Our First Date!

29th, 30th, 31st, and 32nd Trips to the NIH

Dan and I traveled to Bethesda together for my follow-up appointments last September, December, March, and June. Each went very well. Ibrutinib and I are still a winning team! The good doctors at the NIH made my June appointment even better by cancelling the bone marrow biopsy and CT scan that are usually a part of each of June’s visits. And you know what? I didn’t miss them at all!

Neil and Penny moved into their wonderful home in Feb., and Colin and Macey sold their first little home and moved into their spacious home in March. Our family is blessed. But that’s not all. A new little baby girl was born to Colin and Macey on June 27th. She is a precious gift to our whole family, and especially to Colin, Macey, and to her little big brother Lincoln!

Sadly, we lost some of our family members this year. Shauna, with her 4 children, left the Washburn family. We wish them well. A similar thing happened a couple of years ago when Jessica left the family. But thankfully, we didn’t lose our three grandchildren in that departure. The entire family of our oldest son has become somewhat estranged from us, too, well, estranged from me. This has been a hard trial to bear, but we have been blessed to be able to endure it with patience and hope. The prophecies of 2 Nephi 28 are surely coming to pass. It says that the devil “shall rage in the hearts of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.” However, no amount of adversity will overwhelm me, because as Paul wrote in Romans 8:38 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Happily, we participated in two very special family reunions this summer. The first was held in Utah, it was the first ever James and Myrtice Smith four-generation family reunion! Over 80 of their descendants were in attendance, and we all want to do it again in a couple of years. Three of our sons were able to attend: Kimball, Greg, and Shane. There were various activities throughout the week, but the main event was held on Saturday, the 30th, at Rock Canyon Park in Provo. Another major highlight of the week was our time spent in the temple sealing 43 couples in eternal marriage, and 88 children to their parents!

On Monday, July 2nd, our second reunion began in Boise. I think this may have been our very best reunion ever! We went whitewater rafting, explored Kuna cave, and watched the impressive fireworks display put on by the city of Boise. We had a delicious meal at Neil and Penny’s place, where Neil smoked meat for us and gave UTV rides to everyone. Some of the kids swam, while others played volleyball, flew kites, and just had fun together. Colin and Macey had a nice meal ready for us when we got back from the rafting trip that Alisa had arranged for us. And then we donned our shirts for photos. Washburn Strong! We do fun things. We do hard things. We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. (from Philippians 4:13)

27th & 28th Trips to the NIH and Other News

Both of these appointments, one in March and the other in June, went well, with one exception.  Dr. Farooqui, the only person so far who has performed a topnotch bone marrow biopsy for me, is no longer with the NIH.  and oh how I miss him when BMB time rolls around again.  But, I have “endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things!”  I actually surprised myself by making up my mind to cast all squeamishness aside and just take it on the chin.  Well, not the chin, but you know what I mean.

My siblings and I held our second annual temple sealing family reunion this summer at my sister Becky’s home in Phelan, California. .  One of the sealers allowed us to surround the altar and seal several siblings at the same time to their parents.  That was a first for us, but I hope not the last.  Here in Boise, when I inquired about sealing two or more siblings to their parents in the same ordinance,  , I found that it isn’t permitted at this time.  Looking ahead to our third sealing reunion, I’m hoping to hold it in Utah, in conjunction with two four-generation family reunions on the Smith and the Washburn sides of the family.  I pray we can put our shoulders to the wheel and pull it off!  I firmly believe that the family is of God.  Every generation is to be remembered, honored and cherished.  And that is exactly what my dear husband Dan and I are striving to do.  First, we raised our sons together, and now we are seeking out our ancestors together, and providing the saving ordinances for them.  In doing so, I have felt the promised blessing of receiving a return wave of love from those who have gone on before.  Amazingly, when a living family member is sadly out of sorts, the love and gratitude from ancestors restores the joy of belonging to a family!  We continue to meet cousins we never even knew we had, too.  My sister Jamie met our 92-year-old cousin, Vallene Smith Daly, from our father’s side, and Steve Redding, a cousin from our mother’s side of the family.  I’ve called Vallene several times, thereby learning many interesting details of the lives of our great aunts and uncles from her.      

We’re also very happy that Neil and Penny and family decided to move to Idaho!  They’ve been with us since May, and will be here until perhaps December, or whenever their beautiful new home is ready for occupancy.  .  Until little 19-month-old Lincoln was born here in Boise, we were always long-distance grandparents.  Now we get to experience the fun of having three grandchildren close by!

