Thanksgiving Day

Wow - we have so much to be thankful for today. Not only are we praising God that he has healed Debbie of the cancer cells in her body, but today her counts finally began to rise!! We have been expecting her counts to rise all week; however instead she had to have platelet transfusions almost every day, has run fever almost daily, and her white counts have stayed at the bottom. But today, Thanksgiving morning, she received word that her platelets are on the rise, her red and white cells are also rising, and they are doing this on their own! YEAH! She is really on the road to recovery and as soon as her numbers get a little higher she will get to go home!

We spent the day in Philadelphia with Jared's grandparents, brothers, and cousins. We had a good day and everyone enjoyed some time with Landrum! We came home via the hospital to bring Thanksgiving dinner up to Stan and Debbie.

We have had a great day today and tomorrow we will do it all over again with my family! Gotta love the holidays :)

Tuesday - Day 21

Mom had another so-so day. Her counts went up a little and she got more platelets. If she can get her counts up a little more the doctor says she can go home soon, which may be where she needs to be to get completely well. That 10x12 hospital room is getting smaller and smaller. So please continue to pray that she improves enough in the next few days so that she can come on home. It would make for an even greater Thanksgiving.

Sunday - Day Nineteen

Debbie was not feeling well again today. However, she was not running fever today thankfully and her white count rose every so slightly. She received two units of blood and another platelet transfusion today. Hopefully these will give her a much needed boost as she was very weak today when we visited. Because her platelet counts are so low she has developed very large blood blisters in her mouth, thankfully they are painless. She did not have much of an appetite today, so we are praying she will eat more tomorrow. She still is in good spirits and knows that her body is on the mend slowly but surely! Thank you for continuing to encourage our family during this time. Please remember to send her an encouraging note this week as she is in the hospital over the holiday. We have so much to be thankful for this week!

Saturday Day Eighteen

Debbie did not feel that well today and we did not even go and visit. Her counts were down again today and she had yet another platelet transfusion. She was also running fever again today. The doctors told us that sometimes it takes people longer to start building up their counts and that it looks like it will be slow going with Debbie. Please pray that her body will start to make platelets and her white counts will start going up. We will go and visit tomorrow after church.

Thanksgiving Garb

Here is a cute little outfit I fixed up for Landrum for Thanksgiving. She had to wear brown pants under the skirt this day because it was freezing cold outside. Normally she just wears the cute little skirt with her fat little knees!!! Here she is watching tv with her cousin - just chillin!

Friday - Day Seventeen

Sorry I did not post yesterday. Debbie is feeling well, she is on the upward side of this hospital stay. She is regaining her strength and rebuilding her counts. Our goal is for her counts to return to normal so she can go home. Her platelets are still very low and she received a transfusion yesterday and another one today. Her white counts are on the rise, slowly but surely as are her red blood cells.

We found out more information concerning the consolidation therapy or follow up therapy that they will do to ensure the leukemia does not return. When she is released from the hospital she will go home for two weeks. Then she will come back to the hospital for a week and receive three days (MWF) of 24 hour chemo drip. She will then go home for around 6 weeks and come back again for the same routine (MWF drip). She will have 4 rounds of this therapy over the next 6 months. Each week she will come to Jackson from Philadelphia to have her blood drawn and counts taken. We still have a ways to go but praise the Lord he is faithful to the end! He never leaves us nor forsakes us!

Picture Update

Here are a few pictures from our hospital visit today. Debbie went ahead and had her hair cut really short yesterday. It is beginning to fall out slowly, since she has such thick wonderful hair you can't really tell yet. She still feels well and received two units of blood and platelets today.

Hallalujah Wednesday - Day 15

Praise the Lord! Debbie is in complete remission and has no leukemia cells in her body. Glory to God! He has answered the prayers lifted up on Debbie's behalf. She had a bone marrow biopsy on Monday and we received the results this morning from the doctor that there were no leukemic cells in her bone marrow! What wonderful news. She will still be in the hospital for another week or two as she builds her cells back up. They will be giving her daily shots to help build her white cells back up. She is going to receive another blood and platelet transfusion today as well. She is really feeling well and still has a good appetite.

Once her counts are good she will go home for two to three weeks and then will come back into the hospital for another round of 24 hour chemotherapy. We are not sure what her maintenance treatment will look like yet but she will be on some sort of regimen for a while.

We are rejoicing in God's faithfulness - his promises are true, he never leaves nor forsakes us. He has held us up during this trial and will continue to lift us up. There are still more hard days ahead - but praise the Lord that he is faithful!

We can never thank you enough for your prayers, cards, encouragement and giving. Please continue to lift Debbie up in prayer that she would not have any infections, her fever would stay down and her counts would go up!

