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Tuesday, August 28, 2007 8:50 PM CDT
Hi Everyone:
Our family thought maybe we should put another journal update. This will probably be the last entry.
Tomorrow, August 29, will be one year to the day that our Lisa left us and went to Heaven.
I am not sure what there is to say except this has been an extremely dark time for our family. We are moving on the best we know how, but always walking on top of our sadness.
Lisa was a wonderful daughter to us, a wonderful sister to her sisters Gayle and Renee, and the very best mother to her little daughter Taylor. I can remember from the time Taylor was born that Lisa nurtured Taylor, she took much time out and taught her many good things. The last couple of years before she died, she was always teaching Taylor things, talking to her about important things of life. Telling Taylor how much she meant to her, how much she was thankful for her, and how much she loved her. It was very important to Lisa that Taylor never lose her love for God or her trust in Him.
As my daughter, she always made sure I wore things that she thought were fashionable, she would always bring things up to me when we were clothes shopping and say "Hey Mom, this is your size, it would look cute on you." She would sometimes hold my hand in church, even as an adult. Oh how I miss her.
She had great fun with her sisters, she worried about her Renee, she prayed for years for God to send Renee a good husband, and God did that.She loved Renee's husband Brian and felt he was an answer to her prayers. Lisa was so grateful for Renee's stem cells which gave her two more years of life. Lisa was thankful for Gayle and all that Gayle had done for her. Gayle and her loved to get together and laugh at the things their mother had done through the years. Lisa loved the three girls, Meghan and Brooke, Gayle's girls, and her little Taylor. Brooke was a very special blessing to her the last months of her life, they became extremely close. Brooke is just five, and she speaks of 'Dee Dee' all the time. She remembers well all the things she and her Aunt Dee Dee did together and the fun and giggles they had.
Lisa and her dad had wonderful morning walks together with the little Yorkie dog. Dad always made her bacon and eggs in the morning, then Lisa would go back to sleep for a while. Her dad misses her so much. He does not show it a lot, but in church during worship, the tears flow as they never did before.
Sometimes it seems our strength is almost gone, that we just cannot breathe because of Lisa dying. Yet, we know she is healthier than ever, with the Lord Jesus. With loved ones that greeted her and she can spend time with now. So much we do not understand but we are thankful for her life, for the time God allowed her to be with us.
Taylor is doing well, she is 11 and in sixth grade. She made the jr high volleyball team and is very excited to play. Lisa loved volleyball too, and played in high school.
I must say that we, as a family, are so grateful for our Savior Jesus. How thankful that we are all Christians, how thankful that our Lisa knew Jesus as her Savior and loved Him. How thankful that because of this, she is in Heaven. How wonderful to know that one day we will see her beautiful smile again, speak with her and hug her.
Please continue to pray for all of us.
Julie (Lisa's mom)
Saturday, September 9, 2006 11:08 PM CDT Lisa died on August 29 2006. She relapsed at the end of May. It seemed at the beginning that she had several options. They tried taking her off all drugs and letting the GVHD fight the leukemia. After about three weeks of this the leukemia went from 16 percent to over 70 percent. The only option left was more chemotherapy.
Monday, February 27, 2006 0:00 AM CST I thought it was about time for an update. Tuesday, December 27, 2005 1:00 AM CST We had a very nice Christmas this year. Christmas Eve we went to Old Town and ate at a Mexican restaurant there. We walked around and stopped to sing carols with some carolers there. Then we had some hot chocolate and latte's and went home.
Sunday, October 23, 2005 11:45 PM CDT Well, here we are in the fall. Our favorite time of the year. Wednesday, July 27, 2005 8:41 PM CDT It has been a hot summer, we are ready for cooler weather:) School will be starting in a few weeks. Wednesday, June 1, 2005 11:51 PM CDT School is out and it is almost summer. Taylor had a wonderful school year, She had a great Godly teacher and made some neat new friends. Taylor also made A+ honor roll. Thursday, May 5, 2005 9:15 PM CDT Saturday, May 7, will be one year to the day that Lisa had her bone marrow transplant. It is hard to believe it has been one year!
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 It has been just over 10 months since Lisa's transplant and she seems to be doing well. I thought I would take a turn updating her page. Lisa's hair is growing back and looks great. She has a cute, short style and is doing terrific.
Tuesday, February 8, 2005 7:43 PM CST Day 179 post-transplant. Sunday, January 30, 2005 8:19 PM CST Day 170 post-transplant.
Thursday, January 20, 2005 8:10 PM CST Day 160 post-transplant. Sunday, January 9, 2005 8:58 AM CST Day 149 post-transplant. Saturday, December 25, 2004 11:24 PM CST Day 134 Post-transplant.
Sunday, December 12, 2004 8:33 PM CST Day 121 Post-transplant.
Wednesday, December 1, 2004 11:23 PM CST Day 110 post transplant.
Saturday, November 20, 2004 9:57 PM CST Day 199 post-transplant.
Friday, November 12, 2004 11:49 PM CST Day 191 post-transplant.