Dan and I, along with my sister Julie, drove about an hour and a half to Ola, ID, last Monday, Aug. 21^st, to reach the great American solar eclipse’s path of totality.  What a unique and thrilling opportunity it was for us, and millions of others, too.  I got to see it through Julie’s eyes!  I have always appreciated her ability to describe the beautiful sights she sees, almost bringing them to life for me. 

This joyful day is the 44^th wedding anniversary for Dan and me.  We have learned so much along the way, and know that we have still more to learn!  I’m eternally grateful for his loving support.  Sometimes we’ve been like a couple of hard-headed mules, butting heads and kicking up our hooves.  But that was then.  This is now, and now is great.  And tomorrow, I truly believe, will be better still 

           

25th and 26th Trips to the NIH

Dan and I made both of these trips together, and it’s a good thing we did.  At both appointments, all the lab results were tip-top, and all was calm, all was bright.  But on the way home, there were complications with our flights.  For the first time ever, we were routed through Phoenix AZ on our way to Boise.  Maybe we’d be able to see our son Kimball, who lives near Phoenix, during the lay-over!  No, with less than an hour from landing to takeoff, there won’t be enough time.  But lucky us!  Our flight from BWI to AZ was delayed, giving us an all-night lay-over in Phoenix after all, which gave us plenty of time for a visit with Kimball, Jaxon, and Kaden!  Kimball took us to his neat and cozy home for the night, and as always, he was a kind and considerate host.  We also met his neighbor, who’s first and unusual middle name are the same as Dan’s.

 After the Dec. appointment, we flew from Reagan or DCA, to Chicago’s Midway airport, and then on to Denver as planned.  But in Denver, after much uncertainty, and long delays, it was finally announced at 1:30AM that our originally scheduled 9:55PM  flight to Boise was cancelled.  Dan stood in line from then until 5:50AM to get new tickets for a 12:40PM flight home.  It, too, was delayed for an hour, but by 4PM we were at last in Boise.  I don’t know what’s changed with the airlines, but we never had any overnight lay-overs during my first three years of traveling between Boise and Bethesda.  .  But in the past year and a half, we’ve had 4 overnighters.  Still, we know that we are blessed to be able to participate in this clinical trial.          

    

23rd and 24th Trips to the NIH

 

I can’t tell if anyone is reading these posts, but I want to write them down because they are very meaningful to me, and it could be that someday a grandchild or a great grandchild might find them of interest as well.  So: My friend Karen D accompanied me in March to my 23^rd NIH appointment. The PA, Janet V., went over my lab results with me, and all look good. But when I met with Dr. F a little later, some of his remarks filled me with concern, or more accurately, anxiety. He told me that even though I was doing very well on the Ibrutinib, my lymph nodes would have to continue to reduce in size or I would be taken off the clinical trial.  He then suggested some other drug and clinical trials I could look into if I had to stop taking Ibrutinib.  None of these were being offered at the NIH, and I knew I would be unable to travel to other facilities to participate in a trial.  The NIH trials are the most economical trials ever.  Nothing else even comes close.  This was all the more shocking to me because I had been told two years before that I would remain on the trial unless the lymph nodes increased by 50%.  Dr. F. specifically said during this visit that even if they remained stable, I would no longer be in the trial, because they had to be continually reducing in size.  I didn’t understand this change in policy then, and I still don’t understand it today.  But I decided to make a concerted effort to calm myself down, and to trust God’s plan for me.  So perhaps that was the point all along. It brought me to the realization that I can greatly control, or at least moderate, my emotions in difficult times, and I have been using this new-found ability to good effect ever since!  

 

My local oncologist added to my acceptance of this wrinkle in the clinical trial’s requirements when she offered   to prescribe Ibrrutinib for me should it become necessary.  However, the great nnews I received at my 24^th trip to the NIH on June 15^th is that my lymph nodes are continuing to reduce in size, and I am still in the trial!  Dr. F., whom I truly respect and admire, is leaving the NIH for another position, so I consulted with Dr. Adrian W. and Dr. Ahn at this appointment. Interestingly, it seemed to me that Dr. W was surprised upon hearing that my continued trial participation had been in question, asking me why I’d thought this was the case.  I’d heard him clicking around on the computer, probably searching for notes on my previous appointment.  When I explained what I’d been told in March, he only listened, making no comment.  I would have liked to know what he was thinking.  It may have cleared up the confusion surrounding the trial eligibility.  But one more happy circumstance on this recent visit is that I was able to forgo a bone marrow biopsy.  Last year’s good results indicated a follow-up BMB was unnecessary at this time! It’s hard to believe, but my fifth year on Ibrutinib has begun.  I hope it goes on and on.  But if and when it must come to an end, my gratitude for this experience will certainly remain.  I’m also very thankful to my sister, Julie, for accompanying me to the NIH in June!  

