I just received the following information from Michelle Miller:
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BLOOD DRIVE: Friday October 12th 8am - 4pm at the Roanoke Recreation Center. Please email Maclaine Robinson at Maclaine_bliss@hotmail.com to schedule a time to donate. Walk-ins are welcome, but if you're busy and need a specific time, email Maclaine and request a time that meets your schedule. Friday is a half day from school so please schedule accordingly. All the blood donated provides credits for Courtney's needs. Thank you to our city councilman, Kevin Stillwell, our city manager, Jimmy Stathatos, and to Ronnie Angel and Mike Arndt of the Recreation Center for offering the Recreation Center and for your assistance.
Celebrate Roanoke: (<-click for details) October 13th there will be a booth with information on Courtney at the corner of Oak and Travis from 9am to 7pm. Come by and buy a Courtney's Angels t-shirt to benefit the medical fund for Courtney. Donation boxes will be set up in different spots around the festival as well. If you would like to help Marilyn Walser make donation boxes or help her at the booth that Saturday, please email her at savedzero@yahoo.com. Click here for info about the t-shirt.
Garage Sale: October 13th hosted at the home of Emily Luna-Llanes in the Lost Creek neighborhood - 3408 Bandera Ranch. Contact Emily at comical5@1scom.net to volunteer to help.
Garage Sale: October 20th hosted at the home of Laura Fillmore in the Trophy Club neighborhood 558 Indian Creek Drive. Contact Allison to volunteer to help at allisonjpierce@yahoo.com.
Courtney's Angels Fund: with Bank of America. Go into any Bank of America and have them look up the Courtney's Angels account for you or give them acct #488009937521. If you'd like to transfer money, use routing # 111000025.
I am very grateful to live in the community of Roanoke. It is nice to see the town, the school and the churches pull their resources together to help a family as wonderful as the Flynn family during their time of need.
Thanks,
Michelle Miller
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I am at a loss for words to describe how grateful we are for all of the support we've received during this ordeal. I think I may actually wear out the word 'Thank-you' if that's possible. There really aren't enough ways to say or express gratitude. Please know that we are eternally grateful for everything. . .except for maybe the leukemia.
Courtney
taken 8/4/07
Courtney and her kids
taken 8/4/07
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Day 13 - PM
Well, one thing’s for sure, Leukemia keeps you on your toes, with no two days being alike. I truly thought today would be like yesterday – similar blood results, lots of visits from the nurses, a stroll up and down the hallway, an afternoon nap and a good night’s rest. Then she wakes up with a fever, not feeling well. Even though virtually every patient undergoing chemotherapy similar to Courtney’s, where the white blood cells are wiped out, experience fevers, precautions still have to be taken. That means more blood drawn for culturing (three days for results) and urine sample for the same thing and chest x-rays.
So, Courtney got to go on a field trip. It’s not very often that they let her leave her floor. Unfortunately, the field trip was to the hospital’s dungeon. OK, so it’s not a dungeon, but at night, when no one is around, it has to be one of the creepiest places on earth. Long narrow hallways, empty gurneys lining the walls and 6 ½ foot ceilings that make you feel much taller than normal. The first time Courtney made a trip down there, she was laying on her back as they transported her from the ER to her room. She commented on how eerie the trip was as she was rolled down the hallways so close to the ceiling. Well, radiology is in the dungeon, so she got to go there for her chest x-ray. The reason for the x-ray is to make sure there’s no infection or fluid collecting in her lungs. It’s apparently standard procedure whenever there’s a fever over 100.
After the trip, she was feeling a little better. So we took a walk down all four wings of her floor and ended with a short game of dominoes before she started getting drowsy. Shortly thereafter it was time for me to go home to have dinner with the kids. The day went by really fast. Actually, it’s hard to believe how fast the past 14 days have gone. That’s really encouraging since we're looking at another 14 days or more in the hospital. If the next two weeks go by as fast as the last two, we’ll be home in no time.
The last time I talked to her was about 7:30. She sounded tired and said she wasn’t feeling so well. Let’s hope and pray that she sleeps well tonight and wakes up feeling much better than she did this morning.
So, Courtney got to go on a field trip. It’s not very often that they let her leave her floor. Unfortunately, the field trip was to the hospital’s dungeon. OK, so it’s not a dungeon, but at night, when no one is around, it has to be one of the creepiest places on earth. Long narrow hallways, empty gurneys lining the walls and 6 ½ foot ceilings that make you feel much taller than normal. The first time Courtney made a trip down there, she was laying on her back as they transported her from the ER to her room. She commented on how eerie the trip was as she was rolled down the hallways so close to the ceiling. Well, radiology is in the dungeon, so she got to go there for her chest x-ray. The reason for the x-ray is to make sure there’s no infection or fluid collecting in her lungs. It’s apparently standard procedure whenever there’s a fever over 100.
