The In-Laws from Denver

Our daughter Laura is very lucky to have In-laws like Jim and Loree.
Jim and Laura's marriage does not contain any nightmares.
Following dinner with them on Thursday night (our first meeting), Kathy and I had the Vanderhye brood at our home for a late Christmas celebration on Friday. I think our grand kids have had 3-Christmases this year!

The day began with Kathy and I starting the turkey at 7am. We continued preparing all day until we set down with a glass of wine around 1:30. We warned anyone that if they showed up before 2pm that they would be put to work.

Soon after the party began Ron and Kathy from Summerlin paid us a surprise visit...as well as our very dear friend Robbie.

If you know my wife then you know there was enough food to feed the west side homeless!
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and Kathy entertained us with her piano playing and a fun game of trying to guess song titles and movie themes. The grand kids were experts when the Disney ones were played.

It was a wonderful Christmas and hopefully not my last.

Monday which is New Years Eve... I'll be admitted to the hospital for labs and transfusion.
Kathy and I will request a view of the Las Vegas strip so we can watch the fireworks from my bed side. We will open the beautiful bottle of Perrier Joulet Champagne that Jim and Loree gave us and drink from the handpainted glasses.

Happy New Years everyone! JW

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thanks Roger and Tammy for your comments. Laura will teach me how to post them on the blog when she and her family visit over Christmas.

Well, Kathy has almost finished decorating the inside of our home for Christmas. She plans to finish on Monday while I am busy with labs/doctor. I am seeing him early and getting blood transfusions early on Monday morning so that I can spend Christmas Eve with Kathy.

We will be at the Roth's Christmas morning for brunch and then Jim & Laura and the kids will arrive Christmas night. Jims's parents arrive the 26th...and we will have a nice dinner together Friday night.

Just being home for Christmas is something we couldn't even imagine several months ago.
And it feels wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends at a time of year when we need them most.

Kathy and I hope all our extended family from California, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky, Atlanta, Florida and Texas all Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday and a New Year filled with hope and promises. We rejoice in your happiness!
J&KW

Some Memories & Inspiration

Grady has been my friend since High School and is a consummate and inspiring writer. Through the years he has graciously shared many of his compositions which have lifted my spirits and helped me to overcome adversities in my life.
Most recently he shared this:

Ride the Miracle within you - Determine your own strength -
You always loved doing things the hard way -
I really want to see you rise up now!

Grady is a wonderful friend to have.

I also heard from my cousin Chuck in California... he is traveling to visit his sisters in Kentucky. As a child I always remember special summer nights with Linda, Charlotte and Chuck catching lightening bugs and laying on the roof of the front porch of Grandma's house who always lived next door until we moved to CO in 1958.

What's left when you don't have memories... life is all about memories isn't it?

I returned home last night after midnight. I received transfusions of platelets and red cells so I could have a productive morning and attend our company Christmas party this evening.
Kathy has not seen many of the LVGI people since last summer.
I love to see her so excited and alive after what we have been through together.

I will complete another lab on Monday and then expect not to see the inside of a hospital until all our visiting family has left Las Vegas on the 30th.
Merry Christmas everyone! Love-JW

And now for the...

I completed Christmas cards for both our friends and clients on Wednesday. This was time well spent between transfusions and was completed in just one afternoon. I have too many people to thank and some w/o addresses. Christmas eMail will be next.

Thursday evening and overnight to 5am Friday, I completed 3-units of blood and some platelets. I slept most of the night and was able to put in a couple hours at the office before Kathy and I had our meeting with Social Security Adm Friday afternoon. The SSA folks could not have been nicer nor more informative. We need to make plans for when I turn 63 in March and for all the other unknowns.

Saturday was full of sunshine and allowed me to complete the Christmas lights outside that Kathy had started the week before. We love to have our corner of the street dressed for Christmas -- not only for us but for our neighbors. Kathy is now transforming the inside of the house into a Christmas wonderland... she has an amazing touch for decorating this most favorite time of year -- I can't tell you how happy we are to be home for Christmas! More on who's coming for Christmas later. JW

Past Chemo

Last Friday, following Shawn's visit, I completed the treatment of red cells and platelets. I finished my 2nd round of chemo on Sunday and received more platelets on Monday. I'm not sure what I'm doing with all these extra components but I sure feel better when it's all inside me.
The Chemo is planned to knock down my blood numbers but it also drops my white cell count which exposes me to infection. Tonight for our Anniversary Kathy and I had reservations to a nice Italian restaurant (graciously setup by our friend Mark) ...but the doctor has advised me to move it to next week for fear of any infection in public.

2nd Round of Chemo

That will be the last 18-hour day for traveling to MD Anderson. I'm looking into ways to arrive there the previous day, stay overnight, start the treatments the next morning, and then leaving in the afternoon. But, that won't take place again until January 15th.

I started my chemo pills yesterday; 5-pills each day for 5-days. I am going to maintain a diary of the side effects. It wasn't too bad the first time around and I'm expecting about the same this time around... it just feels like you have the flu at times.

