This is Katy with Mom & Dad the day we departed for Houston on our miracle journey.!

January 20th 1999

Welcome to my new BMT Journal! The purpose of this journal is to keep all our friends and family updated on Katy's status as we embark upon the Wild & Wooly world of bone marrow transplantation. As many of you already know, Katy's transplant will take place at Texas Children's Hospital.(Click these words to check the place out!) I can't help but be a bit nervous today, because today is the day that the "finalists" to be Katy's marrow donors go in for their last bit of testing before the docs isolate who the donor will be. I have images in my mind of what these very special people must look like, but we will probably never know. Anyway, while we wait, our Disney plans are in full gear, and we are all VERY excited to get this last chance to rest & relax before the roller coaster ride begins again!

January 26th 1999

As our dream Disney/Universal Vacation approaches we are all getting very excited. That excitement was a bit tempered today, however, when we heard from TCH about the status of Katy's donor search. What we thought was a promising 11 perfect matches on the registry has turned into a rather bumpy ride.
Only ONE of the donors that were contacted has made an appointment for confirmatory typing. Honestly, can you imagine that?!?! I mean, if I had gotten "the" letter from the NMDP, I would be beating down their door to get my tests done. WHAT on God's green earth are these people thinking? I mean, if you become part of the registry, you should be absolutely committed to the idea of marrow donation. This has me quite frustrated, as our plans cannot proceed as early as we had hoped. This is either a blessing, or a curse, I'm not sure.
Katy, however, is happily oblivious to all of this, and is just SO excited about our Disney trip. In fact, if I turn my back on her for even one second, she starts "packing". This afternoon, while I thought she was eating lunch and watching Blue's Clues, she was actually packing her bags. I found a suitcase packed with all her underwear, and duffel bag with all her P.J.'s and ballet outfits, and a grocery sack with about 10 stuffed animals in it all neatly propped up next to her bedroom door. Yeah...I know....sounds cute, but I had to carefully explain that we didn't need all this stuff yet and unpack it all and put it away. What a kid.

January 29th 1999

I have no more news to report RE: Katy's Marrow Donor, except I think that at least one other potential donor has come forth. For right now, we've decided not to stress about it, just let the folks at TCH and NMDP do their job and have a great time at Disney! (We leave Sunday.)
Now......for the mental image that will make your day. A very nice lady (THANK YOU JEAN!) sent Katy a package today that was just FULL of really neat things, a handmade doll, jewelry, coloring & sticker books, etc. Also included was a sequined dance costume that had belonged to the lady's granddaughter, but the granddaughter was now grown, and this sweetheart felt compelled to pass it on to Katy. Well........she did the right thing! The fully sequined gold, silver & black skirt, shirt & hat were the HIT of the day. Of course, Katy wanted to wear them immediately, so she did! The outfit also came with a sliver sequined strap which I think went to the shirt, but which Katy insisted I tie to her wrist.
Now, Katy and I have seen "The Prince of Egypt" twice. It's a WONDERFUL animated film (historical liberties taken into consideration) about the life of Moses, and the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. We loved it so much we bought the soundtrack, which is FABULOUS. At first, I figure that Katy is content just to romp around for the afternoon in the sparkly costume, so I go about my business. Soon, however, she finds me in the laundry room, informing me that it's "time for the show." So I followed her to the living room where I was told to "have a seat." So, I did.
Our older daughter's bedroom is just off of our living room, and has a curtain rather than a door, so Katy marches off behind the curtain. Soon, I hear the soundtrack from "The Prince of Egypt" begin (the CD player is in Sarah's room too). A song aptly named "Deliver Us" (sung by the Hebrews as a prayer to God to save them from Pharaoh and their slavery) comes on, and just as there is a crescendo, Katy emerges from behind the curtain dancing wildly her "interpretation" of this song. It was that moment when I felt so sorry that we don't own a video camera!! She twirled and twisted in a very Egyptian way, even using the sequined strap as a "whip" to symbolize the Egyptian guards whipping the Hebrews. Then......she twirled over to the picture window, where the rays of the sun must have caught every single sequin, and made a beautiful "disco ball" effect all over the floor & couch. So then, Katy whispers, "It's the light from Moses' fiery bush Mama....." I swear I almost melted. Then, to finish me off, she says (in a quiet whispery voice) "It's from God." Okay...now I'm crying. I wiped my tears and replied...."Yes Katy, it certainly IS from God." She sure is.
Thanks for listening to my babble.......but this story was just TOO adorable not to share with all of my dear friends. It's the "little things".....you know?

February 7th 1999

Our trip to Disney/Universal was awesome. We had a GREAT time, and the kids were thoroughly spoiled. We visited each one of the four Disney Parks (Animal Kingdom was REALLY awesome), met lots of characters and ate some good food too. Our week was capped off by a FABULOUS day at Universal Studios and a wonderful meal at the Hard Rock Cafe Orlando. I am still dreaming about the wonderful Garlic Pot Roast & Smashed Potatoes (yes....I spelled that right!) that I ordered.
I hope to hear from Texas Children's Hospital tomorrow about how Katy's donor search is coming along, and if we are getting any closer to knowing what her BMT schedule will be. When I know more I will post another update. She'll probably be going in for counts on Tuesday, her little body took quite a beating in Florida, but all in all, I think she had good energy and held up well. The "all-terrain" stroller I bought was the best investment, and I highly recommend one to anyone whose kiddie has outgrown a "regular" stroller. It kept Katy cozy and allowed her to nap comfortably when she got tired. For now, I'm off to do the mountain of laundry!

February 16th 1999

TCH (Texas Children's) called this A.M. and let us know that the status of the donor search is about the same. The first donor to be confirmatory typed is a great match....just a "micro" mismatch, which is really quite insignificant. However, since two more brave souls have stepped up to the plate, and Katy is relatively stable, they've decided to type the other two just to be sure we can't get a teeny-weeny bit closer to perfection. So.....we're still cooling our heels, waiting to hear, and don't expect that her transplant will take place much before April Fool's Day. (Wouldn't THAT be a hoot?!?) In the meantime....her counts are about the same....except her WBC, which has headed downward again, with a neutrophil count of 775. On the flipside, her red count seems to be stabilizing at around 2.8 with a Hgb of between 9.6 and 10.2. Let's not even get in to the platelets. Y'all (practicing my Houston accent!) know about the "damn" platelets. They were 8k last Friday with significant bruising & "tiki eyes", so she got unit # 67.
Okay....deep breath IN.......and exhale. One more time. Deep breath IN.......and exhale.