20th-22nd Trips to the NIH

My NIH appointments are ordinarily scheduled at 3-month intervals. But for my 20th trip to the NIH, I returned after only one month for a follow-up CT scan of the newly-placed endovascular stent graft. So in July, my sister Julie drove up from Utah to fly back to D.C. with me. During my hospital stay in June, a social worker had given me the phone number for a woman who rents a couple of rooms in her home to NIH patients. We gave this new arrangement a try, but quickly found that staying at the Marriott was well worth the extra expense. There was no air-conditioning in the home, and we were told to turn off the ceiling fan in our room. Knocking on our bedroom door after we’d already gone to bed to introduce us to a gentleman who was a fellow guest, also added to our decision to stick with Marriott. 

It appears that all my future CT scans will include a look at the stent graft. This requires the contrast flow rate to be greatly increased. No one warned me about that, and when the contrast shot through my veins with such force, I was hit with a huge wave of nausea. Somehow I managed to keep from throwing up, but my mouth filled up instantaneously with a lot of saliva that I was unable to swallow for fear of the nausea. I sort of gargled out a call for help. The technician supplied me with a bowl and some paper towels. Pretty soon, we were ready to resume the scan. Once the scan was done, the rest of the appointment was a breeze. At home though, the rest of the summer was chock full of medical appointments and procedures. Because the aneurysm was thought to have been caused by bacteria, 30 days of IV antibiotics were necessary. Our son Shane was trained to administer them at home daily for me, with weekly visits to the clinic to de-access the port in my arm and then to re-access it. Consequently, I had to stop taking my wonder drug, Ibrutinib/Imbruvica, for almost the entire summer. I developed a nasolacrimal obstruction, a blocked tear duct, which began causing pain, swelling, and infections. It took two surgeries to successfully deal with this,, and then, the infectious diseases doctors in Boise and Bethesda insisted that the port in my arm should be removed. It had served me well for 8 years, so I was loath to part with it. But I have come to understand that it was the prudent thing to do, and if it was the source of the serious infections that assailed me in 2015, and can prevent future crises, I’m glad I followed their recommendations.

Dan and I did the 21st and 22nd NIH trips together in September and December. Both went very well; all labs looking good! We stayed in another Marriott hotel, this one with more wallet-friendly rates than the other Marriott. I’ve booked all four of my stays there for this year. The first of these is coming up in March. 

This brings my comings and goings up to date, but much has been happening with our beloved sons and their families, all of which requires nearly constant prayer. This includes prayer due to changes in marital, employment, and educational status, adoption, a mini family reunion during Thanksgiving, our first ever family baptism session in the temple, the birth of a baby boy, prayers for peace, protection, and understanding, prayers for health and increased faith, for comfort and guidance, as well as many many prayers of gratitude. "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123 "17)

18th and 19th Trips to the NIH

I’m still here! Still alive, still happy, and still aware of many blessings. This isn’t to say that I am free of all heartache and trials, but in Paul’s words, “I am persuaded, that neither death, or life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Here’s a quick recap of 2015. Last March,, still weak from my lengthy illness, I was especially grateful that Dan could accompany me on my 18th trip to the NIH. Yes! I found that I was still eligible to remain in the Ibrutinib clinical trial! For the 19th visit in June, I scheduled a little longer stay in Bethesda, because Colin and Macey would be my travel companions, and I wanted them to have a little time for some sight-seeing. Since this appointment would mark my third year in the trial, a CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy were performed in addition to the usual blood draw. With those out of the way, next came an everything’s--looking-good consult with the PA. But as Colin and I left the exam room to wait in the lobby to be called back to see Dr. Farooqui, things took a sudden, unexpected turn. We came upon him in the hallway exchanging introductions with a couple of doctors, and he stopped a moment and said, “Mrs, Washburn, pleas wait in the exam room.” This was out of the norm, and I was immediately on alert. Colin and I went back into the room we had just exited, and sat down. Mystifyingly, Dr. Farooqui entered the room with the two doctors, where more introductions were made. Then Dr. F. told us that the CT scan had revealed a serious problem. I cannot remember exactly what he said, but I know that I was the first to speak these words, in the form of a question, “an abdominal aortic aneurysm?”. And his reply was, “yes.) Even now, recalling this experience months later, I still feel a shadow of the panic that grripped me at that moment. But it passed quickly. I knew I was in excellent hands, and I felt all would be well. And it was, too. Soon, I was whisked over to nearby Suburban Hospital, where noted cardiac surgeon, Dr. Michael Peter Siegenthaler, placed a stent, or a graft, in the bulging artery, thereby saving my life. Thank you, Dr. Siegenthaler, and to the astute CT scan reader who spotted the problem, and to everyone involved in yet another miracle for me. Yes, I remember Him, and have thanked him many times, too. It is believed by the experts, that the aneurysm was caused by a bacterial invasion, and I am thus on antibiotics for life.