Blood tests today are placing me in the hospital Friday morning for 3-units of red cells and 2-units of platelets. Which will pretty much take 10-12 hours of my day to fill up my tanks. Thanks for the phone calls and eMails from everyone over the last couple days. I will have plenty of time to catch up tomorow...I'll be in bed with my laptop. Feel free to call... no WIFI in my room. JW

Houston Bound!

Kathy and I really enjoyed Shawn's visit - she just fits in like family. Yesterday, I received 2-units of platelets. This morning, I'm sitting in the airport and headed to MD Anderson in Houston. Today will be a full schedule and should result in my starting the second round of chemo. I'm so sorry, Rachel, that we did not connect during your visit to Las Vegas. We hope you and Will had a good time here and took home some money. JW

Some Quick News

Well, the doctor said to go home during my visit on Thursday. So, we will do labs and any transfusion on Monday if necessary before I leave for Houston on Tuesday. Shawn arrived with the rain and we spent the day together talking as usual. Dinner last evening with the Roth's at the their club was a perfect ending to the first day. Today, we pretty much just stayed in our jammies! JW

After Thanksgiving

Medically I had 3-units of platelets on Tuesday... red cells were holding (that's good). I am having labs again today and seeing the doctor so I can be ready to travel to Houston next Tuesday for Bone Morrow Extraction and Chemo. You see, you have to be well enough to get sick again?! What ever!

So, tonight is when my Niece Shawn arrives from Denver, late. And my Cousin Rachel arrives from Louisville on Saturday. We're all going to get together on Sunday to tour Las Vegas valley away from the Strip and maybe have lunch at the Salt Lick inside the Red Rock Station Casino out here on the west side of town. Rachel won a trip to LV for her outstanding work as business manager for a high-end restaurant in downtown Louisville -- I think. I'll know more about that when we see them. JW

Thanksgiving Photos

Photos of my brothers and of Mom and Dad are now available on Flickr for those of you who have not seen us for a while. JW

Thanksgiving Done

Mom prepared a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for the bunch of us. And what a wonderful setting on their patio overlooking the backyard landscape and the smells of Florida. Seated at the table were brothers Don & Tony (behaving badly), Debbie, Aunt Tootie and Roger and Mom and Dad. Jim and Nancy from next door stopped by for dessert. Actually, the whole 3-days of my visit has been Thanksgiving for me.
I have really missed Kathy. She says this is the only time in 23-years that she has not prepared Thanksgiving dinner. But as she says, "It's all about you." I try not to take advantage but I can be needy and high maintenance at times.
Tony and Billie are traveling to Florida for Christmas with their 5th wheel. Kathy and I will be decorating for the holidays but staying home this year. Thanks for the dozens of calls, eMails and messages we received this week from well-wishers and loved-ones. We hope all our family and friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. JW

Wednesday in Florida

I still don't know the results of my blood tests. At this point I don't care as long as I feel good and I'm just having the best time.
We called Aunt Vivian and Uncle Leon this morning who was packed and ready to leave Louisville. This is normally their annual winter trip to Florida. However, Leon has found blood in his urine and she is very concerned about him and taking him to the doctor!
I don't think they will make it down here to see Tony and me before we leave and that just breaks our heart. She has been such a big part of our lives! We'll have to figure out a way to make up for this missed time . Our thoughts are with you, Vivian.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family on the blog! A very big thanks to my wife for insisting I take this trip -- thanks sweetie you're always putting me first! And to Billie for suggesting Tony join me here as well. JW

Here in Florida-Tuesday

My brother Tony and I traveled all day Monday to reach our Mom and Dad. We finally did so around 6:30pm. Tony drove us back to the house since Dad's night sight is not the best. Even though we have been up since 3am yesterday... we stayed up talking until after midnight tonight.
I had labs today to check my blood levels while I'm away from my Las Vegas Hospital. There is just too much love here to be sick...for now. My brother Don and his wife Debbie joined us this afternoon for Pokechops (if you are from Kentucky, you know what that means) and more talking, listening and laughing. These moments don't happen very often. JW

One All-Nighter

My labs tell us how well my body is producing blood. And this month has been a good one with only a transfusion of platelets back on November 6th. However, I finally needed 3-units of red cells and 2-units of platelets this last Thursday that started in the afternoon and ended at 5:30 the next morning. It was important to be done by sunrise because I had a 7am schedule for hair cut and a pedicure!

I followed several meetings at the office with a scheduled visit with Dr. Sanatinia at mid-morning along with Kathy to review my progress. I seem to be producing fewer platelets right now and he wants me to have my blood checked while I'm in Florida in case I need more. I sure was hoping to have a week away from all this while visiting Mom and Dad.

However, I am very excited about seeing my brothers and my folks along with several aunts and uncles who are wintering in Florida. Mom will have about 15-people for Thanksgiving! My going to Florida for Thanksgiving was Kathy's idea... sure wished she was going with me. JW

Round trip Report

All went well at MD Anderson, Tuesday. So well they had me folded, stapled, released and even scheduled for my next trip in December before I could leave the building.