Tuesday - Day Fourteen

We are still waiting on results from the bone marrow biopsy, hopefully we will hear tomorrow. Debbie had another good day although they had some trouble with her IV today. They removed her picc line yesterday because the doctor felt the site could be infected. They will probably put it back in tomorrow though. She continues to run a fever and they are still administering a variety of antibiotics.

She went ahead and had her hair cut very short today; however her hair has not started falling out yet. She continues to feel mostly well during the day although tired. We will report as soon as we know the results from the biopsy.

Monday - Day Thirteen

Debbie had her bone marrow biopsy today around 11:15. It went well, however, it was rather painful. She was able to rest some afterwards. We are now waiting for those results, we should get them either tomorrow or Wednesday. Please pray that the test will show that she does not have any more leukemia cells.

She continues to fight a fever, but her rash is clearing up. She is still feeling fairly well and has not lost her hair. She also has not experienced any mouth or throat sores. We are so thankful that the Lord has provided this comfort for her.

The walls of her room are COVERED with cards - and the lady who delivered the cards today said that in all of the 23 years she had delivered mail at Baptist Hospital she had never seen anyone get so many cards! Thank you for letting her know you are praying for her.

Sunday - Day Twelve

Debbie's white cell count continued to fall and was down to 600 this morning. Again, the doctor said it should bottom out somewhere around 100-200. We expect this to happen in the next couple of days. We are not sure how long we will stay down, but the doctor told us that somewhere between day 17 and 21 her counts will start to go back up. For the past few days Debbie has had a low grade fever. It climbed a little higher today and they drew more blood for a culture and did a chest xray to find out what is driving the fever. They are treating her mysterious rash with an antibiotic just in case it is a staph infection. Currently she is on two antibiotics and saline through her IV.

She felt pretty well for most of the day although her appetite is waning. She was eating some veggie soup for supper when I talked to her this evening. She was able to rest most of today which is good because tomorrow is a big day. She will have her bone marrow biopsy sometime tomorrow late morning or early afternoon. The biopsy is quite painful - so please pray for her comfort through the procedure. But most importantly please pray for a good report from this biopsy. We are praying for complete remission! We know that God is in control of this.

Pray for peace of mind tonight as she rests. Pray for us as we wait for the results of the biopsy. We should have the results within 24-48 hours.

Thank you for praying with us on this journey and for sending her encouragement through cards and letters. She can feel the prayers lifted on her behalf!

Saturday - Day Eleven

I am glad to be able to report that Debbie had another good day. She had a blood and platelet transfusion last night that had her feeling much better by this morning. Her white count fell again today and was at 1300. She has developed a rash and we are not sure if it is an allergic reaction to some of her meds or something else. She is still on the antibiotic and continues to run a low fever.

Today we had a very special time of prayer for Debbie with the elders from our church. It was such a sweet time of obedience to the Word. In James it says that if anyone is sick he should call for the elders to come and anoint him with oil and pray over him. That is what happened today and it was such a special time with our family and with the elders.

We are praying for a full day of rest for Debbie tomorrow. Monday she will have her bone marrow biopsy and that will be a tiring day as it is a painful procedure. Please pray for continued comfort and rest for Debbie.

Friday - Day Ten

Well I actually got up to the hospital early so that I could be there when Dr. Shumaker made her rounds. It was good to be there and ask a few questions that Jared and I have wanted answered. Debbie's white cell count was coming down, it is at 2700 and should bottom out around 100-200 towards the end of this week. She is extremely susceptible to infection during this time. Her platelets were down to 10,000 and so she received a platelet transfusion today. Her red blood cell count was okay but because she has been so tired and a little whoozy the past two days the doctor went ahead and ordered her a blood transfusion as well. For the past two days Debbie has been running a low grade fever and so yesterday immediately after discovering the fever they began her on an antibiotic. She now has to wear a mask any time there is a visitor in the room and only immediate family are allowed to visit at this point. This week will be a more difficult week for her phsyically but the Lord is in control and we are asking him to grant her comfort each day and rest through the night. Please join us! She is loving the cards and really feels everyones prayers offered on her behalf. The Holy Spirit is working inside her - we know it!

In the book of James, chapter five, we are told that if anyone is sick they should have the elders come and pray over them. The elders of our church will be coming in the morning to pray over Debbie and Stan. We will be praying for divine healing, for comfort, and for the Lord to be glorified. Although you may not be present please join us in praying for her at 10:30 tomorrow morning.

We visited this afternoon while she was getting her transfusions and she was feeling somewhat better. She has continued to have an appetite and has eaten some at each of her meals - what a praise! She is still sitting up for some of each day and trying to get short walks in. This is a battle that we have to fight in prayer and she is fighting as well - her faith is so strong and she knows her Savior well - she is leaning on him completely in this time!