Sadly for me, Colin and Macey returned home on Friday, and I was left behind in Bethesda, until Shane arrived on Monday to escort me home on Tuesday. At first I was very afraid. But once I was liberated from the ICU, untethered from the IV, so that I could move about on my own, without having to summon a nurse for help every time I needed to use the bathroom, I became quite content and comfortable again. I had brought 4 digital books with me, and finally settled in my new more private room, I spent the weekend reading voraciously.

Feeling surprisingly well, Shane and I began the homeward journey, only to encounter a delay which caused us to have to spend the night on the floor of the St. Paul/Minneapolis airport. Les miserables!! It was important for me to receive an IV infusion of antibiotics every 24 hours, so instead of going to bed when we stumbled off the plane in Boise on Wednesday morning, we hurried over to the hospital to take care of that. We managed to nap in the afternoon a bit though, which was very fortunate, because the next crisis was upon us.

I went to bed early that night, but was awakened around 10PM by Dan, who was shivering and shaking in bed beside me. I knew he hadn’t been feeling well, but suddenly he was very ill and rather uncommunicative. It became clear to me that he needed immediate medical attention. I let him know that Shane and I would get him to the emergency room if he could get to the car, but if not, I would be calling for an ambulance. At times, when one is ill, someone has to step in and make those crucial decisions. Dan had done that for me back in January, and now I was returning the favor for him. He somehow rallied enough to get to the car, and we drove to the ER. After several hours, he was admitted to the hospital, and Shane and I came home to rest. Our Shane was a blessing to us during this time. He moved home just when we needed him most. His promised job didn’t start until things had calmed down considerably, and others could occasionally lend a helping hand. Soon it was determined that Dan had a UTI, and there ffollowed much testing for its source. On Thursday or Friday evening, we were given devastating news, which to our great relief, turned out to be incorrect. Another miracle? The doctor had come into Dan's room and told us that there were malignant metastatic lesions on his bones. Further tests did not support that diagnosis. Yes, to my mind, this is another miracle!

My Miracles

Toward the end of the happy month of Dec., I started feeling unwell and running a fever of 101-103. It's probably the flu, I thought. By Jan. 9, I was no better, so I decided to see a doctor. He wasn’t too concerned, but was kind and advised me to come back if symptoms worsened. A spot on the left side of my upper back began to cause pain, so I went back in on the 11th. Nope, everything still looks fine, he said. On Monday the 12th, I called a chiropractor who had helped me in the past. She wanted me to make sure there were no heart issues causing the pain before she saw me, so Dan took me to the emergency room on the 13th to check that out. They gave me the all clear, and a prescription of Hydrocodone for the back pain, which was really bothering me by then. I phoned the chiropractor to let her know the EKG was fine, and she said she could see me on Wednesday, the 14th. Dan took me there the next morning, and within mere minutes, she found that the T4 vertebra was out of place, and easily put it back in place, bringing immediate relief.

Due to the pain I'd been experiencing, I hadn't been sleeping very well, so I took a nap on the loveseat when we got home. Ordinarily, Dan would have returned to work, but he said that he felt that he should wait for me to wake up before leaving. I believe he was prompted to wait. However, when I did wake up about two hours later, I was incoherent and unable to walk. I have no memory of that or of anything else for the next 9 days. Dan called for an ambulance, and I was transported back to the emergency room in Meridian in critical condition. He tells me that I was intubated early on, and that the next hours were spent in running all kinds of tests, blood tests, CT scans, MRI’s. In the wee hours of the morning of the 15th, it was determined that I had a bone abscess near the spine and needed immediate surgery. I was moved to ST. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, where a neurosurgeon, Dr. Manning, performed a multi layered laminectomy on the T4 through T7 vertebrae, and cleaned out the abscess. I'm requesting his notes from the surgery because I'm interested in trying to understand why this infection is called a bone abscess, while being called pneumococcal epidural meningitis by the infectious diseases doctors. The medical field is so fascinating to me.