Dr. Kantarjian said my blood numbers are holding and that I won't need to start another round of chemo soon. He wants my Las Vegas doctors to monitor the numbers weekly and have me return to Houston, December 4th. It means the chemo I finished in September is still working. That's a big YEAH!

So, the 2nd clinical trial of Clofarabine will be put on hold until December following a bone marrow aspiration (those are fun) to see if my stem cells are working better. Hey, I feel better just having played golf with my friends on Monday.

Just wanted everyone to know that things are looking good. I learned from my doctors Personal Assistant that my stem cell donor dropped out last month because it was discovered through all of his preparations for the transplant that he had hepatitis.

Maybe... I saved his life! JW

Hearing Voices

I heard from my old friend in Denver, Ron Cisco. Even with the blog it's still great to hear a
friends voice. He never fails to call me monthly. My calendar reminded me that it was
Terry's Preble's Birthdayt. She was my first "girl friend" back in high school. I called her just to hear her voice. I know that she reads the blog every other day from Austin, TX. She told me she bought a larger home just to move her father George from the nursing home in
with her. I spoke to George for the first time today in 35-years. He sounded
very much the same as I remember.
The voices from our daughters Julye and Laura today were as welcome to me as I'm sure my voice is to my Mom and Dad living in Tampa. I'm grateful that they are there to call. Seeing my folks and my brothers over the Thanksgiving Holiday will be wonderful but saying goodbye to them for possibly the last time will be the hardest moments of my life. I am so grateful that Kathy insisted I go. JW

Everybody Wins!

Kathy and I had a wonderful time in Mesquite with our family - Kathy brought money back from the casino and I completed 18-holes of golf (don't think I broke 100 but I completed 18-holes).

Labs yesterday showed my numbers to be holding so I won't need a transfusion this week - YEAH! So, avoiding any infection over the weekend, I'll fly to Houston on Tuesday with a mask and my squirt bottle of Vicks Early Defense to begin my chemo plan.

My niece Shawn and cousin Rachel (who have never met) will be in Las Vegas early December where I plan for all of us gather some place... like maybe our home! JW

Fun at Home

Following my long stay in the hospital, I stayed and worked from our home office. Kathy entertained her girl friends for lunch on Friday. Her sister and her husband Joe arrived that afternoon and spent the night. We must have burned through 2-logs setting on the patio...we talked all evening...making up for lost time. It has been 3-4 months since we have seen each other and the gathering was wonderful. By the way, most of you are not aware that Joe has known my wife since she was 7-years old.

We had breakfast Saturday morning at The Original Pancake House..no, it was nothing like The Waffle House in Tucson, Arizonia.

We spent most of the weekend relaxing following the move back home to LV and my days in the hospital.

I have labs today to check my blood levels and then again on Thursday. One or both of these days will probably require a transfusion for blood or platelets. Meanwhile, we're headed up north to Mesquite Wednesday. It will be nice to get out of town just for the day.
I'll play golf with some of my best friends and Kathy can break in the new video poker machines at the Casa Blanca Casino.

The next big event will be to travel to Houston for the day to begin my 2nd Chemo treatment; that will be on Wednesday 11/12. JW

Medic!

In case you are wondering why I disappeared...Kathy whizzed me off to the hospital last Saturday. My temperature was moving north of 102-degrees around 10pm that night and Kathy threw my ass in the car and we rushed to emergency.

Antibiotics took hold of me about 3am. Southern Hills Hospital has probably never seen a normal looking person with blood counts as low as mine. The hospital staff began moving me into multiple tests to figure out where in my body the infection was occurring. In the end and four very long days later, it was just an infection I picked up around the time of the Passport chest implant.

Gad! I may have to start wearing a mask anytime I'm out of the house. I will be running any business from my home office until Monday. It feels wonderful setting here working and being home! Whew! That was close. JW

Operation Complete

I survived the implant without a hitch; although, I'm not sure what it looks like just yet. When Kathy removes the bandage this morning I will have a look.
The pain has been controlled with just a couple of Lortab's.

Spring Valley Hospital was very organized and everything went like clock work.
My nurses Anna, MaryAnn and Cynthia watched over me and fed me Popsicles.
Kathy had her doctors appointment while I was recovering. She told me to stay in bed and flirt with the nurses... that was easy! JW

Making Progress

Ok.
We had our labs today and did not need blood... that's 2-weeks without blood... that's great news! The better my blood counts the less often I need transfusions. Maybe the chemo in September and just being home is a great healing... not to discount the many prayers.

As you know I lost my PICC line last weekend so today I had to pre-admit to Spring Valley Hospital for a Port Access in my chest. The operation is to take place at 9am tomorrow morning. Recovery may be 2-3 hours. Having the Port Access in my chest will allow for labs twice a week and easy transfusions when needed.

