Dearest friendlings,
Yesterday was a wild day. Good news is that the doctors decided to do mom's bone marrow biopsy yesterday at 3pm so that we wouldn't have to wait through the weekend to find out the results. So, we will be getting the preliminary results back sometime this afternoon. Don't you worry, I will post another blog as soon as we find out anything. ;)
Sorry for the semi-graphic description to come...All day yesterday mom's bowel movements were pure blood and no stool. Not good. She had 3 bowel movements like this before things took a turn. Her blood pressure plummeted to 70/? and she was very weak and light-headed from the blood loss. They called in a rescue team immediately and there were probably 5-6 people frantically connecting her to a heart monitor and other various machines. They instantly gave her a platelette as well as a blood transfusion to up her counts. This helped but it didn't stop the bleeding. They wheeled her over to ICU, which is where we are currently. Goodbye Floor 7, Room 7....we will miss you! Seriously, that nurse staff became like family to us...and I know that floor won't be the same without our social & vibrant Pammy Sue, that's for sure.
Throughout the night it seemed as if she was losing more blood than they were able to pump in, but this morning her counts are looking good. They have 5 TEAMS of doctors on her case because they are unsure what could be causing this bleeding. It could be an infection in her colon that is causing it to be inflamed or it could just be a severe side-effect from the chemo treatment. So, she is getting a delightful colonoscopy procedure done this morning at 10am, we are told. The G.I. doc (gastro-intenstinal) said that she will know immediately what is causing this bleeding as soon as they are able to get a camera visual. So, that's good news.
So, needless to say, last night was the roughest night she's had in the hospital, that's for sure. Please be praying for the results of the colonoscopy as well as the results from her biopsy. We are hoping and praying that this is all treatable and that this crazy night was just a minor & temporary bump in the road.
She was conscious and aware through it all (though a wee bit loopy, which caused much laughter). Here is a little story for you all just to describe the kind of woman my mom is (which I am sure you already know...). When the team of doctors and nurses were frantically buzzing around her and hooking her to machines, my mom tenderly grabbed the arm of one of the nurses who had been on leave for a few days and said, "Honey, I am so sorry about your dog." My mom had remembered that this nurse's dog had just recently died and was concerned about her. The nurses were shocked that she was thinking about somebody else in the midst of all she was going through. Pamela Sue, a giver of love and life.....if I am half the woman that she is I will be more than satisfied.
I will let you know as soon as we get the results back from the biopsy as well as the colonoscopy. My Aunt Cindy & cousins Rosalie & Jens came in from Corvallis last night. Kyle & Wendy are coming in tonight from Bend and Hilary will be flying in from California tonight. Looking forward to our whole family being together during this time. Thanking you for your prayers.
Loving you all,
Lindsay
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Recovery Time!
Hello sweet friends & family...
Last night mom finished her first round of intensive chemotherapy. Now it's waiting time....
My Aunt Cindy and I got an update from the doctor today regarding what to expect for these upcoming weeks. Here goes...
Mom has what they call "Secondary Leukemia". They call it "secondary" because she has had Breast Cancer before; therefore; they treat her current condition as a high-risk case. Shockingly, the doctor said 1 out of 50 breast cancer patients develop some form of leukemia in their lifetime (due to the type of radiation and/or chemotherapy they receive). Crazy unfortunate statistics! So, if you have ever had breast cancer make sure you are getting regular bone marrow biopsies done (for preventative purposes).
Now that her intensive 7-day treatment of chemo is over, they will be monitoring her very closely in the hospital for the next week. On Day 14 (next Saturday) they will perform another bone marrow biopsy to assess how her body has responded to the treatment. There are 3 possible outcomes to this biopsy:
Outcome 1: The leukemia goes into remission and she immediately will get a bone marrow transplant (hopefully from Uncle Larry or Aunt Cindy...lucky winners!). Pray for this outcome!
Outcome 2: The chemo treatment doesn't work; therefore, they reroute the treatment process & give her different chemo. Pray against this outcome!
Outcome 3 (most common): The chemo has been somewhat effective but they still find leukemia in her bone marrow. If this is the case, they will give her 5 more days of the same chemo she has been receiving, and then on day 28 they do another bone marrow biopsy to see if it was effective.