From what I'm told and what I've read, my life was pretty much on the line for the next several weeks. As I said, I was unaware of my circumstances and surroundings for the first 9 days, but loving friends and family rallied around sending up prayers, and showing forth much kindness and love. Each morning, I'm told, the nursing staff would turn down the sedation, and tell me where I was. Then they'd ask me to open my eyes, to squeeze their hand, and wiggle my toes. Day after day, there was no response from me. But on the ninth day, Friday, Jan. 23rd, I woke up, and responded! Pretty soon the ventilator was removed, and I could speak, well, whisper a little bit, although it took a lot of effort. Our joy was short-lived though, because after a couple of hours, my airways became swollen and I couldn't breathe. Dan went for help. The room was suddenly filled with emergency personnel. He and my sister Julie were told to leave, and I was re-intubated. They called this nerve-racking episode acute respiratory failure. But it, too, was short-lived, because by Monday, the 26th, I was extubated and able to breathe on my own. Another complication arose when, possibly from one of the antibiotics I was given, or from the large amount of fluids required to try to compensate for very low blood pressure and the septic shock,, my kidneys stopped working. I was very swollen, with forty pounds of extra fluid on board. I was surprised to learn that I'd already had two or three dialysis treatments while I was unconscious. The nephrologist said that the dialysis might help the kidneys begin to function properly again, but it could take months. By the time I was thinking clearly enough to realize that I needed to pray for this to be resolved, I'd had a total of six dialysis treatments, and had turned the corner. I actually needed supplemental IV fluid for a little while because the kidneys suddenly went into overdrive, with dehydration looming on the horizon.

The rapidity of the resolution to the kidney concerns felt (and feels) like another miracle to me. During this time, I was more aware of my Heavenly Father's protection and care for me than ever before. When I was still intubated and unable to speak, I remember that I received an impression that Father in heaven was giving me the choice of whether to continue my life on earth, or to come through the veil to be with loved ones who had gone on before. After weighing both choices, my strong feeling was that I would be happy either way. I trusted His wisdom more than my own, so I wanted Him to make the decision. I knew that many dear ones were praying for my recovery, including children. I wonder if it may have tipped the balance in favor of remaining in mortality, when I added in my reply to Him, that my desire was that all those who were praying for me would be strengthened in both their faith in Him, and in their faith in prayer. My own faith, love, gratitude, and trust in Him is far greater than ever before. I am so very happy, too, because my confidence in His plans, purposes, and power waxes strong.

During the illness, I had to discontinue the clinical trial medication, Ibrutinib/Imbruvica. Before long, my lymph nodes began to increase in size and to cause some pain. One Sunday night, I determined that I would call Dr. Farooqui the next morning to ask if I still qualified to be in the clinical trial or not. Early on, he and the doctors who were treating me had been in contact with each other. When Dan arrived on Monday morning, as he faithfuly did every day of my hospitalization, the phone rang. It was Dr. Farooqui calling to check on how I was doing! I hadn't even had the frustration of searching for his number, leaving a message, and waiting for a call. If not a miracle, this was certainly another tender mercy from heaven. My vote is for a miracle though. This wonderful doctor kept my hope alive that I'd be back in the clinical trial when I had recovered sufficiently from all that had been going on.

And my husband? His unfailing love and support for me through this uncertain time was perfection itself. I love him, I appreciate him, I want to be with him, forever and ever and ever. Our sons, Ethan, Kimball, Greg, and Shane, made great sacrifices of time and money to be with us. I felt Jordan's presence with me on more than one occasion as well. Neil wasn't able to come, but he had just been here at Thanksgiving. His sweet Penny made the softest, creamiest white afghan imaginable for me to snuggle up in. Colin and Macey live nearby, so we were blessed with many visits from them, and once they even brought in an indoor picnic from my favorite sandwich shop, Which Wich. My sisters, Julie from Utah, Becky and her husband Ray from California, and Jamie from Florida, were able to come, too. And Jenny sent her love from Iowa. We were deluged with visits, calls, texts, and cards from so many friends, from near and far. Jason, Brianna, and Jayden, Rick and JoLyn, Michael and Lisa, and Ethan with his family all came from afar. Kind local visitors were so plentiful that we even had to ask for a little rest so I could try to get some sleep. Karen, Cindy, Vickie, Marie, Judy, Joan, Ava, Amie, Roxane, Andrea S and Lisa W, Hank and Gayle, Phil and Diane, young Elders Jacobs and Stapley, and others came. Our very caring bishop, Carl Withers, visited a dozen or more times! And sometimes he brought his gentle wife, Jane. Our church family brought delicious meals to our house for our beloved out-of-town visitors as well. We are grateful for every single blessing from a caring, knowledgeable medical team, friends, family, and heaven.

I was away from home from Jan. 14th to Feb. 27th. I guess I experienced some ICU psychosis, with disorientation and night fears, during the last week of January.. Kimball spent a night at the hospital with me, and Greg spent three nights, which was a great help to me. When my mental fog cleared, getting home was still my number one concern. My much longed- for homecoming was one of the happiest days of my life.

