An update:

I have learned that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) does not yet have Maureen's Tribute fund up on the site.  So, please just send a check to them with "Maureen Staudt" in the memo line.  Address and other info on my blog post from yesterday.

Jim

Hi, this is Jim again.  Those of you who wish to make a donation in Maureen's memory can do so to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  I can tell you that they took fantastic care of Maureen and Maureen's medical team, led by Dr. Avigan, is doing great work both in the clinic and in the research field that he hopes will make a difference for future leukemia patients.

Donations can be made at www.bidmc.org/giving or by check made payable to "Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center" with "Maureen Staudt" on the memo line and mailed to:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Office of Development
330 Brookline Avenue - OV
Boston, MA 02215

Be sure to indicate "Maureen Staudt" to assure that the money goes to her tribute fund.  This way the money can be accumulated in her name.  Depending upon the level of funding that we are able to reach, it may enable the money to be directed specifically to some areas - and particularly those that would help leukemia patients like Maureen.

Also, once I get my head above water I am going to look into starting a public charity in her name to help with further fundraising.  The outpouring of support for us to honor Maureen at the funeral was very moving, and I think that if we can keep this energy going to do some more good, it would be a great way to keep Maureen in our memory and honor her.

Thank you all for your support for us.

Jim Staudt

Maureen's Funeral

Today was Maureen's funeral.  It was a beautiful service.  Our pastor, Fr. Deeley presided, with Maureen's two uncles, Frs. Mike and Dan Crosby, and Fr. Chris Ohazulume from BIDMC concelebrating. Also, Deanna Bosco and Mia Gage - friends of Emma's - leant us their beautiful voices as cantors.

I want to thank all of our family, friends, neighbors and the Saint Michael community for the support and generosity in helping put this together.  It was a beautiful send off for a beautiful person that touched our lives in so many ways.  The Hollands were incredibly generous in providing food from their restaurant, Stacheys both Sunday afternoon and  for the reception today.  My sister Lorie acted as my "Chief of Staff" helping coordinate the various support activities from the army of people that were at my disposal.

A number of people asked for a copy of the Remembrance that I gave.  It follows below:

I met Maureen in March of 1991.  She was beautiful, smart, and so incredibly funny.   She had an amazing and infectious spirit for life.  We instantly spent all of our time together.  At first, my single friends wondered if they had lost me to her, but they soon realized that they had gained a fantastic friend.

Maureen had a gift for making life fun.  She loved people and loved to make them laugh . . . almost as much as she loved to make herself laugh.

Elvis Presley once sang of love, that only fools jump in.  But, as the lyrics of that song continue, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. 

That summer, returning with her to Massachusetts after visiting my parents, I told her that I loved her.

I still remember that awkward moment because - believe it or not - it was a few weeks before she reciprocated!

We were engaged in January 1992 and married on the Fourth of July 1992, only about 15 months after we met.

I wish that I could spare you the joke about losing my independence on Independence Day, but I just can’t pass that up.

Shortly after we moved to North Andover in 1996 Joseph was born.  We were blessed in so many ways – wonderful neighbors and friends, and this wonderful Saint Michael community.  My family adored Maureen and Maureen’s family welcomed me as a son and brother. 

On September 26, 2001, Maureen received what she always called her greatest birthday present, our beautiful daughter Emma.  We now had two incredible gifts from God.

As a mother, Maureen was more than loving.  She adored our children and engendered in them her love of life and her sense of family and community.

On December 16, 2014 I was on my way to take a train to New York.  As I parked my car in the route 128 train station parking lot, my client called me and asked if I had boarded the train. At that moment I didn’t realize how lucky it was that the call wasn’t a few minutes later.  My client had only learned a few minutes prior that the meeting in New York was cancelled.   On my way home I received a call from Maureen.  She needed to see a doctor and possibly head directly from his office to the hospital.

We were informed by the staff at the hospital that Maureen had an aggressive form of leukemia and might not make it through the night.  But Maureen’s will to live was simply too great.  For almost two years Maureen defied the odds, and she did it with dignity, grace and her wonderful sense of humor – the same qualities that caused me to fall in love with her back in 1991.

It was during these two years that she exhibited her courage as she battled for her life.  More courage than I ever imagined any person could muster.