Wednesday, November 3, 2004 5:40 PM CST Day 181 post transplant.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 7:21 PM CDT Day 174 post transplant. Lisa still has GVH, her mouth is still sore and it hurts her to swallow. Her liver counts were slightly up again. She seems fatigued, but is able to rest when she feels like it. They did a throat culture yesterday, hopefully it will not show any problems. Tuesday, October 19, 2004 9:43 PM CDT Day 166 post-transplant. Lisa had a doctor appointment today. The yeast infection is gone from her mouth. Her mouth is not as sore as it was. She will be seeing a Dermatologist to check out the rash on her skin to make sure it is GVHD. It has shown up in her blood draws that her liver counts have been going up for the last couple of weeks. This could be very serious so he is going to watch that closely. It could also be GVHD or a side effect of some of the meds she has been taking. Hopefully next week the blood draw will show improvement. Lisa sees the doctor once a week now since she has had all of this other stuff going on with her.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 9:05 PM CDT Day 159 post-transplant. Lisa had a fun weekend. Her friend Debbie flew in from Washington state and spent four days with her. They had fun and did a lot of scrapbooking. Debbie really liked New Mexico, especially the green chili. Friday, October 1, 2004 10:56 PM CDT Today is day 147 post-transplant. Lisa's mouth is very very sore. She has difficulty eating which is not good as she needs those calories to heal and for strength. She is using the steroid rinse for her mouth, but this does not seem to help much.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:34 PM CDT Today is day 142 post-transplant. Lisa continues to do well. She has soreness in her mouth and a rash on her back. Her mouth seems to have gotten worse the last few days. She saw her doctor Friday. He sounded pretty confident that she does have GVHD. We were hoping for some as the doctors have told us that it is needed for the long term cure. He wants to continue her daily doses of Cylosporine (the drug that slows down the graft) because of the GVHD. He gave her a steroid rinse for her mouth, which should help with the discomfort. She had lost weight and the doctor told her to eat more frequently and not to lose any more weight. Her blood counts have all been excellent.
Monday, September 13, 2004 12:18 AM CDT Day 129 post-transplant. Today is Lisa's 33rd birthday! Lisa started the day with a visit to her doctor. She got a very good report back from him. She has a grade one GVHD, which is good news. Other than that, she is doing wonderful.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004 7:22 PM CDT Day 110 post-transplant. The above picture was taken August 6, 2004. It is Lisa with her mom, Julie. We all went out to dinner at Quarters BBQ for our mom's birthday. There is another photo of Lisa and Taylor below in "View Photos."
Sunday, August 15, 2004 4:24 PM CDT It is day 100! I can hardly believe we have come this far. Fortunately Lisa was able to come home on day 89, but we are so thankful that this day is here. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004 11:46 PM CDT Day 97. Jess and John arrived safely home with the load on Monday evening. They made really good time as they drove straight through and just slept for a few hours the first night. They were both very glad to be here. Monday, August 9, 2004 5:15 PM CDT Day 94. Lisa and Taylor arrived safely home on August 4. We were all so happy to see them. Lisa looks very good. They were in time to celebrate my birthday, and little Brooke's. We are so glad to have them home. Lisa is feeling strong and is very happy to be here with her family. God provided a good follow up doctor for her. He is very familiar and experienced with transplant patients such as Lisa. We are told that he is the best in NM. Another way God has taken care of Lisa. Again, we have seen His Hand all along the way. He has taken such good care of Lisa. Wednesday, August 4, 2004 11:00 AM CDT Day 89! We praise our wonderful Lord, Lisa and Taylor are coming home today (at least for a while)! We thought the day would never come. We are so grateful and thankful for all He has done. He has been with us constantly through all of this.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 10:43 AM CDT Day 82. Lisa received some of her test results back yesterday. We found out that that there is no cancer in her bone marrow! This is a wonderful praise and we are so very thankful. We are still awaiting results from a few more tests but the bone marrow biopsy was the big one!
Monday, July 19, 2004 12:49 AM CDT Day 73. It is her dad's birthday today, so the three are going to a matinee movie, and an early dinner to celebrate. Tuesday, July 13, 2004 8:45 PM CDT Today is day 67. I thought I would update my sister's page today. I just returned from a 10-day visit with Lisa in Seattle. I had a wonderful time with her. I kept very busy doing dishes, laundry, cleaning, meeting with Lisa's attorney, and packing a few boxes. I was very glad to help.
Thursday, July 8, 2004 9:28 AM CDT Day 62. Lisa is feeling very good. Her red count was slightly low the other day, they say it is normal for the counts to fluctuate. They will keep an eye on that. She still sees her doctors once a week, and gets blood draws on Tuesdays and Fridays. Gayle and Brooke are still up there and they are all really enjoying each other. Lisa's taste buds were affected by the chemo, so they are trying different foods, recipe's, etc. to see what tastes good to her. Her taste should be back to normal in time.
Monday, July 5, 2004 9:47 PM CDT Day 59. In the above picture you see from left to right, Gayle, Brooke, Lisa, Taylor and Jesse. They are up on the roof of the Pete Gross House which is where the apartment is. You can see the Space Needle behind them. On the 4th of July they watched the fireworks display from up there, and they said they had a wonderful view. There were fireworks on Lake Union and going up from behind the Space Needle.
Thursday, July 1, 2004 4:01 PM CDT It is day 55, and God continues to lift Lisa up and strengthen her more each day.
Saturday, June 26, 2004 11:51 AM CDT Today is day 50! It is hard to believe that we are half way to day 100. We are truly very thankful for each day, God is so good!