Much love to all -

Bonnie

Seventeenth Trip to the NIH

It just so happened that December’s NIH appointment was sandwiched between two wonderful holidays and one very special event! Neil and Penny, with twins McKay and McKenna, flew over rivers, mountains and woods for a Thanksgiving visit with Grandma and Grandpa. And wow did we ever have fun at the aquarium, the nature center, and Cabella’s, to name a few highlights!

Next comes a big thank you to my friend, Karen D., who accompanied me to the NIH on Dec. 11th for my appointment on the 12th. It was good to be able to take the Metro from the airport to the NIH for the first time, which saved us a two hour wait for the shuttle. Getting from Boise to Bethesda and back makes for two very long and tiring days. My labs all looked good. Everything went like clockwork. The NIH was all decked out for Christmas, and we caught a glimpse of Santa on his way in to visit the children.

Dan and I had the privilege of attending our son Kimball’s graduation from Arizona State University the next week.. We loved visiting with our three grandchildren, Jaxon, Kaden, and Sophia. Kimball took us to two memorable eateries, and to a great rock shop where Dan was able to add to his collection of geological treasures.

Home again, we were lucky enough to have Rick and JoLyn stay a night with us on their way to Utah. She helped me rearrange my closet, bagging up clothes to give away that had mysteriously become too big for me. Then true to form, she served up a big helping of Christmas magic by decorating our cozy, little home in preparation for a visit from … St. Nick? No, even better. From Shane! Celebrating the holidays with him, and Colin and Macey, too, was the icing on the cake of 2014!

Sixteenth Trip to the NIH

A whole month has gone by too fast.  It was a month from today that Dan and I flew back for my NIH appointment.  Seems I’ve about lost the inclination to post updates, but I don’t want to just disappear without a trace, so here’s a recap.  Check out my schedule and you’ll see that they kept me pretty busy this time.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 – 27month follow/up

09:00AM- nothing to eat or drink after 9AM in preparation for your CT scan.  You may take medications with sips of water

9:45AM – 3rd floor, Day Hospital, 3SE-S, for blood draw from port.

11:00AM - 3rd floor, Procedure Unit, 3SW-N, for non-sedation bone marrow biopsy.  Dr. Farooqui will do the biopsy, please arrive 15minutes early, if possible

1:00PM – 1st floor, Radiology for CT scan.  Your scan is actually scheduled at 2PM, but you must be there 1hour prior in order to drink the oral contrast.

To follow- 7th floor, Outpatient CLL Clinic, OP 7 to see hematology fellow, followed by Dr. Farooqui and the CLL team.

To follow – 1st floor, Pharmacy to pick up study medication

Thursday, September 11, 2014 nothing to eat or drink after midnight Wednesday night in preparation for your lymph node biopsy.

08:00AM (on Call) – 1st floor, Interventional Radiology for lymph node biopsy.

to follow- 3rd floor, Day Hospital, 3SE-S, for recovery after biopsy.  The CLL team will come see you in the Day Hospital 

I just wrote a few of the CBC numbers as Dan read them, so definitely not all-inclusive.  CT scan was ok, will ask for a little more clarification on the ln biopsy in Dec., but best of all was the bone arrow news.

 WBC: 6.95 - normal range 3.98 to 10.04

Alc: 1.74 - normal range 1.18 to 3.74

Plt: 190 - normal range 173 to 369

Rbc: 4.74 – normal range 3.93 to 5.22

Hgb: 12.7 – normal range 11.2 to 15.7

Immature granulocytes: .6 – normal range .1 to .4

Absolute immature grans: .04 – normal range .01 to .03

The most exciting news to me was from the bone marrow biopsy.  The CD79a marker which specifically measures the amount of CLL in the bone marrow showed substantial improvement.  It was at 90% just prior to starting the trial; went down to 80% after two months; 35% at six months; 40% after 1 year; and is now down to 20%.  That beats the chemo I had back in 2007.  After it was finished, CD79a was still at 30%.  So 20% looks pretty good to me. 

Not sure I’ll keep updating.  Not sure I won’t, either. 

Love to all.

   

Our Family!

Forty-one years ago, there were only two members of the newly formed Dan and Bonnie Washburn family.  Now, our number has grown to 29.  And here’s the picture to prove it.