 She never let others know her fears, and despite her grave situation, she would joke with the doctors, nurses and the aides, treating everyone with kindness and respect.  The staff at Beth Israel came to love her, and she them.

Despite her battle with leukemia, Maureen was determined to be present at many of our children’s important life events – Joseph’s high school graduation, when we took him to college, Emma’s graduation from Saint Michael’s, her first day of high school, Joe’s track meets and Emma’s volley ball games. 

She volunteered to work on school activities like the Saint Michael memory book.  She simply would not allow her disease to prevent her from being a part of Joseph and Emma’s lives.

Maureen even went with Emma to a One Direction concert in Foxboro. 

And, only a week before she passed, she was present at the annual Thanksgiving gathering that we have with close friends.

Today, Maureen is with the Lord and with her beloved sister Eileen and her father Ed.  She is also with my parents who loved her as a daughter.  Her spirit has inspired everyone who is here and many others who could not be here today.  She is deeply loved and missed.

This is Jim again.

As some of you may have noticed in Maureen's obituary, we are working to establish a way to honor Maureen’s memory by helping to give hope to future leukemia patients and help families living with this disease. We will announce more details on the blog in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you over these next few days.

Jim

Accomodations

For our family and friends that are making travel arrangements, we wanted to let you know that the Redmond clan is staying at the Spring Hill Suites in Andover (Minutemann Road, 978-688-8200). Thank you to all who have reached out to us with your condolences.  We appreciate all of your prayers and look forward to visiting with everyone throughout the coming days.

2014 Family Reunion

I just learned from the Conte Funeral Home director that the GPS works best if you input the address as 17 3rd Street rather than 17 Third Street.  So, if one doesn't work, the other will.   The Conte Funeral Home is very close to Saint Michael Church.

Thank you.

Jim

We have confirmed the time and date of the Funeral.

We will have visiting hours from 1-5 on Sunday, December 4 at the Conte Funeral Home located at 17 Third Street, North Andover, MA.

The funeral mass will be on Monday December 5th at 10 am at Saint Michael's Church at 196 Main Street, North Andover, MA

Thank you.

Jim

Maureen passed away shortly before 6am this morning.  I was with her at the time and the kids were also here at the hospital.

I will start to make arrangements for the funeral mass this morning and I hope to soon let you know what the arrangements are.

Thank you for all of your prayers.

Jim

This is Jim again.  Maureen continues to sleep peacefully.  Joe and Emma are with me at the hospital this evening.

Today Father Chris, the priest at BIDMC, gave Maureen the sacrament of Last Rites.  Those in attendance included me, Joe, Emma, Kay, my sister Lorie, Kay's sister Debbie, Maureen's cousin Joe, his wife Jane and their daughter Caroline, our neighbors Karen and Megan Collins, and our good friend Zoltan Poleretzky.  Father Chris came to know our family very well over these past two years.  In addition to bringing the sacraments to the room, he said mass every Sunday at the Chapel, which Maureen attended when she was well enough and weather permitted (the Chapel is in the West Campus - which requires going outside to get to).  So, it was a great blessing to have him with us today.

Later this afternoon my brother Tom and Maureen's sister Kate arrived.  Kate and Kay are sleeping at Maureen's cousin Mark's apartment this evening.  Mark came by in the evening to visit with us and pick up Kate and Kay.

Joseph and Emma have held up very well.  I am so very proud of how they have handled this and I know that Maureen has left me a wonderful gift in the two of them. 

Thank you again for all of the love and prayers.

Jim

Maureen slept through the night.  Kay and I stayed in the room while Joe and Emma slept in the family room that is located near the unit.  The focus has been on keeping Maureen comfortable.  Today, Sam will be Maureen's nurse.  Sam was the nurse who cared for Maureen the night we checked her into BIDMC on December 16, 2014.

You may be wondering, "Who has been caring for Guinness?"  Yesterday both our neighbor Scott Collins and our dear friend Zoltan Poleretzky dropped in on Guinness - sometimes in sequence!  I'm sure that Guinness loved all of the attention.  Today, Zoltan will be dropping in on him.

My sister Lorie will be arriving from Virginia today, and later this afternoon, Maureen's sister Kate will arrive.

Thank you again for your prayers and support.

Jim

An update on  Maureen.

