice of you to think of us!

Today was a day chock full of praises!!!! Joe and I went back to the hospital for day 4 of cycle 2. Joe also had another blood draw. Each time we've gone to the hospital for a blood draw, we've waited around for the results. This way we wouldn't have to go back to the hospital if we discovered a transfusion was necessary. Fortunately, we hit the two week mark last night. WOOHOOOO! Today we were told we could just go home, since we have to go back tomorrow anyway. When we did get the results, we were thrilled that it was good news! All of Joe's counts have gone up. Some are even within normal range. :) We were SO excited. Yipppee, YAY and Praise the Lord!

This afternoon we received another praise that was extremely touching. Joe has been receiving a salary for all of his vacation days. That period is supposed to be over. However, thanks to the generosity of several people in the radiology department who have donated their vacation time to Joe, he gets paid for another month. We were SO moved by this, because we know how very precious vacation time can be! Thank you to all the people who so kindly gave up some vacation time for Joe. Every time we think about it we get teary-eyed, because we are just so amazed. We owe you big time! Thank you so very much.

Also, our dear friend Susan and our church fellowship from Philly, Salt and Light, have decided to host a bone marrow drive with the help of CLLF. We are so thankful!!!!! As we get more info, we'll keep you updated so that those in the Philly area can go participate! Yipppeeeee!

Thank you also to Auntie and Uncle Yang for the sweet card and always checking up on us! We really appreciate your love. And thank you to Patrick who stopped by to drop of goodies from HAWAII!!!!! That crazy boy flew back from Hawaii last night...arrived this morning...and went to work!!!! We will definitely be enjoying all the treats. Thank you so much. Joe's parents also came over, and we have our meals and desserts covered for tomorrow. Praise God!

All kinds of praises today. :) Tomorrow is the last day of chemo for this round. We are so very encouraged by all of the positive reports. All of your prayers are working!!!!! Keep it up, we are so grateful.

And don't forget. If you're Asian, unregistered, between the ages of 18-60, and just so happen to be in the Pittsburgh area this coming Sunday...
swing by

Pittsburgh Chinese Church
8711 Old Perry Highway
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Fill out some forms, and do a cheek swab, and you'll be registered with the NMDP. You just might be the answer to someone's prayers. What a wonderful gift!

Thank you so much to CLLF for all of your help! Thank so much to Pastor Jim and Pastor Caleb for opening up the church for the drive. Thanks to Vince, Lisa, and Louis for all of your help. Thanks to Mrs. Fang who is writing an article for the World Journal, and to Anne Pu who is writing an article for the Erie Chinese Journal. Thank you to everyone who has offered to help, everyone who has been praying, everyone who has been sending happy vibes and virtual hugs and everyone who will be at the drive. We REALLY appreciate it. I feel like I keep saying that, but it's so very true. Seeing the outpouring of love that we have received really inspires the two of us to be more giving in all ways and less selfish. We love you. :)

Wow. I can't believe it's Sunday already! The good news is that Joe has made it through two whole weeks without any transfusions! This is a record. Very exciting. WOOHOOOOO! Today was day three of cycle two in his chemo treatment. During the first cycle, they were giving him three separate injections. This cycle, Joe was told that the Vidaza could be split into two slightly larger syringes so that he would only be getting poked twice each time. Well, since the office is closed on the weekend, we have to go to Short Stay. They have to order the Vidaza from the pharmacy...and the pharmacy has really strict protocols, and they refused to mix the Vidaza into two syringes, since they ALWAYS use three. The only way they would do two, would be if the doctors told them exactly how to do it. Since the office isn't open on weekends, that wasn't going to happen. So...yesterday and today Joe got three pokes each. Poor guy. The first round wasn't so bad, but this round he is experiencing a lot more nausea and soreness. Joe's mom gave him a great pep talk this morning, and I think that was helpful for him.

Other than that, not a lot of new news to report. :) We're just taking one day at a time!

