History

Journal History

Sunday, February 29, 2004 1:50 PM CST

Man, it has been awhile since I visited this site to update.
Things are going well. Esperanza is doing absolutely wonderful. She is getting tall, but still not eating much. She is still drinking Pediasure and sometimes eating when she wants. She is still at about 30 pounds. We go back to Duke in March on the 22nd. Looking forward to seeing everybody again on a good reason. I found work this past august working on fort bragg, doing the same thing i did while I was in the Army, being a mechanic. Deysi found work also on fort bragg, working in the dining facilities for the reservists who were called up for active duty.
We bought a house here in Spring Lake. Our new address is 305 Duncan Road, Spring Lake, NC 28390. Phone # is 910-960-9901.
Well, gotta go for now, drop us a line sometime.
Bye, bye for now
Smith Family

Wednesday, May 14, 2003 10:18 PM CDT

Hi all!
How ya doin'?
Doing just fine here! Esperanza had her 12 month studies on Monday up at Duke. Everything went well except for her blood draw, because she has no central line anymore, she had to get poked. She got stuck twice because the nurse did not know what she was doing. She couldn't even get all the blood out that they needed so has to get more taken out next week at UNC.
Well, we are slowly but surely in the process of moving.
Talk at yall later,
Steve and family

Wednesday, May 7, 2003 9:49 PM CDT

Hello again!!
We made it , 1 year out already, can you believe it? We are so excited. Esperanza is doing so well, no more mask! Yea! We went to the Rainbow of Heroes walk on Saturday which just happened to be her 1 year anniversary. We saw alot of people there that we met while on the floor of 5200. We go to Duke again on the 12th, my birthday and get her 12 month studies done. She had a bone marrow biopsy and aspirate yesterday just to be 100% positive she has no leukemia blasts floating around. She is eating more each day and the doc at UNC said probably in the next 2 to 3 weeks she will get the G tube taken out. Still keep praying for her.
I am almost out of the Army, I got my orders yesterday and start out processing tomorrow. I am so excited. I just can't do the ARMY THANG anymore, you know!
We will be moving next week to Spring Lake which borders Ft. Bragg, only five minutes from where we live now. We are trying to clear (outprocess) housing and it is a bit stressful because they nitpick at little things.
Hopefully I will be getting a job here on base working as a forklift operator making $14 an hour. Be praying for me that I get that job, a nice transition wouldn't you say, if I were to get that job!
Well not much else, that's about it.
Love to all of you who continue to keep Esperanza and myself and the rest of the family in your prayers.
Thank GOD the war was quick and awesome, huh! Pray for the families of those who lost their loved one during the war, and for the ones who are still over there.
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU
The Smith Family

