tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105333502012-03-02T02:10:36.002-08:00Adrienne was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in 1996 at age 9. She had multiple relapses, two bone marrow transplants, and a range of chemos and radiation therapies, and passed away on October 1, 2009. We are heartbroken.Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.comBlogger4341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-8600967943355312092011-11-22T07:58:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:06:23.875-08:00

Thanksgiving was one of our favorite holidays. Adrienne always said she'd learn to cook and help. She never did but she told me what she wanted to eat and I cooked it, and I loved it. The holiday just isn't the same any more. Curt and I had planned to go to southern California to see Daniel but things didn't work out (long story, his, not ours) so we're staying home this year. We'll go out for

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-60298320691580703912011-10-01T08:40:00.000-07:002011-10-01T08:43:17.137-07:00

Dearest Adrienne, It's been two years since you took your last breath. It was the worst day of my life and I've had many bad days since, but I'm so proud and honored to have had you in my life for 22 years. I hope that you are happy, peaceful, and pain free. I'll always love you, more than even I can imagine. Love, Mom

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-12636696068056047352011-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:002011-06-06T08:51:20.533-07:00

Curt and I returned from our trip last week. It was wonderful (of course) but the jet lag really knocked us out. We returned to find a package with a book that Adrienne worked on at CMC, and it was dedicated to her. I knew it was coming but I was happy to receive it and to hear from her prof. CMC also created a plaque in her honor and placed it in the reading room that she frequented there. She

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-14191258558615430912011-05-02T08:23:00.000-07:002011-05-02T08:29:46.582-07:00

People ask me how I'm doing, if things are better, and I realized that I'm coping better but healing is a whole other story.Healing and coping, they really do mean different things.We usually heal from a physical wound, but when we do, there is usually a scar that we have for all of our lives. Coping is a mechanism that our brains use to overcome emotional pain, a hurt that wounds our hearts. We

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-72304075488137498712011-03-27T13:49:00.000-07:002011-03-27T17:29:57.256-07:00

I was accepted in the Educational Psychology masters program at UNLV last week. I guess they decided to ignore my GRE quantitative score, which was really low. I realized that I could only raise my score by taking an algebra/geometry class so I'm happy I don't have to do that. I can apply to the PhD program next year and work on both degrees at the same time. My hope is to work on a master's

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-34468976452735101952011-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:002011-02-28T08:14:37.812-08:00

A friend sent this to me yesterday. It captures so much."If you know someone who has lost a child, and you're afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that they died--you're not reminding them. They didn't forget they died. What you're reminding them of is that you remembered that they lived, and that, is a great gift." ~Elizabeth EdwardsThank you, Annie.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-36998221098671578042011-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:002011-02-09T08:21:36.118-08:00

Our friend Kirsten died earlier this week. I like to think that she and Adrienne are together, comforting each other, smiling down on us now. When Adrienne died, Kirsten posted this beautiful poem. A Parable of Immortalityby Henry Van DykeI am standing upon the seashore.A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-82601826679207660232010-12-15T17:14:00.000-08:002010-12-15T17:28:45.079-08:00

I heard that on TV and thought it was appropriate, especially for this Jewish family with one goy (that would be Curt). We fly to Florida tomorrow and then we're off for a 10 day Western Carribean cruise and a few extra days in Fort Lauderdale. I can't tell you how much I need this rest. Daniel will be spending the holidays with his girlfriend and her family. We already booked our timeshare in

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-9282125749586011892010-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:002010-10-27T12:25:33.960-07:00

Thank you everyone for coming today to honor and remember Adrienne. As most of you know, Adrienne and I were more than just mother and daughter. We were best friends. Though it’s been a year since she died, the hole I feel is just as deep and raw as it was a year ago. Now Adrienne would be the first to tell me how silly I am, but I can’t help how I feel. I know she touched many people by how she

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-19724036277299818152010-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:002010-10-17T15:01:25.577-07:00

Adrienne's unveiling is scheduled for next Sunday, October 24, at 2 pm. I'm scared to death to see her name on the headstone but I know we need to do this, we need to honor her and her life. Still, I'm expecting it to be tough. The ceremony will be held graveside and attendees are welcomed back to my sister, Diana's house afterwards.The one-year anniversary of Adrienne's death was about as bad as

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-73973119147277302002010-10-11T20:48:00.000-07:002010-10-11T20:49:15.995-07:00

To everybody who knew Adrienne:It is with profound sadness that we find ourselves on October 1st 2010. On this day a year ago we lost our daughter to cancer. It was heartbreaking for all who knew her, because we witnessed such a long and valiant fight, right to the very end. Adrienne tried harder to live than just about anybody I have ever known. She lived her life to the maximum, made plans and

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-54954737264969177852010-08-28T08:57:00.000-07:002010-08-28T08:59:27.296-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm changing the unveiling date to accommodae my school schedule. I know Adrienne would understand. It'll be on Sunday, October 24. I'll post details as soon as I get confirmation from the rabbi.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-41433315000003008452010-08-15T14:43:00.001-07:002010-08-15T14:53:34.876-07:00