Earlier this month, we gathered for a family reunion in Flagstaff, Arizona.  We’ve had some pretty fun reunions, but to me, this was the best yet!  We didn’t know how wonderful the Flagstaff area is when we chose it.  But it’s called the “City of Seven Wonders” for good reason.  There is so much to do and see there!  We rented a beautiful home for a week, and had daily adventures.  Some of them were within the walls of our home away from home, like the highly entertaining talent show, a double birthday party, testimony meeting, delicious dinners, and the time when we displayed pictures of some of our ancestors, unveiled a ten generation fan chart made by Shane, and gave each family a Book called Generations, written by their cousin, Kaye Lynn Berg.
 
Other adventures included -  day one a visit to Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments; day two, Walnut Canyon; day 3, church, lunch and party and farewell to Ethan’s and Kimball’s families; day 4, Dan and I waited outside while Greg’s family explored the Lava River Cave in the Coconino National Forest, and then we joined them in touring a Pioneer museum.  Neil and Penny took their little twins to Bearizona Drive-through Wildlife Park.  On day 5, Greg’s and Colin’s families left for home.  Neil and Penny and Dan and I took in the sights and feel of Meteor Crater, Oak Creek Canyon, and Sedona.  They headed home the next morning, and Dan and I spent a very peaceful, relaxing day together.  He did some tidying up and some reading.  I did a lot of bird-listening out on the back deck, and thanking Heavenly Father that everything had gone so very well.  I am still smiling, thanking Him, and singing our reunion theme song.
 
The Family Is of God
1. Our Father has a family. It’s me!
It’s you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,
To live and learn here in fam’lies.
[Chorus]
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.
Words and music:Matthew Neeley

Fifteenth Trip to the NIH

What a trip! Having two of my sisters, Julie and Jamie, my niece Sarah, and her 3-yearold daughter Josilyn along was way more fun than I expected it was going to be. I thought we might be crowded in our hotel suite, but not so. Sarah might not agree, but to me little Josilyn was pretty close to perfection! Of course I wasn’t the one rushing with her to find a potty after hurrying off the Metro a couple of different times. But come on, she’s only three.

We started our time together with a surprise birthday pajama party for Jamie! Sarah provided yummy white grape juice; Julie and I brought Turkish Delight and some yummy cookies we found at Ross. We played a couple of zany games, and exchanged a few gifts. Jamie brought bangle bracelets for everyone. And Julie brought lipstick and ear rings. Guess what I brought. A book. Yep, I’m all about books lately. Next morning we set off for D.C. The Washington Monument has at long last reopened for tours, so we got there around 9:30am to get our tickets to go up in the elevator. But they were for 4:30. So we had to find things to do on the Mall until then. We happily took in an open air band concert of patriotic music performed by an awesome high school group from Texas. We revisisted the Lincoln Memorial. We ate a summery lunch outside, and later bought ice cream. We learned of the existence of the lock keeper’s stone cottage, and spent some time in the Art Museum of the Americas. When we entered, we were just looking for a cool place to get out of the hot sun. But it was beautiful inside, with a room tiled in turquoise tile, and their bathrooms were convenient and nice too. Our energy slowly ebbed away as the day wore on, leading us to find more and more benches to rest on, until at last it was our turn to tour the Washington Monument. How did I enjoy the view? I loved it! Vicariously, of course. The others were kind enough to say aloud what they were seeing far, far below, and to exclaim over how small everything on the ground seemed to be. On Thursday, after the PET scan, we went to the Mall again, and took a trolley tour in place of the DUCK tour that was cancelled due to an approaching thunderstorm. Later, back in Bethesda, we splurged on exotic milkshakes we’d been hankering for ever since Sarah discovered them. Mine was the Presley, a unique blend of chocolate, peanut butter, banana, and bacon bits. So so good.

Julie and I spent most of Wednesday at the NIH. First came the blood draws, then the CT scan, and the attempted bone marrow biopsy. My favorite doctor was there, so it wasn’t bad at all. However, for the first time ever, he was unable to obtain a biopsy. After multiple tries, he did get the aspiration though. A little info on these two procedures: “Bone marrow aspirations and biopsies are performed to examine bone marrow, the spongy liquid part of the bone where blood cells are made. In a bone marrow aspiration, a small amount of liquid marrow is taken from inside the bone so the cells can be examined under a microscope. In a bone marrow biopsy, a small piece of intact bone marrow is removed so the structure of the bone marrow inside its bony framework can be examined.”