Now for the good news. The AMVETS have purchased a laptop computer for Katy! Isn't that grand? Now she can play computer & CD ROM games while in the hospital, and best of all I get to keep up with all of YOU while we are in Texas! What a great bunch of fellows (oh...and gals too!) those AMVETS are. Katy is thrilled with her new 'puter, and even brought it to the Expanded Care unit for her transfusion last Friday, and played on it quietly for three hours! I can already see that it will be a godsend for both of us. Also, this week in the mail, I received a TON of prepaid long distance calling cards collected for me by my friends Rich, Jan and PJ. Unbelievable. It is SO wonderful having people support us in such a big way during this difficult time. It's terrific knowing that Katy & I can call back home without worrying about bankrupting our family. What a big relief. THANK YOU GUYS!!

February 23rd 1999

I am writing this update tonight with both fear and excitement. TCH called on Monday to inform us that the "lucky winner" will be positively identified by Friday, and Katy's BMT will then be scheduled. (At least roughly.) So far, the inclination is to use donor number two, who matches Katy in the exact same way as donor number one, (with the micro-mismatch on the DRB1) but #2 is EBV positive, which Katy needs in order to get the EBV T-Lymphocytes to protect her from the EBV associated Lymphoma post transplant. Donor #3 also looks promising though, and they will have his/her workup completed by Thursday, and a decision will be made.
We had a tough day that the pediatrician's office. First of all, TCH had called there and ordered the samples of Katy's blood that they need, which added up to about 35cc's when the blood for her CBC and retic was drawn. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when you're drawing from a 42 lb. little girl....it's a lot. I think knowing that they were drawing Katy's blood today made it all "real" and I am just now coming to terms with what we are facing. Thanks so much to all of you for being such awesome "listeners".

February 26th 1999

Well....another day, another cold dinner. This time the abandoned food was juicy cube steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. Bummer.....
It all started at around 4:40 when Katy, her little friend Bailey and our older daughter Sarah were playing "dress up" and having a great time. I am doing the "mom" thing......cooking up some dinner. Sarah wanders into the kitchen and says rather nonchalantly, "Mom....something's bleeding in Katy's mouth." My hubby springs into action and goes to check things out. I keep cooking, figuring she's bumped her lip or something. No biggie. Then, about 5 minutes later I hear hubby's concerned voice calling me. He has Katy sitting in our bathroom floor, and it wasn't her mouth, but rather her nose, bleeding heavily. We take her into the living room and lay her on the couch, and try putting pressure on her nose, but it was bleeding so badly that the blood was backing up into her throat which made her cough it out. No end in sight. So...I call the hospital to warn them that we're coming. I make it to the hospital 25 minutes away in 19 minutes. I dared any law enforcement officer to stop me!
Got to the hospital and carried a kid (along with her overnight guest) into the hospital soaking in blood by now because Kleenex aren't cutting it. I've never seen a nurse access a port so quickly! The blood was drawn for her CBC (platelets 7k and Hgb down by .5, probably from bleeding), and the platelets running in just about 10 minutes. Great teamwork! Katy kept bleeding though, until around 7 p.m.
Okay...platelets in....bleeding stopped...ready to go home. Right? Wrong!! Katy gets a few hives from the transfusion which they'd "like to keep an eye on for about an hour or so....." and then has to go potty. Has the most horrid looking BM (sorry to gross you folks out...) I have ever seen. Looks like coffee grounds...and the volume was unbelievable! So...the nurse decides to test it, and sure enough...."grossly positive" for blood. So....we ring up the pediatrician. Could be one of two things. #1...A GI bleed which the platelets will hopefully take care of, or #2 She swallowed so much blood during the nosebleed that it made it's way through her system and out the other end. Doc says that it's probably #2, but watch carefully for signs of #1, and we FINALLY go home at about 9 p.m. Phew! Katy and her little friend Bailey were so good at the hospital (they sat in the hospital bed and giggled and played cards like this was a NORMAL Friday night sleepover activity!), that I stopped and bought them ice cream on the way home.
We got back home to find that her bedroom carpet is pretty much ruined....one dress up outfit will require some serious help by the laundry fairy, and my cube steak was cold. Oh well......life goes on.

March 12th 1999

We are getting closer and closer to our "pilgrimage" to Texas for Katy's bone marrow transplant. In speaking with our new Medical Team at Texas Children's Hospital, it looks like Katy's transplant will take place in early to mid April, and our tentative departure date is April 1st or so. They are still in the process of deciding between to lucky donors, and that decision should be finalized by the end of next week, and then we can get more definitive about dates & times. Meanwhile, Katy continues to feel pretty good, except for some fatigue, and her ever-present bruising and petechiae. Today, because her platelet count was 8k, she got unit number 69 of donor platelets. I have kept busy trying to make plans for the trip, and take care of a few logistical details, like buying Easter baskets for my hubby to fill, the STUFF to fill them with, etc., and pre-paying as many bills as are financially possible. All in all....we are nervous, anxious, but EXTEREMELY optimistic and hopeful that this will be our LAST screwed up summer. Next summer, we'll be vacationing and relaxing together like "normal" families do, though we are keenly aware of our new definition of normal. Oh....by the way. I've given up my sanity for Lent!

March 17th 1999

Today is the day we finally know that we have a definite donor. Our emotions range from apprehension to relief, to a very deep gratitude to this wonderful person who will give Katy a chance at a normal life. How do you thank a person who is willing to give a part of their own body to a stranger in order that they may live? "Thank You" just doesn't cut it. Not EVEN close. The National Marrow Donor Program will not allow patient/donor contact until one year after the transplant, so we're a long way off from meeting Katy's donor, but we will be allowed to exchange letters, and I will begin composing my very first one tonight. The task seems daunting now, but I'm sure that the words will flow easily once I sit down to do it. You can say alot about me....but trust me....I am almost NEVER at a loss for words! (Hee Hee!) Texas Children's also said that they will be calling on Friday to give us more specific details about Katy's transplant date, and our schedule. Please continue to keep Katy, and now, our very special donor, in your prayers.