It is a beautiful fall day in Las Vegas - low 80's. Everything is dry and green with leaves on the trees and it is just plain wonderful for us to be home. My next big event will be traveling to Houston on the 30th to start the 2nd round of chemo. But you best believe we'll enjoy every day until then. JW

What's new?

We're home. Great to be among the masses but not that excited to be among the poor medical treatment facility here.

I have to return to Houston for my 2nd round of chemo on the 30th. And surviving that, I will go to Florida for Thanksgiving. That will likely be my last trip of the year.

Kathy is still putting away stuff and nesting. Also, we're very concerned about Laura and her family in San Diego as they are living on one of the few streets in her area that is not under mandatory evacuation... Needless to say they have not slept much.

Going for my gaming card today and to consult with the doctor to place a super port in my chest this week since the PICC line became infected last week. Otherwise it should be a week filled with being alive and staying well.

Amazing, I am working part time but am still very busy! JW

Ouch!

I started having some swelling and soreness around my PICC line a couple days ago. So when the nurse was here yesterday to show Kathy how to change the dressing I showed her my arm. She measured both arms and found the PICC arm quite larger. That resulted in Kathy and me spending 5-hours in the emergency room making sure I hadn't developed a blood clot before having the PICC line removed and prescribing an antibiotic.

Sounds simple but with only one doctor at the ER everything just seemed to drag on and on. Especially when you know that pot of spaghetti sauce that Kathy had worked on during the morning hours was on the stove when we left... just waiting to be put over some Garlic and Basil Ravioli. I'll be arranging for another PICC line in the other arm or a PassPort in the chest Monday.

It is wonderful to be home and living in the dry desert air! JW

Feels like Home

First schedule was to see the doctor who ran tests and give me platelets last evening… no need for red cells… that’s good. We’re setting a schedule for blood tests every Tuesday and Thursday. I had a pedicure and haircut from Carol and Dan this morning… that felt like home as well. The sun is bright and it is a beautiful day, today. JW

Back to Work

It has been wonderful returning to work. I love having eye contact with my team in place of these conference calls. I'm working smarter these days with my office partners having taken up the slack as they seem eager to continue to be a strong contributing factor to not only keeping our business strong but to contribute to its taking off some day.

Kathy's favorite time of the season is fall in Las Vegas and I'm especially glad she gets to enjoy weeks of it. She is sending me away for Thanksgiving... to Mom and Dad's... and brother Tony is going to join me in Florida for the event. This will be the first time the whole family has been together in many years. All I have to do is figure out how to travel during the holidays without getting sick from someone. Perhaps the doctor will have some advice when I see him on Thursday. JW

Home at Last!

Laura and Jim drove all night and day. They left Tuesday evening from San Diego and arrived Wednesday evening. It was so good to see our daughter and son in law again. They insisted on being there to help us move back home to Las Vegas. On Thursday morning Laura, Jim and Kathy packed everything up into two cars while I was finishing up blood transfusion at the hospital. By the time I got back to the apartment it was an easy decision to immediately leave Houston for home.

We drove all night Thursday... stopping at a couple of places for breakfast before making it to Tucson, Friday afternoon. Jim and Kathy drove most of the way during the night. The black asphalt, white lines and flat terrain caused all of our brains to go numb.

We started the final travel day, Saturday, at a Waffle House just up the street from the hotel. The whole world should be as nice as that Waffle House! The whole trip was made easier having another car with friends to share the 21-hour drive. Jim and Laura will never know what it meant to have them bring us home!

All my tests and treatments will be surrendered to my cancer center on Monday. I have labs and review with our doctor on Thursday to continue my care at home. The special chemo treatment will continue in Houston when I return on the 30th... but only for 1-day. Hopefully with good care and avoiding contact with sick people, I may have a fighting chance. JW

Bound for Home!

Kathy and I are headed home. Our donor canceled. Our 2nd donor is less than perfect. I've canceled the stem cell and will head home this weekend. This whole process is too long with too many unpleasant lasting effects. I'll return to Houston every 5-6 weeks to continue the chemo trial I'm on and the rest of the time I'll be under my doctors care in Las Vegas.

Time will show that I can take care of myself, play more golf, have less stress and repair the damage to my system brought on by me. If not, then I've given it my best shot. At least I'll be amoung my family and friends and living the life I want for as long as I can.

As my good friend Russ says, "I find things often work out for the best even though differently than planned." I say let's work on that! JW

Approaching the Starting Gate

Everything is getting scheduled, tested, scanned, poked & prodded working up to my admission into the hospital

October 25th.

There, I will endure a week of chemo prior to stem cell transplant – from that point it will be 100-days before Kathy and I can and will go home. We will be counting down the days like caged felons. A great deal depends on how my bone marrow reacts to the foreign bodies and how “fit” I keep myself during the first several weeks of transplant. I need to avoid any disease after I'm released.