So, as of now, we just wait and pray. She has been exhausted the past few days and all she seems to do is sleep. But when she is up and alert she is full of hope and love and humor. Below are a few pics for your visual pleasure.
Picture 1: My mom and dad on the OHSU tram on the day we arrived here.
Picture 2: Me and my mom cozied up in her bed watching Anne of Green Gables on her computer.
Picture 3: My mom and her granddaughter, Olive (Kyle & Wendy's baby).
Picture 4: My mom wanted you all to see a picture of our family from Sean & Courtney's wedding on February 2nd .
More soon... Love you all & thanks for your support!
Last night mom finished her first round of intensive chemotherapy. Now it's waiting time....
My Aunt Cindy and I got an update from the doctor today regarding what to expect for these upcoming weeks. Here goes...
Mom has what they call "Secondary Leukemia". They call it "secondary" because she has had Breast Cancer before; therefore; they treat her current condition as a high-risk case. Shockingly, the doctor said 1 out of 50 breast cancer patients develop some form of leukemia in their lifetime (due to the type of radiation and/or chemotherapy they receive). Crazy unfortunate statistics! So, if you have ever had breast cancer make sure you are getting regular bone marrow biopsies done (for preventative purposes).
Now that her intensive 7-day treatment of chemo is over, they will be monitoring her very closely in the hospital for the next week. On Day 14 (next Saturday) they will perform another bone marrow biopsy to assess how her body has responded to the treatment. There are 3 possible outcomes to this biopsy:
Outcome 1: The leukemia goes into remission and she immediately will get a bone marrow transplant (hopefully from Uncle Larry or Aunt Cindy...lucky winners!). Pray for this outcome!
Outcome 2: The chemo treatment doesn't work; therefore, they reroute the treatment process & give her different chemo. Pray against this outcome!
Outcome 3 (most common): The chemo has been somewhat effective but they still find leukemia in her bone marrow. If this is the case, they will give her 5 more days of the same chemo she has been receiving, and then on day 28 they do another bone marrow biopsy to see if it was effective.
So, as of now, we just wait and pray. She has been exhausted the past few days and all she seems to do is sleep. But when she is up and alert she is full of hope and love and humor. Below are a few pics for your visual pleasure.
Picture 1: My mom and dad on the OHSU tram on the day we arrived here.
Picture 2: Me and my mom cozied up in her bed watching Anne of Green Gables on her computer.
Picture 3: My mom and her granddaughter, Olive (Kyle & Wendy's baby).
Picture 4: My mom wanted you all to see a picture of our family from Sean & Courtney's wedding on February 2nd .
More soon... Love you all & thanks for your support!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Day 7
Hello All!
My sincere apologies for not updating this blog more frequently. I know that many of you check it on a daily basis hoping to receive news about the sweet Pammy Sue. So, forgive me - I will be more diligent in keeping you all up to speed.
So, my mom is in her 7th day at OHSU and she is just now starting her 6th day of chemo. Her chemo doses are fed to her through her "pick line" 24 hours a day. The nurses have grown fond of her and are amazed at how much life she brings into this wing of the hospital. Two days ago I was coming down the hallway on my way to visit her and I heard her roaring laugh (roaring in a pleasant, feminine way, mom). ;) I told the nurses that they should sound proof her room because she is too cheerful and has far too many visitors. :) Needless to say, she has brought much joy and life to the Oncology Unit here at OHSU.
The first 4 days were a breeze for her. She kept saying that she felt like she was on vacation....taking naps, watching movies, having constant friends and family around, getting served, and she even has a constant companion that she gets to roll around with her wherever she goes (her IV rack). So, she is never alone.
This place is slowly becoming our family's home away from home. And yes, I admit, I have been caught by the nurses a few times cuddling in bed (twin size, might I add) with my mom watching Anne of Green Gables.
Yesterday was her worst day. Nausea is setting in. She didn't have much of an appetite at all and she slept for most of the day. It's hard watching her body reap the consequences of this chemo. But her spirits remain high and her faith strong.
