Transplant and second chemo... transplante y segunda ronda de quimios

I wrote the first part of this post few days ago and the rest is from yesterday!

WOW! I don't even know where to start with this post... First I want to say thank you so much to everyone that has been praying for Andy and for our family. You have no idea how much your prayers mean to us and how much we can feel your love and compassion... It has been several hard and overwhelming days with so much information and in such a short period of time... Andy didn't start chemotherapy like he was going to this past Monday because our oncologist wanted him to keep his appointment with this new oncologist that is in charge of Andy’s transplant. That appointment was this Wednesday so we had to hold chemo for few days. So we had this appointment with this new doctor and men, I can't even type without getting stressed about all the information that we just got.

So Andy is going to have a bone marrow transplant here pretty soon right after this chemo that we will start on Saturday... Before the transplant they needed to do all this testing and all this exams to get him ready for his transplant. We have spent the last two days at the mayo clinic. He had several doctors’ appointments yesterday, and today he had eight! That's right, eight appointments today and a bone marrow biopsy!! And then tomorrow morning he will be admitted at the same hospital as last time for the next chemo.

For his transplant, Andy won’t need a donor. The way they explained it to us was like “pretend you have a jar of olives and pretend the olives are your cells, if the olives are infected then you need a donor, but if the olives are not infected with cancer but the juice is, then you can use your same olives (cells) to fix you”. So that's why Andy, thank goodness, won’t need a donor and they will be able to use his own cells... The doctor explained the process to us, first they collect his cells, then he needs chemo again and then the transplant. The doctor told us that this new chemo that he is going to have is as if he was having the past 6 chemo that he has had, but in one!!!! Can you imagine?? 6 chemos in one?! This chemo is that bad and that strong. Right after he has this chemo, they do the transplant and then he will have to stay in the hospital another two weeks. The total of time at the mayo clinic will be about 4 weeks!! 

So after this chemo at the Banner hospital we will get transfered right away to the Mayo clinic. We will be sleeping in a house that they will give us there, for a week or two and then after this he will get admitted for this crazy strong chemo and then his transplant. He won’t be able to go home for about 2 months total. They told us that the day of his transplant will be his new birthday! And that will be the day after Thanksgiving! Andy always said he never had his own birthday after our son David was born because they share the same birthday. Haha, so his wish came true and now he will have his very own birthday again... JK, but we are so excited and happy about him being able to start this new life...

The transplant process has been so fast and so perfect. Everything is going great and we have been able to get everything done and ready in just two days and that is a huge blessing.. I am worried about my kids and about how long this process will be, but have to keep thinking that they have a lot of people that love them and that they are going to be okay... My awesome/fun/loving dad left today. He went back to Mexico and I miss him already. He helped so so much with everything! But at the same time I am so incredible excited because my brother Johnny is coming this Sunday!!! I haven't seen my brother in almost four years! He is so funny and fun that my kids will absolutely love being with him... After that my wonderful mom will come to stay with them for a month during the transplant. And of course my best friend and sister and her husband Ben are always right here making sure my kids are okay and helping with whatever they need...so we have a lot of help with my sweet kids.

Speaking of help, I really don't want to leave anyone out, because we have had so much help and love from everyone, but today I want to mention two very important and amazing people in my kids life... First David´s first grade teacher, Miss Arroyo, she has done so so much for my David! She is keeping him every day after school to help him with his homework, she takes him to his baseball practices, she takes him to fun places, she takes him to the park, to wherever he needs to be, she has been just incredible! I am so blessed to have her; she is always willing to help my boy. Another amazing teacher is Miss Lisa, Mia’s preschool teacher. She is also always keeping Mia, taking her back home after school, picking her up for school, taking her to her field trips, and more... so today take a minute to thank your kids teachers because I don't know what would I do without my kids teachers!!! Such a blessing...

Well, I didn't finish this post until today (Sunday), and today is day two of chemo. I just didn't have any time before now to finish this post... Like I said, it’s surprising Andy is doing amazing this time! I know it is just day two, but last chemo at this time he wasn't doing that good. He has been laughing and talking with his family that came to visit from Utah... 

We had an amazing time with them! This morning we started talking about how Andy and I met and about our crazy year while we dated before we got married! I felt so touched about what Andy said about me, about us, I almost wanted to cry thinking of how much we love each other, I bet you are tired of me saying this but our love is something special, something that keeps us strong specially in situations like this one...

One of the things that touched me was when Andy said... I knew from day one that I wanted to spend the eternity with Leyla I was always sure about that and nothing was going to change that.. I feel the same way ... Nothing and no one will be able to keep us apart .. Look at this picture when we were dating and when we got married ! So fun...