Tuesday, June 22, 2004 10:32 PM CDT Today is day 46, Lisa saw her doctors today and they are very pleased with her progress thus far. They lowered her dose of cyclosporine, the drug that she is taking to slow down the graft. They are taking her off the nightly IV fluids. Her nutrition is good, she does not have to see the Nutritionist again until day 80, which is when they usually begin the work up to get her ready to leave the area at day 100. To God be the Glory, we are so thankful for all He is doing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004 0:02 AM CDT It is the evening of day 45! We are almost halfway there. Today was Taylor's 8th birthday. She wanted to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, so we called ahead to find out when their 'slow' time was and had an early birthday dinner, just the four of us. One of the transplant patients here, Mike, is a retired third grade teacher and also does magic tricks. He is a wonderful Christian. He was so kind to give Taylor her own private mini magic show down in the lobby. He weaved God's Word into it and he did a wonderful job. Earlier today two of her dear friends, Sharon and Debra came up to Seattle and spent a couple of hours with Lisa. It did Lisa so much good to see them again. She is very tired from the day, but still doing so well. Please continue to pray that she can stay that way, without any infections or GVHD. We so appreciate your prayers. Thursday, June 17, 2004 6:54 PM CDT Today is day 41. We are so thankful to have come this far. Lisa's energy seems to be increasing each day. She is wanting to get out and do things. Of course, she is tired afterwards and has to rest, but we definitely see improvement. Her doctors only want to see her once a week now. She still has blood draws two times a week.
Monday, June 14, 2004 7:32 PM CDT Today is day 38 after transplant and Lisa is doing very well. She gets tired very easily but we feel that she gets a little stronger each day.
Thursday, June 10, 2004 11:24 AM CDT Lisa is a young, single mom with a 7 year-old daughter, Taylor. Her husband abandoned them in August of 2003. Lisa was born and raised in Albuquerque and wants to move back after her treatment. Lisa and Taylor have lived in Washington for the past five years.
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We entered the hospital on June 25, 2006. They started seven days of chemotherapy on June 26. After a week, already we could see the affect of the chemo on Lisa.
She gradually got sicker, her liver got an infection or something and her bilirubin kept climbing. It was amazing to the doctors and nurses that with a bilurubin of 50 at one time, she was always sharp and alert. In the end it was her liver that stopped functioning and caused her to die. There were no signs of leukemia in her blood. As hard as we prayed all summer, God ultimatelty told us no to her healing here on earth. He loves her so much more than we do, and heaven is we know wonderful. I am so glad that she knew Jesus as her Savior.
She was a testimony to the doctors and nurses. She always praised God and prayed. She often asked me to sing praises to our Lord with her. As her mother I am extremely proud of her. She never complained just knew that this was all somehow for His glory.
Lisa was a testimony to all who met her. We miss her so much. Taylor is doing well, she misses her mom, Lisa was a wonderful mother and left a wonderful heritage for Taylor. She does know that her mommy is with Jesus and that encourages her.
Her funeral was a celebration of her life and we hope brought glory to our Lord. Many people came for her funeral.
Thank you for all of the prayers the last couple of years. We are heartbroken, it is hard to believe that she died. Sometimes I have to think back to the moments she took her last breaths to remind my self that she is really not coming back. Pray for us in the coming months for strength and comfort.
Julie
Lisa's blood counts have continued to be excellent, and Lisa is looking wonderful. Her eye doctors discovered that she had cataracts on both of her eyes. (Due to the prenazone that she is taking) Her vision had been very poor and that was the reason. It was going to take them months to get her in and get the cataracts removed. It was a miracle that the doctors bumped her ahead and removed them both in a matter of about a week. Lisa had prayed that she would be able to have her vision back for her sister Renee's wedding, which was yesterday. Lisa and her other sister Gayle were both attendants in the wedding. The wedding was beautiful.
Renee, you may remember, is the sister that donated her stem cells to Lisa. It is amazing how this all happened. During the time of finding out that Renee was a perfect match to be Lisa's donor, the doctors said it is good that Renee had not married and had children, as this makes her a stronger donor. Having children apparently makes your antibodies not as strong or as pure or something like that. Six months after she donated her cells, Renee and Brian got acquainted. God had a plan for Renee. God is good! Brian is a very nice young man and they love each other very much.
Lisa's story is still going on, she recently was asked to share her testimony to a church group and this is one thing she told them, that her story is ongoing, God continues to work and do miracles in her life.
We are all continuing on and thankful as always for God's goodness and mercy to us.
Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Christmas morning we went to church. We then went over Gayle and Ronnie's to eat breakfast and open some gifts. Later on we had dinner at our home, Gayle and Ronnie and the girls, and Mr. and Mr. Renshaw came. Uncle John and a couple of other friends came too.
Lisa's GVHD is healing, except for a cold she is doing better that the last update. Taylor is happy and well adjusted. She can be goofy and make us laugh. She loves her little 'Yorkie' dog and plays with it a lot.
As we were caroling on Christmas eve, Lisa commented that she was so glad to be there, singing, and being healthy. We all agreed that we have much to be thankful for and we need to always remember. We are still constantly reminded of God's miracles and His goodness to us. Just to be able to get out of bed in the mornings is a blessing, and not to be taken for granted.
