Day to Day

Well, nothing really exciting to report.  Thursday I announced that I made gluten free waffles that tasted like cardboard.  My sister Heather said, "What? I thought they were really good!"  And then she realized that they just tasted like cardboard to ME because I had "chemo mouth".  The chemo just makes everything taste sort of like metal and not very appetizing for a while.  The good news is that it doesn't last more than about 5 days for me usually, so things are already starting to taste normal to me again :)  But hey, it's an ok sacrifice considering that the chemo is working so well!  If I stay on schedule (which I should because Dr. Harker is keeping me on anti-viral medication which should help my platelets from plummeting due to a virus last round), then my last treatment will be on December 6th! 

Of course, I still may be having a bone marrow transplant, but we won't know any details on that till I meet with the specialists in a week or so.  My platelets were 33 yesterday, when they're usually about 14 or lower at this point in my cycle, so that's definitely a good sign with the spleen.  At least we're no longer looking at a spleenectomy.  Surgery in the middle of this probably wouldn't be very fun.

Last week was very busy for me, I went to the Autumn Concert at the Tabernacle by the Orchestra at Temple Square.  They played Mahler and the Passion among other things.  It was so beautiful!  And President Uchtdorf was there too, so it was neat to see him from a distance.  Also last week I went the the Utah Music Therapy Association Conference, and it was so delightful to see all of my friends from school and to meet some new faces!  And last but not least, I played at my cousin's wedding reception last night.  It was so beautiful!  Congrats!  So my days are filled with family and friends and enjoying my beautiful room and working on my cross stitch :)  It's a wonderful life!  I know it's not Christmas yet, but I just get so excited this time of year.  I think we could all just skip Halloween and go straight to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  In any case.....Happy Halloween everyone!

Chemo today

Celeste's platelets are 96 this morning! This means we are staying for chemotherapy today.

Bonemarrow specialists from LDS hospital will contact us to start process of determining if Celeste is a good candidate for transplant.

"I Vant To Suck Your Blood!"

Quite literally actually!  Last Thursday I had 3 blood transfusions.  My hemadocrit was pretty low.  But yesterday it was nice and high again!  I guess that's what happens when they dump 3 bags of blood into ya lol.  I always feel like a vampire when I get transfusions.  Appropriate for Halloween, right?  haha just kidding.  But seriously, I always feel better after transfusions.  Thanks to all who donate!  You can't donate directly to me, but hey, it just means more in the bank that they can choose from!  My platelets were also higher yesterday: 41.  We're going to try chemo next Tuesday.  By then it will have been 5 weeks since my last treatment. 

All is well.  I'm loving the fall weather and spending time with the family.  Thank you all for your continuous prayers and support.  God bless!

Good News & Bad News

Ok, I'll start with the good news.  I got the pet scan results back and the tumors are 95% gone!  Which means I only have to have 3 more treatments :)  Thank you for the prayers everyone, I know that they helped.  Also, it looks like a spleenectomy is no longer in the future.  Hooray!  However, I may yet need to have a bone marrow transplant at some point.

Now, this isn't really bad news, but it's just kind of annoying.  Yesterday I went in to have my fourth treatment.  That didn't really work out....my platelets were at 10 (got another transfusion).  Not because of my spleen, but because of this virus (that apparently ISN'T shingles) that I have on my back and/or the medication that I'm taking for it.  *sigh*  Oh well.  Is it weird that I get so excited for them to poison me? lol.  I just want to get my treatments over with.  But the Lord knows that, so I guess he's trying to teach me patience!  That will be my lifelong trial, way more than cancer.  Especially since I'm going to be better in a couple months!  Yay!

Also, thank you to everyone who came to the benefit concert!  It was so fun!  I loved seeing everyone, especially my Logan buddies who I don't see very often anymore.  It was such an awesome night, thank you for making it so special for me!

Picking Plums

Plums!  Yum!  Sorry the picture is sideways...

Quick Update

Alright, so 2 Fridays ago my platelets were at 22, and they went DOWN to 20 the following Tuesday!  Grr!!!  But the good news is that 3 days after that they went up to 55!  So we're crossing our fingers that they'll be up to 75 by Tuesday for my 4th treatment.  At least we know now that the bone marrow has nothing to do with my platelet problem.  It's just not as healthy as they'd like it to be. 

So last night I noticed some red bumps on my back....Shingles....my arch nemesis!  This is the FOURTH time that I've gotten shingles.  However, I only had it really bad the first time I got it a few years ago.  Since then I've been able to catch in within the first 72 hours and got medication for it to stop it in its tracks.  So no worries :)  I got some medication today for it so it should be gone within the next couple of days. 

Thank you all for your continuous prayers.  I am doing quite well, despite the shingles and the platelet battle.  I hope to see many of you at the benefit concert tomorrow!  

Donation Account

So many people have been asking if they can still donate because they cannot go to the benefit concert in Logan.  The answer is yes!  I just set up a donation account at Deseret First Credit Union, so if you would like to you can go there to make a donation to the account OR you can donate using an electronic transaction!  If you would like to do so, the account number is 753579526 and the routing number is 324078909. 

If you have any further questions just let me know!  Thanks everyone! 

BENEFIT CONCERT!!

So my awesome Music Therapy Student Association friends at USU are doing a benefit concert on October 10th, and they are being oh so generous in giving me and my family half of the proceeds!  I love those guys....  Anyway, if you wanna come, please come!  I would love to see the beautiful smiling faces of everyone who has been praying for me and concerned with my healing process.  And besides that, my fellow music therapy students are some of the most talented people I know and they will blow your socks off!   Also, yours truly will be performing :)  I'm so exited! 

Details about Concert:  (If questions, post on blog or email me at celeste.p@aggiemail.usu.edu.  I will also                                        be posting the actual flier on facebook.)

Date and Time:  October 10th @ 7:00 P.M.
Location: St. Johns Episcopal Church  85 East 100 North, Logan, UT
Price:
    USU Students: $5
    Adults: $8
    Family Pass: $20

CURRENT UPDATE:
    Oh yes, and today (Friday) my CBC counts were much better.  Platelets were at 22, and white blood counts and hemadocrit were both higher.  I'm feeling awesome!  I have another chekup on Tuesday and will be receiving my first pet scan since I started treatments next Wednesday.  Hooray!  Enjoy General Conference everyone!

Bald Twins!

This is a totally awesome picture of me and my brother-in-law Mitchell

after he first shaved my head.  I realized that I didn't have a picture on here

of what I actually look like now without a wig or a hat!  

So yeah, that's me rockin the bald doo.  Mitchell's head is

shinier.  So not fair..... :)