Landrum's Dedication

We had Landrum's dedication tonight at Pinelake. We were so happy to have several family members there and some good friends video taped it to show it to Jared's mom. We were so pleased to dedicate Landrum to the Lord and pledge to raise her in a manner that will bring glory to the Father. There were 40 babies dedicated tonight and we were the last to go - amazingly Landrum did pretty well and did not make too much noise! It was well past her bed time when we got home and she finally ate and got in bed. She is such a trooper!

Landrum's cousin, Pace Walker (Bethany's son) was also dedicated tonight and so that made it extra special!

Thursday - Day Nine

Debbie did not need blood or platelets again today which was good. However, her white cell count went up a little and the doctor said she may be fighting an infection. In fact, she had a slight fever today and they immediately began her on an antibiotic. We knew that this was a possibility as her cells are being depleted by the chemo. We will know more when they do her blood lab work in the morning. She felt good and had a good appetite for most of the day although she was more tired today.

Please pray that her body will fight this infection and that the medicine will continue to work in her body.

Wednesday - Day Eight

Last day of chemo - yeah!!! The chemo drip stopped a little before noon today, we are so thankful to have the medicine in and working and be off that drip. Debbie had another good day today. Her counts did not drop significantly so she did not need a transfusion again today, praise the Lord. She rested much of today and had a few visitors. We managed to snap a few pictures today and you can see how great Debbie looks!

She will have a bone marrow biopsy on Monday to see if there are any leukemia cells remaining in her body. If not (which is what we are praying for) she will be declared in remission and will be able to go home once her blood counts return to normal. She will then undergo some form of maintenance chemo for a period of time. If there are still leukemia cells she will have to go through this phase of chemo again. Please join us in praying that all of these leukemia cells have been destroyed and that her body is healthy! We know that God is in control and is the Healer.

Thank you for your cards, we attached a picture of the cards that we have put up on her wall. What an encouragement. Every time a new nurse or aid walks in they can't believe how many cards, gifts, and decorations she has in her room! How wonderful!

Cousins

Tuesday - Day Seven

Today was another great day filled with lots of visitors and answered prayers. Debbie felt great and her counts were good, so good that she didn't need a blood transfusion. However, there is a good chance that she will need blood and maybe platelets tomorrow. She was getting tired by dinner time and didn't have much of an appetite but that is to be expected as she finishes with her last bag of chemo. Yeah! Over the next few days her white blood cell count will continue to drop which will make her more susceptible to infection and fever. Because of this, she will only be allowed limited visitations (call Stan before you come), so she will have to rely more and more on the cards that you continue to send. They currently decorate one wall and the nurses have encouraged her to take over the room and hang the cards from every open spot. Thank you again for your prayers, they have certainly carried her this far and she will need them more than ever over the next few days and weeks.

Monday - Day Six

Another day of treatment down, another day of answered prayers. Debbie continues to feel well, she is not tired and she has a good appetite. Today she received around 40 letters and cards - how incredible! She is definitely feeling the prayers of the faithful that are being lifted up on her behalf! Also, a friend went to give blood on her behalf today at MS Blood Services, when she arrived she started to say that she wanted to give blood for Debbie Yates but before she could even get the last name out the worker said "Oh I know Debbie Yates"! There were already 15 names on the list of people that had given blood on Debbie's behalf! That is so great and encouraging! Thank you for wanting to help and for giving blood so that she can have the transfusions she needs.

Her counts were good today and had really not changed significantly from yesterday. She will probably receive both a blood and platelet transfusion tomorrow.

This week please pray that Debbie would continue to feel well, strong, encouraged and have a good appetite. We can only attribute these things to the Lord's grace in her life. He is wrapping his arms around her and comforting her during this time - thank you for praying with us. We are praising him for hearing our prayers and pouring out his blessings on us!

We found out that Landrum has the Roseola Virus... or had it I should say. All that is left now is a nasty rash that is all over her body. I feel so sorry for her even though the doctor said it does not really bother her. I just feel like it does and therefore feel sad for her. She apparently had the virus this past week, but we are so thankful that she did not have the normal high fevers with the virus. She will not be able to go up to the hospital to see her Mimi until Wednesday or Thursday.

Sunday

Another good day to report. Although Debbie's red blood cell count and platelet count are dropping, her spirits are still up! She is still feeling well and has a great appetite thus far. The doctor told her this morning that she will probably have to have another blood transfusion and probably a platelet transfusion tomorrow. Please pray for these to go smoothely and that they will have enough 0 negative blood.

We did not go to the hospital today since Landrum had a fever last night. It was a good day of rest for everyone I think. Landrum has not had a fever today so we should be going back to visit tomorrow.