At Christmas we are reminded each time of the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus did for us. To be born, to die for our sins.
'And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust the Lord." Psalm 40:3
Taylor is in 4th grade and is doing well. She likes her new teacher and friends.
Lisa also continues to do well. There has been a time or two when her red count is a bit off and she has been anemic and feels very tired. The doctor usually gives her a special shot when this happens and her energy level returns. The doctor has cut her dosage of prednazone in half. She is glad to begin to wean off of this, however, some of the symptoms of graft versus host seem to be starting to act up again, her mouth is a bit tender again. We ask again for your prayers for this in particular. She had endured a lot of this in the past months, and it was better until the prednazone dose was cut down. Hopefully her body will adjust and the symptoms will not get any worse. Other than this her doctor is very pleased with her overall progress and her blood counts are usually great.
Lisa has begun to teach some scrapbook classes in one of the local scrapbook stores and has some other things she is going to 'step' into to try to get her life busy again.
We are all busy with our lives again and remembering always the goodness and mercy of our Lord.
'The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise Him.' 1 Chronicles 23:5
Lisa and Taylor are doing super. A few weeks ago Lisa's oncologist cut her cyclosporine dose in half and so far so good. Lisa's still goes in for regular blood counts and they have all been good too. Her blood pressure was high so they put her on medicine to lower that. The doctor said it was the drugs she was taking that made it high. Normally Lisa has very low blood pressure. The plan is still to wean her off the prednazone on or around August 12.
Taylor is a normal nine year old, she spends a lot of time with her cousins Meghan and Brooke, they seem to be like sisters. Her little cousin Brooke just loves Taylor and Taylor is good to her. Taylor took an art class this summer and really enjoyed that. She also had her 9th birthday on June 21. We went to Olive Garden (her choice) and came home and had cake and opened gifts afterwards.
Lisa's dad will be having double knee replacements on August 12 also. We would appreciate your prayers for this too.
Every day is a reminder of the miracle God has brought us through. Please pray that this will continue to draw us closer to Him and for us to be used for His glory.
James 5:1 'Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Her Aunt Gayle showed her how to make a quilt this weekend. Taylor picked out the fabric and did a lot of the work. The quilt turned out very nice, very colorful.
Lisa's eyes are much better. She had an irritated cornea which made her eyes water and burn, so it was hard for her to see. She is now able to drive again, she is doing so much better. Praise our Lord again! The GVHD is getting better but not all healed yet. Please remember to pray for complete healing of that, the doctor will then begin to wean her off of the cyclosporine and the prednazone.
A scripture that came to mind a lot during this journey of Lisa being ill is in James chapter 1: 2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
We know that God is drawing each of us closer to Him through this, that He wants us to see more of Him and trust Him more.
Lisa just returned home from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) for her one year checkup. They did extensive testing on every area of her body, including a bone marrow biopsy.
On the fourth day she sat down with her long term follow up doctor. The doctor said that her bone marrow is now 100 percent Renee's. Praise be to God! Lisa was told that she is doing excellent. They were very pleased with her. Since she still has the Graft versus Host (GVH) they will begin her on a low dose of prednazone, which she will take every other day. The side effects should be very minimal, since it is low dose, every other day. After a month or so, the GVH should clear up and they will wean her off the prednazone.
Lisa can go back to a somewhat 'normal' life now. She may go to church and get around people more. She will still have to be cautious around sick people.
To those of you that prayed faithfully for Lisa we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know that this is a complete miracle from our Lord. We are extemely grateful for His Healing Hand and His continued mercies to us. We are looking forward now to watch as Lisa continues on and strives to enjoy her new life with little Taylor.
Psalm 18:46 "The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted."
We found out today that her divorce is final. The divorce has been final since March 1st. This now closes one chapter of her life. The past year and a half was a hard year physically, with the illness and personally with the divorce. We are all glad that this chapter is over and look forward to God's blessings and provisions in the days and months ahead.
Taylor Paige is doing well. She loves being around her cousins. She fits right in with them ... just like another sister! She seems to be doing much better and is really adjusting to life in New Mexico.
Lisa just got over a cold which lasted three weeks. She still must be careful and take care of herself. Please continue to keep Lisa and Taylor Paige in your prayers as they press on with the next chapter God has for them both!
Thank you so very much to those of you who have financially and prayerfully supported Lisa. Your kindness will NEVER be forgotten! God bless!
Gayle Renshaw
Sister of Lisa Rhodes
It was a year yesterday, February 7, that Lisa was diagnosed with AML leukemia. It was nine months yesterday from the day of her transplant. It is strange to look back and think of all that has happened, and how things have changed for us all in the last year. It is wonderful the love of our God and how He has and is still taking care of Lisa.
Lisa has had a few rough days lately. One thing is that they are now weaning her off the morphine, which can cause some withdrawal effects. She also has a cold which makes her not feel well. Lastly, although her mouth is doing better, the GVHD in other areas has not subsided. She has constant pain and discomfort. As you know, this has been going on for months. Lisa of course, is ready for these things to get better. She has been so strong throughout, but sometimes it seems it all just flows over.
Please continue to pray for her these next days that she will feel better. Please also continue to pray for wisdom and knowledge for the doctors.
