Hi all...
 
It has been a while since I have posted and let you all know what is
going on with my stepmom and her fight against leukemia, so I thought I
would drop a few lines and let you all know how things have been going.
 
Pat has been out of the hospital for about 2 wks now, though she was
staying at her mom's house and not here at home.  (Less germs.  Her
mom went to stay with her brother in Wyoming.) She was able to spend
Christmas eve & Christmas day with family and also celebrated New Years
with family.
 
Pat came home today, so she is now back in her own home.  I think that
has to be a relief for her in and of itself, as the last time she was
actually in this house was Thanksgiving day.
 
As far as the leukemia thing goes, Pat is not receiving any treatments
at this time.  Her blood is actually starting to rebuild itself on it's
own, which is a very good thing, of course.  She is having a biopsy done
on January 11th.  If this biopsy comes back negative for cancer, as the
last one did, she will be considered to be in remission.  This does not
mean she is cured, of course... I believe one has to be in remission for
something like 5 yrs to be considered cancer free.
 
If the biopsy is negative for cancer and she is in remission, she will do
out-patient chemotherapy.  Much lighter and much easier on the system.
If the biopsy shows any signs of cancer at all, she will have to go back
into the hospital for the really nasty chemo once again.  Of course,
nobody wants to see that happen... but one has to do what one has to do
to beat this thing.
 
Pat has lost her hair.  She started losing it in big clumps and at that
point, she asked my sis to just shave her head and be done with it.  She
is really not all that bothered by this, though, so that's good.  In
fact, we make joke now about how much she resembles her younger brother,
now that they're both bald.  :) (At New Year's they both wore black
cowboy hats, lol, looked like twins!)
 
Thanks so much to those of you who have sent cards, letters and gifts
to Pat.  There are a couple of sacks and boxes clear full!  Know that
she appreciates it all very much... more so than you can probably even
imagine.  I know at some point Pat is going to write a thank you for me
to post (she doesn't have email)... though that probably won't happen
until she knows for sure what is going to be going on with the whole
chemotherapy thing.
 
Thank you all so very much!  Wishing you all a wonderful & propserous
2006!
 
Tammy & The War Weasels!
 
~~~~~
"But we in it shall be remember'd; we few, we happy few, we band of
brothers ;
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother..."
[Posted in FML issue 5111]