I'm not sure who's still reading. I haven't felt like posting much. Everytime I think about it and log in, I can't figure out what to write. Adrienne's birthday is coming up this week and I'm not sure how I'll deal with it. Daniel's on his way here right now and his birthday is the day after Adrienne's. It used to be such a happy time. They had so many wonderful birthdays over the years.I

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-55199808122542005852010-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:002010-07-01T16:50:11.506-07:00

"1997 was the year I beat cancer."This was the first line of an essay Adrienne wrote in 5th grade, a few months after finishing her first round of treatment. We all thought it was true and were working hard at getting back to normal. I so wish it were true. I found the essay while seaching for my college diploma and cried the rest of the day - no diploma but I did receive my transcript and have

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-40382934411401859992010-06-02T15:17:00.000-07:002010-06-02T15:35:13.763-07:00

I definitely need something new and different to take my attention. Work has been great but I need a new challenge so I've decided to go back to school. I'll be taking a summer class just after the 4th of July to see how it feels and then will work toward applying for the Fall 2011 term. First, I need to take the dreaded GRE, dreaded because I don't remember the math. I looked it over and I

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-16197025890653725172010-05-16T21:09:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:56:45.014-07:00

I think most of us think that time heals all ills. I used to think that but not any more. If anything, I think it gets worse and worse. As more time passes, I realize how final this is, that Adrienne isn't coming back. The more time passes, the further away she gets. I worry that I'll forget about things, that she'll be further from my life. Now we have to order the headstone. I found out that

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-83982376195733293922010-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-26T08:13:25.039-07:00

To say that things have been rough lately is putting it mildly. If I didn't have work and dogs that need to go out, I'd probably stay in bed all day. I'm sorry for not returning emails and phone calls. I get them and really appreciate the thoughts. Please be patient with me as I try to figure this out. Last week, I decided to send a note of complaint to NVCI about "a-hole" doctor. You can read

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-13145644355490776642010-04-13T10:23:00.000-07:002010-04-13T10:27:58.989-07:00

Adrienne's unveiling will be on October 17, 2010 at 2:30 in the afternoon. This is a short graveside service that includes reading of several psalms (1, 23, 24, 103), Mourners Kaddish, and the prayer "El Malei Rachamim. At the end of the ceremony, a cloth or shroud covering that has been placed on the headstone is removed. We'll probably do some sort of reception afterwards. I hope you can save

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-25056799075010426092010-04-12T08:12:00.001-07:002010-04-13T07:46:54.158-07:00

I haven't felt much like writing lately but wanted to post a couple of URLs for you to look at. This blog post (http://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/the-sisterhood/) was written by another mom that lost her son to Hodgkin's around the same time that Adrienne died. It says a lot of things better than I could. As she says:We do not walk our path by choice the journey has been cruelly thrust

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-66871399680665935322010-03-23T13:42:00.000-07:002010-03-23T13:56:39.269-07:00

Most days, I do okay. I work, I take care of the house, I walk the dogs, I cook, the usual day to day things. But here and there, something just takes my breath away. This week, it's "Dancing with the Stars." The new season started last fall while Adrienne was in the hospital. I left the TV on much of the time, mostly for background noise. When Adrienne was awake, she held the remote but after

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-78716895033537489042010-03-11T15:11:00.000-08:002010-03-11T15:25:36.499-08:00

Last night was my Compassionate Friends meeting. Sadly, there were a lot of people there, some I knew, some were new. There was a young couple whose 9 year old son died 3 weeks ago from an asthma attack. Raw is the word they use. Dad did most of the talking. Mom couldn't say a word. I still feel raw at these meetings, even though I think I'm getting through the days better. I had a tough time

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-13265133110005777192010-02-23T11:54:00.000-08:002010-02-23T13:42:33.209-08:00

I've always thought of myself as level headed but in touch with my feelings. I cried during happy times (birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, even the kids' school plays). A good movie always brought plenty of tears (think "Million Dollar Baby" and "Terms of Endearment"). And of course, there are life events including the death of my father and several close friends, as well as my divorce from

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-65829027522315076512010-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:002010-02-17T13:57:52.758-08:00

Last weekend, Curt and I went to our first show since Adrienne died, Terry Fator (the guy who won America's Got Talent). We've always been a family that enjoyed live theater of every type: music, comedy, drama, and so on. Adrienne would have loved Terry Fator and it made me think of all the shows we saw over the years: Jersey Boys, Phantom, Elton John, Cirque du Soleil, George Carlin, plus many,

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-35080561144351820362010-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:002010-02-01T08:14:24.941-08:00

It's hard to believe that Adrienne left us four months ago today. Much of that time has been a blur. They tell me that numbness is what helps us cope. I often have vivid dreams about Adrienne and last night dreamt about her wedding. I so wish that we'd have that day.I still receive condolence cards from time to time. Last week, I got one from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I'm not sure

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-90812127021419414282010-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:002010-03-31T15:58:30.755-07:00

If you've posted here, you know that I moderate them. I did this at first because of the ads that were being posted (usually for viagra or an adult site) but sometimes the notes are really strange and I reject those. There were a couple recently of note. One person said that this site helped with a school project. Another said that the recent posts were more interesting than the older ones. Huh?

