It has been provided to keep people updated about our child.
Amanda's Story
On Friday morning March 26th 2004. After a terrible nosebleed that would not stop, and a call to her doctor who had done a blood test the previous day, Amanda was admitted to Penn State Hershey Childrens Hospital. The first thought was Amanda had leukemia , then after a series of Blood Tests and a Bone Marrow Test, Amanda was diagnosed with a Life Threatening Bone Marrow Failure Disease Called Severe Aplastic Anemia.Bone Marrow is the soft spongy material inside your bones that is home to stem cells. Stem cells are the factories that produce the three types of blood cells, along with a liquid called plasma that make up your blood. In people with Aplastic Anemia the workers of the factory do not produce enough blood cells to keep the patient alive.
There are three main types of blood cells.White Blood Cells fight infection by (eating) bacteria and viruses that enter the body.Red Blood Cells that carry oxygen to organs and tissues throughout the body.Platelets are yellow , sticky cells that help the blood to clot. People with Aplastic Anemia are always at risk for serious infections because they do not have enough white blood cells to fight off infections. They are also prone to fatigue from low red blood counts, and life threatening episodes of bleeding due to low platelet counts . Amanda like many Aplastic Anemia patients are dependent upon transfusions of donor blood and platelets to keep them alive. Amanda has been kept alive by generous blood and platelet donors from all over Central Pa. We are grateful to these kind and giving people.
Amanda`s case was refered to NIH for a second opinion and treatment. Amanda was admitted at ( NIH ) National Institutes of Health - Bethesda Md., on Monday April 12th and stayed until Sunday April 25th . She was and is being treated on Clinical Research Study # 03-H -0193 by doctor Phillip Scheinberg with an Immunosuppressive treatment of Four days of Antithymocyte globulin ( ATG ) a purified animal ( horse ) serum and an 18 month Slow Taper Cyclosporine Regimen. Dr. Andrew Freiberg at Penn State Childrens Hospital is assisting with the treatment with biweekly checkups , blood test and transfusions at the Pediatric Clinic in the Hershey Medical Center.
R. Greish
***************************** Tuesday January 25th 2005******* Please Pray for ******* Kailee Wells and her Family.******
We have a new mailing address for everyone to send Get Well Cards , Pictures and Letters.
Please mail to:
Amanda Greish Po Box 6274 Harrisburg Pa. 17112
Amanda loves all the get well cards ,pictures, letters, banners and gifts that everyone has made or given her. Over 4,000 Get Well Cards and Pictures that were on the walls of our house reminded us of all your Love and Prayers. To our Family Members, Friends , all the Children and all the people who we do not know ,that are Praying for Amanda and our Family we thank you for your Prayers and Support. The daily support you offer gives us the strength to make it through each and every day. We know we are not alone and God will take care of us and cure us of the diseases in our bodies.
Amanda and our family have had a very difficult past 6 months. The stresses of dealing with Amanda`s emotional and behavioral issues have become almost unbareable from one day to the next but mostly on an hourly basis.
Amy and I are trying everything we can do and seeking help from every possible resource ,yet sometimes it just feels like we are spinning our wheels. Weekly and monthly updates are impossible to even think about. Amanda has been given various medicines to help clam her down but nothing seems to be working .
We will be getting in house services with the hope of not having more hospitalizations for her behavioral problems. I do think without a doubt her diagnoses and medicines have intensified her mental health issues to the point where Amanda just does not care what happens to her.
Her blood counts / levels have reached normal levels after 2 long years of treatments. NIH has found an adnormality in her blood and possible connection to her Severe Aplastic Anemia , they are checking Amy and my blood also for the same blood adnormality. One day hopefully with research maybe they can figure out why people get Aplastic Anemia and find better treatments.
I am so sorry for the 6 month update and will do my best to have more frequent updates .
God bless and Thanks you for your thoughts , prayers and understanding.
Rich .
August 30th
Amanda`s Bone Marrow Test on 7/17/06 went as well as we could have hoped , only 3/4 a day of nausea and side effects and we were able to come home the same day. We did not get the results yet but the encouraging news was that she continues to make a slow and steady recovery and we will not have another appointment for one year. She will have another appointment for her by monthly blood test in September. I will update as soon as any results are known
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