After the trip, she was feeling a little better. So we took a walk down all four wings of her floor and ended with a short game of dominoes before she started getting drowsy. Shortly thereafter it was time for me to go home to have dinner with the kids. The day went by really fast. Actually, it’s hard to believe how fast the past 14 days have gone. That’s really encouraging since we're looking at another 14 days or more in the hospital. If the next two weeks go by as fast as the last two, we’ll be home in no time.
The last time I talked to her was about 7:30. She sounded tired and said she wasn’t feeling so well. Let’s hope and pray that she sleeps well tonight and wakes up feeling much better than she did this morning.
Day 13 - Mid-day update
Susan (Courtney's sister) here with a mid-day update. Dr. Jordan is in here now giving Courtney a look over-- she is running a slight fever and her WBC counts are up marginally from 100 to 300, but he said 90% of patients get similar fevers and see a small rise in the counts before bottoming out completely.
Last night a small cheer went up as she was hooked up to her last bag of chemo at 1AM. I would like all of you to know that while there are the inevitable moments of anxiety, fear, and disbelief that this is actually happening; Courtney is keeping her spirits up, her sense of humor sharp and her resolve to beat this strong. Her room may be filled with drugs and machines to administer the life saving chemicals; but it is also filled with cards and photos from people that love and support her. She constantly has her care givers laughing as she recounts moments of her day that can only be classified as comical. And once she takes medicine to help her sleep, she will give a verbal warning that she is done talking and falling asleep.... only to start up again a few minutes later, usually with a giggle or two thrown in for good measure. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear her soft laughter before she falls into a deep and restful sleep.
Last night a small cheer went up as she was hooked up to her last bag of chemo at 1AM. I would like all of you to know that while there are the inevitable moments of anxiety, fear, and disbelief that this is actually happening; Courtney is keeping her spirits up, her sense of humor sharp and her resolve to beat this strong. Her room may be filled with drugs and machines to administer the life saving chemicals; but it is also filled with cards and photos from people that love and support her. She constantly has her care givers laughing as she recounts moments of her day that can only be classified as comical. And once she takes medicine to help her sleep, she will give a verbal warning that she is done talking and falling asleep.... only to start up again a few minutes later, usually with a giggle or two thrown in for good measure. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear her soft laughter before she falls into a deep and restful sleep.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Day 12 - Reality Bites
The 'therapy' continues to progress as hoped. Her WBC counts are virtually zero. Her blasts are 8%. Her Hemoglobin was too low, so she received blood again. We really are at a point where it's essentially watch and wait. I think if we had to wait for a couple more days to know if the therapy is putting her into remission, it would be an excruciatingly long two days. Too bad we have to wait at least two more weeks!!
We keep saying to each other, "This doesn't seem real," and "this can't really be happening." I'm sure everyone confronted with a life threatening disease or trial has the same thoughts. But it's so much different when it's YOUR life. The one good thing about having a hard time believing that this is real, is that you don't feel the impact as badly. The disbelief somewhat lessons the shock and pain of it all.
Then there are the moments when "it's all too real." When you know with a certainty that you're dealing with cancer, and staying for weeks not days in a hospital, and getting chemicals pumped into your body. When you realize how bad it could be if not for wise doctors and a good hospital. When you know that the life you knew up until a couple weeks ago is moving along without you. When you feel the physical pain and weakness caused by the disease in your body. When you go days without seeing your own children. When you look forward to a drug induced sleep so you can escape the reality for a few precious hours and yearn to not wake up until it's all over.
Dream world: Courtney's taking a much deserved break - having essentially all her meals served to her in bed. Who doesn't want that?!
Real world: All her meals are hospital food.
We keep saying to each other, "This doesn't seem real," and "this can't really be happening." I'm sure everyone confronted with a life threatening disease or trial has the same thoughts. But it's so much different when it's YOUR life. The one good thing about having a hard time believing that this is real, is that you don't feel the impact as badly. The disbelief somewhat lessons the shock and pain of it all.
