Waiting game

Good news all around this week. Billy's bone marrow biopsy came back "empty", which means the chemo has done it's job so far. Now he is getting shots of Nupogen to jump start cell regeneration. We are in a waiting period to see what those cells look like. PRAY FOR HEALTHY CELLS! His stomach problems seem to have settled down as well. He has not been allowed to eat anything except ice chips for about the last week; is getting his nutrition through an IV. They are letting him have clear liquid beginning today. Hopefully soon he can progress back to a regular diet because we all know how Billy likes to eat good,flavorable and spicy food. He enjoyed a Father's Day FaceTime session with his son Brady and visit from Brenna today. Brady is working 7 days a week these days and couldn't make the trip out from Las Vegas. He had a visit yesterday from his friend Kim Broderick who made him a personalized card that really brought a smile to his face. A friend from southern California came up last weekend and tomorrow his old boss from that area is also coming up. Lots of love and support is very evident! His dad, Bill,and mom, Barb, hope to make the trip from Redding as soon as they can. Sister Shannon is hopefully coming back up soon as well. Bill has been working as he can, watching the NBA finals (go OKC),the Giants and golf. Lots of sports to keep him busy! His friend Robert comes all the time and between the two of them they keep the Stanford staff cracking up. Keep good thoughts coming our way. If you have any interest in becoming a bone marrow donor (Bill will need a transplant once he's in remission) go to www.bethematch.com. It is very easy - they send you a kit to swab some cheek cells and an envelope to send them back. Unfortunately his sis was not a match so now they will search this national registry. Lisa

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I don't run marathons, and can only imagine the stress and challenge such an ordeal places upon one's body. Wanting to stop but yet knowing you want the adrenaline rush as you cross the finish line. Knowing that through perseverance, and against all odds, you accomplished your goal. All of this is very applicable in Billy's "marathon" against leukemia. His body was put through very harsh conditions during the most recent round of chemotherapy, and complications almost forced him to have emergency surgery to remove ischemic portions of his colon and bowel. The surgeons decided his body was not stable enough, so trying to settle things down with new medications and liquid diet. He is feeling better but still waiting for results. They haven't been able to pinpoint the cause yet, but think a blood infection may be the culprit. It just seems so never ending - hopefully now that the chemo cycle is finished his poor body can return to some semblance of normalcy. Bill appreciates all the prayers, good thoughts and visits. His sister Shannon is here for a few days and a tremendous help and support. It really brightens his day so thank you all very much. Lisa