Thursday, March 27, 2003 7:29 PM CST

How is everyone doing? We are doing fine. Esperanza is doing really well! She finally got her central line taken out. Thank GOD! She did however get a bacterial staph infection last week. The line and G tube were infected. She was in the hospital at UNC for 4 days with antiboitics, and surgery once again to remove the central line, put in a temporary one only long enough to finish the antibiotics at home, and to take out the g tube, clean it internally and burn off the growing BLOB like scar tissue outside of her stomach area. Thank GOD that we got all the training from both UNC and Duke to take care of her antibiotic needs at home to minimize her stay at the hopspital.
The pediasure that she was on before the transplant was the kind we got checks through women, infants and children program that we picked up at Walmart or the commissary, she did really well on but is very expensive. $10 for 6 cans! However, the pediasure that she was getting thru the home health care, must be a generic brand, and prepared differently and she would not even handle 2 ozs without vomiting. But thank the LORD, I went to buy some of the pediasure that she used to take and whole milk and now she does not vomit anymore! We have to go back thru WIC and Medicaid to get the vouchers to get the original Pediasure that she used to be on, and for milk and juice as well for free. Another note, she is finally back to eating saltine crackers. I knew that once she stopped vomiting so much if not completely, she would start eating stuff by mouth again and she has started.
She will now only need to be seen every 2 weeks at UNC and possibly on the next visit, she will get Septra, in lieu of the IV Pentamadine so she doesn't have to get stuck again. And possibly go to once a month after that. Her 12 month studies are on May 12. YEAH! We are almost there!
One thing I ask that y'all would keep praying for is for her donor cells. With her 9 month studies, she is down to 50/50. She does not have any blasts in her blood or bone marrow, and dr.blatt is real confident that these are good cells returning and NOT Leukemia, simply because there is NO evidence of relapse whatso ever, Praise GOD. So, just continue to pray that they are good cells.
As for me, I have to be out of the ARMY by June 9th, 2003. I got 30% temporary retirement because my condition was unstable to permanently retire me. It will be for 5 years with re evaluations every 1 1/2 years. I did my VA physicals last week and now just await to see how much they will compensate me and my family.
We are no longer moving back to Denver, at least not right now. TOO EXPENSIVE to live there! Much cheaper right here in the Fayetteville area, in Spring Lake. We found a nice 3 bdrm, 2 full bath, 1 car garage for $525 a month, where as in Denver, the same minus the garage started at $800 - 1,500 a month. We cannot afford that, no way. To lose a job and to re establish oneself would be better in an area that has a cheaper cost of living expenses. We plan to be moving within the next 2 weeks so I can save the $ I have in savings right now to live off of until I find a job, by getting the Army to pay me $ for rent and utilities off Ft. Bragg.
We may go back to denver one day depending on where we are financially. I have a few leads for a job as a forklift operator with civilian contractors who work on Ft. Bragg making $10.50 to $11 an hour. So I hope I get one.
Well, that is it for now. Oh, one more thing, I don't know where any of you stand on this war in IRAQ, but I support our troops and especially for my friends that I know that are now over there and for the others who are preparing to go. That EVIL MAN must be removed for the world's sake of peace. Please , please support our troops in this war and don't make them going over there be in vain when they do and will return. GOD BLESS THE USA , and our allies. For this war is a JUST CAUSE!
Sincerely with much love to all of you
Stephen Smith
Soon to be Specialist Stephen Smith, US ARMY Retired

Saturday, January 25, 2003 at 06:29 PM (CST)

Hello everyone!! I am SO Sorry I have not been on the page to update Sweet Esperanza's page. Please forgive me!
Things have been crazy here at Fort Bragg lately. Many people from my unit are deploying to Afghan and Kuwait. Praise GOD I won't be going. I have a situation with MS and it is medically disqualifying for active duty service. I am thankfully being medically retired, but how much disability I will get will depend on Washington, D.C. I hope at least 50% temporary retirement where I will keep half of what I make right now, not retired pay for 5 years then I will be permanently retired! I should know more in a month or 2. In a way, I feel it is a blessing in disguise, although horrible to live with MS, it is keeping me out of harm's way with IRAQ!!! It has gotten worse since the transplant issue with Esperanza. All the stress from that transplant floor has triggered 3 major flare ups, the first in May, when she had the transplant, and I still haven't fully recoverd. When I got back to work in September, after her heart surgery, another one minor one started. I wasn't able to do my basic soldier duties, running, my job performance went down, marching, all of it, firing my weapons, I couldn't even qualify for marksman, which is bad, when I have qualified as expert before. Anyway, my commander saw this and said because I am nondeployable world wide, my time in the Army is about up. So, I have gone thru my physical and am just waiting to talk to a counselor to see
all I am entitled to, and The Army is helping me find a job with Transition Career program. Then I just wait for the final decision from D.C.. After I get it and sign to agree, I will get my orders to separate and I have 90 days to leave. I am hoping our other two will be able to finish out the school year before we have to move.
We will be moving back to Denver, CO where my family back there tell me how wonderful Denver Children's Hospital will be for Esperanza, in the next few months. Then just last month I had a major flare up that put me in the hospital for 3 days on Solumedrol and prednisone afterwards. I have to use a cane to assist with walking when I have a flare up. Then just this week, again, although it wasn't major enough to put me in the hospital, I just was put on quarters restriction( in house for 5 days) and 3 days Solumedrol outpatient with a week of taper down Prednisone.
Anyways, I'm getting a little better while Esperanza is doing outstanding.
Just a quick note, is there anyone interested in saving 21% on your gas plus qualify for FREE gas, plus have a chance to make some $$. Check out my website at www.smitty24.gasupusa.com and look thru it and get back with me if you have any ?'s. My email and phone # is at the bottom of my page! I encourage and invite everyone to take a look at it. Click on benefits, training call and compensation, to get the run down down.
Esperanza is doing outstanding. Her donor cells were going down in October thru November, down to 66% and the docs thought she was in relapse. She underwent a bone marrow biopsy 6 Jan along with a g-tube placement to get her off of TPN, finally! Praise GOD the biopsy from UNC came back showing nothing wrong, which has them baffled, HA,HA,HA. I always love it when docs don't know completely what is going on. I just said that is GOD blessing her life, she has come too far to go into relapse! They did send the other part to university of Alabama, where we wait for them to see if anything is wrong, but you know what, THEY WON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG EITHER!!!!! We believe that GOD will continue to bless her life to live a full healthy life, AMEN. PRAISE GOD FOR HE IS GOOD!!! She is on Pediasure but still not eating much, hopefully she will regain the strngth to eat solid food again!
Her hair is growing back thick and long. She is off the FK506 and GCSF. She is however still positive for CMV and is on gancyclovir 2x daily. She has had CMV since before her discharge after transplant.
Well, that's, that's about it for now! Hope all of you are having a good new year, and stay bleesed by GOD. Continue saying prayers for Esperanza and for me for complete healing from MS, and the transition out of the ARMY life that has been our lifestyle! The good news is I will be able to keep the same insurance coverage for Esperanza and the rest of the fam for a low out of pocket price every quarter, which is good because trying to get pre existing conditions coverage is HARD. Thank GOD for that as well!
Well talk to y'all later,
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!!!
Steven, Deysi, Esperanza, Jenifer and Mauricio