Maureen has been sleeping the entire day.  During the brief periods when she was awake, she was not fully aware.  The medical team has been working to keep her comfortable.  It is likely that things will develop quickly.  As a result, Joe, Emma and I will spend another night at hotel BIDMC.  Last night I slept in the bed adjacent to Maureen's and Joe and Emma slept in the family room near the elevators.

Today Maureen was surrounded by people who love her.  Joe, Emma and I were joined by Megan Collins (Joe's friend from when he wore diapers) and Megan's mom Karen.  Maureen's mother Kay flew in from Ohio and is here with us.  My friend Jim Monaghan and his wife Denise also joined us.  Our dear friends from Saint Michael's church Ann Marie Guggenberger, Marie Panos, and Amy Turk paid Maureen a visit as well.

We are grateful to all of our friends who are helping out at home - keeping an eye on Guinness as well as other things.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Jim

Hi.  This is Jim.  Maureen enjoyed Thanksgiving away from the hospital with some close friends.  On Friday, she was readmitted to the hospital because she was getting weaker.  She  has grown weaker over these past few days.  It appears that her condition has grown worse, and she may have an infection as well as the leukemia getting worse.

As you know, we were hoping for Maureen to start a trial drug this week.  This is on hold.

Maureen has beaten the odds over and over again thanks to your love and support.  At this point the medical team thinks that Maureen could pass away in the next day or so.  We have grown so accustomed to her bouncing back from these things that it seems inconceivable that she will not rally once more.  However, this time is definitely different.

I know that many of you love Maureen very much and want updates on her condition.  I would be grateful if you could rely on the blog for information. It will be very difficult and time consuming for me to respond to texts and calls from everyone who cares so much for Maureen.  I will do my  best to use this as a way to keep everyone informed.

I also know that some of you may want to come.  Maureen is currently in the hospital in Boston.  But, the closest hotel to our home is the Holiday Inn Express in Lawrence, MA.  There are also hotels in Andover, MA.

Update 11/19 - 11-20

Family Fun:
Kate was with us this was week.  We had a lovely time and she was tremendously helpful  (this was a high care week for me; one of those weeks where I was too weak to do much for myself and she, along with my nurses kept me going.  I  think she and Emma/Jim had fun as well.

Medical Updates:
I was entered into the Phase 1 clinical trial which begins early next week.  Wonderful news!!! The combination of drugs (Revlimid and Velcade) in the trial is specifically designed for patients like me with Acute Myeloid leukemia that relapsed within a year of stem cell transplant. 

In terms of the drugs themselves

• Revlimid is a drug that alters the immune system and it may also interfere with the development of tiny blood vessels that help support tumor growth.  Therefore it may reduce or prevent the growth of cancer cells. 
• Velcade is a drug that helps offset the possible negative side effects of Revlimid.  Horrible oversimplification but the best I can do as I continue to wrap my arms around the power of this potentially curative trial.

Now as to timing with an eye to Thanksgiving around the corner...we are very hopeful the trial begins early enough to get me home for Thanksgiving.  In the early days they want me in the hospital for observation as I take the Revlimid pill on day 1 and the Velcade shot on day 2.  Good chance I will be home for Thanksgiving but I won't know until Monday or Tuesday

Going forward the plan is for me to do the trial as an outpatient driving in and out on the required days.  However the first few days have me in the hospital as an inpatient. 

Thanks for checking in and I'll sprinkle in more details as the trial moves forward.

Love, Maureen

Update 11/12 - 11/13

Family Fun:  Several visitors this week helped the time pass quickly in the hospital.  I may head home next week before starting new treatments. 

Medical Update;  the down and dirty:  I am moving to the  next phase of treatment which involves an immune boosting drug and a drug to offset the potentially dangerous side effects of the immune boosting drug.  The cycles last 21 days of actively taking the drugs followed by a rest period.  I will be evaluated constantly to make sure I am not having negative reactions.

Medical Update; the details:  For the last several weeks I've been talking about a clinical trial as the next course of treatment.  I've been waiting to be approved with the approval contingent upon

• improved heart function,
• a certain number of days post chemo,
• my blood counts in a certain place (Platelets not too low; white counts not too high....)
• and some other criteria. 

