In the message below you saw Karen trying on her pretty brown wig and wearing her Pink shirt. Well, today is Halloween and when her parents came in they brought a new wig for her. Can you guess the color? She looks good in this one too! She is just too gorgeous, not that I am prejudice in any way.

Mom brought her some posters, crayons and colored pencils. It's a party now!!

I told everyone I was going to do it. Some of you doubted it but it is done. I think that Karen might be wishing I hadn’t and that I could glue at least half of it back on but it’s too late now! Love ya’ Baby.
P.S. Can I borrow one of those warm hats?

Don: The treatment has its ups and downs (I may have said that before) but there is a constant for Karen and it is one she doesn’t like. Her physical world consists of her room (with a view of a roof and the next building – no sky) and the hallways that she takes her short walks in. Today will be the last day in the old hospital. We will be going across the street; via a hallway that is literally a tunnel under the street; to the new hospital on Sunday. Every room has a view and we should have a better hallway for exercise. The rooms are supposed to be more like a hotel. We are both very excited and looking forward to this move.

I feel better.  Today was tough.  I woke up feeling like a prickly pear.  My rash had gotten so bad.  It was everywhere.  Luckily, physician’s assistants round by nine am, and then meet with the doctor.  Anyway, they changed my medications around, took me off what they think the culprit was and added a one time dose of steroids.  I feel so much better.  I still itch but not quite as much.  It seems to be going away.  Hope so.  They will be keeping a close eye on things.  they are so good here.

Also, I got my head shaved tonight.  I told Mom and Dad I was going to do it.  Mom saw me pull out a ton of hair in one sitting.  hair was everywhere.  the floor, my pillow, all over my bed, and clothing.  I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Daddy couldn’t watch.  The night nurse had a set of clippers handy so we did.  It is so liberating.  I feel so much better, but I need a hat because my head gets cold.  I took my shower, and I feel great.  I can’t wait for Mom and Dad to see it.  It really doesn’t look that bad.  I think I look like a small chinese boy off a karate movie, and Don thinks it’s something more like star trek girl. Eeither way, it’s just in time for halloween so it’s going to be fun. 

My rash and low platelet count, plus tons of scratching have left me looking like a speckled trout  or a lady in a symbiotic relationship from “Star trek”.  (that’s for you trekkies)

Have a great nite, and God Bless everyone!  Thanks for all the Cards, comments, love and prayers. Llove karen

Hi everyone,

I am feeling pretty good today.  Just a little sleepy.  Had some Chick fil A waffle fries with Polynesian sauce and it actually tasted Good! yum.  I may eat that again sometime. 

Yesterday, Melissa and Marco,  Crystal, and Dennis and Robin, along with my family, all came to visit, so it was a really nice day.  Thanks everyone.  The visit really perked me up.  These are some of my “horsey friends” so we got to talk about my favorite subject. 

Melissa gave me a wonderful shorter haircut so it should help as my hair continues to thin.  I will say it is still thick enough that you can’t tell yet.  Don took photos.  Maybe I will get to enjoy it another week or two.  I keep hoping I wont loose it, but it is definitely falling out.

Thanks to my friends at work.   They are really good about keeping me comfortable, but I don’t like to take anymore medicine into my system than I have to have.  My kidneys and liver are doing great and all other labs are hanging in there too.  They have given me platelets and some electrolytes, oh, and of course IV antibiotics, but that’s about it.   Oh wait, and then there’s the valtrex, diflucan, and preveced, and multi vite.  Oh, and the birth control.  No bleeding allowed in this joint.   Then there is the benadryl.  I seem to be allergic to something, so I have a rash around my neck.  I have a central line so they are making sure I’m not scratching.   It feels so good to scratch.  oh well, I guess I’m on alot of preventive stuff. They tell me I’m doing really good.  I seem to keep a headache, and the flu-like symptoms can make me cry, but sometimes I just feel okay.  That makes a good day! 

 God bless everyone.  I love you and thank you for all the calls, cards, and comments.

love karen

hey everyone,

I am really feeling bad.  Don suggested updating the journal to take my mind off things, so here I am.  Hope ya’ll like whining.  I am having pain in the bladderish, pee pee area!  This started mildly about a day ago.  They have done all the usual tests and I have increased my water/cranberry juice intake,etc.  Nobody on my case seems to know what could possibly be causing it. but ….Ouch!! It started getting really bad at shift change tonight, and the pain medicine I have been given so far is not helping enough.  ouch!!! and yes they have done all the normal checks and I have no infection.  These nurses are great though.  They have done a bladder scan (11cc only, to my nursey friends) and they are calling the Doc.  I have been promised good medicine and a comfortable night so….

Today I was very weak and tired and did alot of sleeping.  I did finally manage to get my walking laps in with Dad before they left for the evening.  My appetite has been very good but that seems different today too.  I am so bloated I don’t feel like eating.  Not too much nausea though.  O’well, I hope for good news soon,love karen

Don: This site is primarily for letting all of you know how Karen is doing but it seems to be taking on a little bit of a personality of it’s own beyond just an information distribution site about Karen’s Day. There are so many people who let us know that they are praying for Karen. It is very uplifting.

We both want to thank all of our friends, family and all other who are praying for her to have strength and to come through this frightening event in her life. We ask that everyone continue to keep her in their prayers and not to forget any others that might need praying for either.

If you do have someone that you wish to raise up in prayer, please include that in your comments on this site. We know that we are not the only ones with a need for prayer at this time. We would love to help others the same way that they are helping us, by prayer. God bless us all.

Don: They have given us a calendar that tells us what day we are on since the beginning of the treatment. Today is Day 12. Never having been through this with anyone in my life. Having the calendar really helps to give us a target, a goal that we can strive to reach.

I really don’t know what is happening from day to day. I am just here doing what I know I should do. Karen is really doing well in spirit. For the last two days she says she feels bad, like the flu, but even with that feeling it just seems that she is of good mind and spirit. I am very proud of her.

I was just watching this man go down the hall that had already lost most of his hair and recently got a buzz cut on the rest of his head. He was looking for the shower near the nurses station. He did not have his mask on, which is standard operating procedure when a patient leaves their room. I thought all the nurses were going to jump the counter to mask him. He was a big guy and appeared a little independent (grumpy might also describe his attitude right that moment). He just headed into the shower room (where he does not have to use a mask)  but I bet there will be more than a little excitement and education to come if he enters the hallway again with no mask.

This just drove home in my own mind how important it is to mask and constantly clean our hands. You might know that your hands are clean but you just touched something else and you don’t know who else touched it and what germs they may have left behind. When it comes to the mask you have to assume the same level of care is needed. If you are visiting someone remember that you just walked passed many people in the lobby, elevator and hallway, sharing the same air you are breathing. How do you know that none of they have a contagious item that you may end up carrying into the room. For this same reason there are many rooms where you must wear a new gown each time you enter.

What I have learned is that you just can’t be too careful. If you are a patient, do what they tell you. Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be stubborn and just remember that it truly is your life you are here to save. If you are a visitor and you think you there is just no way that you would or could transfer a germ to your loved one, so you think you don’t have to follow the visitor instructions…stay home and send email.

A trip to Shands or any cancer center is about clinging to life, whether you are the patient or the visitor. It is important. It is serious. Treat it as such.

As for Karen, she takes the precautions she has been instructed to follow. All of our visitors have, also. They made the trip here to visit because of how much they care for her but the real caring is shown in how conscious they are of the rules. We love you all. Thanks for the love you have been showing Karen.