Saturday, September 28, 2002 at 07:42 PM (CDT)

Hello again!! Here we are, all at home FINALLY!!!We came home on Sept. 14th. She was delayed for awhile because of the fluid around her heart. She had surgery to cut a hole into the sac around her heart so that the fluid that kept reaccumulating would seep out the window (hole) and the fluid would just be reabsorbed back into her body. She is making her own platelets now. She has not needed blood for over 2 weeks or platelets either for over two weeks. Her white blood cells are holding where they are supposed to be in the 5 to 6 thousand range. If she goes below 5 then she would need a steroid to help her regrow her cells. She hasn't needed that for over two weeks either. Praise GOD she is doing so well. We are only going back to Duke once a week now. She still has a very minute amount of the CMV virus and is still on meds for that once week in clinic. She is doing good, exceptionally well and all thanks to GOD and Jesus for her health and for our strength in getting through this. We still have a ways to go before she is completely out of the high risk area. Could take up to a year after transplant. Well talk to y'all later. Keep praying.

Friday, August 16, 2002 at 05:28 PM (CDT)

First off I want to apologize to everyone for not keeping you posted on our little girl. Things have been real crazy lately. We are at day 105 post transplant and she can't go home for another 4-6 weeks. We really need your prayers. She has alot of fluid around her heart, irritation from the effects of chemotherapy. Her heart is enlarged and if it gets worse she will need to go into ICU to have it drained. She will not eat anything, not even icecream! The doctors need her off her TPN (liquid food supply) before she can go home. She has to go thru therapy classes to learn how to eat again. She is vomiting excessively. She can drink water and her juice, but doesn't touch anything else. And she has a virus that she hasn't been able to get rid of since before we came out of the hospital back in june. The virus could cause pneumonia. I have been on vacation since July 1st and I have to go back to work on the 26th of this month. Deysi will have to be by herself with esperanza for the weeks and i will bring the kids and myself for the weekend. We are in clinic on Mondays, wednesdays and fridays. She gets alot of her meds at home (the apartment where we stay) and only gets a couple meds in clinic. Her white blood cells are steady and she is not getting platelets as often as she was, neither blood. So that is good. Anyway, I'm going crazy, because I thought we would all be home by now. I cleaned the house completely and got it ready for her to come home this week. Well , it will be awhile before she comes home. Please pray for her and us as well. Talk to y'all later. Steve and family