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-73145908226940535472010-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:002010-01-11T09:09:49.785-08:00

I'm not sure what normal is any more. I'm trying, but I'm not there yet. I still get up each morning and go about my day but I don't feel normal at all. People tell me I'll find a new normal. Only time will tell. The smallest thing can get me off track. Last week, it was the dentist of all things.Getting a puppy has turned out to be a great move. Rudy has no idea what's going on and he's always

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-13092433232303756102010-01-01T08:52:00.000-08:002010-01-01T08:54:12.872-08:00

Funeral ServiceOctober 4, 2009 • 16 Tishrei 5770The words of Psalm 121:I lift up my eyes to the mountains;What is the source of my help? My help comes from Adonai,Maker of heaven and earth. (1-2)A poet has written:After my death, mourn me thus:A girl lived -- behold, she is no more.Before her time her life was endedAnd the song of her life was broken off.Oh, she had more melodies within

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-12173324207236752782009-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:002009-12-20T08:32:26.926-08:00

Curt and I had a nice visit to Cabo, very relaxing. It's amazing how much it's changed since our last trip there 5 years ago. We had visited regularly the mid-90s and purchased a timeshare in 1998, the first time we took Adrienne and Daniel and it was sort of a home away from home. With Adrienne's illness, however, it turned out that we couldn't visit much. I last took Adrienne, Daniel, and a

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-31924508034107747952009-12-09T08:49:00.000-08:002009-12-09T09:07:15.262-08:00

Julie and Julia is coming out on DVD. This is the last movie Adrienne and I saw together in New York last summer. We both really enjoyed it and laughed that we were the youngest people in the theater, that is, Adrienne was the youngest and I was the next youngest. Yes, it was full of old ladies but we loved it anyways. Adrienne was always a huge movie buff and I miss her movie reviews and my

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-14304657427030018062009-11-29T02:40:00.001-08:002009-12-01T12:42:17.521-08:00

Thankful? No, I'm not feeling too thankful this year and I don't know if I ever will again. In the past, I always felt lucky that we had our family, knowing that time was precious. It was this time last year that things started to become really difficult. Gus died Thanksgiving weekend and within a few weeks, Adrienne was in unbearable pain from the tumors growing between her ribs. We got a short

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-39365291696392656582009-11-19T08:04:00.000-08:002009-11-19T08:22:24.421-08:00

Keeping busy helps but I can't do that all the time. I keep going over everything that happened the last few months in my mind, wondering if we could have done things differently. What if we had made different decisions? What if Adrienne didn't go to summer school? What if we tried another HDAC inhibitor (we were so afraid after MGCD)? What if she did more aggressive chemo in the summer? What if?

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-86630413239060819702009-11-11T14:05:00.000-08:002009-11-11T14:18:51.159-08:00

I was in the Bay Area for almost 2 weeks working. It was nice to visit everyone and catch up, and also to visit the cemetary and find freshly planted grass. But, it was nice to get home too. I'm one of those people that likes being home with all the comforts that brings. I've been catching up on chores and fixing things that were neglected the last year. I've even done some fixing up and

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-59601959803474473862009-11-02T14:59:00.000-08:002009-11-02T15:42:35.851-08:00

There's no guide to grieving. There are lots of books and lots of ideas, but the best suggestion I've been given is to do what works best for me, at my own pace, so I'm taking that advice to heart and getting through each day. I cry every day, but I don't cry all day. I get up each day, try to walk a few miles, work, cook, do laundry, all the usual things. Basically, I'm staying really, really

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-48777142720413036332009-10-22T13:50:00.000-07:002009-10-22T14:12:52.522-07:00

Adrienne was an avid reader. Even before she came back from college last May, books were arriving through an online trading group (bookins.com) that Adrienne belonged to. I went through her books yesterday since her room was chock full of them. There are a lot of text books, including those that came while she was in the hospital for this semester, plus lots of "fun" reading. She always had two

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-5572072473501362612009-10-16T07:42:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:15:16.625-07:00

Yesterday was Moe's one year birthday. He got a few new toys and his evening walk with Caesar. Along the way, we met Tobey, a 2 year old Shitzu that had just been rescued from his abusive owners who kept him in a crate for most of his 2 years. It makes you wonder how there are people in this world who do awful things like that and are fine, and then there's Adrienne, who never hurt anyone or

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-82546331205798614552009-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:002009-10-11T16:13:57.741-07:00

We're getting through the days but it all seems so unreal, so unfair. I keep thinking that Adrienne will walk through the door, that this is all a bad dream, but I know it isn't. I cried so much while she was in the hospital and in the days after that I don't have a lot of tears left right now and I feel like I'm in a fog. The worst times are when the mail comes with condolence cards and notices

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-84178320188692570012009-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:002009-10-07T13:00:47.326-07:00

We got back late last night and I lit the Shivah candle for Adrienne. It will burn for 7 days. It seems too short a time.When we were in the hospital with Adrienne, I received a message from Ruth Sanders. She's a regular reader on the Webmagic forum and reads this blog regularly too. Ruth's daughter, Amanda, 25, was going through the same situation as us, with Amanda being admitted a week before