As far as medical information goes, we are still waiting to find out test results which will tell us if her leukemia is low-risk, medium-risk or high-risk. In the meantime, I guess we just wait and see how her body responds to this treatment. Her results from the Mugascan (heart test) were excellent - telling us that her heart is stronger than normal.... I think we all knew that already though.
She has so loved all of your notes of encouragement, telling of stories & memories, phone calls & visits. Please keep them coming and NEVER feel like you are burdening her. The hardest times for her are on the horizon so the more support the better!
My mother is forcing me to write another little tuturial to you Baby Boomers (most likely) regarding how to navigate this blog. To write your own and/or read other people's comments, go to the comment link under any of the entries. In order to send a comment it asks you to "Choose an Identity". Click the "Name/URL" button and just type in your name (leave the URL section blank). Or else you can click "Anonymous". Either way works. Make sure you fill in the word verification as well (just copy the characters that you see in the picture above). Anyway, it sounds confusing but it really is fairly simple. If you are still having problems please feel free to email me at lindsay.beall@gmail.com and I can walk you through it.
Much love and thanks from Pam and the Beall gang!
My sincere apologies for not updating this blog more frequently. I know that many of you check it on a daily basis hoping to receive news about the sweet Pammy Sue. So, forgive me - I will be more diligent in keeping you all up to speed.
So, my mom is in her 7th day at OHSU and she is just now starting her 6th day of chemo. Her chemo doses are fed to her through her "pick line" 24 hours a day. The nurses have grown fond of her and are amazed at how much life she brings into this wing of the hospital. Two days ago I was coming down the hallway on my way to visit her and I heard her roaring laugh (roaring in a pleasant, feminine way, mom). ;) I told the nurses that they should sound proof her room because she is too cheerful and has far too many visitors. :) Needless to say, she has brought much joy and life to the Oncology Unit here at OHSU.
The first 4 days were a breeze for her. She kept saying that she felt like she was on vacation....taking naps, watching movies, having constant friends and family around, getting served, and she even has a constant companion that she gets to roll around with her wherever she goes (her IV rack). So, she is never alone.
This place is slowly becoming our family's home away from home. And yes, I admit, I have been caught by the nurses a few times cuddling in bed (twin size, might I add) with my mom watching Anne of Green Gables.
Yesterday was her worst day. Nausea is setting in. She didn't have much of an appetite at all and she slept for most of the day. It's hard watching her body reap the consequences of this chemo. But her spirits remain high and her faith strong.
As far as medical information goes, we are still waiting to find out test results which will tell us if her leukemia is low-risk, medium-risk or high-risk. In the meantime, I guess we just wait and see how her body responds to this treatment. Her results from the Mugascan (heart test) were excellent - telling us that her heart is stronger than normal.... I think we all knew that already though.
She has so loved all of your notes of encouragement, telling of stories & memories, phone calls & visits. Please keep them coming and NEVER feel like you are burdening her. The hardest times for her are on the horizon so the more support the better!
My mother is forcing me to write another little tuturial to you Baby Boomers (most likely) regarding how to navigate this blog. To write your own and/or read other people's comments, go to the comment link under any of the entries. In order to send a comment it asks you to "Choose an Identity". Click the "Name/URL" button and just type in your name (leave the URL section blank). Or else you can click "Anonymous". Either way works. Make sure you fill in the word verification as well (just copy the characters that you see in the picture above). Anyway, it sounds confusing but it really is fairly simple. If you are still having problems please feel free to email me at lindsay.beall@gmail.com and I can walk you through it.
Much love and thanks from Pam and the Beall gang!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
OHSU, Fight Fight Fight!
Well, we are finally here at OHSU (Oregon Health Science University). After a long day waiting around the hospital for mom's bed to open up she finally got settled in her new "condo", where she will be residing for the next month.
She arrived at the hospital at 8am yesterday morning (February 15th) to get some testing done. She had a Mugascan (which determines the strength of the heart before undergoing chemotherapy) and then she got a Pick line inserted into her upper left arm (where she will be receiving her chemo treatment). My dad keeps telling people that she got mugged and picked. Yeah, another one that he is still laughing at. ;) So, after her tests were done at 10am she waited at the hospital until 6:30pm before getting into her room! Don't you worry, we took a lot of tram rides and played a lot of cards. She is now settled in her new abode and ready for this crazy journey.
