Be INSPIRED

Follow along and read about how Ryan spent his final days surrounded by those he loved the most... his FAMILY.

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You can follow my blog at: dearryno.blogspot.com- Our life in Letters to Ryan
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August 10, 2009

Going Home...

Here is a rundown of the past week and a half:
Ryan went into the hospital on the 31st and they immediately gave him a blood transfusion because he was a little low in that department.
Once the blood was in, he rested a day and then it was time to start the "fun" stuff:

I still cannot get over the TOXICITY of the stuff- so toxic that they need the special gloves and gown...

BUT... he handled all the chemo like a TROOPER and only had a couple of bad days.

Because the chemo wipes OUT the white blood cells, he gets a shot to help bring the white blood count back up.

Getting a shot of Neulasta

Yes... it DID sting a little!

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During his hospital stay, he was able to send of this little one with a Father's Blessing before her first day of school on Tuesday the 4th:

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On Weds night, Ryan had another spinal to suck out some fluid and to put in some chemo. One hit blood vessel, two hit nerves and a grand total of four pokes, Ryan was officially "DONE" with this round of chemo. Let's just say he really ended it with a bang!
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On Thursday the 6th, he was discharged for a few hours so he could attend the transplant meeting at the UMC Cancer Center

We had a 2 hour meeting with Dr. Yeager and there was A LOT of info to take in!

I know a LOT of you are interested in knowing what went on...so here are some of the details:

Before transplant, the cancer has to be under control so

*Ryan is scheduled to get another Bone Marrow BIOPSY on the 24th and a PET Scan on the 25th. Based on the results, he may have more chemo to help beat down the cancer and get it under control.

Once under control, the transplant process takes place:

*Ryan's brother(Mitchell) and Ryan will go through a number of tests to get ready.

*Once he is admitted, Ryan will begin 7 days of INTENSE and HIGH dose chemotherapy. He will have ONE day off and then the transplantation begins.

*He will spend 4-6 weeks in the hospital :(

*Once released he will continue to see the Dr DAILY for the next month or so.

*It will be a year long recovery period. During this time, he will be on strong immunosuppressants and will be at a high risk of getting ANY type of sickness. Unfortunately, this also means that Ryan won't be able to work for about a year.

Here are the Transplant STATS:

Chance of going into remission: 35-50%

Chance of the cancer coming back: 25-30%

Chance of not making it out of transplant: 20-25%

Ryan's a fighter... he CAN do this!

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After the meeting, it was BACK to "Hotel Northwest" because Ryan had been running a fever :(

But a visit from this little chubster SURE cheered him up:

Jessica and Kenley(Ryan's lil' sis & niece)

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Well, the fevers DID stop MUCH MUCH faster this time and GUESS WHAT THAT MEANT?!?!?!?

It was time to GO home!

Adios Room 375!
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How does he ALWAYS have this much stuff... his stay was ONLY one week!


Ryan was SO excited to leave, he insisted on walking out himself ... and yes, even pushing his own stuff out, too!
Bye Med/Onc floor!
Bye again to his FAVORITE nurse... Billi Jo!

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Bye again to Northwest (his 2nd home)

Then the next day was a sad goodbye to his parents

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We feel VERY grateful and fortunate to be able to have both our families travel from out of state to help. They have been taking shifts, and SO far there has ALWAYS been someone here to help out. You would never believe how much help you need when you are driving to the hospital or to Dr's appointments on a daily basis and gone for HOURS at a time. Our kids have handled everything well and are doing good. Ryan and I have our moments, but overall, we are doing good too. We know it is truly blessings from a LOVING Heavenly Father who is giving us the strength to get through this.

Thank you to EVERYONE for all the well wishes, thoughts and most importantly, prayers!

Big HUG to ALL!

***GO TEAM RYAN***

P.S.- Since being discharged on Friday, Ryan has been feeling GREAT. This last round of chemo was a good one.

It's so nice to have him back HOME!

17 comments:

Kim said...

We're so glad this last round of chemo went well. What a great blessing! You're all constantly in our prayers! Lots of love!

melissa said...

That is seriously so great!! I really, really hope all goes well with the transfusion. You are all truly an inspiration of strength to me and I love being able to keep up with everything on the blog. Keep fighting Ryan!! You're a champ!

Katelin said...

Glad things went well and he's home again. I can't believe Hallie started school already--she looks thrilled and adorable, or course! Love to you all!

Agnes said...

Yeah! We are glad you have Ryan home again! We're happy everything went well with the last round of chemo. It's nice to hear that you have so much help from all the family. We hope everything continues to be great! We love you guys!
P.S.It's crazy that our kids are already in the 1st grade huh? :)

Seth and Julie said...

Oh Hallie is too cute and that is awesome that Ryan was able to send her off with a blessing. It is so cool to me that even in Ryan's weakest moments no one can take away the power that comes with the priesthood. Just reminds me that Heavenly Father is SOOO much stronger than this cancer.

Jared & Courtney Jackson said...

Ryan you are such an inspiration to me. How wonderful it is to see you smile in every picture that is taken even though you are going through this tough time. Keep fighting and I'm sure you are feeling everyone's prayers.

LeShel said...

Go team Ryan!!
Great to hear that treatment is going well! Glad you can feel the Lord and His blessings with you.

The Kindle Family said...

Happy to hear Ryan is home and doing well! Good luck with the next few weeks and months!

Gha said...

Ryanstone: I'm glad to hear that the last round went well. You're always in our thoughts and prayers. Keep fighting!

Heather said...

Wonderful. Keep up all the good work! You're all in our prayers.

Tanya said...

Glad things are going well, or as good as can be expected. Thanks for the info. on your meeting. How are you feeling about that? I know Ryan is strong, and can fight through it. I've seen this done before, it's amazing! You guys are so strong! Fight, Fight, Fight! Go Team Hess!
( Crazy that Hallie started school already! My kids will start on Monday. What's up with these desert climate schools starting so early? My kids didn't even get out of school till the 12th of June.... Poor kids, they've been robbed from their summer!)

Sabrina Smith said...

Ryan I know you havent met me personally, but just want to say you and your family are in my prayers. The strength your family has is beyond understanding. Keep fighting and you guys will get through it. The south Florida family sends their love and prayers.

peter said...

I already started looking for that old pickup for you to rebuild, I will keep you updated on the search. You haven't missed anything exciting at the VA all is well. I am glad that you are home with the family.

Jena said...

Wow - our prayers and thoughts are with you all!

Shanna Hurd said...

TEAM RYAN! This is awesome news. Every time I read your blog, tears come to my eyes! What an amazing family you are! I went to school with Ryan and he was always a hard worker and knew how to have fun with it! Your family is in our prayers! Keep up the good support and remember the Lord is with you every step of the way! Great blessings have happened and many more are going to pour out of heaven into your family!! GO TEAM RYAN!

Lynn said...

Glad things are going so well for your familly. Miracles do happen. Our family has witnessed many. Fight hard and stay strong. We love you. Lynn (Tanyas Mom)

Anonymous said...

Margie--you're amazing with your blog talents and your expert coverage---a news station needs to take notice! All of your strength, humor, and thoughts are inspirational. Ryan, we know you're a strong soldier fighting the good fight and we know you'll win. Your armor is thick and your allies cry out in support of your cause! We love you guys.
Love, Darin & Taylor, Jake & Samantha Thomas