We are praising the Lord that Debbie has not experienced any side effects from the drugs at this point.

Saturday

We are praising the Lord for another great day! This morning Debbie's white blood cell count was down which was great and her other counts looked good. She continues to feel well and this afternoon finished her third and final round of one of the chemo drugs. She continues to receive the other chemo drug continuously through an IV drip. The doctor told her this morning that she may not need another transfusion until Monday or Tuesday and is still a few days away from needing a platelet transfusion. We are just so thrilled that she continues to feel so well. She had several visitors today and that was a lot of fun. The ladies of her Sunday school class came to visit after attending a women's conference in town and it was like Christmas with all the gifts and excitement! Please continue to pray for her comfort, peace, rest and HEALING! We KNOW God is at work inside of her body to fully restore her.

On another note, Landrum has a low grade fever. I discovered it when we got home from the hospital tonight. We will not be able to go up and visit until she is fever free for a full 24 hours. I think it might be teething - but who knows.. the girl has to get some teeth one of these days!

I was able to get to Mistletoe Marketplace twice this year - I was making up for missing for the past two years. I love to go and it always gets me in the Christmas mood. It is as fun to people watch as it is to shop.

Well that is all from us tonight. I will update on Mrs. Debbie tomorrow - praying and expecting another GREAT day tomorrow!

Day Three

Praise the Lord Debbie is still feeling well! What an answer to prayer. They gave her a second chemo drug last night. She will receive this treatment three times, last night, tonight and tomorrow night. This is a stronger drug and the nurse warned of possible immediate side effects - we are praising the Lord that she has not experienced that yet!
She received two units of blood last night and so her counts were good this morning. Her doctor actually told her that all these prayers are helping her! Keep them coming! Also, please remember to lift up her doctor during this process.
There is a blood drive in Philadelphia at First Baptist Church on November 17th from 10-3. She still needs folks to donate blood at MS Blood Services - please be sure to give her name when you do. Thank you for continuing to pray for us and support us all during this process. We know the Lord will be glorified through everything. She received a lot of encouraging notes and cards in the mail today - thank you for sending those! What an uplifting thing to receive each day. Since she can't have flowers or plants in the room, the cards go a long way to lifting her spirit.

Day Two

Another good day to report! Debbie had a good appetite today and felt well all day long. She received a different chemo drug this evening. She will receive this drug for the next three days. This is the drug that could cause some more side effects (nausea, mouth sores etc..) So we are praying she will feel well through tonight and won't experience these effects.

Debbie needed a blood tranfusion today, however, they are short on 0 negative blood and she still had not received the transfusion when we left this evening. They were bringing some in from Meridian but we desperately need anyone with 0 neg blood to donate at MS Blood Services and give Debbie's name. It is imperitive that she have blood available for transfusions each day.

Again, please send cards and notes to encourage Debbie. She cannot receive flowers or plants at this time. Her address is:
Baptist Health Systems 1225 N. State Street Jackson, MS 39202 Attn: Debbie Yates 5119

Day One

Jared's mom Debbie was admitted to the hospital this morning and they put a picc line in to administer her chemo and medicine. She is in good spirits today and feels well. We visited with her for several hours this afternoon and decorated her room with lots of pictures, posters and cards - but we would love to have more to put up! The nurse was beginning her first round of chemo as we left. She will have one chemo drug in a drip 24 hours a day for 7 straight days and one other drug administered every few days for three hours at a time. They will stop the chemo in 7 days and on day 12 or 14 they will check her bone marrow again. If the leukemic cells are gone, they will wait until her blood counts are good, call it remission and send her home - this is our prayer! She will still have to take chemo after that but not so intensive. If the numbers are not where the doctor wants them to be, she will do all of this intensive chemo again and will be in the hospital for 6 weeks. We believe that the Lord will heal her and that she will be home in a month. We will go back in the morning to visit again.

Jared's Mom

With a heavy heart I write this post, it will be one of many to come in the following weeks, I am sure. Jared's mom, Debbie, has been diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and it is very aggressive. She was diagnosed on Monday and checked into the hospital today for three weeks. She will begin a very intensive round of chemotherapy immediately and then they will test her bone marrow again. Praise our Lord she is a believer and she knows that He is capable of all things. Please petition our Father with us on her behalf for her COMPLETE healing! She is at Baptist hospital however, she is only allowed limited visitors during her stay due to her need for a sanitary environment. If you feel led to send her a note of encouragement, prayer, or scripture please do. You can mail it here, to our house and we will deliver it. Please let me know if you would like our address. I will update her progress as often as possible. Thank you for your prayers.

chicken little

Here she is - her debut halloween costume: