I am so happy for you AND your daughter! How wonderful that you will be able to share those special events with her.

Great news MaryAnn!! I am happy that you were heard and that a compromise was made. I really believe that you will be healthy and well again very soon!

How terrific about your daughter!! How proud you must be. I am proud for her too!!

Hugs,
Lexi

Yeah MaryAnn!

You know your body sister! I am so glad you can do this at home and be with your family.

How proud you must be of your daughter! Have fun!

Ruth

Carla - My daughter just turned 17. Since she was 14, I've taken her to over 100 concerts (sometimes as sick as a dog). Everyone thinks I'm nuts, BUT I've always known what she was doing or not doing, who she was hanging out with, we have a common interest and make fun drives along the way leaving room to discuss serious stuff if need be and she knows the rules....if her grades fall, the concerts stop! She's been on the Principal's Honor List ever since. She gets awards in French, chemistry and art and does community service through the art club. She'll be taking Advance Placement English next year for college credits. I could not be prouder of my two wonderful kids!!! My son just finished his first year of college with a GPA of 3.96 and he started his first job working in the local supermarket deli. He pays for his gas and car insurance and is always looking to help me out anyway he can. He opted to stay close to home for two years because of the leukemia. But next year he will go off to a bigger school that has offered him a great scholarship! My kids were 9 and 11 when this all started and I never thought I'd get this far. Thanks for the opportunity to brag!!!

Dear Madame -
NO ONE deserves bragging rights more than you!

It is a tough go to bring up teenagers when a person is not fighting cancer on a constant basis. You have done the nearly impossible. But, your sacrifices to stay close to them and monitor them has paid off and will continue to pay off as they make their way in to the world at large.

I waited to reply to see how the liver biopsy would play out. Knew there could be changes based on that result. And I am THANKING the Good Lord that you do not have to go back into the hospital for now (or hopefully EVER!).

I used to take the wipes and go over things in my Dad's hospital or care facilty every time I visited. Was hoping to cut down on the spread of the staph germs. My sister did that for me when I had my head surgeries. Keep on wiping everything down. Glad to see that people are now using the wipes provided for the grocery carts now. I used to feel I was the only one ...

Hi Steph!!!! I've been wiping everything down for a long time now and everyone still thinks I'm nuts. After watching the cleaning crew scrub my toilet then clean my shower with the same pair of gloves on and one other horrible experience, I've never been the same about hospital cleanliness. I've never had any of those fungal and bacterial things until I go in to the hospital. My luck, I'll pick up MRSA. As clean as the transplant ward is, it's not my home. I am very happy to have sort of gotten my way!!!

Thanks for all the great advise!!!! I am sure I will be back to my old seld real soon. Love to you all....

Well, YES. I remember you practically had our hotel room in San Diego fumigated by the time I got there!
Appreciated your thoroughness.

As you may have noticed when we roomed together, I don't like to put my things down on the counters, dressers, etc. Just take them out of my own carriers then put them back after using whatever it is. My toiletries and underwear bags get "the treatment" when I get home. And most of my clothes stayed either on hangers or in my suitcase. Don't know WHO used those drawers last ...

Maybe that is overdoing it, but I am 1/4 Norwegian!

Just do what you have to do, and use plenty of bleach solution in a spray bottle.

Madame DuBois, you are an amazing woman! You have raised two wonderful children in spite of everything going on in your life. You need to brag every chance you get, you don't need an excuse. I'm so glad that things are working out better for you. Love ya! Bill

Dear Maryann,
After reading your awesome post on your AWESOME children the first thing that came to my mind was this.............

TRULY YOU'VE BEEN BLESSED! I KNOW you know that!!

Gentle hugs.....

MJ

Maryann, Keep on truckin... Joan

Maryanne,
you are TRULY a WONDER!
Much love,Marcia

Dear Maryann,

Wow so many concerts! My kids sing in choirs and I can remember sitting in a few performances when it was a hard effort to be there.

You must be so proud. Our kids really can step up. They bounce, even as we crash.

Each of my boys changed scools in September. The older went from the easiest MS in the district to the hardest, largest, most chi-chi High School. They put him in a couple accelerated classes and he strugled mightily. Nothing to do with what was going on with me. He eventually had to drop down to straight college prep. A real blow to his ego. Plus he still has not managed to talk to a girl.

My younger one went from his easy Elementary to the magnet school for all the over-achievers in the district. He is supposed to be a Middle Schooler in 5th grade. Responsible for keeping track of his work. Like that happened! He goes from A to F if he just does not bother to do his work.

I was O.K. keeping up with them at first, but the last couple months my husband has saved each kid from some serious Cs and Fs. Bless him.

I want more than anything to be there for graduations. You show me it is possible.

Thank you,
Carla

Aww - thanks everyone!! I am very proud!!!

Carla - You WILL be there. I don't know if you know the story of my son's graduation??? Last June, my liver decided to reject my bone marrow transplant (seems to be a yearly event). I turned an awful color of green and my eyes literally glowed yellow. I haven't been that bad this year, but close. Anyway, I was in and out of the hospital...test after test, biopsy after biopsy. I checked myself out of the hospital the day before his graduation. I got to the ceremony a little late. The principal looked at me all glowing and got a folding chair, placed it on the field where the graduates were and sat me down as close to the event as possible. We had our lobster dinner and little party afterward. I woke up and drove back to the hospital the next morning where I stayed for two weeks of treatment. The docs knew there was NO way they were going to keep me in the hospital that day!!! Where there is a will, there is a way. I have every bit of faith in you sweetie!!!!

An update to my treatment...Today the leaches were let out on me (not literally), but I had unit of blood TAKEN from me for a change. Over 50 transfusions, and now they want blood??? I have an overload of iron and a small degree of graft versus host disease. I will be giving a unit of blood weekly for a while and get a epogen shot to help the red blood cells rejuvenate (it's a shame they can't use they blood). I am also starting steroids in the morning (I am opting to sleep tonight). Tomorrow I will be out for hire cleaning, sorting, scarpbooking...whatever!!! The steroids are amazing! For anyone keeping notes, there is a drug called Ex-Jade that helps people with iron overload from too many transfusions, but it is very toxic to the liver and takes a long time to work (6 months or so). This is not the best option for me, but it is there for others if need be...