Today at 5pm she started her chemo treatment. She will be receiving her "chemo drip" 24 hours a day for the next 7 days. Good news is that she can have visitors at all times. So, if you are planning on visiting give a call to the hospital (she is in the Oncology department in the main hospital - 7th floor, Room 7) or call my dad's cell phone (503)312.6940 to see if she is feeling up for visitors. FYI - she cannot have live flowers or plants in her room so you can save your cashola and write her a nice card instead.
She meets with her doctor on Monday so we will update you as soon as we know more. Again, thanks for your sweet words of encouragement and prayers - we love you all and are so thankful for you!
Best,
Lindsay & the entire Beall fam
She arrived at the hospital at 8am yesterday morning (February 15th) to get some testing done. She had a Mugascan (which determines the strength of the heart before undergoing chemotherapy) and then she got a Pick line inserted into her upper left arm (where she will be receiving her chemo treatment). My dad keeps telling people that she got mugged and picked. Yeah, another one that he is still laughing at. ;) So, after her tests were done at 10am she waited at the hospital until 6:30pm before getting into her room! Don't you worry, we took a lot of tram rides and played a lot of cards. She is now settled in her new abode and ready for this crazy journey.
Today at 5pm she started her chemo treatment. She will be receiving her "chemo drip" 24 hours a day for the next 7 days. Good news is that she can have visitors at all times. So, if you are planning on visiting give a call to the hospital (she is in the Oncology department in the main hospital - 7th floor, Room 7) or call my dad's cell phone (503)312.6940 to see if she is feeling up for visitors. FYI - she cannot have live flowers or plants in her room so you can save your cashola and write her a nice card instead.
She meets with her doctor on Monday so we will update you as soon as we know more. Again, thanks for your sweet words of encouragement and prayers - we love you all and are so thankful for you!
Best,
Lindsay & the entire Beall fam
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Update...
Well hello dear friends! My sweet mom as well as our entire family are absolutely overwhelmed with the response to this blog. Your prayers and words of encouragement have brought life, encouragement and joy to all of us. Thank you-thank you-thank you! It is very clear that this woman is one loved cookie!! ;) She continues to amaze me with her zest for life and her constant laughter.
My mom wanted me to write a quick little "How To" section for all you first time bloggers (most likely in her generation;) ). I know some of you were having trouble finding out how to read other people's comments. Scroll down to the bottom of the post. You will see it say "Posted by Lindsay Beall at 2:51pm" Directly to the right of the that says "38 comments"...or whatever number it is.... Click on the the "Comments" and it will take you to a page where you can read others comments as well as write one of your own. Hope this helps.
Now here are some words from Pamela Sue herself...
Dear Family and Friends,
Even though the process is taking longer than I thought, I finally will meet with a specialist at OHSU this Thursday to find out the details of my treatment. We will update the blog at that time. In the meantime, all of your encouraging notes have made these days of waiting so much easier. I really feel your thoughts and prayers and am energized by your care and concern.
Love you all,
Pam
My mom wanted me to write a quick little "How To" section for all you first time bloggers (most likely in her generation;) ). I know some of you were having trouble finding out how to read other people's comments. Scroll down to the bottom of the post. You will see it say "Posted by Lindsay Beall at 2:51pm" Directly to the right of the that says "38 comments"...or whatever number it is.... Click on the the "Comments" and it will take you to a page where you can read others comments as well as write one of your own. Hope this helps.
Now here are some words from Pamela Sue herself...
Dear Family and Friends,
Even though the process is taking longer than I thought, I finally will meet with a specialist at OHSU this Thursday to find out the details of my treatment. We will update the blog at that time. In the meantime, all of your encouraging notes have made these days of waiting so much easier. I really feel your thoughts and prayers and am energized by your care and concern.
Love you all,
Pam
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Rock & Roll
Well, here goes....
Last night we got the news that my mom has been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. I know, it's a mouthful, so from here on out we'll refer to it as AML.