Thank you to Eddie for the birthday gift! Joe was really excited to see the Big Ben hat and Steeler polo. I am amazed that you managed to get Joe Steelers stuff he doesn't already own!!!!! That was really nice of you - and thank you to Eric for delivering it. :) Thank you also to Jocelyn and Peter for the CDs. It was a really thoughtful gift. We're especially touched, because we know you are going through so much now too! Thank you for being so sweet. Also thank you to Lisa! She's been working on a secret little project, because she is sweet like that. I'd actually like her to share about it herself, since she deserves all bragging rights. So either check our comments...and maybe she'll share...or just SHOW UP FOR THE BONE MARROW DRIVE ON AUGUST 20th at 8711 OLD PERRY HIGHWAY, PITTSBURGH, PA 15237 and you can see what Lisa has been up to! Oh yeah, and thank you to "Santa Claus" (my dad) who washed and vacuumed my car and filled the gas tank!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot another important announcement and thank you! Our dear friend Karin and her dear parents have been working with Anna from A3M to set up a bone marrow drive at her church. Actually, her pastor is a bone marrow donor, so he was very excited about the idea. Well, a date has been set! So if you are in the LA area, mark your calendars...

September 24
Evangelical Formosen Church East Valley
20625 La Puente Rd
Walnut, CA 91789

If you have Asian friends out there, tell them to mark their calendars too!!!!! Thank you so much Karin! Joe and I are so excited - not only about the prospect of finding HIM a PERFECT match, but also helping others find a perfect match too. Spread the word!

Today was a good day but a hard day. It was a good day for many reasons. It was a hard day for no reason in particular. We went back to the hospital this morning for Joe's second dose of Chemo. Since it was the weekend, he had to get his injections in short stay instead of the office. Everyone in Short Stay is really nice...but going back is always frustrating, because they always have to act like Joe is a brand new patient and gather all this information from him. We have been there several times now, and it's always the same hundred questions and the same hundred answers. It is protocol though, and they are just doing their job. Joe's dad is on call this morning, so we got to see both of his parents at the hospital. Plus Albert called! The injections weren't so bad today. The ones from yesterday have given Joe a tender red spot...so far today's injections spots look okay. Joe's appetite was better overall. He did get a short bout of nausea before dinner...but I cooked up some veggies his mom had brought over, and he ate them all up...and he ate a good deal of some yummy food my mom made. Joe's favorite thing this evening though was dessert! My mom made these darling little individual servings of flan. She even used organic ingredients. :) Very fun! Joe got to watch the Steelers play in their first pre-season game on T.V. Even though they didn't do so hot, it was great for him to be able to sit down and watch football!!!!!!

See? So it was a good day for many reason. However, it was hard too because both of us were just feeling really drained. He was feeling sick of being sick. I was getting overwhelmed with seeing him sick. Mostly, we both just needed a good cry. So we took turns having a good cry, and shared in a little crying time. It was very cleansing, and now we're ready to be tough again and face what is ahead. Sometimes, you just need a good cry...and that's okay.

Thank you to the nurses and techs from the CT department for the card! Joe had fun reading it and telling me about each of you. Of course every intro started with, "Awww! This is..." :) Thank you also to Evonne, Thomas and Leah for the sweet card. We really appreciate you thinking of us!

Don't forget about the Bone Marrow Drive on August 20th!!!!!! Target audience is Asian, so if you are Asian and unregistered, PLEASE consider coming out. You could be the match someone is praying for. For any non-Asians who are feeling left out, and have time to help out or Asians who have already registered and want another way to help (or even people who want to register AND stick around to help more!)...we could use volunteers on the day of the drive to help everything run smoothly. If you think you can help, email me or Joe and we'll hook you up! You'll be trained and told what to do. :) Thanks in advance.

Lots of love! :)

Today we received some encouraging news at the doctor's office. The results of Joe's bone marrow aspirate yesterday showed that his MDS has not gotten worse, has not transformed into AML, and is in fact responding to treatments. Apparently, his marrow shows less blasts than before, which is a good thing. Everything is progressing in the right direction. Joe did receive his first dose of Vidaza in his second cycle. He was feeling pretty good in the early afternoon...but this evening he experienced a lot more nausea than he did during the first round. It was hard for him to eat much dinner. Fortunately, he was able to stomach some jello, Ensure, and watermelon! I hope that the next 4 days are a bit better for him. He's staying strong though. I'm so proud of him. :)
That's all that I have to share today.
Share a hug with someone and tell them how much you love them!