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-76249235019895445712009-10-02T10:18:00.000-07:002009-10-02T10:23:48.463-07:00

Adrienne's dad put together a video tribute at adrienne.eazyclick.com. If you have pictures that you'd like to include, please send them to: dave@eazyclick.com.Donations: Please make a donation in Adrienne's honor to the Alese Coco Fight2Win Foundation (http://www.fight2win.org/) or to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at:THE SILICON VALLEY & MONTEREY BAY AREA CHAPTER675 N. First StreetSuite

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-21471425010731897792009-10-01T17:03:00.001-07:002009-10-01T17:03:54.817-07:00

Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 4, 2009. Oak Hill Funeral Home300 Curtner AvenueSan Jose, CA 95125Adrienne will be buried with my dad following the service in the Home of Peace Cemetary, which is a short drive from the funeral home. A reception will follow at my sister's home in Saratoga, California.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-69572452605095058642009-10-01T14:31:00.000-07:002009-10-01T14:39:26.288-07:00

Adrienne died peacefully around 11:15 am. We are heartbroken. She should be home with her family but we know she didn't suffer and she would not have recovered.I'll post with the arrangements as soon as I have details. They will be held in San Jose sometime Sunday afternoon.Please, no flowers. You can make a donation to the Alese Coco Fight2Win Foundation or to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-19793366620635415492009-09-30T12:10:00.001-07:002009-09-30T12:11:24.319-07:00

We're going to take Adrienne of the vent in the morning. The doctor assures me that she won't have any pain or fear. Everything that could be done has been done.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-76086915403096478712009-09-29T10:23:00.000-07:002009-09-29T11:00:00.871-07:00

I understood that Adrienne had Candida but after talking with the infectious disease doctor today, they don't actually know what kind of fungus she has. It takes awhile to grow it out and it could take another day or two to get a final pathology. Best case: this is candida and she's on the right antifungal. Worst case: this is aspergillosis and this is very, very hard to treat. The onc sat down

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-37854711573490119592009-09-28T10:48:00.000-07:002009-09-28T11:30:44.534-07:00

Adrienne is doing about the same. Every little thing is an event here in ICU but I'm trying to take it in stride. Her regular oncologist is the physician on the inpatient service for the next 7 days. I thought he was going to cry when he came in this morning (what a nice man). He's been keeping up with what's going on but now he'll be here every day. No, he didn't say no chemo, he just didn't

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-30342083429102048152009-09-27T12:30:00.000-07:002009-09-27T12:41:30.723-07:00

So, it looks like Adrienne has Candida (yeast) pretty much everywhere: lungs, urine, and blood. This could also be causing the GI issues and the new findings on the chest CT. No chemo until this is resolved and it could take time. This is a normal fungus that we all have but it can become disseminated in immunosuppressed people. This is serious (as if everything else isn't serious?) so we'll just

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-67007170200207312862009-09-27T06:10:00.000-07:002009-09-27T06:19:50.187-07:00

Even when Adrienne was away at school, we talked every day. Once in awhile, I decided to leave her alone so she could study or whatever, and she'd always call me. We just liked to discuss things and didn't have too many taboo topics. We both love food and the same TV programs and movies and shows. Well mostly. I don't get the attraction to How I Met Your Mother and Adrienne doesn't like Law and

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-39289892673659217762009-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:002009-09-26T12:10:22.955-07:00

Yesterday's scan showed a pneumopericardium caused by the vent pressure. The treatment is to paralyze her and then do some magic with the vent...except that it messed up her blood gases really bad. They were in and out all night. Thankfully, things settled down this morning.The scan is a bit confusing. The cancer looks improved but overall, the lungs look worse and they don't know why. The

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-63873911222823523232009-09-25T17:11:00.000-07:002009-09-25T17:16:09.600-07:00

I talked with the pulmonologist again after he reviewed the CT. He thinks there are fewer nodules but wants the official report from the radiologist. There's some new ground glass opacity, which usually indicates pneumonia, plus air around the heart, which is caused by the pressure on the ventilator. These factors could account for the fact that her breathing hasn't improved. Also, she's got a

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-70663512646668573402009-09-25T12:12:00.000-07:002009-09-25T12:19:02.679-07:00

Adrienne had the bronch earlier and just got back from the CT. I saw the onc and she'll meet with the radiologist first thing in the morning so we'll know more then. The bronch didn't show much, no nodules (cancer) and the airways are large and clear. There is redness, which indicates inflammation, but that's it. They took some washings. So, we don't really know anything except that they had to

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-33181837211756914932009-09-24T20:55:00.000-07:002009-09-24T21:00:21.230-07:00

Tomorrow, Friday, has the potential to be good or one of the worst days imaginable. After I talked with Dr. O, he spoke with Dr. M (the NVCI doc) and they decided that Adrienne should have a CT. It makes sense. We want to make sure the chemo is in fact working before doing more. But, it also means that we could find out that the chemo isn't working. The pulmonologist keeps telling us that her

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-78969837831978986832009-09-24T16:11:00.000-07:002009-09-24T17:19:02.867-07:00