I know I talk about how positive and optimistic Andy is, but it truly amazes me! That’s why I always talk about it. He has such a good spirit, he is fighting and he smiles about everything. He makes jokes about his cancer, about his hair, about everything! It is just contagious, if you see him, well of course you can tell he has cancer because of his hair and how skinny he looks (he’s lost 25lbs already), but if you would see how happy he is you would never be able to tell how much he has been through .. You’d never know how much pain he is in, or how nauseous he is, he is just happy, making me smile and asking me to get into his bed so we can watch our tv shows.. I just love him so so much, he is amazing!

Today I am so excited, my brother is coming from Mexico tomorrow! I haven't seen him in such a long time. He truly is my best friend, he is so fun and handsome, funny and silly, loving and just the best brother ever! After that my mom will come for a month to stay and help with my kids during the transplant. Did you notice what a supportive loving family I have? They are just the best I love them so so much ... Andy has always been their favorite, since the minute they met him almost 10 years ago, they just loved him with no questions and he is still the favorite. I joke around that they love him more than they love me! Haha.

Yesterday something special happened to me... I went home because Andy’s awesome aunt Marianne slept here with him. As I was walking to the elevator I saw a lady that was crying and crying non-stop. As she saw me she started walking away trying to just not let anyone see her crying. I had this prompting in my heart and I knew I was going to look silly or like a crazy person but I started walking behind her and finally I caught up and stopped her and gave her a hug. I said “I am so sorry. I don't know you, but I recognize your tears because you look exactly how I have looked for the past months.” And she hugged me and cried even more, she told me her husband was really sick, had cancer and he just had a stroke... She started telling me how she doesn´t have anyone and how tired she was and how sad she was because she didn't believe in God... I started crying with her and I told her, “I hope you don't think I am trying to convert you, I promise is not why I am telling you this, but I am LDS and I can tell you that I have a huge army of prayers and support in my church. They help us with absolutely anything that we need, they care for us, they love us and thanks to my church I am standing and holding up. I love my Heavenly Father, I have a testimony that He is listening to my prayers, I can tell you that I feel Him right here, right now with you and He loves you too, He cares for you, I swear He does and I will keep you in my prayers.” She couldn't stop crying and say “Thank you! You know? This is what I needed to hear, this is what I have been asking for, for a guide, for an answer of what church I should go to.” We gave each other another hug and she left. I didn't catch her name and she didn't catch mine, but the spirit in those 15 minutes was so strong... I am so so grateful for my testimony, for the knowledge and confirmation that God is real, that He truly loves me, that He is helping us out on every single step of the way... I have no idea what I would do without Heavenly Father, my family, my church family, friends and all the support that we have!!!

This has been such a hard road, in every single way, hard for Andy, hard for me, for my kids, for my family, but I know all of this will be behind us soon... Thanks again for all those prayers, keep them coming!

EN ESPAÑOL...

Bueno pues no habia tenido tiempo de escribir y menos de traducir todo pero por fin he tenido unn poco de tiempo en lo que estoy sentada en el hospital, de ante mano mil disculpas si la gramatica no es buena o si ven errores pero casi casi asi como lo escriba asi lo dejare jaja

Pues la semana pasada tuvimos una semana muy ocupada, nos dijeron q seria definitivo que andy tendra dos transplantes de medula osea, esto ayudara a que el cancer no regrese nunca jamas! asi es que el pasado jueves y viernes nos la pasamos en el hospital todo el santo dia haciendo pruebas, tuvo como en total unas 16 citas de diferentes tipos de doctores, le hicieron estuios de todo tipo, dentistas, del corazon, otorrinos, de verdad estudios de cada parte de su cuerpo para asegurarse que es un buen candidato para su transplante...

De ahi nos transfirieron al hospital para que iniciara la segunda ronda de quimioterapias y aqui estamos desde el sabado,...

sorprendentemente andy ha estado super bien, no se ha enfermado tanto, si tiene ascos y se siente muy cansado, pero nada que ver con la vez pasada, todo va como debe de ser y hoy es el dia tres y va muy biien, nos faltan otros dos dias y saliendo de aqui os vamos enseguida al otro hospital el especializado en transplantes para iniciar el proceso y todo lo que tenemos que hacer antes del transplante

Realmente la positividad de andy me impresiona, lo deberian de ver, a las risas, bien a,able, platicando con todo el mundo, sonriendo y dispuesto a luchar y a acabar con todo esto

LEs quiero agradecer a todos por sus oraciones y por su apoyo, los queremos mucho!!

Hoy estoy re que te emocionada por que mi hermano Johnny llega a ayudarme con los niños y con lo que se pueda ofrecer! tiene años que no lo veo y estoy sumanente feliz de poder verlo y abraarlo, realmente tengo una familia increible que me ha apoyado a cada segundo en esta dificil batalla

los quiero!

leyla