My improved heart function is referring to my ejection fraction or the measurement of the percentage of blood leaving my heart each time it contracts.  It was 20% in a recent ultrasound due to the assault from all the chemos  over the last 2 years.  A couple dahys ago it was just above 40% - still low but acceptable for the trial. 

The increasing white counts were the scariest number for me.  Generally after chemo the white counts bottom out taking the blast count or leukemia count in my blood down with them.  That did not happen with these last two rounds of chemo.  Instead I've been battling an increasing white blood count along with increased leukemia activity since the last two chemo rounds.  Fortunately we found a medication called Hydrea that temporarily suppresses both my white blood count and leukemia count. 

So with an improved heart function and less leukemia in my blood stream I got the go ahead for the trial. All good stuff.

Thanks for checking in.

Love Maureen

Weekend - 11/6 -11/5

Family Fun:  Kate arrived on Sunday 10/30.  We had a lovely dinner and chance to kick off a week of catching up.  Emma went trick or treating using the devil ears and tail her Aunt Mary Anne sent (to me!)  She had a great time with her long time Halloween posse.  Joe started Winter track and we hope to see him both at Bowdoin and some local meets here in Boston.  He continues to wait for word on his Tae Kwon Do/MMA club.  Enthusiasm is high; just waiting on insurance sign  off.  Finally we enjoyed a wonderful visit from Rich and Ann (Jim's brother and sister in law).  After such a tough, uncertain week it was so amazing to have Kate here every day providing love and support topped off by the wonderful conversation and love from Rich and Ann.  My cousin Margein joined us earlier in the week and she and Kate went out to dinned while I had an MRI on my back, leg and liver.  Looking forward to seeing Glen and Kirsten on Sunday - along with Jim and Emma tomorrow!

Medical Update:  I am back in the hospital as of Halloween.  We are trying to position me for the next round of treatment.  One metric is having the disease under control (i.e. not growing)  Sadly my disease has not been very cooperative.  My white counts were rising after this last round of chemo (they are supposed to drop after the chemo then stay in a low range for a couple weeks).  Along with the white counts rising my leukemia blasts were rising unabated.  Not a good spot for me.  However through medications and divine inspiration (your thoughts and prayers) both the white cells and leukemia cells dropped today.  We hope this is the beginning of a pattern that gets me to the next round of treatment.  At the minimum it is a good day and I thank those I love for reminding me of this.

Oh and I have a slipped disk - my doctor says everyone over 50 has a slipped disk (Ha Ha) but, um ouch.  Hopefully pain which kind of lives in my back and runs up and down my left leg will go away soon .  Also have water in my lungs (not pneumonia) but medication is helping that drain away so should be non-issue soon.

So that's it - thanks so much for checking in

Love Moe

Weekend Update 10/29 - 10/30

Family Fun:  I can't quite remember what I've put in previous blogs so briefly here is what's been going on.  Jim went to Family Weekend at Bowdoin and he and Joseph had a great time.  They had a nice Thai dinner on Friday.  Saturday they attended a lecture on Sir Thomas Moore and went to a couple Bowdon museums.  They both enjoyed their time together and I am so glad it worked out.  Gina (Jims sister) came back for a second visit and her first job was to bring me home from the hospital (Monday 10/24).  We had a great week and Emma was happily spoiled.  Emma had her last Volleyball game on Friday and the team played so well.  Until Friday I hadn't seen her team play and play they did.  Another sin for the girls Junior Varsity!!  Jim's friend Bob and wife Joan are here this weekend.  We had a lovely dinner last night and today Jim took them on a tour of the North Shore of Mass.  Kate arrived this morning and has been busy pulling the hose together while also being wonderful company. 

Medical Update:  I came home Monday after a 10 day course of chemo.  Being home this week has been wonderful.  I'm hoping it can extend a bit butt anticipate going in within the next 1 - 2 weeks for more treatments.  My liver function numbers are high but fortunately coming down - this could be a reaction to a new drug.  Some of my other lab values are off and if they continue to trend in a bad direction I could go back into the hospital sooner rather that later.  For now I am home, getting my treatments as an outpatient and live is pretty good. 