He and the doctor here have been playing phone tag but I'm sure they'll figure it out. Dr. O, of course, says we have to do whatever we can and he would do the same if Adrienne were his daughter. He told me about another young woman in a similar situation, who got GND and off the vent, and went on to have a transplant and was cured. He admitted that if SGN-35 weren't on the horizon, if there were

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-37060747160600941032009-09-24T08:26:00.000-07:002009-09-24T08:35:53.444-07:00

Adrienne has counts today. ANC is over 1000!!!! Even her hemoglobin went up. Platelets went down but she didn't need a transfusion this am. Blood gasses are improved. Billi is down to 1.8 and she's tolerating the tube feedings again. Even her heart rate is down. So, I'm hopeful that she'll get chemo soon, not today, but soon. She's having a really tough time adjusting to the trach and it would be

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-21850940928847359802009-09-23T21:28:00.000-07:002009-09-23T21:46:23.682-07:00

You may wonder why I post so often and so openly. I think it's cathartic to some extent, helping me sort out my thoughts and feelings. I have Adrienne's iPhone and it's much easier posting on this than my Blackberry.I can't stop replaying Robin's visit in my head. I know she meant well and believes every word she said. I also know that there are several people who read this blog who've been in

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-61355721714361190972009-09-23T13:01:00.000-07:002009-09-23T13:09:35.559-07:00

This is a real question. If I take Xanax, I sleep for 8 hours. If I take nothing, I'm a nervous wreck. I asked Kent this question the other day and he said, "Chardonnay." Okay, I'm good at that but other suggestions are welcome. We got clarification from the doc: no chemo TODAY. They want to wait until her counts come up and they're coming up, bit by bit. She has lots of monocytes so that means

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-78639289599301031362009-09-22T17:22:00.000-07:002009-09-22T18:07:53.088-07:00

Adrienne had the trach done today. I was really nervous about it, especially when they had to bag her to take her from her ICU room to the operating room. The OR is just down the hall so it wasn't far but still, it was hard to watch. That all went fine, however, and she'll probably sleep soundly the rest of the night. The nurse brushed and flossed her teeth and it's nice to see her beautiful lips

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-51996644180070952972009-09-22T10:47:00.000-07:002009-09-22T11:18:59.718-07:00

I was a pretty happy camper last night after meeting the new onc covering the inpatient service. She's a lovely lady from the south who's willing to do whatever is needed for Adrienne and to work with Dr. O, who will be back from Berlin today. They are planning a call this afternoon and we hope that Adrienne can get chemo Wednesday or Thursday. Her WBC came up just a little bit today and her

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-756317059853017762009-09-21T16:47:00.000-07:002009-09-21T17:30:33.043-07:00

Trying to get a bunch of doctors in a room is like herding cats. They never come at the same time two days in a row and they often say conflicting things. Add to that, I called Dr. O's cell and it turns out it was the middle of the night in Berlin. He was really nice about it, and he and the pulmonologist discussed the state of Adrienne's lungs so that we all understand where we're at. The long

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-28857317902387304232009-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:002009-09-20T18:48:41.761-07:00

I went home today to shower and do laundry. It might not sound like a big deal but it was for me. I don't take naps but there's plenty to keep up with. Uncle Kent spent the afternoon with Adrienne watching football, which she hates. Oh well. Most of the time ee leave the TV on with things she enjoys. Dirty Dancing just started.Tomorrow is a big decision day. We can't leave the tube in much longer

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-40743609060246198752009-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:002009-09-20T07:36:51.041-07:00

A lot of you sent notes and commented on what the doc said yesterday. He didn't say anything we didn't already know and, in fact, he's been extremely careful in what he says all along. They can mechanically ventilate her lungs but they can't make her blood cells oxygenate. She's fluid overloaded and dehydrated at the same time, which is caused by the disease itself. They give her albumin and

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-740619228660175742009-09-19T12:06:00.000-07:002009-09-19T12:09:44.817-07:00

While most things are looking better, Adrienne's breathing is getting worse. The chest xray is unchanged but she's needing more and more ventilator support. The doc says "if she makes it through the weekend," she'll get the trach on Monday.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-43006414731297530652009-09-19T07:53:00.000-07:002009-09-19T08:06:56.032-07:00

I don't recall ever having spent the New Year like this but I'll be happy if the day turns out like yesterday and last night. I don't have counts yet but Adrienne's biliirubin was down quite a bit yesterday and she's tolerating the feeding tube pretty well. They want her to get a faster rate so she gets more nutrition but we understand that it might take a few days until she can tolerate the full

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-18394579767917976232009-09-18T09:44:00.001-07:002009-09-18T09:57:09.550-07:00

This is a good thing in the ICU. They made a change in Adrienne's sedation yesterday and she definitely seems to be more comfortable. The sedation has been tough because she's so small but has had so many drugs over the years. She needs as much sedation as a 250 lb. man. I definitely need to give her a bad time about that when she's awake. The sedation difficulty makes the nursing situation more

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-82447283637804388102009-09-17T12:44:00.001-07:002009-09-17T13:16:04.549-07:00

I've been sleeping on and off since early this morning. Adrienne's BP was very, very low all night so they were in and out. The thinking right now is that there's something infectious going on. She has new edema in her lungs and is coughing stuff up with the help of suction. Everyone is doing everything they can. I'm just trying to keep her calm when the commotion starts and/or the alarms are