"Though wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26;3
We are so excited! Lisa's mouth is definitely healing. The doctor saw that it is much better. Lisa has felt it getting better and better each day. She has been eating more this last week. She actually sits down and eats a meal. Not a huge plate, but a decent meal. Her weight stays the same, but we know that good nutrition will make her get stronger and healthier so much faster. Her mouth still has some soreness, and other parts of her body that were affected by the GVHD will take longer to heal, but we truly feel that things are improving each day. It is so good to see her eating again, and such a huge relief.
We know that God hears and answers prayer. Your prayers have sustained Lisa and us through all of this. God is truly, amazingly good!
"He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him." Psalm 91:15
Praise our Lord, it seems that Lisa can finally see some change in her mouth. It has been very slow, but she says it is definitely feeling a little better each day. The last week or so she has been eating a bit more and has more energy. She has begun to feel hungry again. So much of the time she really could not sense the hunger, but made herself eat anyway. She is still very thin, but hopefully as she eats better she will get some weight back on.
Lisa feels a strong sense of God's presence, and He is encouraging her along this road of healing.
Taylor is doing great in school. Her academics are great. She made A Honor roll. She is relaxed and happy these days. She enjoys school and her friends.
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2
Here we are in 2005. We think Lisa's GVHD in her mouth, is slightly better. She seems to be able to eat better, although it is still painful, she thinks it is not as painful as it was. Her doctor told her that if the increase in the Cyclosporine helps, it will be gradually. Her energy level seems to be increasing too.
It was 8 months past transplant on January 7! We are still thankful each day for God's goodness to us.
As we look over last year, there have been times when we have said what a rough year it was. We realize though, that it was a good year. Although Lisa came down with leukemia, God was with us throughout. As we have said before, every time a new hurdle came, He was there, He had already taken care of it, even before we asked. We know there will be other hurdles, but we know that He knows,and that we do not need to worry, He has it all under control. And so, again, we want to lift up His Holy Name, and proclaim His goodness again!
Please remember to pray for Lisa, also Melinda in Washington state, another young mother with leukemia who is receiving treatment at this time. Also, Greg, Rick, Mark, Scott, and others recovering from their transplants.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
Today is Christmas evening. We had a very nice Christmas with all of our family together. We had fun opening presents, first at Gayle and Ronnie's house, and then at our house. We had a wonderful dinner. My brother John joined us for a while this evening to open his presents from us.
Lisa's mouth is still about the same. The doctor did tell her that he thinks this will be the extent of her GVHD. We are hopeful that this is so, even though it is so painful for Lisa. The doctor has upped her dosage of Cyclosporine, the drug that slows down the graft. Hopefully this will take away the GVH. He told her it would take about a week for her to tell, as the cells in her mouth will take that long to grow back. She has been on the higher dose for a couple of days now.
Christmas has been a time of reflection, and another reminder of God's continued watch care over Lisa and our whole family. A time to remember His birth and the wonderful gift we have in Jesus. Julie
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2
Things are pretty much staying the same with Lisa these days. The main problem she is having is still the soreness in her mouth. The last couple of days have been much worse than before. We looked inside her mouth this evening. It it is absolutely red and raw inside her cheeks. Her tongue has blisters, it is the most painful today.
The SCCA told Lisa last week that the doctors office in Albuquerque had not sent the results of her cheek biopsy to them as they were supposed to. Of course this delays any treatment they can do to make Lisa more comfortable. Lisa has been in tears a few times this last week, she wants to eat so badly, and then when she sits down to eat, the pain is so completely unbearable it brings frustration and tears.
She knows how good she is doing otherwise, apart from the mouth she feels very well, and does not complain. She is still so grateful for all God has done, she apologizes for complaining at all.
We ask once again for you to uplift Lisa to the Lord. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, and that there will be better communication between them. When they are not on the ball, Lisa is the one that has to suffer.
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours". Mark 11:24
We thank you again for your prayers.
We all had a wonderful thanksgiving. It was so nice that the whole family was here.
Lisa's results from the biopsy to her cheek came back and the doctor told her that she has 8 percent GVHD. Her friend Scott in California who had a transplant in Seattle about the same time as she did, has 25 percent GVHD. His mouth is not so sore. We are told everyone is different, your really cannot compare. Scott is doing well also, please keep he and his family in your prayers too.
Today Lisa said she thought her mouth was feeling better, she was able to eat more at supper. We hope it is subsiding. These last couple of months have been difficult for her with the pain in her mouth. Otherwise, Lisa is doing very well. She gets out some, makes cards, talks to friends on the phone, and has done some Christmas shopping. She still tires easily and rests as she needs to, but her endurance is gradually getting better.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
Lisa's potassium count was high the last couple of weeks, also her liver counts had been slowly creeping up for a few weeks. The doctor was concerned and kept a close watch on it. Praise the Lord, her blood counts this week showed that her potassium count is now normal, and her liver counts are stable. We understand that all of this can accompany the GVH. No results back from the biopsy's yet, we should get them in a day or so. Her mouth is about the same, she is such a trooper, she has to eat very slowly as it is so painful, but she does it, she knows she must eat to keep strong and to gain strength.