Well, on the bright side, I shall have plenty of down time... everyone should expect phone calls or eMails from me while I'm in isolation. JW

Best day @ Hermann Park

Kathy and I happily escaped the apartment mid-morning... rented a golf cart and a set of clubs (badly in need of cleaning) and stayed on the course for over 4-hours.! It was wonderful to hear Kathy laugh again. This was the best FUN therapy we could give ourselves before we begin our MEDICAL therapy.

The temps here have dropped 10-degrees and the humidity many times is around 50. We're either getting use to it or it really is more comfortable. Today, we will be getting labs and visiting with Dr. deLima and our stem cell team. There is more activity on my calendar and getting busy is good therapy as well. JW

Our Reward

I'm in the hospital today following labs. I needed a fill-up. This happens weekly if you're a frequent visitor.

I posted some new photos of the Hermann Museum Golf Course for my golfing friends to see. Kathy and I plan to take Wednesday morning off and walk over and play 18-holes... or as many as I can. We need more outings out of our 4-walls to help our minds escape! The park and golf are a nice way to go.

My calendar is getting busy with all the prep work that precedes the stem cell transplant. I will post that information for those who are following my progress when it all gets put into place.

Weekend Walking

Quiet Saturday. Following the PICC line maintenance at the hospital, I drove over for my first car wash (they're hard to find), my first Starbucks (I've only seen two). I also saw a Hummer here for the first time. Then, I hurried home to secure a place on the sofa to watch The Presidents Cup.

With the cable and Internet out of commission this Sunday morning, we left the apartment for a walk to Hermann Park and the golf course. The early morning was comfortable and misty with an overnight rain. Many joggers passed us as Kathy and I enjoyed the 2-mile walk.

Lots of sunshine now as we set waiting for the golf to begin. Our next meeting with the stem cell teams will be next Thursday. This next week may be my last opportunity to get in 18-holes this year. Thanks everyone! JW

The Donor Speaks

It is true that we now have a game plan that starts me on a schedule to get my body ready for the stem cell transplant on

Thursday, November 1st.

There is a good deal of prep work and testing that needs to be done before the donor stem cells are implanted into my body. There will be more information on that as my calendar fills up from Dr. deLima.

After the transplant... we will need to stay in Houston for a minimum of 100-days. This time is critical as only MD Anderson can save my life if I get any kind of infection and start to run a fever.
We listened to the team of Doctors today and realized there might be only a few of these 100 days that I won't feel like doing much, exercising, or running around the hospital halls. However, I am allowed to have my Blackberry and laptop with me during this period of isolation and will continue to work as much as possible as well as correspond with my team in Las Vegas.

Just Waiting

We are not seeing Dr. deLima until tomorrow, Thursday, so there has not been much to write about... hope to hear a date from his team during the meeting.

Kathy and I went shopping for other apartments to help solve some problems here at Hermann Cr but found too few units with too much space and too much money. Guess we'll just stay here and resolve the problems. Terminix was here this morning, that should solve one of our problems.

Hope to report some good news tomorrow evening when we return from the doctors office. Thanks everyone for your thoughts, cards, eMail and prayers. JW

Family Reunion

Our annual family reunion was held yesterday in Kentucky. About 70-aunts, uncles, second & third cousins were present down on the Burba's country resort in Mammoth Cave. I missed it terribly and heard from several people following the event. I look forward to the photos showing up on CD real soon. Thanks very much for the emails and sharing part of the days joys. We have a most wondrous extensive family. Mom and Dad didn't feel like going this year which kind of broke my heart really. Next year, God willing, it will be a big celebration to have all the Bill Whitlow family in attendance!

Time on the Links

So, I felt good enough yesterday for 9-holes with rental clubs... lost 2-balls. Labs today were good and no blood transfusion... maybe I should play more golf?

A visit with Michelle told us that the donor (only one) will be sent a letter today with 3-dates available for harvesting their stem cells. I will visit with Michelle next Friday and learn what date we are targeting for transplant.

In the meantime there's little to do but to stay well, have blood transfusions and maybe play more golf. JW

RollerCoaster

Today we were to learn the start date of the stem cell transplant. Instead, we learned that our health insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield) had declined our procedure! That blow sent us thinking about packing up and leaving Houston for home.

The second half-hour was spent explaining why BCBS declined us and what options we have for fighting the review including hiring a lawyer... like I have years for that! The third half-hour was spent with RoseMarie whose job is solely to fight these decisions. After she understood and had left the room we met with Dr. de Lima who explained how the whole process, including contacting our donors for dates, had come to a halt waiting for approval.

Finally, in the third half-hour, RoseMarie entered the room (now there's five of us) after speaking on the phone with BCBS who gave her a verbal approval! That kicked up the transplant coordinator to contact our donors with some date options.

What a strange way to start a day that ended up with a group hug. Not a day to relive. Dr. de Lima wants to meet twice a week to ensure the process is moving forward. Great idea as I don't want anymore more steps backward!

Weekend Putting

The stem cell implant is 30-days out. This is based on my donors’ availability to have the stem cells harvested and my body being prepared to receive them. The timing of things that must be done to better insure success takes time. It is at times frustrating probably because I’m not in charge.

