Hi everyone:

Things have been a little busy lately. I have my hair chopped off - almost. We kept some on in case I'm left with a little hair and can "blend" some in with my wig. I don't like my hair like this, I was hoping to get it real short. When my hair starts to grow again I think I'll grow it out. I did buy a wig and now I'm going to be a red head!! Actually it's brown with red highlights and it's a bunt cut just below my jaw. People tell me they like my wig better then my hair cut (so do I). Natasha also got 10 inches cut off her hair to donate to the cancer society. We still have to bring her pony tail away. That was quite a change for her too since she's always had long hair. Now it's just past her shoulders. I also got new glasses. I only need them for driving at night or if I'm in an unfamiliar area and need to see the signs that are far away. I figured I'd get new, updated glasses so that if my eyebrows fall off I can put my glasses on in there place!

The first week of October I had a VON nurse come to the house to give me my Neupogen medication. This medication stimulates my cells for the harvest. She put the needle into my stomach. She had asked me if I was OK with getting the needle there. I just grabbed a handful of my growing "insulation" - a result of my eating habits - and told her to shoot away. The next day she asked if I wanted to give myself the needle. Once the syringe was full I aimed at my stomach and stabbed like a dart (just like she instructed) and it bounced right off my belly! It went in on the second shot. The nurse was actually impressed and said she probably wouldn't come the next day, I could do it myself. The next day all went smoothly. The Neupogen made my bones ache for a couple hours afterwards.

Monday night a friend and I went to London so I could be there early Tuesday morning. I had to fast from midnight on because my permcath was scheduled for 10 am. I was a bit nervous about this procedure because I didn't know exactly what was all involved. The patient before me was supposed to have a 20 minute procedure but it turned out to be 3 hours! You can imagine I was starting to get hungry, it wasn't too bad. They brought me into the operating room and put me on a skinny little table so I asked if the table came with seat belts, the answer was no. Next they put oxygen tubes in my nose, a blood pressure band on my arm, and the heart monitor on my finger. The nurses rubbed pink iodine over my right shoulder and chest (the stuff stains) and paper blankets over my head (which had to be craned to the left) and shoulders. The doctor talked me through the whole thing. Over the bed there was six monitors so the doctor could do the procedures guided by ultra sound and x-ray. I was hoping to watch but my head had to be turned and I had a blanket over my head. The doctor put freezing in the right side of my chest(just above the breast) and another just above my right collar bone. Then he put three 1 cm cuts, one above the collar bone, one just below the collar bone and the other part way down my chest. A tube was inserted in the chest cut and pushed up and over the collar bone and curved back down into a vein right beside the jugular in my neck. I was awake through it all and could feel the pushing, tugging and pulling. There wasn't that much pain - it was bearable. I always expect the worst and than it's never as bad as I think. I was supposed to be in there for about an hour but everything went a lot quicker, apparently I have nice big veins. I wanted to see the tube when the doctor was done but they wanted to bandage it up before germs got in the cuts. When they took everything back off me the last image was still on one monitor. I could see the tube in an upside down "j" and of course my collar bone, ribs and spine. It was kind of neat to see. On the outside all you see is the tube coming out of the skin with two capped three inch tubes off that! No more needles anymore, everything can be done through the permcath. It was over, I could relax again and enjoy a much anticipated lunch! I also had to give myself another Neupogen needle while in recovery. This time I hit a blood vessel, the nurse thinks, because I got a tiny purple bruise. After two hours I could go back to the hotel. Once the freezing thawed it was quite tender. I'm not allowed to get it wet and the dressing gets changed once a week.

At 7:30 Wednesday morning my friend and I went to the hospital for the cell harvest. First I had to give blood (through the permcath!!) to see if I had a good enough cell count to even have a harvest. If the count was below 5 I would be sent home, and I could try again in two weeks. The doctor was looking for a certain cell type, the CD34 . The lab called back and said my count was 83 - so real good! I was hooked up to the dialysis machine which is quite big with lots of dials, tube lines, fluid bags and lights. About four bags had fluid, one had my plasma, another saline, another my harvest and blood thinners combined with calcium in the last one. They rinse my harvest bag clean with my plasma so that when my harvest comes into it - it won't react to any other kind of cleaner. One line takes blood from me and another brings it right back into my body. The machine has layers of tubes in it and a warmer so that the blood I get back is warm again. The machine spins my blood around and takes only the top layer of thin, immature CD34 white blood cells of the immune system. Each time a harvest is made it's only about a tsp amount. Right away after another "tsp" pushes the harvest into the tube so that it makes its way into the bag. I needed to make 18 harvests. You could tell when a harvest was happening because one of the dials would spin around really fast and there was a monitor attached to the machine to tell you. At 1:20 I was unhooked and allowed to go but I had to call back around 3 pm to see if the harvest was good enough. They called me and said the harvest went really well - it was an abundant harvest in their words. Usually people who have had radiation don't make a good harvest, so I've been blessed. Now I wouldn't have to do another harvest on Thursday, we could go home. A social worker took my friend and I up to the 7 th floor where I will be staying next week. She told us things I could bring and expect. She also said visitors weren't really recommended except for some family. Most patients are very tired or not up to visitors and it just puts pressure on them when someone shows up at their door. Also germs are a big issue. All that's left now is the chemo next week and the re-infusion of my harvest. Hopefully its all uphill from there (after some sick time). I'm looking forward to getting the next week done.

Pete's now had some practise at being dad & mom. He even did Shaun's birthday party last Friday. I had another migraine and was throwing up because of it. I called Pete at work and he came to get the van so he could pick up all the kids and take them to the bowling alley. He came home and said "what a work out", I said "welcome to motherhood!". I'm sure he will do fine while I'm in London. There is plenty of back up help too.

Pete and I are going to London next week Tuesday which happens to be our 13 th anniversary. I don't think we will ever forget this one! Fall is my favourite season and it's going to be beautiful this weekend. I'm going to enjoy Thanksgiving before I'm contained to the 7 th floor of a hospital.

Through the past five months though I've been blessed through all of my tests and treatments. Things could have turned out so different, I could have had more side effects, been depressed about things or stuck in bed all the time. All things have gone fairly smoothly and results have been quite positive. So there is much to be thankful for and nothing to complain about (except the steroids maybe - but I've been done them for two weeks!!!). The Lord has been good to me and the family. He has always given me a sense of peace through everything and that's why I'm not worried about next week or what comes after that. The support of everyone has also been a comfort and strength to my family whether by prayers, cards, thoughts, meals, housework, visits etc. It's all been much appreciated. I guess Pete will be writing the blogs to fill you all in on how I'm doing from now on!

As for God, His way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. Ps. 18:30

Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend and thank you to all for your continued support.

Love from Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather & Shaun