Sunday, June 23, 2002 at 01:49 PM (CDT)

Well, day plus 51 and we are in clinic now. Yea!!!! Praise GOD!! We were discharged on thursday night and moved into another apartment because the floor in our bone marrow suite at the ronald mcdonald house had water damage and we couldn't take esperanza back there. We are in a nice apartment now and the National Children's Cancer Society is paying for the lease. What a blessing from GOD because the rent is over $1500 a month and I don't have to pay a cent. It is completely furnished and everything. We have to give Esperanza her nutritional supplement by her IV line still because she is not eating much. We are trying to get her back on her pediasure so she can get off the TPN which is her nutrition. Me and Deysi have to get the supplies to prepare it and hook it up up to her at night and it goes in by a poirtable pump over 12 hours. Then we are in clinic evry 12 hours, in the morning and evenings because all her meds are every 12 hours as well, so you figure the math and see how much sllep we are getting! We are so exhausted and hope we will get used to this here pretty soon. Any ways her counts are 3100 wbc's and her anc pretty high up there too. Well gotta go get some more shut eye before the next round for clinic. Keep praying. Thank you for all your prayers. New address is Apt #1204 White Pine Drive, Durham, NC 27705 Phone # is 919-309-9071
Bye, Bye

Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 04:40 PM (CDT)

Day plus 40 - Esperanza is doing great. She is at .7 WBC's (700) and ANC count of 398. The doc said hopefully in the next couple of days the ANC should be at 500 or more. He said to be on the safe side, he would like to see her WBC's at 1.0 to 2.0 or possibly even 3.0 and her ANC over 500 for 3 days before we get outta here. Next week he wants to do a blood test to see how many donor cells there are just to be 100% sure. The results from the aspirate of her bone marrow came back showing 68% donor cells growing. He just wants to be sure before we leave the hospital. The blood test will take 4 to 5 days to get results back. Her 2nd birthday is coming up on the 18th, this coming tuesday. Yeah!!! Probably looking at 1 to 2 more weeks in hospital still. Anyways, everything is going good. We continue to stay blessed by GOD. Keep the prayers comin'. Thanks so much! Bye, bye

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 12:41 AM (CDT)

Well day plus 39 and we are getting closer to getting out of the hospital. GOD is blessing Esperanza everyday and us as well. She has 600 WBC's and 408 ANC count which is something to do with the certain types of white blood cells and she needs to have 1000 wbc's and 500 anc count for 3 days before we can leave . So that was really good news. I have been blessed with getting the families here on the unit together for fellowship and prayer time and it has been really uplifting for me and for the families here . I feel GOD is moving me to reach out to the needs of the hurting. Our neighbor is a christian and she had given me encouragement and then I took off with it, with the help of GOD and serious prayer. I pray that it will continue while I'm here and afterwards as well. I planted a seed last night and I am pouring water on it to grow and grow and change the lives of the families and children on this floor. It just started last night and tonight we had new people come. I hope it will grow. Well, gotta go, thank you for all your prayers. They really mean a lot. GOD BLESS YOU!!

Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 05:56 PM (CDT)

Day plus 37 - Praise GOD for HIS works. Esperanza is up to .4 WBC's which is 400. They were down then up then down again in the previous days, and hopefully they will stabilize and continue to go up. The test results form the bone marrow aspirate that they did on the day of her last surgey to put her lines back in came back. It showed that 68% of the donors cells were growing. That is really good news. Anyway we keep praying for those cells to keep growing. Well talk at ya again later. Bye Bye for now

Tuesday, June 04, 2002 at 04:26 PM (CDT)

Day plus 32 - Well it has been a month and her WBC's keep going up, down, up, down. She has 200 today and hopefully they will stay on the rise and not go down. She is doing fantastic, Praise GOD.

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 at 10:59 AM (CDT)

Day plus 25 - Well, today Esperanza had her permanent line placement surgery and a bone marrow aspirate. The aspirate is to check esperanza's cells and actual donor cells, because she is still below 100 WBC's. Hopefully everything will be okay. I brought Jenifer and Mauricio up to see their mom and visit their sister. Esperanza was so excited to see them. We came up Sunday after church and I took them back yesterday. They stayed the night with Deysi at the ronald Mcdonald house. It was a joy to all be together again. Hopefully soon we all will be together again, returning to our normal lives. Praise GOD that HE got her thru another surgery just fine. Well, until another day, see ya.

Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 03:31 PM (CDT)

Day plus 20 - Esperanza went thru surgery today to get her other infected line taken out and a temporary line put in for about 5 - 7 days. Sometime next week after her 2 bacteria infections are treated for and gone, she will go thru surgery again to put a permanent double lumen port in. She is doing fine right now and her white blood cells are coming back up again,back up to 100 again, yea!!!

Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 04:30 PM (CDT)

Day plus 18 - We had a bad night last night. I stayed overnight and Deysi stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. I had finished watching a movie about 2 am this morning and Esperanza was snoozin away. I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back, the light in the room was on, and three nurses were in the room cleaning up some blood. Apparently, one of the nurses came in to check her blood pressure and Esperanza woke up and freaked out. She was kickin her legs and kicked the double port line right out of her chest. Thankfully she didn't bleed much. She will however have to go thru surgery again to replace that line that came out. But she won't go thru surgery until the doctors wait a couple days to see what else grows with the positive infection growth culture that they took 2 days ago that was from the line that was yanked out last night. They drew blood from the single line and are waiting to see if anything grows from it. If there is infection growth, the line that she has now will be pulled out and she will go through surgery to put a "temporary" line in to treat her infection. Then once the infection is gone, she will go thru surgery again to put a permanent line back in. So that is what it looks like from here right now. We still hope and pray that everything will be okay. If you could continue to keep praying for her and us it would be greatly appreciated. Bye, Bye for now

Friday, May 17, 2002 at 08:10 PM (CDT)

Well, here we are at Day plus 14 and we are so excited. Esperanza is growing cells. She started growing yesterday actually while I went back to Fort Bragg. The doctor came to see her today and said she has 300 new white blood cells. The doctors say that they will be checking her blood all weekend and if she has 600-700 white blood cells by Monday, then they can check her blood for another test to make sure that the growth is actually the donor cells. The test of the different types of infection fighting cells is what they will do when her white blood cells reaches in between 600 - 700 white blood cells. Now the engraftment is taking place and the graft versus host disease should be starting soon. We hope it stays under control, because she needs to have a little of this GVHD. That is what lets us know the new cord blood is taking to her body. So the fevers and rash maybe starting up soon. Anyway, we are happy that so far so good everything is going well. Please see the new photos that I uploaded today! They are of the G.I. Esperanza Smith!!!!

Sunday, May 12, 2002 at 08:52 PM (CDT)

Well, day plus 9 and still pluggin' on! I spent the weekend with the kids for Mauricio's (my son)birthday and my twenty fourth birthday, today. Deysi stayed with Esperanza and she said she did alright until about 7 pm last night and then had a fit again, calmed down but started up again and went all the way til 5 am this morning. She kept Deysi up all night. I came back up today and brought Deysi gifts and flowers from me and the kids. I took Deysi back to the Ronald McDonald House so she could get some sleep. I'm staying overnight and Esperanza had a temper again, started hitting me in the face and throwing stuff. WOW man, crazy stuff, man. Pheww!! Anyway, she is sleepin' now. It is scary when she gets in these fits because she rolls all over the bed, trys to crawl out of the bed, yells, screams, throws stuff, starts bicycle kickin' her feet a million miles an hour, and starts pulling on her lines. I don't want those to come out, so I have to hold her pretty tight and she kicks me in the face, trys to bite me. She has bitten Deysi 4 times REAL HARD, almost drew blood. Anyways , I don't want her to have to go through surgery again for the lines so we both take brutal beatings trying to protect those lines and her as well. Well, that's all for now. Please continue praying for her!!!