It is almost Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for. Lisa's dad has become very emotional these days as he realizes again and again, the miracles that God has done for Lisa and us this year. It is hard for him to be in church, in praise service, or even as he prays, without the tears flowing. We are all that way, very emotional, and extremely thankful for God's never ending mercies to us. It all seems so unreal when we look back and think of all that has occurred from last Thanksgiving to this. Again, we can say Praise God from whom all blessings flow. We are so thankful that we do know Jesus as Savior, we wonder how anyone can go through times like these without Him.
Again, we are very thankful to all of you that pray faithfully for Lisa.
Lisa went to the oral doctor today and he took a sample of skin from inside her cheek to make sure she does indeed have GVHD. She sees another doctor in a couple of weeks who will take a graft of skin from her arm to biopsy also.
She thought maybe her mouth was slighly better the other day, but now is not so sure. It is hard to tell. She is making serious efforts to eat and to eat high calorie stuff that she can handle. We are praying that this will all subside soon, the doctor said it is possible that it could be chronic. We have heard of some that have had this up to a year after transplant and sometimes longer.
Taylor is happy, so much more relaxed and at ease these days. She and Lisa are spending the night at Ronnie and Gayle's house tonight for a change. Lisa does get very bored as there are not many places she can go and not much she can do in her condition right now.
As always we covet your prayers. We need them so much and know that He is listening and answering. Every time I get that worried feeling he almost immediately assures me again, that Lisa is going to be fine. He is holding us close each day.
Here we are in November. On November 7, it will be six months since Lisa's transplant. We continue to be thankful. We will be so glad when the nine months mark is up, they told us that her immune system should be stronger at nine months to a year. Please continue to pray that we can all stay well, no flu, nothing major in these next months. We were unable to get flu shots, none of our doctors had any.
Lisa still has pain in her mouth. She does take pain medicine which helps to curb it. It is still hard for her to eat, although she gets hungry it is very painful to eat anything. Everything she tries seems to burn her mouth to some degree. She has lost more weight because of all of this, so she is trying very hard to get food down.
Lisa is having some trouble getting her insurance to approve the particular brand of prescriptions that work for her. You may remember that it is very hard for her to swallow pills, and the insurance does not want to approve the stuff that she is used to. She gags on some of the pills they have given her. The doctor is trying to put pressure on the insurance to approve the appropriate drugs to make Lisa's healing process easier, more comfortable and with less stress on her.
We are continually grateful to all of you that are remembering to pray for her, and for those of you that take the time to leave notes for her on this website. It is always so encouraging to know that someone is praying for her and thinking about her. It is also so encouraging to remember that He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds our stayed on Him. He is doing wonderful things in our hearts and lives. Julie
Lisa came on a field trip with the school the other day. We went to the Pumpkin patch. Lisa was able to stay away from the crowds as it is big place. There was a man made mountain. The children were able to sit on a gunny sack and slide down it. The farmers shot pumpkins from a canon, there were animals and really lots of fun things to do. She and Taylor enjoyed that day very much. The next day Lisa was tired, which usually happens to her after a big day out.
Taylor is happy and still loves school and has made new friends. Lisa has been picking her up from school every day, this is a nice time for them to have one on one time together.
We are all doing the best we can, we realize more and more that this is all in God's hands. God is the one in control, He holds us all in His hands. We must look to Him each day to surround us with His love and mercy. Thanks again for praying for us, thanks for continuing to do so. Julie
19 year old Scott is a friend that we met up in Seattle, he was given his mother Cynthia's cells. He and others have similar symptoms to Lisa. They are a wonderful Christian family from California. Please keep he and his family on your prayer list too.
Taylor continues to get more and more settled. She really likes school and her teacher. She is still getting good grades. Lisa and Taylor love to spend time together. Taylor seems happier that Lisa is getting stronger and is able to spend time with her without being so tired.
I ask you again to please remember Lisa in your prayers. God has been so faithful to her, and all of us, and we continue to be thankful for His never ending mercies. Julie
Lisa was very tired and slept most of the day yesterday. She still gets fatigued very easily.
Lisa had a doctors visit today and she still has GVHD, and now has a yeast infection in her mouth, caused by one of the medications she was taking for the GVHD. The doctor put her on an antibiotic which should clear it up in a few days. Sometimes it seems we go in circles with all of this. One medication heals but causes something else, and then they give her another medication to fix the something else:) We are so thankful for the wisdom of the doctors and all they are able to do.
It has been five months since the transplant and her immune system should be stronger in nine months to a year so we are getting there. We get a bit nervous with the flu season coming on us, especially with the lack of flu shots. We know that we must trust God in this too, He has been with us through every step.
God continues to work in each of our lives and is teaching us daily. I ask that you please continue to pray for Lisa and our family through all of this. Julie
Otherwise she feels very good. This week she and her dad took several long early morning walks.
We would like to ask you once again to lift Lisa up in prayer. Pray that her mouth will begin to feel better and that she will be able to eat. It is very important that she eats. Her body is burning thousands of calories a day as it is going through all of this.
Taylor is still doing well and getting mostly A's in school. She enjoys spending time with her two cousins, Meghan and Brooke.
We are enjoying the Fall and being together. It is Lisa's sister Gayle's birthday tomorrow, and we celebrated that tonight with a family dinner at Gayle and Ronnie's house.