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-17690595458803076392009-09-16T22:23:00.000-07:002009-09-16T22:38:59.380-07:00

Ok, so I'm looking for some distraction. Adrienne started throwing PVCs tonight. All of the alarms were going off and the crash cart came in (still here). This looks to be a problem with low potassium and magnesium (going in now) so we'll just have to pray. I don't expect any sleep. Her cardiac enzymes are elevated but not significantly, so hopefully these infusions will help. Just when I think

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-53754880165444968572009-09-16T12:32:00.000-07:002009-09-16T12:51:30.410-07:00

I wish I knew how to answer this question. Adrienne was doing fine on CPAP, one step down from extubation, but then started having trouble around 7 am. She's back on the full vent again with a new tube down her throat and she's very sedated again. She's a fighter. All the docs keep telling me that. The chest xray is the same as yesterday so no one knows why she suddenly started having trouble

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-16105969469404167502009-09-15T14:53:00.000-07:002009-09-15T15:04:46.430-07:00

I love Dr T (the pulmonologist) and Dr N (the internist). Dr T was surprised about the vent issue this am since Adrienne's chest xray actually looks better. He got the RT to spend about 20 mins changing the vent settings and actually skipped a step in the step down. Seems that Adrienne is breathing too much on her own. They're going to sedate her more so they can do this step down and just pray

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-83109523115552536722009-09-15T10:34:00.000-07:002009-09-15T10:40:07.991-07:00

It looks like Adrienne's liver is failing and there aren't any treatment options. They tried to feed her with NG tube yesterday and she threw up more than what went in. Liver numbers are up again today. They also tried to turn down the vent settings without success. Blood counts are still nonexistent.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-80588171241256669122009-09-14T13:51:00.000-07:002009-09-14T14:03:12.959-07:00

The pulmonologist wasn't so worried about this morning's back step. He hopes to extubate by the end of the week. Wouldn't that be amazing? The chest xray is the same as last Friday but a 50% improvement overall.I spoke with Dr. O a little bit ago and he's happy with the response. He said she's supposed to get chemo on day 1 and 15, not on day 1 and 8. He says her counts should come up by then.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-23041872273074148922009-09-14T08:53:00.000-07:002009-09-14T09:07:30.942-07:00

Yesterday, they took away Adrienne's propofol. I understand that you can't stay on it too long and they think it's contributing to the liver issues. They replaced it with dilaudid on demand. The problem is that by the time I ask for it, she's frantic. They tried turning down the vent again this am and she "woke up" and was trying to pull the tube out and get out of bed. I don't know if the vent

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-87570625733457850752009-09-13T10:11:00.000-07:002009-09-13T10:17:46.446-07:00

Ok, I look at the calendar a lot. Adrienne was admitted here 3 weeks ago. Her longest hospital stay prior to this was 30 days in 2003. I'm sure she'll be here longer than that this time, but I'm starting to imagine taking her home. That would be so amazing.They turned down the pressure on the vent today and she's tolerating it well. Her WBC came up a tiny bit so that's good news. Hopefully,

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-31986193078098669562009-09-12T14:09:00.000-07:002009-09-12T14:17:53.773-07:00

Adrienne has been on the vent for a week now. It all seems so unreal and time moves in slow motion. She's about the same as yesterday. They had to go up a little on the vent but they tell me this is nothing to worry about, just a small adjustment. She still has no white count or platelets so there will be no chemo tomorrow. Billi and enzymes are up again too. They have her in a yellow gown so

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-62932859684602492892009-09-11T17:22:00.000-07:002009-09-11T17:27:37.702-07:00

Adrienne's liver issue is due to sludge and gall stones. It sounds bad but it's not. She's had this before and it clears up with mess. They're also changing her TPN schedule to give her liver a break. Vent is down to 45%.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-60228470231359462692009-09-11T14:20:00.000-07:002009-09-11T14:29:03.946-07:00

Adrienne's chest xray is 50% improved over the last 3 days. They just turned down the vent to 50% and she seems to be tolerating it well. She's still very sedated but cried yesterday and today when awakened. It's so hard to watch but they promise that she won't remember this.We still have some big hurdles to get over. She's still neutropenic and can't get her chemo until her counts come up. Chemo

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-18046105033195455692009-09-11T10:27:00.001-07:002009-09-11T10:37:38.585-07:00

Since you asked, I'm doing fine. I'm eating and even sleeping with a few pharmaceutical aids. The hospital has fairly good food and, even though they don't allow food in the icu, they let me bring stuff in. Adrienne is on tpn so I don't think my food poses a risk to her. My brother in law, Kent, is here for a few weeks to help out too. Thank you so much, Kent. He even got to chase Caesar around

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-91066592660662069562009-09-10T21:22:00.001-07:002009-09-10T21:46:26.342-07:00

It seems like one or two things stand out each day. Usually, it's the pulmonary situation, which is stable or maybe a little better today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some positive changes. Adrienne's very low (nonexistent) white count is definitely a concern but she hasn't had a fever so far so that's good.The infectious disease doctor comes in each day and usually, I don't get anything