We went back to the hospital today for a blood draw. The office was so CROWDED today! It was crazy. While waiting for the results of the test, we visited the radiology floor, and bumped into Ariel and David. What a treat! Joe got to catch up with them. Poor guys are studying for their boards which are coming up in a couple weeks. I don't think Joe can decide whether he's happy he doesn't have to study for the boards yet, or sad.
When the results came back, the good news was that Joe's hemoglobin and platelets had each gone up a bit. Looks like the Vidaza is already having an effect. However, his white blood cells and neutrophils had gone down. This shouldn't have happened with the Neulasta injection he received last week. In order to figure out what is going on my poor Joe had to get another bone marrow biopsy. Some people respond to Neupogen as Joe did...but not to Neulasta, for some reason. But "they" wanted to make sure that this isn't a sign of the MDS getting worse. We'll see. Joe took the news and the biopsy like a man! Understandably, he was feeling a bit blah today...but he didn't allow this new news or his sore back side completely ruin his day! I still saw him smiling, and enjoying some t.v., and this evening we hung out with his parents again. Tomorrow is a new day. Hopefully we get some better news!
Thank you to all the people from PCC who contributed to the card Joe received. There was so much love packed into that card! Thank you to Lilly P. for your sweet card. Be careful with your kind offers! Joe might start calling you behind my back asking for that killer ham BBQ of yours! And thank you to my "little" bro who sent us a postcard from China!!!!!
Love and hugs to everyone.

YES!!!!! Today was yet another fever free day. Joe was a self-proclaimed "Slug" today. He sat around all day doing Sudoku puzzles and reading. But since it was a fever free day, that gave me time to do some cleaning, go grocery shopping, make jello, discover the joys of using the food grinder attachment for my kitchen-aid to grind meat so I could make some of my "famous (not really famous)" chili, and make a special vegetable broth that joe's parents say is healthy and can be substituted for water! We also got to hang out with Joe's parent tonight. It was another Sudoku evening. His parents are so addicted. So fun! So today was a good day. BUT, even though Joe isn't getting any temperature fevers, I know he's getting CABIN FEVER! Hopefully soon we'll get the okay to go for a walk...with a mask of course.

Thank you to Uncle Stanley and Auntie Susan for the sweet card. It was really touching. Thank you also to the Tong's for the yummy home baked cookies and the special oatmeal from Taiwan. We had some for breakfast this morning. It was a fun treat! Also, thank you to Akiko and Joe for sending the most darling box of brownies from the Fat Witch Bakery in New York. The brownies are made with all natural ingredients, and they are each individually wrapped. The package is just too cute...and the card made us both well up. Thank you! Finally, thank you to Eric who created are super fun video for Joe. We loved it!!!!! It was great to see what's been going on with CrossRoads (as well as what Eric pretended has been going on with CrossRoads!), and see everyone's beautiful face. Joe was SO touched.

Tomorrow Joe gets another blood draw. Friday, we have an appointment with the doctor. Pray for good visits and good news!!!!!! Love and hugs to everyone. Your prayers are definitely felt. :)

No fevers today. Yay! I did have trouble flushing one of Joe's lumens today. He called the home care nurse. She had trouble flushing it as well. This evening I tried again, and it's working fine. I guess it just decided to be irritable earlier today!
Joe was pretty quiet today. Turns out he is now completely addicted to Sudoku!!!! I tried to tell him about it months ago, but he had no interest. Then the MRI department got him a handheld Sudoku game, and Ariel got him a book of puzzles. Joe still didn't seem too interested initially...but then he tried it...and now he can't stop!!!! It's been great though, because concentrating on the game completely distracts him from other irritations that generally occupy his mind. We did agree though that the "light and easy" puzzles from Ariel's book are NOT "light and easy." In any case, today Joe spent HOURS going back and forth between the book and the handheld game solving puzzles. Then this evening, his parents came over. I printed out two copies of a Sudoku puzzle from www.websudoku.com, a site that my dear cousins, aunts and uncles in Taiwan shared with us. They were having so much trouble...and then Joe and I realized it was because they didn't know all of the rules! Well, we tutored them a bit...and then we were all concentrating hard on our own puzzles. It was really cute!
Thursday, Joe gets another blood draw. At that time the decision will also be made whether to begin his 2nd cycle of Vidaza...or wait a few more days. In any case, we'll be looking at 5 days in a row of hospital visits. Not so fun, but we're pros now!