Thanks for checking in

Love,  Maureen

Weekend Update 10/22 - 10/23

Family Fun:  Good Sunday morning.  This week I am told we've gone from 80 to 50 degrees in the course of a couple days.  Brrr - who knows what the day holds today.  Jim and Emma are coming in today (Sunday).  We've  been going to a Catholic Mass in a small chapel on the West campus which is about a 15 minute wheelchair ride.   Today may be tough with the wind and chill but we'll see.  Jim saw Joseph this weekend for 'family weekend' at Bowdoin.  They attended some lectures, went to a couple of museums, and, of course, enjoyed the famous Bowdoin food..  It sounds like they had a great time.  Emma spent the night with her great friend Caitlin after winning a volleyball game on Friday.  Last night was the homecoming dance and I await a report on that - I am thinking it will go something like this "it was fine".  While I've mostly been resting this week, I have enjoyed several visitors including some good friends from the north shore earlier this week and some close friends from North Andover yesterday (who brought a chocolate cake!  what a glorious idea).  And my Aunt Debbie and cousin in law Jane brought lunch earlier this week.  All good stuff

Medical Update:  I was readmitted last Friday after a brief stay at home.  I've had several rounds of chemo over the last 3 months most lasting 5 days with 21 days or so of recovery before the next regimen.  The plan has been to do the recovery at home but I always seem to run into complications - a drug reaction, infection, mouth sores, just general pain in the ass chemo stuff though some complications gotten pretty bad.  Anyway, this last stay has been completely uneventful.   I came in Friday Oct 14 and started a 7 day course of chemo on Saturday (2 different types of chemo).   The chemo ends Monday and, barring any complications, I will be heading home tomorrow.  We continue to look to a immune therapy clinical trial as the next step. I hope to get more details on this next week.

Thanks for checking in - thanks for all your love, meals and prayers.  We are blessed to have support on so many levels.  Looking forward to another visit from Jim's sister Gina followed by my sister Kate. 

Love, Moe

Update 10/16

I know it has been awhile since the  last update.  Thanks for your patience. 

Family Fun
We had two amazing overnight visitors this past month mto keep things together while I was in the hospital and Jim was traveling on business for a couple of days.  Thank you John (my brother) and Gina (Jim'sister).   Your company was great and I cannot believe all you did;  John helping with outside projects like getting deck furniture put away.  Gina - there is not a dirty towel, shirt, or sheet in the house.   Plus all the food you made was amazing. 

Both kids are good - Joe was here for Columbus Day weekend which was also his birthday weekend.  Emma is keeping busy with school, friends and volleyball

Medical Update
I've been in and out of the hospital these last several weeks.  I am back in the hospital now. Currently getting chemo on a regular basis with the last two regimens as an inpatient.  The most recent round of chemo began Saturday 10/15.  We are adding a second round of chemo as the leukemia is pretty active.  Ultimately we are still working toward getting me into a clinical trial and we are hopeful that will happen after this round of chemo (there would be a waiting period before the trial).

Physically my appetite is good and I am getting around just fine.   I am tired to my bones and the Doctors say this happens when the leukemia gets active.  However I am doing exercises in the hospital, keeping my head in a good fighting place and thanking God every day I have the strength to keep up this fight.  Will be nice when I am not so exhausted but I need to be patient.  Please continue to call, write and text and accept my apologies if it takes me awhile to get back to you. 

Thanks for checking in - love and miss you all

Maureen
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Update Sunday 9/25

Family fun. Fifteen years ago monday my greatest birthday gift was delivered...Emma Staudt. Born on my bday we share many other things in common.  love of a good joke, dedication to family and extrodinatry disappointment when the fudgy the whale cake stopped being produced. Joe, Jim, Emma and all of Beth Isreal will be celebrating our big day one day early. Great day with lots of presents a cake from a local ice cream store and delicious dinner from local pizza shop. I am hopeful to see my cousins on my actual birthday - Monday.  Now I've hit every holiday as a Beth Isreal patient at least once. Thanks Jim and kids for bringing the holidays to me over the last two years. 

Medical update. Been in hospital since Wednesday September 14. They replaced my pic line which they thought was infected and installed a central tunnel line coming out of my chest. A little weird looking but definitely more convenient for transfusions and blood draws

Beginning Wednesday 9/21 I started chemo. I also started treatments to address high counts of potassium and white blood counts. Both too high and both being managed with medications. The white blood cells can and have become leukemia cells so I am taking medication to slow down their growth. May extend my chemo treatment from 5 to 10 days. Take that leaukemia. The potassium is a bit more baffling and maybe tied to a drug reaction. No eta on coming home as we need to get me stabilized. Hopefully will be this week - maybe Wednesday. 

thanks for your love, prayers, food and comments (lol on the culture Zoli. You make an excellent point. )

Love you all and thanks for checking in.   How lucky am I to never feel alone

Love Moe

Update Sunday 9/18

Good morning everyone.