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-39511201161342911482009-09-10T10:44:00.000-07:002009-09-10T10:49:08.545-07:00

Good: The chest xray shows some improvement, sats are good, blood gases are normal after a vent change yesterday. Bad: billirubin (liver function) is up, white count is nonexistent. Let's hope she doesn't get a fever.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-56972649591638591442009-09-09T17:37:00.000-07:002009-09-09T17:59:37.890-07:00

I've known enough people in Adrienne's situation over the years to know that this is going to be a very long, slow process. We hope for progress each day but sometimes it doesn't come. Today is one of those days. There have been a few minor changes to the vent settings. One doc says the lungs sound better, another says they sound the same. I have to remind myself that this is only day 4 on the

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-35873759308242749522009-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:002009-09-09T13:25:46.282-07:00

I don't know much more. Adrienne is either the same or slightly proved. She's severely neutropenic but no fevers, which is good. I'll update later after the pulmonologist comes by.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-83667402410758777852009-09-08T18:11:00.000-07:002009-09-08T18:21:12.442-07:00

Sorry, I just realized that I didn't actually post the earlier update. Not much has changed since then. They've been able to go down on the vent settings today to 60%. She seems to be tolerating it well as long as she stays sedated and doesn't try to breathe on her own. She's now severely neutropenic and will need platelets again tonight or tomorrow morning. She had a lot of blood in her pee

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-37229759512059205882009-09-08T10:52:00.000-07:002009-09-08T18:10:57.946-07:00

The chest xray shows small improvements but everyone agrees that her lungs sound much better. The vent is currently on 80% so they're going to lower it to 70% today and then see how she does. The goal is to get to 50% as soon as possible. There's a bunch of blood in her urine all of a sudden but I seem more worried than they are. Her platelets were at 13 yesterday so she got platelets last night

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-18587030803043710772009-09-07T11:45:00.000-07:002009-09-07T14:14:02.494-07:00

Things are about the same. The chest xray showed no improvement but the doc thought her breath sounds were a little bit better. The xray is still what they call a white out. Vitals are stable.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-87114324872629616452009-09-06T14:25:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:44:40.566-07:00

The past 24 hours has been nothing short of a nightmare. Adrienne was doing okay on BiPAP yesterday and they were getting ready for her chemo. She had to get a 6 hour infusion of sodium bicarbonate so chemo was supposed to start around 7 pm. Late in the afternoon, she woke up and tried to take the BiPAP mask off, and when she did, she turned blue within seconds. One of the nurses held the mask to

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-72904508211659788492009-09-05T17:48:00.000-07:002009-09-05T17:49:33.933-07:00

They're going to intubate in a little while.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-69062745922416688252009-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:002009-09-05T17:09:35.475-07:00

Adrienne always said that she has had every kind of venous access device except for a PICC line. Now she has one of those thanks to lots of IV Ativan, which she'll get around the clock to help with nausea and anxiety.Her breathing was bad again today and they wanted to intubate and do a bronc. We asked to try the BiPAP again and she is doing much better on it, especially with the Ativan on board.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-15224609530057252242009-09-05T09:12:00.000-07:002009-09-05T09:28:23.748-07:00

Naomi is okay. It was a diabetic crisis. I'm sure that she didn't get her insulin in between the vomiting and that caused the problem. They're keeping her for 24 hours for observation but she should be okay.We now have a plan. Adrienne will start GND today and get another treatment next Saturday. She was throwing up all day yesterday so we want to make sure she has plenty of antiemetics on board.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-64237745235681021112009-09-04T14:49:00.000-07:002009-09-04T15:55:07.601-07:00

Adrienne had a rough night. At around 4:30 am, the tech came to do her daily chest xray. She usually just lays there while a lot of activity goes on around her, usually. This time, she had a full panic attack with hyperventilating and crying, and then the expected low sats. It took quite awhile to get her to calm down and back on the new BiPAP (not a BiPAP but like a BiPAP and I can't remember

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-33638439584830656042009-09-03T15:52:00.000-07:002009-09-03T16:06:06.611-07:00

He's so nice, saying to call his cell any time, even at home. He thinks this is all some mix of disease and infection and that, given Adrienne's tenuous respiratory status, Rituxan would be too dangerous. The Rituxan causes a very mild inflammatory response in the lungs of most people and they don't even notice it but it could be fatal for her. Add to that, its too slow in working. I'm trying to

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-24101811110543981602009-09-03T09:23:00.000-07:002009-09-03T09:37:16.720-07:00

Apparently, Adrienne's scan shows what looks like PCP pneumonia. This is a serious opportunistic infection that affects people with severely compromised immune systems. This can be difficult to treat but they're trying with everything they"ve got.On the scan, it doesn't look like more lymphoma. The plan now is to treat it for 24 hours and then reevaluate. If she hasn't improved significantly by

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-90332171473083993692009-09-02T15:00:00.000-07:002009-09-02T15:06:32.150-07:00