March 23rd 1999

Hey friends! TCH called yesterday to ask Katy's weight, so that they could calculate the cell dose (the amount of marrow) that they will need to get from the donor for Katy's transplant. I can only assume that this is a good sign, and now we are just waiting to see if the donor will pass his or her physical. It's nerve wracking, but I know that this will all eventually end, and we will be on our way to TCH soon. Meanwhile, Katy started to look like the poster child for National Child Abuse Prevention Week, so I took her in for counts today. Her overall CBC was about the same, but her platelets were borderline (12) so we'll try to hold out for a transfusion until Friday.

March 28th 1999

can just imagine the headlines now....."Crazy Mom Hacks National Marrow Donor Program Computer....Arrested for Stalking her Child's Marrow Donor!" HA! Yeah......you guys laugh now.....I just hope you can all pool enough money to bail me outta the slammer!! The long & short of it is....Katy is fine, had another friend sleep over last night, and this time it went very smoothly with NO hospital trips! Her platelets were 11k, her Neutrophil count was down a bit to 900, and her Hgb was up a bit to 10.8. Her counts are playing the classic ole' game..."Robbing Peter to pay Paul." If you see an increase in one cell lineage, you're likely to see a corresponding decrease in one of the others. Thankfully, those reds chose to borrow from the whites (who had just a few to spare) and not the platelets. We are still waiting to hear from TCH on the donor status, and are hoping to get a call tomorrow, saying that the donor has passed their physical, and that we can go ahead and schedule the transplant. So.....everyone...hold your breath with us!

April 9th 1999

Oh happy day at the Hubbell house! Got a call from TCH this afternoon, letting me know that the donor had passed HIS (notice the gender switch) physical, and that he had requested May 6th as the harvest date. TCH said that his schedule isn't very flexible, and that would be a really good day for him.....so of course I said YES! Hey....we want to keep our lifesaver happy....don't we?? So, for now, it looks as though her admission day is April 29th or 30th, with a departure date of the 24th or 25th. This is good, as it means that I will have a little more time to prepare, and I will be able to attend my older daughter Sarah's first piano recital on the 18th. You can bet I'll be using that new camcorder!!
Katy's cough continues....and even though I really feel like it's just a nagging virus, her BMT docs have said that they can't/won't start conditioning on a kid with any signs of ANY illness, so they want nasal cultures for RSV, influenza and parainfluenza. If any are positive, they will start treatment for them, to try and get things nipped in the bud. Like I said, I think it's probably nothing.....but when you're heading into BMT, it's always better to be safe than sorry. I have noticed quite a few scant petechiae on Katy, even though she just had platelets a week ago, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe the coughing has caused them...I don't know. Grasping at straws here.

April 16th 1999

After a few days of shuffling and negotiations, Katy and I will be departing for Houston, Texas for her bone marrow transplant on Friday, April 23rd. We will be flying to Texas Children's Hospital in a corporate jet, provided generously by a local corporation. We are SO grateful to them for donating the flight.....NOT traveling on a "germy"commercial flight is so much safer for Katy. Our departure is scheduled for11 a.m. from the Willard Airport in Savoy, and for those of you who liveclose by, we would LOVE for you to come on over to the airport and see us off. It will be a celebration of our "Journey to the Cure." Could one ofyou bring some ice & margarita mix? I'll bring the salt.
As for Katy, she is doing fine, except for her normal bruising & tiredness. She is scheduled for a platelet transfusion next Wednesday, to make sure that her counts are sufficient for flying, and at a safe level for her Hickman insertion which is scheduled for the following Wednesday. I am busy rushing around doing last minute shopping, packing & planning. We have a huge melting pot of emotions here......excitement, apprehension, fear, faith, and HOPE. God Bless you all for your continuing support & prayers in our journey, and please keep them up! Your concern for Katy is almost palpable in the air around here.

April 23rd 1999

HOT HOT HOT!! Boiling hot. And HUMID? Ugh. Like living in a sauna. Katy and I arrived very safely in Houston this afternoon. After a rather bittersweet departure this morning, (there were a lot of tears, but mostly tears of joy) Katy and I flew in THE most awesome airplane you can imagine. Have any of you ever flown in a Learjet? This thing was nothing less than awesome. It was smooth, comfy, roomy & VERY fast. We watched the digital speedometer and for most of the trip it remained at 475 mph, without highest cruising altitude of 47,000 feet. We made it from Central Illinois to Houston, Texas in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Inside the plane, we were served a lovely catered lunch, and Katy was given the star treatment. I knew she felt like a little princess, when the First Officer came back and showed her the various compartments that housed snacks & candy, and she turned to me with a HUGE smile and said, "Mommy....this is gonna be GREAT!" I heartily agreed. A BIG thank you to everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules and came to the airport to see us off, and a REALLY big Thank-you to the people who donated the Learjet (you know who you are).
As we took the shuttle from the airport to the Ronald McDonald House, we passed Texas Children's Hospital, which looks SO cool from the outside. We'll check out the inside tomorrow. And you know what? You guys were right. It seems as though Houston IS one HUGE hospital. There are SO many hospitals & clinics it's almost unbelievable.
The Ronald McDonald House is indescribable. It is VERY big, roomy, bright and fairly new. We have a very spacious room, and plenty of things to do. The RMH has lots of people from different countries here, so the smells coming from the family kitchen are really neat. I'll refrain from too much detail, as I'm sure we'll have plenty of stories to tell. I will also post a mailing address later. We will only be at the RMH here until next Wednesday, and I'd rather all of Katy's mail go to the hospital directly after she's admitted. Right now, we are outside, and she is busy playing on the playground. This STILL almost seems dreamlike to me. As I type this, we've moved back inside (Katy got too hot...can you believe that? This morning we left rainy, windy, nasty 50 degree weather & magically arrived in SUNNY, HOT 88 degree weather!) and Katy is in the playroom, trying to understand the Spanish-speaking little girl that she is playing with!

April 29th 1999

This morning started with a trip to Radiotherapy, where good ole' Katy held still with no sedation for a 45 minute CAT scan, so that the Radiologists could mark her body. They do this, so that they can determine the exact position of her lungs & kidneys inside her body, so that those organs can be shielded when she starts her TBI (Total Body Irradiation) next Monday. She handled that pretty well, but was annoyed when I told her that we had to go back there 8 more times. (The TBI is 2x per day for four days.) It IS rather dreary....they could use a good interior decorator down there.
She started her IV Zofran (for nausea), & oral Fluconozole (a preventative for fungal infections) this afternoon, and received her first dose of chemo (Ara-C) this afternoon, with no discomfort. She DID have a bit of a screaming fit when the TPN nurses arrived to change the dressings on her new Hickman, basically because peeling the tegaderm off hurt like heck in the tender area near the incisions where her port was removed. She forgave the nurses quickly, and chose a nice "Blue's Clues" sticker to decorate her new dressing with. Overall....not a bad day at all.

May 2nd 1999

The CHEMO is done....thank God. Katy has had a very rough couple of days. Last night, her fever finally topped off at 105.9, her face was bright red, and her lil' heart was beating so fast, yet she could hardly keep her eyes open. The docs came in several times to check her, but reassured me that this was VERY normal (yeah...right!) with the Ara-C/ATG combo, and we could do our best to make her comfortable, but the fevers would probably last until Monday. This morning, she started with pretty bad diarrhea, but this time, did not give me any resistance when I suggested that she wear a diaper, just until her "runnies" went away. I have noticed a BIG difference in Katy, dealing with chemo this time as opposed to last summer. Last summer, she felt awful, and angry, and most of that anger was directed towards me. (I was happy to shoulder it, after all...the kid was entitled!) This time around, she seems more resigned, more mature, and less angry. She still gets annoyed when things aren't going well, like her lines (all 4 of them) get tangled on the way to the bathroom, or they run out of Sprite and offer her DIET (can you believe the NERVE?).....but overall, she seems to understand that this awful part is a necessary evil in her road to recovery. I am SO proud of this kid. I am in awe of her. She is feeling much better this afternoon, her fever is on it's way down, and she has said that she may even eat some dinner. She's MUCH more lucid than yesterday, and her color has returned to the "whiter shade of pale." Radiation starts tomorrow, and hopefully, we will both get some better rest tonight.

May 8th 1999

At 1:20 A.M., Dr. Kerr (the skinny one whose coffee we are spiking with Lipids) arrived in Katelyn's room carrying a big syringe, with about 50cc's of pure, T and B cell depleted stem cells. They were golden yellow, and a beautiful hue at that. I watched and taped, with nervous laughter as they pushed new life in to my sleeping baby. Medically, it was no big procedure. Spiritually and emotionally, it was one of the most miraculous things that a person can witness. I am still a bit awestruck, and at a loss for words. Now, our next goal, is for those lifesaving cells to find their way home inside Katy's bones, and to give her the healthy blood cells she's been missing for two years. It's a watch and wait game now....so let's all shift the focus of our prayers to quick and healthy engraftment. Godspeed little stem cells......have a safe journey.

May 11th 1999

Hello friends! Katelyn's IV pole now officially has it's own Zip code. Seriously. The thing is huge. Soon, she'll need a weigh station installed outside her room just to make sure this thing is "hallworthy." She has TWO double sided IV pumps, with the top one for TPN & Lipids (those are continuous 24 hour infusions) and the bottom one is for meds & IV fluids. Then, she has a tandem syringe pump attached to the side for Cyclosporine, and a brand new PCA pump for morphine attached to the bottom. The PCA pump delivers a continuous low dose of morphine to help with her mucositis pain (which has creeped into her throat now) and then a little button to push in case she wants little "pulses" of more morphine as needed. She is completely in control of this pump, and so far, handles it pretty well. She had better stamina today, playing in the playroom this morning, going to the schoolroom for about an hour this afternoon and working with her teacher, and even managing a smile or two (and at least one good tantrum) for our visitor Beth Hoover. Beth is a fellow member of the AA-MDS talk list and is visiting Houston for her checkup at MD Anderson. She dropped by this morning after her BMB and appointments, and brought Katy a nice goodie bag, and some things for me as well. Thanks Beth! It was really nice to see you again. (We met at the AAFA conference last year.) Katy is just settling in for her first nap of the day and watching a video, and I need to get started on the Thank-you notes for all of the great gifts Katy got in the mail today.

May 15th 1999

First of all, let me address the BIG question of the day.....THE SCANS WERE CLEAR!!! No evidence of either fungal growth or lymphoma at this point, and the fevers are pretty much gone. She had a really GREAT day. After the low point of our day (the daily "mouth care" argument), she perked up, and she & Kayci did a LOT of playing in the playroom. She tried to eat a Cheeto (her favorite post chemo food last summer) but after one bite announced that it "tasted TERRIBLE"....which I could tell really disappointed her. She really WANTS to eat, but her throat sores and the way food tastes right now is preventing her. I really hope that when she IS able to eat again, that she can enjoy her food. You have to know my other two kids to understand what a good eater Katy is. Sarah & Seth are VERY picky eaters, and Katy has always been a good and adventurous eater. She always provided me with the proper incentive to cook each night, as opposed to the other two kids, who turn their noses up at just about everything. They are WONDERFUL kids in just about every other way.....sweet, kind, loving and smart, they just have very limited food likes. Some days, I swear that my older daughter Sarah will turn orange from eating so much Macaroni & Cheese. Anyway...I know it sounds kinda petty & selfish, but I sure hope that when she heals, Katy's taste for foods comes back in full force. If not....I'll just take HER, healthy. That'll work too.

May 19th 1999

Okay friends.....it's now safe to whisper the "E" word. Remember though....just a whisper. We don't want to scare those white blood cells away. Shhhhh....all together now...."e-n-gr-aft-ment." Katy's WBC's doubled today to .4, with an actual measurable ANC of 160. So....maybe a teeny-tiny shaft of light is visible at the end of the tunnel. We still have a long way to go, but it's a start.
Now...on the "two steps forward, one step back" thread...her nausea & vomiting came back in full force yesterday. Also, she keeps having tiny fevers (that are hardly bothersome to her) of 101, and sometimes 102 at night. Nothing has shown up on cultures...and the fevers seem to disappear during the morning & most of the afternoon. She continues to look, and feel pretty good, with the exception that she is almost always freezing cold, fever or not. I only packed one pair of PJ's with long sleeves & long legs, because I just assumed that Houston would be HOT. DUH....it never occurred to me that we would be inpatient, in a climate controlled unit. Major brain farts when I was packing.