She had been feeling sick and fatigued for the past couple weeks but we just figured that it was a seasonal cold combined with the fatigue that comes with putting on a family wedding. That's right, our very own Sean Gaynor Beall got married last week (February 2nd) to the beautiful Courtney Reynolds (now Beall). Whoo! It's about time, Seanski. He got a winner, that's for sure!
The day of Sean's rehearsal dinner (February 1st) my mom went to the doctor to get antibiotics so she would be well for the wedding. For some reason they took her blood and realized that her white, red & platelet cell counts were severely low (50% of what they should be). Her doctor immediately made an appointment to have multiple scans done. She met with an Oncologist to remove some of her blood marrow for testing. It is there where they found the leukemia cells.
A little history on AML....
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow - the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. It's called acute leukemia because it progresses rapidly and affects immature blood cells, rather than mature ones. It's called myelogenous leukemia because it affects a group of white blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells & platelets. AML is the most common form of leukemia. It worsens quickly if not treated, but it initially responds well to treatment.
Well, I think my dad put it best when he said at least aCUTE myelogenous leukemia is better than anUGLY myelogenous leukemia. Mwahaha....yeah, he's still laughing about that one. Don't encourage him. ;)
So, what's next? Well, right now I am sitting in the hospital room watching Pamela Sue nap as she receives a 4-hour blood transfusion. She will be admitted to OHSU early next week where she will start intensive chemotherapy and will be in the hospital for a month.
Yes, of course it's hard to hear such news as this but boy, is this woman a fighter! When she called all of us kids to share the lovely news she kept saying (as we were all blubbering on the other end of the line), "You know, it is what it is and we are going to take this one day at a time and rejoice that we have today." The Lord is her strength and source of joy...and we are all going to cling to that as we begin this crazy journey together.
It's obvious that this woman is SO LOVED by so many people - we have already been bombarded with phone calls, emails and visits. She is definitely blessed to have you all as a source of support ... and we are blessed to have her in our lives, that's for sure!
More to come...
Much love,
Lindsay Sue Beall
Last night we got the news that my mom has been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. I know, it's a mouthful, so from here on out we'll refer to it as AML.
She had been feeling sick and fatigued for the past couple weeks but we just figured that it was a seasonal cold combined with the fatigue that comes with putting on a family wedding. That's right, our very own Sean Gaynor Beall got married last week (February 2nd) to the beautiful Courtney Reynolds (now Beall). Whoo! It's about time, Seanski. He got a winner, that's for sure!
The day of Sean's rehearsal dinner (February 1st) my mom went to the doctor to get antibiotics so she would be well for the wedding. For some reason they took her blood and realized that her white, red & platelet cell counts were severely low (50% of what they should be). Her doctor immediately made an appointment to have multiple scans done. She met with an Oncologist to remove some of her blood marrow for testing. It is there where they found the leukemia cells.
A little history on AML....
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow - the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. It's called acute leukemia because it progresses rapidly and affects immature blood cells, rather than mature ones. It's called myelogenous leukemia because it affects a group of white blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells & platelets. AML is the most common form of leukemia. It worsens quickly if not treated, but it initially responds well to treatment.
Well, I think my dad put it best when he said at least aCUTE myelogenous leukemia is better than anUGLY myelogenous leukemia. Mwahaha....yeah, he's still laughing about that one. Don't encourage him. ;)
So, what's next? Well, right now I am sitting in the hospital room watching Pamela Sue nap as she receives a 4-hour blood transfusion. She will be admitted to OHSU early next week where she will start intensive chemotherapy and will be in the hospital for a month.
Yes, of course it's hard to hear such news as this but boy, is this woman a fighter! When she called all of us kids to share the lovely news she kept saying (as we were all blubbering on the other end of the line), "You know, it is what it is and we are going to take this one day at a time and rejoice that we have today." The Lord is her strength and source of joy...and we are all going to cling to that as we begin this crazy journey together.
It's obvious that this woman is SO LOVED by so many people - we have already been bombarded with phone calls, emails and visits. She is definitely blessed to have you all as a source of support ... and we are blessed to have her in our lives, that's for sure!
More to come...
Much love,
Lindsay Sue Beall
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