By Mike Lawell on 6/14/2006

Smiles coming from Georgia!!

We are so very happy to be home. Rob and the girls are taking excellent care of me. We are enjoying the sunshine and the warm Georgia weather while walking outside. I am getting stronger everyday. It is also great to be back in the care of my hemotologist, Dr. G.

We were able to visit a few friends at Atlanta Scuba last week. It was exciting to see them again. I missed you guys!

The engraftment grows stronger daily, so please continue to send those prayers our way. It will be a few months before I can return back to work because of the immunosuppresant medication, (too risky for infection) so we will always need God's ever-present touch in our lives. Thank you for everything!

By Mike Lawell on 5/28/2006

I finally have my family with me, arriving late Friday evening. The smiles have been constant. We held each other close and haven't let go since then! We are enjoying each other immensely. What a joy my husband and children are to me! How much our love has grown in the past few months.

Still have a little packing left, some sight seeing to do, and only 2 days left at the clinic next week, so we have a full schedule. Will be leaving late Friday evening to head home. Everyone is having a great time and we are all looking forward to being together at our home once again.

Prayer works! Please keep them coming. Thank you for everything!

By Mike Lawell on 5/24/2006

Finally got the results from the bone marrow aspiration. My white count is 100% engrafted from Denise's cells and the red count is 79% engrafted. Praise the Lord! He is the reason for this wonderful news. Also, I had another ultrasound of my right leg to check for the blood clot and it has disappeared once again. My how God's healing hand is continuing to work in mighty ways. Our prayers were heard and received. The doctors have given me a clean bill of health and will be discharged next week on schedule. I will be traveling home on June 2nd. Thank you Jesus! I do so want to start this new life with my family at home. I will continue to see my hemotologist in Marietta for blood tests and check ups. I do, however, have to stay on magnesium for awhile yet because the immunosuppresant drug FK506 makes the magnesium levels go down and will have to be on FK506 for another few months. There are some other medications that I will have to take for awhile also but that is to be expected. As always, please...

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By Mike Lawell on 5/20/2006

Just finished a full week of routine discharge testing this week. I passed with flying colors, though still have to take medication for the clot. Will have another ultrasound this Monday to see if it has dissolved or not. Please continue to pray that it has also gone. I will stay on the coumadin as a preventative med for a few months, but other than that the clot episode should be under control. I am feeling great and ready to start a new life at home with my family.

Will have a few more tests next week as it will be my final week before discharge. The doctors are making sure of blood work and medication dosages. I will give more updates next week.

Thank you all for your prayers of strength and supplication. May God continue to bless us in every way possible. He is our Lord and provider. We give Him all the praise and glory!!


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By Mike Lawell on 5/18/2006

This week will find me having routine final testing everyday. Bone marrow aspiration, gyn visit, dental exam, x-rays, breathing test, clinical visits, etc., they will be giving me the once over and then some. They do this with everyone getting ready to go home. I don't have the schedule for next week yet, but will probably be busy everyday also. I will let you know as soon as I do.

I am truly looking forward to seeing Rob and my girls next week. They will be flying in on Friday, May 26th to help me pack up. What a blessing to see them again! It will be quite a reunion to say the least. I love them so very much.

Am feeling great despite the clot. The medicine the doctor's prescribed is working fine and should start the coumadin this week. Please continue to pray that it too will dissolve like the one last month and that no more will appear. Thank you all for your continued support through prayers and emails. May God bless you always.

By Mike Lawell on 5/11/2006

Thursday, May 11th Just had my weekly clinic with the doctors and everything is looking great with my blood counts. My attending physician said my counts look better than his! I am scheduled for the last bone marrow aspiration this coming Monday, May 15th, so we can see the percentage of the engraftment of Denise's cells. They will also take a small piece of skin to check for graft versus host disease. Both these tests are routine and have to be completed before discharge which is still scheduled for May 30th. It was supposed to be May 24th, but had to be delayed because of Memorial Day weekend. I had an ultrasound test yesterday since I had a blood clot last month and the doctors wanted to be sure there were no more clots forming. They did find one more, so I am on another medication to dissolve the clot very quickly and then will be on coumadin for 4-6 months or so. It is possible I am throwing clots because of some of the medications that I'm on or it could be genetic. They really don't know....

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By Mike Lawell on 5/2/2006

Tuesday is my routine clinic day with the nurse, primary physician and attending physician (head doctor). All my blood counts are still climbing, organ functions are doing as they should and everything is on schedule for discharge at the end of the month. My magnesium level is almost where is should be so they increased the dosage of the magnesium pills by 3 more per day, but took me off the magnesium IV fluids. So that certainly is good news.

I will be getting another attending physician starting next week which makes me sad. I have grown to adore my current one. Have had him longer than anyone, but they do have to switch from time to time. Seems a shame to change for just 3 more weeks but they have to stick to their schedules. I will however keep the same primary physician so I don't have to meet two new doctors. He is very nice also and is very familiar with my case.

Hope all is well with everyone. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
God bless and love to all,
Lisa

By Mike Lawell on 4/29/2006

Just another note to let everyone know things are great here. We spent yesterday traveling on a ferry boat to a island called Bainbridge Island which is just 30 minutes across the way from Seattle. There are several islands from which to choose. It was a large ferry, the kind you can drive your car also. We spent the afternoon over there looking around the small town and driving around the area. It was nice to get out and see some sights other than the "city".

My blood counts are continuing to rise and the engraftment is taking place at a continuous rate. The doctors couldn't be more pleased. We all know that God is the reason why I am doing so well. Please keep those prayers coming this way. I am so blessed to have such strong family and friends to support me in this endeavor. May God continue to bless us all.

By Mike Lawell on 4/27/2006

New update for today. Went to clinic yesterday to see my doctors and am 35% AB Postive! That means Denise's blood type has taken over that much in just 61 days! Great news! How exciting. All my blood counts are where they should be, all organ functions are working beautifully and am right on track. I am on a steady slow decline of the prednisone throughout the next 3 weeks and when completely off that, I will be off the insulin shots.

I am feeling wonderful. Walking and getting fresh air. Thanking God for my new life and being able to spend it with my husband, children, family and friends. How great is that?

Again as always, thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, cards and emails. I so enjoy receiving them. Praise Jesus!

By Mike Lawell on 4/23/2006

Things are going well here. My blood counts are way up and I hope to be ready to leave the first week of June. I am on day +58 since the transplant and I keep getting stronger everyday. Time is flying by and I cannot wait to go home. The doctors are on a steady decline of prednisone and my last dose should be May 13th. I have been on insulin since the prednisone started (makes your blood sugar high) so hopefully I will be off the insulin right around then. I only have to have 2 shots a day right now.

I'm getting better everyday and God is continuing to bless.

As always, thank you for your prayers, emails and cards please keep them coming!!!

Love to all,

Lisa