Family fun. Another good week of volleyball with the North Andover girls again sweeping all games they played. Now this is two different teams they played Wednesday and Friday. Emma and the other girls are really fine tuning their skills and it is a pleasure to watch them play (from clips sent to my phone thanks Micheline though Jim was there this week).  Joe has 60 people interested in a tae Keon do club he is looking to start. The funding process /vote begins soon with student government and that will determine if he can move forward. Jim and Emma were in to see me this weekend at Beth Israel. Oh yeah...back in the big house.  My cousin Margien and her daughter Clair joined us and we had a lot of laughs. Earlier this week my great friend Denise was here and several good friends come tomorrow and Tuesday   Also margiem is bringing me something mouthwatering from the north end. Really getting pampered this week all in an effort to buff up.   Kate was with me for the hospital admission and first day. We had a lot of fun leading up to the interruption and it was so great to have her here last week

Medical update. My medical team and my family has our eyes on the prize of starting a next round of treatment. To do so I must be stronger, more beefed up and infection free (plus a few more variables that are out of my control). This most recent stay started Wednesday when my nurses thought my pick line (this is an iv like line in my arm that is semi permanent and allows for blood draws and infusions) looked infected. They drew blood into chemical combinations in small bottles called cultures. If I do have an infection these cultures will turn into bacteria within 7 days. So far on day 5 they show as pending or negative. If they are still pending on day 7 I will probably be considered infection free, get anothe pic line, and go home. No specific day was mentioned but hopefully mid week. Also had some chest pains due to fluid in my lungs ( not pneumonia). And I've been taking medicine to help my body expel the fluid   Feeling much better and able to breathe more productively.

So none of this has delayed my efforts to get stronger. I'm exercising every day and so grateful to those who've brought food. I am a big baby with the hospital food and having a real dinner (fried chicken, lasagna, and a special treat from the north end coming tonight) makes a huge difference. Jim and Emma brought several breakfast treats and high calorie snacks and I am happily gaining back the weight I lost over the past few months.

So all good with my non-infection and hoping to be home soon.

Thanks so much for checking in and for all your love, card, emails, texts and prayers.  Gavin's some phone trouble here so sorry for any delays in my response.

Love. Moe

Update - September 12, 2016

Family Fun:   Emma had her first Volleyball game last week.  My dear friend Beth who drives me to many appointments took me from the clinic visit straight to the volleyball game.  We made it in time for the varsity game and the girls played awesomely!  We missed Emma's JV game but I hope to get to her game this Wednesday.  All three teams (Fr, JV and Varsity) won their games and at this point in the season (one game under their belt) are undefeated.  Joseph comes home September 24 for a quick visit.  He is petitioning the student government for funds to start a Tae Kwon Do club.  Pretty cool...He is doing well in classes and enjoying life in his new house. Jim found several first mates to join him on the boat this past Saturday and all had a great time.  Kate came in town on Sunday and we've had a lot of quality time together including a shopping trip to TJ Maxx.  We'll be in the clinic much of the time she's here but, if the stars align, will get to Emma's next Volleyball game on Wednesday.

Medical Update:  I continue to feel well overall - My appetite has improved, Physical Therapy comes twice a week for strength training, and I am getting plenty of rest.  Right now I am at the point post-chemo where my blood counts are really low.  Thus I am in the clinic frequently (every other day) for infusions of platelets and red blood.  Makes for longer clinic visits but my counts should improve soon.  Not much else going on.  Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.

Love. Maureen

PS Oh...and thanks for checking in!

Update September 4, 2016

Family Fun:  Beautiful labor day weekend this year and yes I am HOME!  I was discharged on Wednesday and enjoyed a nice weekend with Jim and Emma.  We had our friends Glen, Kirsten and Jane over for dinner on Saturday.  Their dog Cash and Guinness are best buds and entertained us for the evening.  Today Jim gave Emma and I a nice diversion of driving up the coast (sadly we had to drive past the hikers and canoes instead of joining in but soon...soon...).  Tomorrow Emma and I get the last odds and ends before her first day of school on Tuesday!  Joe continues to do well at Bowdoin and may come home to see us later this month.  He lives in a house and seems to have a lot of "house meetings".  I feel like that is code for something but he assures me it is not.