Adrienne has been more short of breath as the day goes on so she's back on the BiPAP machine. We're going to try 4 hours on and 1 hour off. The CT shows a lot more infiltrate throughout both lungs. The next step will be intubation.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-47035713063844223972009-09-02T13:35:00.000-07:002009-09-02T13:41:39.051-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that they tried to turn down Adrienne's oxygen without success. Her numbers are ok today but she feels more short of breath. This morning's chest xray showed some new abnormalities but it's hard to tell what's going on so she just had a CT scan. We should have results shortly. The doc thinks it's mucous plugs. I'm not sure yet what this means but they want to start a new

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-6862374183558766652009-09-01T19:24:00.001-07:002009-09-01T19:29:58.847-07:00

We got a little bit of good news. Adrienne's chest xray was much improved today. Pleural effusions are smaller. Edema is less. Infiltrate looks better. They tried to lower her o2 without success but at least she isn't needing BiPAP anymore. This is a slow process and we aren't out of the woods but at least we had some good news. Adrienne's goal is to get on the nasal cannula, which is the

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-91161514986541059192009-09-01T08:28:00.000-07:002009-09-01T09:59:25.273-07:00

Adrienne is breathing and resting comfortably, so I decided to come home for a few hours this morning to catch up on work and chores. I thought I knew a lot about this disease but I've learned even more the last 10 days. I'll try to give a more detailed picture of where we're at. It turns out that as you have more disease, the types of pulmonary complications Adrienne is having are common. The

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-79043415195032758202009-08-31T19:48:00.000-07:002009-08-31T20:00:53.799-07:00

I said earlier that Adrienne has more shortness of breath. Turns out she now has pulmonary edema. They started her on lasix again after the kidney doc said ok since her creatinine is down now. Oh, she has a new infectious disease doc too. I've lost count of how many dogs there are now. She's definitely getting the star treatment.Adrienne got the star treatment today. There's an amazing shower cap

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-41853046237388334642009-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:002009-08-31T14:42:13.146-07:00

Adrienne had a great day yesterday. Today, she's feeling a bit more short of breath but her numbers look good. I trust how she feels more so we're keeping a very close eye on her. I was planning to go home for awhile to work this afternoon but have decided to stay after all.It's amazing how the numbers in ICU run your life and your mood. The doc this morning mentioned watching her day by day,

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-46988600341731732362009-08-30T16:33:00.000-07:002009-08-30T16:36:42.432-07:00

Adrienne is actually doing a bit better this afternoon. She's been on BIPAP most of the day but her sats and respiration are stable. They added a nice dose of dexamethazone and 3 new antibiotics. Hopefully one or all of.these helps the fever and the infiltrate.

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-42142245679655891812009-08-30T12:07:00.000-07:002009-08-30T12:29:56.488-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your emails and comments. I've been reading them all but Adrienne isn't up to it.She's been on the BIPAP all day and they told me they may need to intubate later today as her lungs are too stressed. Adrienne wants to try to breathe on her own and is doing okay so far but they're keeping a really close eye on her breathing and sats.The plueral effusions are stable but

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-42899347357625593492009-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:002009-08-29T16:42:47.194-07:00

Adrienne had a lot of trouble breathing overnight so they moved her to ICU this morning. I'm updating from my Blackberry. She's been on and off BIPAP and they drained one effusion but they're all over. She's comfortable now but the breathing issues are really frightening for her and for all of us. The pulmonologist said its unlikely that she'll survive this but we're still trying. I told them to

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-91761203481013786052009-08-28T12:57:00.000-07:002009-08-28T14:29:15.993-07:00

That's how I'd describe how Adrienne is feeling right now. Her creatinine (a measure of kidney function) has been going up and up since she was admitted. The nephrologist came to see her yesterday, they did an ultrasound and UA test, and it looks like she has some chronic kidney disease, probably as a result of her prior treatments. They stopped the antibiotic that causes the most kidney toxicity

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-62442654747692918382009-08-27T09:49:00.000-07:002009-08-27T10:02:23.953-07:00

We were able to get Adrienne into a wheelchair last night and go into some beatiful gardens at the back of the hospital. We put an oxygen tank on the wheelchair and got her disconnected from the IV pole. It was really nice and not too hot. We're hoping the dogs can come for a visit later today.A few people have asked for the address here so here it is:Adrienne Boardman, Room 202St. Rose Dominican

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-71453473884130717082009-08-26T12:58:00.000-07:002009-08-26T13:02:26.981-07:00

Things haven't changed much today except that I think I notice a bit of edema in Adrienne's feet/legs. The doctor said this would happen. They stopped the diuretics as she was getting dehydrated but will probably have to start again. It's a tough balancing act, but they're doing a good job so far. Fevers come on each night, which is typical for her when she had a lot of disease. Chemo starts

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10533350.post-45185739643546642132009-08-25T15:45:00.000-07:002009-08-25T15:52:00.208-07:00

Adrienne has been very tired today. Yesterday, she was having painful muscle cramps in her hands and feet so we tried muscle relaxers after other things failed. I'm sure that's contributing to the fatigue. The muscle spasms were probably caused by the imbalance in her electrolytes. She's been on so many meds plus lasix to get the fluid off so now she's all out of whack. Her lungs are doing much

Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04667508444604092506noreply@blogger.com4