After lunch, it was time for my clinic appointment. The PA was super upbeat and positive, saying all looked great. But by the time I met with the doctor, he had seen the CT scan and was concerned about one of the left axillary lymph nodes. It had increased in size since the last CT scan. Consequently, he wanted a PET scan and a lymph node biopsy for more information. The PET scan was quickly set up for the next day, but he thought I would need to return in July for the ln biopsy. After the results of the PET scan came back though, his concern went down a bit, and he said I can wait until my regularly scheduled Sept. appointment for the ln biopsy. He also let me know today that we’ll be doing another bone marrow biopsy at that time as well. The cellularity in my marrow has increased from 40% to 50-6-%, but he told me not to worry about that at this point because my counts are good and I am feeling well. Easier said than done, doc! I have to say that I am so grateful for the two years I’ve been able to participate in this clinical trial. I hope I’m able to continue in it, but I am determined to take whatever comes my way in complete faith. I know my Father loves me, and has a plan for me. And I know His plan for me is a good one, better than anything I could devise. I am so grateful to Him, and to all those who have made and make these trips possible for me. Signing off now with a heart full of love and gratitude.

Fourteenth Trip to the NIH

It's been a week since Dan and I were in Bethesda for my NIH 21-month evaluation, and just over a month since we enjoyed a visit from Brianna and her family. Nothing but good news on both occasions! A crazy thing happened though. I mixed up my appointment schedule,flying all the way across the country and showing up for my appointment a week early. True to form, everyone was wonderful and accommodating, making our trip a success.. Lab results were great, with only the absolute lymphocyte count and the Beta-2-microglobulin being slightly elevated. Ibrutinib, now called Imbruvica, my trial drug, was approved for patients with MCL (mantle cell lymphoma) a few months ago. On Feb. 12 of this year, it was also approved for patients with CLL! What a welcome breakthrough! I wondered how this would affect the trial, and thank goodness, it won't. Dr. Farooqui said that study of the long-term effects of the drug are still needed, and that I can continue on the trial for as long as I want to. Oh yes, oh yes, I want to! Good news all around for me, and for many, many others.

It took two expensive tries, but Brianna's parents were finally able to gain permission to enter the US from China, to visit her. They were constantly surprised at the cleanliness of the air, homes, restaurants, and public bathrooms. They even want to move here permanently now. As they walked around Seattle, they marveled at how few people there were to be seen out on the streets. In China, the streets and businesses are always teeming with people. Little 15-month-old Jayden and his grandparents bonded quickly, and Jayden still calls for them even though they returned home several weeks ago. To our great excitement, they made the long drive over the snowy mountains to pay us a visit as well!

I made breakfast and dinner, and Brianna's mom and dad made lunch each day during their stay. Yum, authentic, homemade Chinese food! Actually, anytime I was cooking, they were right there with me helping out. Brianna's dad was my right hand man when I was making cheesecake stuffed strawberries for Valentine's Day. We all thought they were a hit, and they wanted the recipe so that they could make them for their friends at home. All I did was wash and hull the berries, and mix up the cheesecake filling. Her dad did the cutting, and stuffing. Since he loves to sing, we had a karaoke party just for him. Everybody took at least a turn or two, except for Jason and Dan, but they made for an excellent audience, so we let them off easy. Thanks to Colin and Macey for making the karaoke party work out for everyone! And big, big thanks to Jason and Brianna for bringing a weekend full of joy into our home!

This boy wouldn't keep his eyes off Brianna's parents.

The Call of the Isle

She felt a strong desire to spend the first anniversary of her beloved husband's passing as they had often done before, so my sister, Julie, invited a few friends to join her on a Caribbean cruise.  Thanks to Dan's completely selfless support, I was lucky enough to be able to go.  The only problem now is that I want to go back!  And not someday, but right away! Or at least before too much longer.  Our time aboard ship was filled with two Broadway-style productions, a magic show, concerts by Billy Joel and Paul McCartney on the giant movie screen on the deck, gourmet dining, a little shopping, plenty of relaxing by the pool, and picking up a few valuable travel tips from fellow travelers.

As enjoyable as all that was, what really has me clamoring for more is the time we spent ashore.  For me, our day in Cozumel was better than a dream come true.  Julie arranged a five-hour private tour of the island for us, which of course isn't long enough, but we were under the ship's time constraints.  We loved our driver/guide, Nelson, who customized the tour according to our interests.

For our Day in Grand Cayman, we decided to do a meet and greet with stingrays.  I wish the creatures no harm, but I've met all the stingrays I ever want to meet.  One even bit my finger!  No sharp teeth pierced my skin, but a tiny little vacuum just sucked it right up into parts unknown.       That was followed by another mishap.  I took a tumble reboarding the catamaran, coming up  with an impressive black eye and a few other large bruises.  Someone gave me a chilled bottle of water to hold against my eye until the captain returned from his swim to a nearby boat for a bag of ice.  This should put an end to the pernicious rumor that my black eye was caused by fighting in the midnight buffet line.

Cozumel, oh Cozumel, I hear your call.