May 23rd 1999

Katy continues to do fairly well, despite some nagging nausea and a bit of "the squirts." She is showing no signs of GVH yet, though they plan on doing en endoscopy next week if the vomiting isn't under control by then. Her GI system may have a bit of GVH, but at this point it's pretty hard to tell. The docs seem satisfied to give the situation a few more days to see if it will resolve itself, and then we'll make a decision. As I type this right now, she is RACING a Little Tykes Motorcycle up and down the hallway, with her grandma following behind her pushing the IV pole.
My mom will head back to Illinois tomorrow and I will be "on my own" with Katy again. This is both a blessing and a curse! The docs are considering the dreaded "prednisone" next week if the vomiting continues.......and listen folks...for those of you who know Katy....she already has a very "strong" personality. Imagine this personality intensified to the 5th or 6th exponential power. This is what prednisone can do to her. Aye-Aye-Aye. I MIGHT make it through that...if they prescribe ME some Ativan!

May 27th 1999

Another Good News/Bad News day. I suspect there will be plenty of those in the days to come. Katy's counts remain very good, even though she in now on Ganciclovir, which can sometimes lower counts. Her ANC is about 1800, her platelets were 37 this A.M. (with no transfusion) but her HGB had dipped to 7.6, prompting another red cell transfusion. We still don't know what kind of yeast was growing in Sunday's culture, but the good news is that no other cultures have been positive since then, and she has been fever free for almost three days. The most troubling problem continues to be Katy's stomach. (Well....it's my problem too, but for a different reason...mine is constantly FULL of junk food.) Katy continues to vomit several times a day, and complains almost constantly of severe stomach pain. The meds they give her to control this make her very sleepy and lethargic, today she slept on and off (mostly ON) all day. They have increased the amount of Zantac in her TPN (IV nutrition) in hopes that it will control the stomach acid which could be the culprit. She is scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on Friday for her engraftment studies, so while she is "under" for that procedure, they may choose to do the endoscopy to check her tummy out. I hope so....I'm all for killing two birds with one stone when it comes to invasive procedures. So....we continue to watch and wait

May 28th 1999

Well....they whisked us off to the GI Procedures Suite this morning at ten. Katy & I were lazy bums and slept until 9:15 this morning, so I took a very quick shower and off we went. They prepped her by using "conscious sedation" with both Versed and Ketamine. She seemed comfy enough when I left the room. I waited for about an hour and then the Attending Doc came in and showed me the pictures they had taken of Katy's insides. Now....it may sound gross, but it was actually kinda cool. Have you ever seen the inside of a stomach? Well...Katy's was smooth and shiny and healthy pink. No lesions or ulcers or anything that would lead them to believe that she has any GVH of the GI system. Her esophagus was ulcerated quite a bit, probably from vomiting/mucositis, but even it appeared to be healing nicely. The "other end" looked healthy as well....I declined looking at those pictures. (Y'all understand right?) They did do a little biopsy, which will come back Tuesday (long weekend) but they don't expect that it will show anything. Her counts remain excellent....she started drinking Sprite this afternoon, and if we can get her to start taking foods by mouth, we could be out of here by next Tuesday. Wooo Hoooo! Party at the Houston Ronald McDonald House!!

May 30th 1999

Katy is still battling the vomiting, and the docs are trying everything under the sun to control it. She can't be released until she is at least drinking, and they need to be assured that when they do release her, she can keep her oral meds down. She is on a continuous schedule of Zofran/Ativan/Reglan to try and get her to stop the barfies. It's really frustrating, because considering everything else that she's gone through, the THING that is keeping us inpatient is barfing! Simple barfing! No fevers, infections, GVHD, or other complications....just barfing. Seems like we ought to be able to fix that, but we just can't. So...here we sit. Waiting for the tummy to realize that it is our ticket out of here.

June 1st 1999

We are getting sooooooo close to being sprung! Katy is now managing to keep most of her oral medications down, and is eating just a bit. In fact, as I type this, she is actually eating Spaghettios. The docs came in this morning and were thrilled at the way she looked and her counts, and said that we can be out of here by Thursday!! Gives me the chills just thinkin' about it.

June 3rd 1999

We.....are.....OUTTA HERE!!!! As I type, Katy is playing in the playroom and getting her last dose of Ampho-B. Her counts are fabulous, hasn't had a fever in a week, cultures are all negative, and she's eating and drinking a little. They decided not to discharge her on TPN...just to see if that will help pick up her appetite, and if not, they can add it back in a few days. For now, she will just be going to the RMH on IV Ganciclovir, 2x per day. I am so happy and relieved to be getting out...even though I know that the possibility (maybe even likelihood) of readmission exists...this is a really big step for us. THANK YOU all soooo much for your loving words of support and encouragement during this very stressful time. "Mission Control....we have made a successful orbit around the moon....and we are new reentering the earth's atmoshpere!" "Over & Out".

June 4th...EARLY A.M. 1999

Well my friends.....if it wasn't so pitiful, it would be funny. Katy's "discharge" from the hospital turned out to be merely a four hour pass. We schlepped down to the Ronald McDonald House...got all unpacked and set up....met with the Home Health Nurse and did Katy's IV Ganciclovir, and no sooner did she walk out the door at 9: 30 P.M. than Katy spiked a fever of 103.5 at 10. I almost cried for the very first time throughout all of this! It was a real disappointment. So....I rushed around, packing a small bag and grabbing Katy's meds and a few other essentials, and I loaded her up in the stroller and at 11:00 p.m. we walked the six blocks back to the TCH emergency room. By the time we arrived, her fever was 105, but is now down to a cool and comfy 102. As I type this....it is 3 A.M.....we are STILL in the E.R. getting IV meds....we have a chest X-ray, and then it's right back up to our same room again. I am exhausted, but Katy kept me very grounded this evening by telling the E.R. nurse that "this is just NUTS!" and that "this place really stinks sometimes." I agree. Well....not the place really....just the circumstances.

June 4th...Afternoon. 1999

So.....here's the thing. Katy hasn't had a fever at all since we were admitted last night...and she is looking and feeling fine! They drew cultures, and she has to stay here for 48 hours while they wait to see if they grow anything....but they think that she may have just gotten dehydrated, considering that the fever came on so quickly and went away so quickly. So....we may be on nighttime fluids when we leave (Which will be Sunday if nothing grows in the cultures) and hopefully that will address the dehydration issue. At any rate...her counts are awesome (an ANC of over 6000) and she is just dandy except for a little lingering tummy upset and being so tired.

June 7th 1999

Okay...we're going to give it one more shot today! As soon as all the logistics get worked out, Katy and I are on our way down to the Ronald McDonald House Houston again! Woo Hoo! And guess what? We have NO appointments tomorrow. None. Nada. NOTHING to do, but hang out at RMH and be cool. The bacteria they isolated in Katy's bloodstream was called Enterobacter Cloacae (say that three times fast) and it's a bug found in the intestines, usually. Katy's bloodstream got lonely and invited it in last Friday, but the IV Rocephin has taken control of the little bacteria party and kicked it's butt out. She will stay on once a day Rocephin by IV for another 10 days. Anyway, all other cultures have been negative, her counts are great (ANC 3000 and platelets 56k!), so off we go. On Wednesday, we will have a LONG day in clinic, and she will have a bone marrow aspirate and biopsy, among other studies, so please continue to pray that her new marrow is finding it's new home cozy, and plans to stay.

June 8th 1999

can you tell from the subject line just WHERE I'm writing from? Aw.....C'mon. I'll give you three guesses. That's right! You guessed it! The HOSPITAL again! Remember how yesterday, I mentioned that low grade fever that was enough to make me paranoid? Well....my paranoia was warranted....she spiked above 101 last night at nine....so...BACK we came! This time...we were out for a whole 24 hours....so we're thinking we might be able to possibly work our way up to 2....maybe even THREE whole, freaking days out of the hospital someday! Ah....but to dream. We are back in the same room, and her temp is now 102.1, and of course, they've done blood cultures, and our minimum stay is about 72 hours. You know.....it's a good thing I have a healthy sense of humor about this, otherwise....I'd be totally insane.

June 9th 1999:Day +33

A little sleep, a little prayer, and a gentle reminder from my BMT buddies that "This is a marathon, not a sprint." have given me a better perspective on things this afternoon. Katy is feeling fine...still running the low grade fever, and the docs believe that the source is her central line. So...that having been said, she will have the thing yanked tomorrow morning, and replaced with a new one. Hopefully, this will resolve the fevers and we can get the heck out of here by early next week. The Hem/Onc docs are going to do her BMB & A at the same time, so she will already be "under" and save us the trauma of another procedure that requires sedation. Her counts are still excellent, (ANC 3000, Hgb 12.8 and platelets 66k!...no transfusions) so if we can just manage to get these bugs out of her system, MAYBE...we can get to the RMH in good time and be on our way to a more sane, sedate lifestyle. She has ordered pizza for dinner, and is currently sitting up in her bed, playing with the cool new Colorforms (remember those?) that our volunteer from the His Grace Foundation brought her. (Thank you Shirley!) Shirley also brought me a delicious Chinese dish for lunch, as well as her lovely company. Like I said....a little food, a little sleep...and I'm feeling a bit better today.

June 10th 1999:Day +34

Well.....I have a "Good News Day" for you all. First...Katy's counts this morning were just plain awesome. Her ANC is still over 3000 (despite the infection that is holding some of them up) Her red count is stable, and her platelets were 103K!!! I am not kidding!!! Katy has not been in triple digits for two years. She hasn't had platelets in well over a week, and yesterday, they were 66, so today's big jump was a shock to everyone. She had her central line removed, and a PICC line placed this afternoon. The PICC will stay in for a couple of weeks, and then they will decide on a different type of access for Katy. She may get a more permanent PICC, or she may get another central line. Her BMB & A went well....except that they drew the marrow out from the front side of the hip (they usually go in through the backside), and so she's in a bit of pain this evening, though she said that it "only hurt a teeny bit", and she told them she didn't need anything except a little Tylenol. What a kid. The doc just called, and they looked at her marrow and said that it looks great! It's full of wonderful, normal, healthy cells! HOOOORAY for our donor!!! We love you "Jack." She is currently sitting up, eating a Pepperoni pizza, and hasn't had a fever since she was wheeled out of the OR, so....two more days of no fever, and clean cultures, and we should be on our way once again!

June 12th 1999:Day +36

Katy needed a blood transfusion today, because her Hgb dipped to 7.8, but it is very common for post transplant patients to require red cells for two or three months post transplant. Her other counts are doing great though...with her platelets holding in the triple digits for three days in a row! She still has no fevers, and nothing has showed up in any cultures, so they will probably let us go by Monday. As I type, she is drinking Coke, eating pizza and French fries and watching her Rugrats Movie.

June 16th 1999:Day +40

Last night was an RMH night, but I only got four hours of sleep, tossing and turning, worrying about Katy, despite constant reassurance via phone that Katy was fine and sleeping peacefully. I only slept for about four hours, and then woke up, and could not make myself sleep again. So...I just got up, took a warm bath and took a cab back here to the hospital. When I arrived, Katy started to wake up, and was much more alert than yesterday, even though she fell asleep again for 2 hours. She is still having temps that range from 98.9 to 101.5. The most reassuring news is that the MRI was totally normal....her sinuses and brain are clear of any fungal infection. So....they've scanned, scoped and cultured just about everything, and still no clue where the fevers are coming from. Their best guess is that she is going through something called "Somnolence Syndrome". This generally happens about 4-6 weeks post radiation, and it's symptoms are low grade fevers, excessive sleeping, gastrointestinal upset, lethargy and anorexia. (In short, slightly warm, no eating and a lot of sleeping.) This description fits Katy's symptoms to a "T", but it is a rather tricky diagnosis, and though the docs have ruled out most everything else, she still needs to be in the hospital and watched. So....here we are....Katy is sleeping enough for the both of us. Hopefully, the whole situation will resolve itself spontaneously in a few days to a week.

June 21st 1999:Day +45

One word. %&*(#$%^&. (I'll let you all insert your own expletive!) Katy spiked a fever this morning at 8 a.m. It was another of the wimpy 101's, but enough to keep her inpatient once again. I was SO sad that I couldn't cry. It took me two hours of incoherent mumbling before I was able to reconcile that Katy would not be discharged. :o(
However, I was considerably uplifted when the rest of my family arrived in Houston safely, and found their way to the hospital at 1:30. Keep in mind that I haven't seen my husband or other two kids for nearly two months! It was a reunion that brought tears to the eyes of most of the BMTU staff. The doctors allowed Sarah and Seth to scrub and come back to Katy's room to see her, and it was wonderful. To the people that made this reunion possible (you know who you are) by providing the Learjet that flew them to Houston, THANK YOU so much from the bottom of our hearts. We will never be able to repay your kindness and generosity. You have greatly contributed to Katy's recovery by making it possible for her to see her Daddy, Grandma, brother & sister. May you be blessed.

June 22nd 1999:Day +46

It's looking more and more like Katy Rose will be celebrating her 6th birthday in the hospital. Her fevers are still spiking, and of course, not a darn clue where the source is. Her cultures are negative. They did a chest X-ray today which is also negative. They did and echocardiogram of her heart this afternoon, and if she is still having fevers on Friday, she will have a Gallium scan on Monday. They will add Amphotericin back to her IV regimen tomorrow as well. When her fever is up, she feels rotten. She has bone pain in her legs, she is sleepy and nauseous. When her fever is controlled, she is happy, playful and even ornery. Her counts are still excellent...her platelets were the highest they have even been....144k!
It is SO wonderful to have my family here. Sarah and Seth are having great fun at the RMH, I even let them play in the pouring rain this afternoon until they were drenched. David spent all day in the hospital with Katy today, and my mom will be sleeping up there with her tonight. David and I plan to take Sarah and Seth to see Tarzan tomorrow, and Seth and I are getting haircuts in the afternoon. We'll also go shopping to pick up a few more things for Katy's birthday. If it HAS to be in the hospital, we will certainly "do it up right"!

June 26nd 1999:Day +50

Katy had a WONDERFUL, Happy, Happy 6th Birthday! She was issued a "day pass" from the hospital this morning, and David ran up to the hospital to pick her up (along with my mom) while Sarah, Seth and I set things up for her special party. My friend Ann came over to RMH, along with her son Ben, and friend Patty and her little girl Kristen. We had cake and ice cream, sang Happy Birthday and Katy started in on her mountain of presents. The Internet might explode if I attempted to list all of Katy's "birthday loot", so I'll just tell you that she was totally thrilled at each gift, and didn't have any stamina problems when it came to opening them all! It will take me a good amount of time to get out my "Thank You's" so please be patient with me. We are back at the hospital, Katy is getting ready to eat some dinner, and is still feeling fine. They are having a bit of trouble getting her line to work correctly (won't draw back blood, but flushes fine) so they are tackling that problem right now.

June 28th 1999:Day +52

Katy came through her gallium scan with flying colors....no sedation, and she held perfectly still, except for one yawn. As they were "packaging" her for our trip to nuclear medicine for the scan, she insisted upon bringing her new "Totally Talkin' Terk" doll along. (It's a character from the Tarzan movie, and has Rosie O'Donnell's voice.) Terk was perched on the IV pump, just like she belonged there. Just imagine the funny looks we got as we were being wheeled around in the hallways with this Gorilla doll that shouts "Hey! Watch it kid!" and "Ya know.....a banana right now would be nice." Then...just as we went through the doors to the nuclear medicine department, where the staff was waiting for us...the doll sings "The fun has arrived!" Cracked us all up, including Katy, who was giggling underneath her isolation mask.
The scanner here looks much more high tech, and is three times as fast as the one at CMH in Chicago.....plus...there was an adjustable TV for her to watch while being scanned. They tuned that puppy in to Scooby Doo, and let it rip. 40 minutes later, we were on our way back up to her room, and she is doing just fine. She's watching Tom & Jerry, gnawing on a chicken leg, and eating some mashed potatoes.
Katy will be getting a new central line either later tonight, or early tomorrow. I'm not going to say it out loud, for fear of jinxing things....so....we might get O-U-T tomorrow and be able to go "you-know-where". Of course the rule is, no more fevers, and the central line placement must go off without a hitch. I'll stop talking about it now....you all know what happens when we talk about "d-i-s-c-h-a-r-g-e".

July 10th 1999:Day +64

I can't believe that I haven't updated here for a whole 11 days! I do have a good excuse though...KATY IS OUT! She is still having tiny fevers that scare us, but nothing above the magic 101 that requires an inpatient stay. She did have a urine culture positive for Candida Tropicalis, so she is getting Amphotericin every day, which is tiring. We need to make trips to and from the clinic each day, which can be an exhausting 6 or 7 hours. The good news is that despite a repeat MRI, a renal scan, and other tests, they still have no explanation for the fevers, because the tests are all negative. Her last urine culture was negative also...so we finally got a weekend repreive from the clinic just yesterday. Katy's daily care is all consuming. Now that she is out of the hospital, I am responsible for caring for her central line, her nightly IV fluids, her daily IV Ganciclovir, and her THIRTY pills a day. I also am in charge of laundry, fixing meals for her (which can be tricky because of bacterial precautions), baths and entertainment. This caregiver business is a MORE THAN full time job, but I am finding it to be very fulfilling, even though the pay is not great. (Monetarily anyway!) So...we continue to be on an even par and hopefully, Katy will improve and grow stonger every day. We are SO looking forward to coming home.

July 21st 1999:Day +75

Katy is having another rough day. For some reason, her cyclosporine level has gone up to more than twice what it should be. (Cya is the anti-rejection drug.) It could be that since she is no longer getting nighttime fluids, the drug is more concentrated in her system, or it's also possible that it is interacting with the fluconozole she has started on. Whatever the reason, cyclosporine toxicity is not pretty! She has some pretty bad tremors, her heart rate is about 160 and her blood pressure is pretty low. (72/30 for those of you who like numbers.) They've adjusted her dose down, and we are skipping tonight's dose, so hopefully she'll get some relief from those nasty side effects soon. I laid in bed with her for three hours this afternoon, trying to push fluids and calm her enough so that she could sleep. She finally did take a nap, but it's pretty fitful sleep, considering that her heart is beating so fast. Let me paint a picture for you. Do you all remember that feeling you get in the moments immediately following a major scare.....like almost getting in a car accident, or almost falling off a ladder? Now, try to imagine falling asleep with that feeling. Doesn't work. Hopefully, we can get this med regulated correctly soon, and get this kid on the right track. Also...her kidney functions are still a bit out of whack. They'll be keeping a close eye on those, and we may need to add fluids back for a few nights to resolve this.

Now...two bits of encouraging news. First, her counts are still doing wonderfully. Her ANC is well over 3500, her Hgb is 9.1, and her platelets today were 206k!!! If I hadn't seen it on paper myself, I would hardly believe it. NORMAL platelets. Never thought I'd see the day! Second, Dr. Heslop actually mentioned H-O-M-E today. She did have several conditions though. Katy and I will be allowed to return to Illinois, if we promise to spend the first 50 days or so at my parents house, which is close to Chicago. (About an hour or so south, as opposed to OUR home which is 2 and a half hours south.) This way, we have access to the BMTU and the Hem/Oncs at Children's Memorial very quickly if need be. Secondly, we should use that transition period to make sure that our house is cleaned top to bottom, and that the dogs are groomed and flea free. So...cleaning brigade...get ready. We'll need you in about a month or so. (Day 100, the "magic date" is August 17th I think.)

July 28th 1999:Day +82

Since I sent Katy's update early yesterday afternoon, let me start today's update from about 7 p.m. last night. Katy insisted upon waiting downstairs in the great room, on a couch, facing the front door of the RMH, so that we could see Daddy arrive. So....there we sat, passing time by flipping through Motor Trend magazine (don't ask me...it was her choice) when I hear Katy say, "HI DADDY!" and start crying with joy. I look up....no Daddy. The front door hadn't even been cracked open. So I'm thinking.....oh lord, another scary side effect....she's hallucinating! Turns out that Daddy and kids had parked the van in the basement parking garage, took the elevator up to our room, and when we weren't there, they headed down the stairs, where Katy spotted Daddy, waving and taking the stairs two at a time to greet her. Seth LEAPED into my arms, and Sarah clutched my lower half. Katy was "happy crying" (her words) and we were a family again. It felt awesome.
We settled in, and had a nice evening. I got up in the A.M. and took Katy to clinic for her appointment, while Dave & the kids hung out at RMH and did chores. When we got to clinic, the CBC revealed that Katy's counts were all fine (ANC 3000, Platelets 253), except for her H & H, which had dropped again to 7.5 and 20.9 respectively. Not good. Her reticulocyte count is very high (4.2%) which is a good indication that her marrow is trying really hard to make red cells, but they are disappearing someplace. Dr. Heslop came down, and said that her hunch is that Katy is bleeding in the belly somewhere....maybe GVH, maybe an ulceration. The scope is set for Friday to take a peek, and she got a unit of PRBC's. Katy and I were both pretty bummed, because on our first full day together as a family, she and I spent nearly all day at clinic. But, at 5 p.m. we were finally done, and headed back to the RMH where we ate dinner, and Katy is now snuggling with Daddy and getting her fluids.

Aug. 5th 1999:Day +90

We had a very rough week last week, but things appear to be turning around a bit now. Late last week, Katy started having symptoms of a neurological problem. Her speech was slurring, she had balance and gait problems, and potty accidents. She just wasn't "herself". So, the doctors became concerned and referred her for a Neurological consult and an MRI. Both were normal, and so the spinal tap that they had scheduled for today was cancelled, and Katy seems to be getting back to normal. She will need to have her tummy scoped tomorrow though, she is still having some belly pain and they want to rule out GVHD in her gut before we can go home. Her counts are still good, and she is regaining a little bit of strength and energy each day. Hopefully, be can head back to Illinois in about three weeks.

Aug. 15th 1999:Day +100

Today is a day of some special significance for Katy. After what has been, without doubt THE most difficult 4 months of our lives, Katy has reached the 100 day post BMT mark. Actually, it's a rather arbitrary day....there is nothing magical about it, it's really no different from day 99 or day 101. But....in "BMT Circles" (like....it's some exclusive clique or something!) day 100 is considered to be a significant milestone. I am so proud of this girl. She has been so brave and strong, and so forgiving. She has been poked, prodded, listened to, awakened from sleep, scanned and scoped, hooked up and flushed, transfused and tested, fed endless medicines and given up 2 years of her life, with very little complaining. She has somehow managed to survive and even thrive, weaving in happiness and personal growth into this whole harrowing experience. So Katy....happy 100 days. You're gonna make it kid....and you've helped me make it too.

Two funny "Katy" stories. #1....the whole RMH now knows what Katy's bottom looks like. Katy has not been allowed to wipe her own bottom since transplant. (I suspect that I should now return that responsibility to her....) So, after lunch, she announced that she had to go potty. She has her own room key, so off she went. It never occurred to me that I should probably follow her, but when she emerged from the elevator with her overalls around her ankles, yelling for me, the other folks in the dining room had "dinner AND a show." Ugh. Good thing her shirt was long.

Then, after dinner, she went upstairs again, this time assuring me that she could take care of things. Turns out that she wanted to crack open the new paints I had gotten her without asking me first. After cleaning up dinner, I arrived in the room to find Katy painting me a picture....as well as accidentally painting the bedspread. After her scolding, she said..."But Mommy....I painted this for you because I love you so much!" This kid has mastered a very fine art indeed. Manipulation. I wrestle with being thrilled and relieved that she is ALIVE to manipulate me, and being annoyed that she still tries to. Oh well....for once....I'm complaining about NORMAL stuff. What's next? An intact family? Living in my own home? Ah....but to dream. Katy's 100 day aspirate is tomorrow, and if all goes as planned, I'll be on the internet tomorrow afternoon, trying to book our flights home. Wish me luck with that one.

Aug. 19th 1999:Day +104

Today, each and every one of you are witness to a miracle. A miracle of nature, medicine, the human body, and the grace of God. This afternoon, I received the following e-mail from Katy's doctor:

"The reason I was about to e-mail was that I have just had a call 5 minutes ago to say Katelyn's marrow is 100% male (i.e., donor). Congratulations."

I was so thrilled and relieved that I started to cry, while sitting at the computer. This is of course, the outcome that we have been hoping and praying for since this long journey began. We all expected nothing less from "Jack's" marrow, but official confirmation from a person with the initials "MD" in their name really helps. The new marrow continues to function beautifully....in fact, her platelets today were an amazing 341K! Her white count was 7.9 and her ANC was 5800. Her Hgb is slowing inching upwards to 9.9, but is on the rise. It truly IS a miracle. I am just in awe.
Katy continues to want to eat constantly, and is VERY eager to get home and have her life back. When I took a good look at her today, I suddenly realized that she looks completely and utterly NORMAL. (Bald head aside.) For nearly two years, her body was riddled with bruises and petechiae, her eyes were sallow and sunken, and her skin was pale. I guess I just got used to that look, because her "healthy" look now seems like a real bonus! While giving her a bath, I suddenly noticed that she does not have even ONE bruise on her body. No tiny broken blood vessels that we had become so accustomed to. Her skin and lips now have a lovely rosy hue. Heck....she's downright gorgeous! Thank you God. Amen.

This will be my last entry in the "BMT Journal", though our journey is far from over. Please click on the link that says "Read my POST BMT Journal to check on Katy's progress!

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