Thursday, May 09, 2002 at 02:08 PM (CDT)

Day plus 6 - Well, everything still continuing well. I went home yesterday to visit with Mauricio and Jenifer and to take care of some things back home. While I was gone, Deysi had a rough time with Esperanza and her temper tantrums. These steroids are completely magnifying her fits like something you would not believe. She had a temper tantrum that lasted three hours. Deysi was completely wiped out when I got back here. It is really crazy because she is really good with me, but as soon as Deysi enters the room or is alone by herself with Esperanza, she just goes crazy. Starts pulling her hair, throwing things at her, hitting her face, and won't leave her alone to get any rest, she constantly crawls all over her. But as soon as I come in to help calm her down, she is fine, and she either calms down and plays with her toys or lays down and drifts off to sleep. I think she knows better than to do that stuff while I'm around because I don't tolerate that behavior. Even though she is going through this hard time, I still have to get on her sometimes about her throwing an attitude with me. But she is still my sweet little pricess. Please see new photos from Transplant Day!!!!

Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 06:25 PM (CDT)

Well, the JOB is done man! We gave Esperanza a bath and guess what? Her hair started falling out. I'm talking big time. So, we dried her off and took the scissors and electrical clippers to her hair. She is now G.I. ESPERANZA SMITH, 1 each, camouflauge, hard core daughter of a US ARMY soldier. She looks just as beautiful now as she did before we cut the curls and she always will. We saved all of the hair in a plastic bag. Anyway she is doing fine.

Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 11:40 AM (CDT)

Tuesday, day plus 4 - Everything going well today. Her white blood cell count is down to less than 100 now. Her hair has started to fall out. I noticed a few hair strands on her pillow this morning. I think we may go ahead and chop it all off now, because it will end up getting all over the place. In her eyes, face, mouth, bed, and clothes. They have electric clippers, so I think we'll chop it today or tomorrow. Her throat sounds scratchy and she is drueling quite excessively which means she is getting mucositis (mouth sores) in her mouth, throat , and esophagus.

Monday, May 06, 2002 at 07:31 PM (CDT)

Day plus 3 - Well, her white blood cells are down to 600. They came down real quick. The good thing is that she isn't sick, but she is extremely susceptible to anything and everything as far as viruses and infections. She did however have another out of control temper tantrum. This one started when the physical therapist arrived and wanted to see Esperanza walk in the room. She did OK for a minute or so, then we moved her to the other side of the room and put a blanket on the floor for her to play on and to walk on as well and as soon as we tried to put her on the blanket, she just went crazy. I had a real hard time holding her and keeping her from pulling her lines out. I put her on the bed and she started to calm down after about a 15 minute fight with her to calm down. The nurses gave her some meds to calm down, and after another couple of minutes, she caught her breath and was fine. This is the 3rd day of it now. They say it is still from the steroids, so please pray for her to not have the violent fits. Well bye, bye

Sunday, May 05, 2002 at 05:08 PM (CDT)

Day plus 2. Esperanza has been having some very wild and violent temper fits. The docs say it is from the steroids that she is receiving to help stimulate her new cells to grow. Her white blood cells came down to about half of what they were yesterday. Yesterday they were 12,600, today they are 6,800. They will shortly be down to zero. This is for her benefit so do not be worried. The effects of the chemo are still luming around in her body. So far her hair has not yet fallen out. It will start falling out soon. Well, keep praying for her and GOD Bless everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Bye, bye for now

Saturday, May 04, 2002 at 08:30 AM (CDT)