As usual I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness in praying for Lisa. Please keep it up:) Julie
Lisa has been busy scrapbooking, making beautiful cards, and taking care of her personal business. She tries to keep up the exercise, She, her dad, and Taylor went for a long walk last night. Lisa and Taylor spend time together each evening. Taylor does her reading assignment and whatever homework she has at this time. Taylor is doing great and has adjusted well to her new circumstances.
Please keep Lisa in your prayers. Please pray that she will get just enough of this GVH, but not too much. Please continue to pray for the legal proceedings concerning her divorce as this is not final yet. Pray for wisdom in all of this.
We still look daily to the Lord, He is our strength, and He is working in each one of our lives through all of this. We wonder how anyone can ever make it without Him. Julie (Lisa's mother)
Our mother is going to make lasagne for dinner tonight. It is one of Lisa's favorites. After dinner, we will have ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Then, we all plan on going for a bike ride on the bosque. Bike riding is a wonderful way for Lisa to get exercise, which is crucial to her healing.
Year 33 marks a new year ... a year of new beginnings. Year 32 was a very difficult year for Lisa. With her husband abandoning Lisa and their daughter and then cancer, it was probably one of the hardest years of her life. We are all looking ahead, by the grace of God, to a new year of life for Lisa.
We all believe that God is going to bless her in the months and days ahead. Continue to pray for Lisa. Happy Birthday Lisa! 33 years old!
Out with the OLD LIFE, in with the NEW!
Gayle Renshaw
Lisa Rhodes sister
Lisa and Taylor are doing well. They are adjusting to life in New Mexico. Taylor started school on the 18th of August. She is meeting new friends and doing her studies. Taylor attends a Christian school. We were very blessed by the generosity of others to be able to send Taylor to a Christian school.
Lisa has been trying to rest and not overdo it. She has been unpacking. Taylor's room is all set up and looks nice. Lisa added fresh paint to both of their rooms. Lisa found a great new doctor in New Mexico. She tries hard not to exhaust herself.
Keep us all in your prayers. Thank you again to all those who have sent Lisa and Taylor financial support. Every cent they are living on has been through donations. We could not have done it without you. Be sure to visit www.buyforcharity.com and select Love for Lisa when making online purchases. It will not cost even ONE CENT more for you but they will donate a portion of the sale to Lisa! God bless you all!
Gayle Renshaw
Sister of Lisa Rhodes
When we look back at the last six months, it has been a long journey, or as my Pastor put it, a pilgrimage.
Lisa is feeling strong and looks wonderful. She really likes her new doctor here in NM. The doctor is a bit concerned that there has been no GVHD but says it could be due to several factors, one being that when the first remission came, she was already healed. If need be, we ask that God bring just a little GVHD. He is as always ultimately the one who is in control. We know she is healed, we have seen His working Hand over and over in all of this. They are weaning her off the Cyclosporine (the drug that slows down the graft) so in October she will stop that. The doctor says then is the time she could get some GVHD. We would not want too much of it, just enough.
We are working hard trying to get the house back in order after bringing Lisa and Taylor's things in. It will take a few weeks. Please continue to lift us up in all that is ahead. Pray that we will continue to draw closer to Him and to each other. Thanks again. Julie
They have been working very hard unloading the truck and painting rooms. We are so thankful for John's help. It will be nice when everything is done. It will take some time to get everything in order and put away.
Lisa is doing fine. We do not want her to do more than she should. She is usually good about resting when she gets tired. She will still be getting her weekly blood draws and doctors appointments. Taylor is registered for school and is looking forward to it. She seems happy to be here too. She and her cousin Meghan keep us all on our toes.
It is so wonderful to have our whole family together again. It has been a long six months. We have much reason to thank and praise our wonderful Lord for all He has done, and continues to do. We see Him at work all around us.
Jess (her dad) and her Uncle John are driving all of Lisa and Taylor's household belongings back to NM to be put in storage. They left Seattle on Sunday morning and should be here in a day or so. It is slow driving with the heavy load. Please pray for safe travel for them. Jess is very excited to finally be on the way home. He has been up there for almost four months.
Thank you again for your faithfulness in praying for Lisa. Julie
Yesterday Lisa had her 'Hickman' line removed. It was inserted into her surgically on February 8. They did all of her blood draws, IV's etc. through this. She also had a blood transfusion yesterday to make sure she is OK and strong for the transition. She received more wonderful results back from her tests. Her bone marrow is now 98 percent Renee's. Renee was told when she gave her cells that it could take up to a year for her marrow to become 100 percent into Lisa. Lisa's blood type changed from O positive to B positive which is what Renee is. We were told early on that this would happen too. No signs of GVHD either. To God be the glory!
Lisa will not be able to go out among large crowds for the next nine months to a year due to her weak immune system. We will all have to be very cautious about washing our hands, germs etc. She still has a way to go. We know God will continue to be close.
Thank you again for your continued prayer for Lisa and all of us.
Continue to pray for Lisa. We are trying to get some legal matters worked out with her soon to be ex-husband as far as him giving her permission to move. She has no financial support coming in so she needs to be with family. Please pray with us about this. We know God is good and He is faithful.
Thank you again for all your support. Pray with us as we continue to get fundraising efforts underway. We are very close to being out of money and have many more expenses in the days ahead. God bless you all.