Medical Update:  In my last update I talked about my recent week + hospitalization.  That was a doozy.  Basically one of the antibiotics I was taking turned rouge.  One of the rare side effects of this drug is an increased production of lactic acid.  This is what happened to me and I got very sick.  It took about 4-5 days for my lactic acid levels to get back to normal.  One of the Doctors told me it generally takes 11 or more days for the levels to come down - once again your prayers lifted me out of a very dangerous place and put me back on the road to health.  Now that I am home recovering I realize how exhausted I was for the last several weeks before they stopped the antibiotic.  I tried to fight it but the reality was I was light headed, had heart palpitations after walking short distances, and low blood pressure resulting in my needing to rest after going a few steps.  Scary...fast forward to now and I am feeling pretty strong at home.  I use a walker whenever I feel a little tired because my earlier fall scared the sh$% out of me.  But for the most part I am getting around on my own and both my resting and post 'exercise' heart rate are very strong.  I am thrilled to be back on track and fully appreciate how miserable it is to be, well, miserable.  In terms of treatment...I finished another round of chemo and those side effects are kicking in (low blood counts) - no physical side effects yet so we'll wait and see.  Still waiting on the sign off for my next round of treatment.  I have a feeling when it comes it will be fast and furious.  In the meantime, my job is to get stronger and fatter.  So off to get some ice cream.

Thanks to everyone who  continues to bring meals and help with rides to the clinic.  My family could not function without you.  God Bless.  Also Kate comes back on Sunday which will be awesome.  Both fun and super helpful.  I cannot have one moment where I feel bad for myself when I am surrounded by all this love.

Thanks for checking in.

Love Maureen

Update August 28

Family Fun:  Big weekends here.

8/12 Jim's sister Gina and brother-in-law George came up this weekend for a visit.  They arrived yesterday and we had a cookout. It was a blast to catch up. Emma did an evening 5k run with glow in the dark stuff thrown at her.  The kids went on the boat with Jim, their aunt and uncle.  Gina and George left and my mom and Kate arrived.

8/19 Emma again went on a boat trip with Jim and some pals.  We also had a goodbye party for Joseph.   He went off to school on 8/25.  Emma and Joe have spent a lot of time together shopping and going to the beach.  Emma, Grandma and Kate even took me out for a day at shopping at target.

Medical Update: Sunday (Aug 28) Over the last several weeks Maureen had continuing weakness.  On Monday, Maureen was admitted to the hospital unable to walk or dance under her own power.  She had not been able to keep down any food or drink before this for days.  They discovered a toxic reaction to one of her antibiotics,  Once she stopped taking it things started recovering rapidly.  The first 3 days in the hospital were a nightmare but I am now feeling much better and beginning to take steps on my own with the help of two nurses.  A ways to go to but no more lightheaded or dizziness.  Mostly severe lack of strength and fatigue.  No worries we'll get back.  Started next round of chemo on Thursday.  No ETA yet for discharge.

In other news...on Sunday 8/21 at 330 am Maureen fell over her walker and her head grazed the corner of a chest.  We went to the emergency room and they found no internal damage so home we went. The same day at 330 pm my Mom was bringing me to a clinic visit.  She tripped and fell while getting me a wheelchair and banged up her face pretty good.  She too went to the emergency room and got two stitches for her trouble but also no internal injuries.  She was able to go home that night and is doing great.

So Joe is at school, Emma starts just after labor day (oh and also made the JV Volleyball team!!). Kate went home after a week stay, and grandma spend 5 hours in the emergency room but has been home in north andover beyond that.   WOW

Thanks for checking in

Love Maureen

Update August 8th

Family Fun:  Emma is home!!  Her return was preceded by a letter with a list of activities she wants to knock out before school starts.  Good stuff like beach days, dinner at a favorite restaurant, bonfire - don;t think cleaning out the trunk from camp made it to the list but this is only day 1.  Joseph is counting the days until he returns to Bowdoin.  Master Shin (who runs the Tae Kwon Do studio where Joseph works) is planning a nice goodbye party for my big guy.  Jim and the kids enjoyed  beautiful day on the boat this past Sunday.  Hope to be joining them on an upcoming trip soon.  Jim's sister Gina and husband George will be here this weekend.  My Mom and Kate get her late Sunday afternoon for an extended visit.