If all continues as planned I should be completing a battery of tests the week of the 24th and placed into the hospital for chemo the first week of October. If all goes well I should have a transplant the second week of October. EEEEK

I’m walking to the golf course on most mornings… found 6-balls this morning… now I have balls to play! I borrowed a putter from the pro and enjoyed being out on the course, kind of, for a while. It’s a nice hour out of the house and one that I hope to continue soon after transplant. JW

Fast-Track Friday

End of the week and another round of labs (showing I need platelets) and this time a bone marrow aspiration to review the results of the last round of chemo. The good news is I'm still healthy to proceed to stem cell transplant! I completed the dental checkup yesterday and passed... put off the cleaning until next Wednesday.

I got a buzz cut from the Juke Jive down the street... sent the photo to Flickr for you to check out! We have a clear sky this morning in Houston and I need to walk over to the golf course to work off the soreness of the aspiration. Maybe I can borrow a putter and practice a little?

I will receive chemo the week before the transplant which will require me to be in isolation for the process. Maybe during that time I can write many thank you notes to everyone. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and cards. JW

Houston-we have a game plan

The awaited day is still going on as I'm in the Transfusion ward receiving blood components and updating my friends on the results of today's visits with both doctors. The important visit with Dr. de Lima told us that 2-donors are a perfect match (maybe even better than my lovable brothers). So, we now have a plan to administer the stem cell transplant in 30-days.
I am very lucky to have two (with a third on the warming bench) when some people have none. The choice between the two was extended from 10-markers to 12-markers and both passed!
So now it's a matter of age, sex and availability.
It looks like I'll get my wish and return home disease free.
There are a great number of tests I need to take (including a dentist) that must give me a passing grade so I can go through the 7-days of chemo timed so I am readywhen the stem cells arrive from my donor. I'll be ready! JW

One day closer to Tuesday

I went for labs yesterday (testing the blood counts) and had to stay for platelets. The average person has a count of 140 and I had 6. I keep receiving all these bags of blood and wonder where the old blood is going... don't let your mind wonder too far.

The week has been uneventful at the hospital as all I've done is labs and receive blood components. The good news is I am still healthy to proceed into transplant. The weather here is always 50% chance of rain, higher or lower, and humidity to match the temps. I have not played golf. I'm really never sure when a cloud will wonder off the Gulf and dump 2" on us. These people think nothing about flooded streets and stranded cars!

Kath and I are staying in and healthy this weekend and watching the US Open Tennis and Tiger Woods at the BMW Championship. I really miss my plasma screen on weekends like this. We will be making some serious plans after our visits with all the doctors on Tuesday. Thanks everyone!JW

Raining on my Golf

Kathy and I walked to the Hermann Golf Course... finally! It's a nice course of only 4,700 yards from the front. Green fees of $35 with cart and club rental of $20. Hard to say who the club maker might be. I don't know if I can go all 18-holes but I'd sure like to try. We made it home just as it started to rain. Today's temp has not been higher than 80-degrees with rain. Houston has received over 40" of rain this year.

Tomorrow will be the normal Tuesday with lab, injection, doctor and the rest of the day receiving blood components. I sure would like to play golf this week as next Tuesday might be the best news which would put me in for stem cell transplant with one of my 3-donors. Starting the transplant is most important and I don't want anything I might do to cause me not to be ready. JW

Always Room for Three!

Walking to the golf course club is still a dream as the weather is filled with rain every day... I could drive there. Instead of a cracked dry nose in Las Vegas we have a wet dog nose most of the time.

Hey, I've updated the transplant information in the left column for those of you still interested in the process of stem cell transplant. We came across Michelle who is directing our donors and she said that 3-donors have arrived! Their whole blood is being broken down to the white cell and then the DNA is pulled out to compare to mine... the closer the match the better match. Results should be known on Tuesday, September 11th when we meet with Dr. de Lima

Platelets today and not blood. It will be nice to stay away from the hospital center for 3-days. Hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend. I know we will... Tiger Woods is playing. JW

Simple Pleasures

The Chemo from a couple weeks ago must be working because it has knocked down my blood counts and sent me to the Transfusion room both last Friday and yesterday for 2-units of blood and platelets each visit. I always feel spunky after a fill up and might just walk to that golf club house this morning. I certainly like to stay away from the hospital center after these 10-hour days. Kathy is rescheduling her certification for my PICC line to tomorrow.

Thanks bingo team for talking to me on the phone, keeping everything rolling along and making good decisions while I'm out of the office.

Last evenings weather storm, while I was in the hospital bed, caused the power to fail at the apartment. Kathy and I like to watch these weather events from the patio so she called several times for me to hear all the thunder and rain. We have reduced our simple pleasures to watching rain together! Thanks everyone. JW

These Freeways are the PITS!

Kathy successfully completed her second day of training on how to care for my PICC line. We have been at the hospital most of the day. She has been driving everywhere (within a 5 mile radius of the apartment) so she can get to know the streets if I'm not available or unable to drive. If you know us well, you know that Kathy has an aversion for my driving (any driving really) and I can't stomach hers. On our trip out here we joked about how we would both fail miserably at The Amazing Race...just in the first country...maybe just backing out of the driveway! Today, even though the weather was tough... we hedged our bet and went beyond our 5-mile comfort zone to find a Target Store. This required taking a couple more freeways than she could finesse... which brought her to tears by the time I had guided her back to our apartment. She's asleep on the sofa. I may be taking over the driving.
Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts! JW

Feeling Full

My lab results showed I needed red cells and platelets. So, I spent the rest of Friday at the hospital getting a fill up. Kathy had some time away from me at our apartment and spent it cleaning and rearranging. It's always nice to come home to a clean house.
Feeling good! We may venture out and walk down the street. Hermann Park Golf Course is so close and has been looking at me for the past 30-days. We drive around it every time we visit the hospital... it is right down MacGregor Way - seems appropriate for a golf course road...doesn't it?
My lab tests are done on Tuesdays and Fridays every week now. The next major milestone is the 29th...that is when the blood from my donors should arrive. Thanks for all your support! JW

One person makes a difference...

She isn't my donor...but luckily I have found two people like her.

Wednesday follows Tuesday

We received some great news after visiting with about a dozen people (specialists) on Tuesday... but unfortunately,
I felt too poorly to post the news until now.

So, here's the important stuff.

The stem cell search of 1,000 hits was reduced to 6... and then reduced to 2. Both donors have never donated before
(that's good news) and have said YES!
Now, their blood samples will be taken and sent here to
MD Anderson to see which of the two is the best match for me.
I'm told it is very uncommon to have so many donors to choose from.

Someone is working mighty hard out there.

Plans are to push the matching down from 14-days to 7-days; then I could start preparing for transplant rather than another round of chemo.

I must say that coming here, finding a home, having Kathy as my care provider
and being accepted here at MD Anderson by Dr. Kantarjian and Dr. deLima have been more than I deserve.

Thank you all for your support and well wishes - so far... it's all working!

Monday Morning

This is the 5th and final day of chemo-tablets taken at home the last 4-days. It's taking its toll on me with many side effects that added up are causing me some restless days and nights. I’ll be doing labs and visiting with doctors all day Tuesday. These tests will show how my body is reacting to the drugs. Well, I can tell them my body is not happy but that's probably not the answer their expensive research facilities will tell them.

It's very difficult to have a schedule longer than 2-days. All our appointments are on the computer, so we logon in the evenings and see where we're to be the next day. I'm not used to not having a routine and it upsets delicate parts of my body! Some of you know what I mean. That often is complicated with 2-people with the same problem and working with 1-bathroom. How did our large families ever manage?

We're in hopes of learning tomorrow how many matches have been found from the bone marrow pool while were visiting the stem cell doctors... more happy news on that later.

Laura- my personal Blog Master!

I like my vacation blog. And I love the pictures of the golf courses. And I enjoy the music. You continue to amaze me!
We did labs this morning and had the numbers reviewed and will be fine until Tuesday when we do it all over again.
Good news is the chemo is not having much effect on me at this time and my blood numbers are holding nicely.
I love you so much. Thanks, thanks, thanks for making me look good. Jerry

Embedded and on assignment

The last 24 hours or so I have spent in the hospital running some tests, getting a PICC line put in, and beginning some chemo. My doctors are concerned with maintaining my current condition so that I may be physically prepared for the transplant…which could take up to two months to confirm. So, I will be taking a series of pills, running a lot of tests, and continuing my weekly visits (2-3) to be monitored. Not sure how my body will react to this experimental chemo... I will keep you informed.

Rain Rain Go Away!

Maybe this blog should be named...
"The Wetty Whitlows"
This is what it's like here. Yuck!

Good news –
my brothers are a match for each other!
Bad news –
they’re not a match for me. (They were like this even at age 6)
Good news –
the pool of matching marrow donors number over 1,000 for me!
Bad news –
we may be here an extra month. (It may be cooler by then!)

So, it’s not all bad news since we have a huge number of matches … it will just take a bit longer. We’re seeing the stem cell director about my allogeneic transplant on Thursday and may have more information. Meanwhile, the unrelated donors are being searched like crazy! And maybe we’ll have another bit of good news during our next visit.

We’ve been waiting 7-days for news that only took 7-seconds. However, we felt encouraged that with so many matching donors to process, we should have a hand full of perfect people in about 30-days+. Meanwhile, we’ll keep our spirits high, our health good and our blog up to date. I thank you for your good vibrations.

(Stem cells are immature blood cells that grow into red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, or plasma cells. Stem cells are an essential part of a person’s immune system.)

Boris and Natasha!

The heat is sweltering here. Steps away from our door is the most appealing tropical pool… but it’s just too hot to enjoy; morning, noon and night...(7/24) as Kath would say.
All errands must be done by 10am or 2-showers a day are a must. Kathy likes to hang out on our patio, with her two new friends Boris and Natasha (she named a couple of geckos that hang around quite a bit). She is also convinced that every bug known to man lives inches from our balcony and that excessive amounts of repellent is required for the doors, feet and arms. I haven’t seen anything large enough for a saddle yet.

A dozen roses arrived at our apartment today. I thought they were for Kathy, since her Birthday is Monday. But, they were for me… from Leslie and Susan in the UK wishing success this next week. I’m quite sure I’ve never received roses from anyone before.

I was planning on treating Kathy to some beauty time and a cozy meal at Olive Garden for her birthday-which would have been a big day out for us in Houston. Unfortunately, the weather of the day has overpowered us yet again. Kathy has made the executive decision for us to remain cool and comfy...inside.

I had made different plans for her 60^th birthday… she might have preferred being with friends and family in Las Vegas. But, she’s got me, and her two new green buddies on the patio.

We our comfortable in our temporary one-bedroom…thanks to Kathy. I do not know how, but she manages to make everywhere we are...home.

We have battled a few living condition issues (from mold in the ceiling to doors not closing) since moving in but, we haven’t seen our maintenance man Miguel in a couple of days…which is a good sign…but we are feeling a bit lonely.

Our biggest problem right now seems to be our coffee table from hell. The corners of this beast stick out way too far, and have been conspiring with the couch cushions to cause me great physical harm. I am loaded with various bumps and bruises...ouch.

Kathy has even become a
victim herself with a few nice nicks in the leg. No need to call Miguel though...we will just move the damn thing out of the way.

Well outside of the apartment...we have found our favorite places to shop like Walmart, Kroger's, Big Lots. We not only use the Shell Station and the Car Wash for our car, but also as a landmark to find our way home.

We enjoyed many hours of golf this weekend on television and are anxiously awaiting Tuesday’s appointment. Feelin' good, feelin' positive, and looking forward to enjoying some Italian food.

Brotherly Love

This is a time when you TRULY love your brothers/sisters because they might be saving your life! Actually, I've always felt close to Don and Tony-especially at times like this.

So, their blood arrived on Tuesday this week. Our stem cell doctor said we would know next Tuesday if they are a match. And if they are, they will be flown to Houston (lucky them) to be here for 7-10 days while their stem cells are harvested (unlike vampires) and placed into my bone marrow. I wonder if I'll start to look like one of my brothers if only their stem cells are growing in me?

I'm ahead of my self. If my brothers are not match, the clinic has already done a scan of the 3-million in the bone marrow pool and have found about a 100-possible matches. So, that says I'm not returning home without someones stem cells in my system. Then we hope my body does not reject those foreign bodies. Keeping our fingers crossed and prayers aloft we might be home for Thanksgiving! Anyway, yesterday was a big day for us and the next visit on Tuesday will be even bigger.... keep your fingers crossed!!

Frogs in the Foyer

Well this place is wet, but having a frog hopping around the living room was a bit over the top. Kathy thought it was a flying bug! Laura picked up the baby frog and placed it back outside were it belongs... this place is wet.

We continue to 'nest' in our new apartment and acquire things to help us live less out of suit cases and more like a home. Kathy and Laura are skilled at finding bargains and making life a little easier every day. We already have the Sunday paper and are looking forward to our final day of rest before starting some treatments tomorrow. Things won't really get rolling, I expect, for a couple weeks. Meanwhile, if I feel up to it, we'll make a run down to Galveston for the day. Gotta find the love in this city!

Settling In

Two hard spots about Houston is humidity and the driving. Every trip requires a MapQuest! We're setting on the patio this morning, Kathy sets on her patio with her laptop and me looking up into a blue sky. She's planning to use the exercise room here and both of us in the pool in the evening. Kathy has made a nice home for us.

For those who don't know, Kathy and I have two girls, both married; one living in Broomfield, CO and the other in San Diego. We don’t get to see them but a couple times a year and of course having Laura with us for a couple of weeks while her son visits with his dad in Las Vegas has really been a great help and a great joy.

Both brothers, Don and Tony, are being matched for Stem Cells and have now received their kits. Both packages should be received by MD Anderson next week and we should know their status in about 14-days.

Made It

Arrived Houston Sunday evening and moved into the apartment, yesterday. I just got our laptops on-line with our printer. Service here is good for a couple hours and poor the rest.
Laura, our daughter from San Diego, traveled with us and thinks it has something to do with all the college students and the demand on the system... but then she's the one who told me I didn't need a filter in the coffee pot which proceeded to put coffee all over the counters and floor when turned on this morning.
She is helping me set up this Blog.

The girls are off on a venture this morning to find Wal-Mart and Target. They've taken plenty of water for surely they'll get lost even with a printed MapQuest held in their muggy hands. Four hours later, Kathy and Laura have bought out Wal-Mart and Target to finish out the apartment.

We've had no rain for a couple days but expect rain for the rest of the week. This place does weather forecast about as well Las Vegas.