Day plus one - Things are going well this morning. Her hemoglobin level was a little low and she needed a blood tranfusion to help her out with that, and her white blood cells are up again, but that is just because she got white blood cells in the cord blood yesterday. They will die off by Monday and then she will be waiting for her body to grow new cells. Things went well yesterday. I had an exciting experience yesterday evening. I went to go get dinner at the KFC-TACO BELL and had heard a broadcast on the radio about a radiothon on raising money specificly for the BONE MAROOW UNIT here at DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. Esperanza's doctor was speaking about a little girl that had received a bone marrow transplant and had something go wrong and was in the Peds Intensive Care Unit and was taken off the ventilator and passed away. It was such a sad, but very touching story. It broke my heart, and I felt a pulling on my heart to give back to all the things this wonderful unit is doing for my daughter Esperanza. So I went to take out money from the ATM , $100, and give it to the radiothon for the kids. When I got into the clinic where they all were, I asked "where do I leave my donation?" This lady said "come with me" and walked with me downstairs. I filled out the pledge sheet and the same lady that brought me down went to talk to the lady who was actually doing the broadcast on the air. That lady asked me if I would like to speak on the air and I told her "I'd love to!" So she interviewed me and I talked about esperanza and where we were from and how I had felt the need to give. Afterwards, I sat down and was talking to the lady that was in charge of this whole thing and she said, "so, your daughter is in the hospital and you are donating that large of an amount!", and I said"yes ma'am" and she said "you are an angel, there is a halo above your head" and there was a lady sitting right behind me and she came up to introduce herself and said "it is my pleasure to meet you, thank you so much!". It was so exciting and I thank GOD for that moment because HE was there at that exact moment and I felt so happy and blessed to give something back. So, if you all can do me such a wonderful favor. The radiothon that I donated to is going all the way thru this Sunday. If you could call 1-866-681-1015 and donate whatever you feel compelled to give it would be greatly appreciated. It is not just for Esperanza but for all the kids and families who are going thru these tough times with cancer. Thank you so much and keep praying for Esperanza and her new cells to grow, grow. GROW CELLS GROW!!!!

Friday, May 03, 2002 at 05:40 PM (CDT)

Today was the BIG DAY. Transplant is now complete. It came and went. Praise GOD for his wonderful works. She received a very whopping 85 c.c.'s of new cord blood bone marrow. The nurse that hooked her up said that that was the biggest bag of blood for transplant that she had ever seen. The doctor said "the bigger the bag of blood with new stem cells that she gets, the better chance she has." So that was miracle 2 during the treatment. Miracle 1 was that she took all her chemo well. Now we are praying for #3 for the immediate growth of new blood cells so she can be discharged. And the sooner we can go back home to be with our other two kids. Please see the new photos that I uploaded today and please if you could sign our guestbook. Also if you could call 1-866-681-1015 and donate to the Pediatric Bone Marrow unit here at Duke University, all the way thru Sunday this weekend, it would be very much appreciated. I donated a big lump of green for the kids. Thanks, bye, bye for now

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 12:23 PM (CDT)

Today is her second and final day of chemo. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and transplant is still scheduled for Friday. Yesterday she got a dose of meds that will help her body to accept the new cord blood and to prevent Graft(cord blood) VS Host (Esperanza) Disease which can be potentially fatal. She will get one more today and another tomorrow. They give it over a period of 9 to 10 hours and gets high fevers 101-106 degrees, and hives and rashes. She had a rash break out on her forehead and a 103 themp last night. She is better today. We keep on praying.

Monday, April 29, 2002 at 11:08 AM (CDT)

Today is day 5 (actually day -4) of Esperanza's chemotherapy in preparation for her bone marrow transplant. We have been in the hospital room since Wednesday April 24th, 2002. She recieved maintenance fluids the first day by IV.She had surgery on Monday the 15th of April, 2002 to put catheter lines into her chest going directly to her heart. She has two lines that are coming out of her chest. One of the lines has a double port, so all together she has 3 lines. These lines are used for drawing blood, giving her chemotherapy, nutritional food supply and the BIG ONE, her new Cord Blood Bone Marrow. She had to take chemotherapy orally by mouth for 4 days, starting last Thursday. She had to take it every six hours. The doctors and nurses said that it has a real bad taste to it and if Esperanza did not take it down, she would have to get a tube put up in her nose that goes to her stomach. The reason for this is because the medicine has to be given within a 2 minute period, you can't spread it out. Praise GOD, she took all of it by mouth and she didn't have to get the tube in her nose. That was with the Help of a lot of Prayer and GOD's hands touching her.
Now, she has to take 2 more types of chemo by IV for 4 days, and Day Zero (TRANSPLANT DAY) will be on Friday, May 3rd, 2002. GOD is going to get her through this. All we can do is put our faith and trust in the LORD that she will see a cure in her future. Prayer has really helped me and my wife Deysi through all of this. Pray, pray, pray and pray. Well gotta go, Bye, bye

Monday, April 29, 2002 at 10:59 AM (CDT)

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