Then there are the moments when "it's all too real." When you know with a certainty that you're dealing with cancer, and staying for weeks not days in a hospital, and getting chemicals pumped into your body. When you realize how bad it could be if not for wise doctors and a good hospital. When you know that the life you knew up until a couple weeks ago is moving along without you. When you feel the physical pain and weakness caused by the disease in your body. When you go days without seeing your own children. When you look forward to a drug induced sleep so you can escape the reality for a few precious hours and yearn to not wake up until it's all over.
Dream world: Courtney's taking a much deserved break - having essentially all her meals served to her in bed. Who doesn't want that?!
Real world: All her meals are hospital food.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Day 11
More good news today, although I’m not sure if I completely understand it. But who cares? It’s good news and that’s all that matters. Dr. Jordan indicated that he was pleased to see her %Blasts go down from 85% to 16% today. What I don’t understand is that I thought the % was of her total WBC’s. And if her WBC’s are below 1.0 (at one point they were over 100,000), does it really matter if it’s 85 or 16 percent blasts? When I know the answer, I’ll share it. Anyway, if the doctor’s happy, we’re happy…for the most part.
Courtney wrote her first email today asking a friend to come and cut her hair. No, she’s not shaving it. (She just thinks it will be less maintenance and less likely to be messy when it’s shorter.) Well she cried a little when she wrote the message. The fact that she wrote anything at all is a sure indication that she’s getting stronger each day – physically and emotionally. Please know how much we appreciate your kind words, thoughts and prayers! We give thanks to a loving Father in Heaven for having you in our lives.
It helps so much to know that we’re not alone in this. And it helps to know that we have a Comforter in Jesus Christ:
We truly believe He loves us all. We believe His love is often expressed through the kind words, deeds, and even hugs of those around us. So, we thank you all for helping us feel His love.
Courtney wrote her first email today asking a friend to come and cut her hair. No, she’s not shaving it. (She just thinks it will be less maintenance and less likely to be messy when it’s shorter.) Well she cried a little when she wrote the message. The fact that she wrote anything at all is a sure indication that she’s getting stronger each day – physically and emotionally. Please know how much we appreciate your kind words, thoughts and prayers! We give thanks to a loving Father in Heaven for having you in our lives.
It helps so much to know that we’re not alone in this. And it helps to know that we have a Comforter in Jesus Christ:
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh
how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
We truly believe He loves us all. We believe His love is often expressed through the kind words, deeds, and even hugs of those around us. So, we thank you all for helping us feel His love.
Courtney's Angels - T-shirt
Here is the final design of Courtney's Angels T-shirt. Thank you, Amy Pennington, Amanda Holcomb, Brandi Bryner and Meredith Breinholt, for a great idea and for making it happen!! Click on the shirt to see how they did it and how to get one.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Day 10 - Final Diagnosis
Well we finally have the diagnosis we've been waiting for - Courtney has the M0 version of AML. What this means is that she has just three days left of Cytarabine and the Idarubicin is finished. It means that the doctors now have confidence that they're giving her the right treatment. It means that we have a clear and concise plan as to how to beat this thing. We've been firing out of all canons and now know that we can continue to do so confidently.
Unfortunately, this news didn't help Courtney's day to go much better. Though she's emotionally growing more stable by the day, evidenced by the fact that she was actually able to start reading the many wonderful messages that have been posted and sent to her, she's anxious about the side effects of the therapy. It didn't help that she had an hour long nose bleed. Tonight she fought to fall asleep saying multiple times that her skin was crawling. Who knows where that came from. It could be a side effect of one of the many medications she's on, or it's simply anxiety brought on by the diagnosis, the nose bleed, the upset stomach, the knowledge of chemicals being injected into her body, etc. I still can't imagine what she must be going through. She's sleeping now. She never snores, but is now. It's the first time in my life that snoring is music to my ears. It means she's in a deep sleep - exactly what she's needed.
Unfortunately, this news didn't help Courtney's day to go much better. Though she's emotionally growing more stable by the day, evidenced by the fact that she was actually able to start reading the many wonderful messages that have been posted and sent to her, she's anxious about the side effects of the therapy. It didn't help that she had an hour long nose bleed. Tonight she fought to fall asleep saying multiple times that her skin was crawling. Who knows where that came from. It could be a side effect of one of the many medications she's on, or it's simply anxiety brought on by the diagnosis, the nose bleed, the upset stomach, the knowledge of chemicals being injected into her body, etc. I still can't imagine what she must be going through. She's sleeping now. She never snores, but is now. It's the first time in my life that snoring is music to my ears. It means she's in a deep sleep - exactly what she's needed.
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