Gayle Renshaw
Lisa's sister
Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, the SCCA will be doing a huge work up of testing on Lisa. She will have tests done every day this week. They will test everything, from head to toe, including doing another bone marrow biopsy on Thursday. Please pray that we have good results on all of these tests. If everything looks good, they will make plans to release her on, or about August 3rd, to come home.
Here in Albuquerque we have done much work to get the house ready for Lisa and Taylor. We have made huge steps, we are very thankful. We would so appreciate it it you would pray for this too. We have to finish up the last few things that need to be done.
We all feel a bit dazed about all that has happened the last months. God is very near. We are so thankful to Him for His wonderful mercy and kindness to Lisa, and to our family. He is truly a great God!
Lisa is doing well. She definitely tires easily. She must take small naps throughout the day. My dad and I kept busy doing things for her. I was very worried the couple of times we did go out to eat about germs and people sneezing. Her immune system is very low.
God-willing, Lisa said her doctors will release her to come home to Albuquerque on August 3rd (my wedding anniversary)! She has another bone marrow biopsy before then and if everything is okay, she can come home. Please continue to pray for Lisa in the days and months ahead.
Thank you to all who have prayed and financially supported the "Love for Lisa Fund." This fund has literally paid her expenses. Our family would have been through much financial hardship paying for her expenses alone.
God bless all of you who pray for, support, and love Lisa. We are eternally grateful.
Gayle Renshaw (Lisa's sister)
The last few days have been cool in Seattle and this makes for some nice days. When it is hot there, it can be very uncomfortable.
Please continue to lift Lisa up to the Lord. Pray for her dad too as he will be the caregiver for her for the next few weeks, until it is time for them to dismiss her. Pray that things will go smoothly as the time comes for them to get ready to leave the area.
Lisa is feeling well, although yesterday tired her out. She loves having Gayle and Brooke up there. Brooke loves her Aunt Lisa. Taylor is enjoying having Brooke too, it is good for her to have another child around, even though Brooke is only 23 months old. Brooke follows Taylor everywhere. Gayle is going to help her pack up some boxes while she is there so Lisa will not have to do all of that.
We are still praying that Lisa continues to do well and that she and Taylor will be able to come home in August.
Lisa is very bored. Other patients have told us that the better they feel, the more they wish they could do. The apartment is very small, and since she is not able to go around large crowds, it is difficult to be able to do very much. She and Jesse are continuing to walk about two and a half miles a day. They also walk to and from the SCCA on the days that she has an appointment with her doctors, or a blood draw.
She has been making cards, which she loves to do. Her dad has even been helping her with the cutting.
Taylor is in The Hutch School Summer Camp and loves that. She gets very bored too, so this really helps to break up her day. She goes for four hours a day and they do lots of fun things, outings, etc.
Gayle and little Brooke will be going out there tomorrow to spend a few days with them. Lisa and Taylor are really excited that they are coming. Gayle is taking homemade chocolate turtles and rice krispy treats to them.
The SCCA told Lisa that they will begin her 'work up' on about day 75. They usually begin this about 20 days before they dismiss a patient to leave the area.
Lisa has a little time during the day when she feels kind of yucky. We think this is a little of the GVHD. (Graft Versus Host Disease) This is where the graft (Renee's cells) and the host (Lisa) realize that something different is going on in there. We are told that some of this is good, they want that, it shows that the graft is doing what it is supposed to do. We just do not want too much of that.
Otherwise, I see her getting stronger and having more energy and endurance each day. She looks good and is looking forward to her sister Gayle, and little Brooke coming out next week, for about 10 days. I will be going home Monday the 28th after almost 5 months here. I need to get the house ready for when Lisa and Taylor come home. Jess (Lisa's dad) will stay with them until it is time for them to come to NM.
Please pray for all of the legal proceedings concerning her divorce. In the middle of all of this, we still have that to deal with. Pray that God will give us insight and wisdom in all that is done. We so need Him to show us and lead us. Julie
We do not take any of this for granted. We know that it is only by the Power and the Strength of His Mighty Hand. We Praise Him and thank Him! Julie
The bone marrow biopsy that she had on day 28 came back clear so we are very thankful for this,and for all that the Lord is doing for Lisa.
We are very thankful for all of the prayers, we know that God is healing Lisa through all of this. Julie (Lisa's mother)
In February, 2004 she was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).
She was hospitalized that same night and was there for several weeks. She just received a bone marrow transplant on May 7, 2004. Her sister Renee was the donor. She is currently receiving treatment at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. After the bone marrow transplant, Lisa has a 50-60f survival. She has several more months of intense treatment. Lisa is very worried about her finances.
Due to the severity of her treatment and length of recuperation she will have to postpone her recent search for a job. As Lisa is the sole provider for her family, the “Love for Lisa” fund-raiser has been set up to provide financial support for the needs of Taylor, medical, and living expenses. Lisa is very close to filing bankruptcy due to her illness. All donations, large or small, will be truly appreciated.
Bank of America - (Any location nationwide)
Love for Lisa Fund / Lisa McDermott
525 Minor Ave. N., Apt. 211
Seattle, Washington 98109
Please make checks payable to Love for Lisa. Gifts are tax-deductible.
You can also support Lisa by shopping online at www.buyforcharity.com.
Once there, Love for Lisa is listed under Cancer or Leukemia.
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