Medical Update:  Good week on the medical front.  Heading into the clinic regularly still as this is the point post-chemo where my counts drop.  (you may know from previous posts - low platelets, low red blood that I need replenished).  Not sure how long this will last -  will update all on next treatment possibilities as they present themselves.

Thanks for checking in!!

Love Moe

Update August 1st

Family Fun:  We've received a few letters from Emma and she is having a great time at camp.  I don't know how she will be able to fit in all the activities.  Of course we miss her terribly and cannot wait to see her this coming Saturday.  Joseph continues to squeeze every bit of fun out of the summer while being really helpful to me.  He goes back on the 25th and we will really miss him.  Jim, Joseph and I spent the weekend with my best friend Lisa and her husband Charlie.  It was wonderful!  For the first time in months I was able to get out (thanks to SVDP and my friend Michelle for the temporary loaning of a transport wheelchair) on a real outing.  Lisa and I drove up to Gloucester, MA for lunch meeting Jim and Charlie there who arrived by boat.  We poked around a beautiful art studio then Lisa and I took a tour of the coast.  A great day!  Thank you Lisa and Charlie for a beautiful visit

Medical Update:  First of all thank you to everyone who brought me to and from the clinic.  Truly without your help I would be in the hospital getting the treatment.  Not only is the physical healing happening faster at home it is great for the soul to see the kids everyday and sleep in my bed every night.  Finished the first week of chemo on Friday.  Everything went well.  I am having some side effects which are common to the chemo I am receiving (fatigue, some stomach trouble).  My blood counts are dropping which will mean more clinic visits (probably every 2 days) for infusions.  The plan is to see how my leukemia responds to the chemo and then chart out future plans for treatment.

Thanks for checking in.

Love, Maureen

July 26th Chemo Update

Chemo Day one is behind us.  Yesterday was a marathon day in the clinic - arrived around 10:30 and left at 6.  Yikes!  Fortunately my friend Karen from North Andover was with me along with a surprise guest my long lost friend from work days Lisa.  They were hilarious and wonderful company.

The day stretched out for a number of reasons...wrong labs pulled, the Dr Avigan factor (he takes his time before I do anything big), the need for an EKG, some numbers they did not like causing them to redraw blood work 3 times.  In the end all good and we started the chemo which will go through Friday.

The goal of this chemo is to keep the leukemia in my blood at its new found we-never-thought-we-would-be-here-again state of 0%.  Once I get through the recovery of this round of chemo (typically a month) we'll revisit our treatment options.  This chemo called Dacogen is one I tolerate pretty well so hopefully won't have too many issues with loss of appetite and upset stomach.

Also continuing to feel a bit better each day and my vitals reflect a much stronger blood pressure and better heart rate.

Coming Up

• Should be a pretty straight forward week of chemo every day until Friday.
• Will get the chemo every day and will also get fluids as needed to help with hydration and blood products such as platelets and red blood as needed.
• With my multiple blood transfusions I am at risk of too much iron in my system.  This iron overload can damage parts of my body including the liver and the heart.  There are therapies to combat and the team is also weighing the need for any transfusion with this risk.
• Occasionally my electrolyte numbers and/or levels of one of my medications in my system will be 'off' (either too high or too low).  These have all been corrected with adjustments to my medications.
• With the multiple IVs and blood draws I get every week my team continues to look at a more permanent option for access for blood draws and infusions.  Many options are not available to me right now (such as a port or central line) because they are too invasive and offer a nice place for my bacteria to colonize and turn into an infection (that's happened before with my weakened immune system).  One compromise option is a midline which allows access but is less invasive.  Probably more than you ever needed to know...

 Back to the clinic shortly

Thanks for checking in!

Love Maureen

Weekend Update July 22

Happy Birthday Johnnie Redmond!!

Family Fun  Emma wraps up rowing today (weather cooperating with no lighting) and leaves for a two week YMCA overnight camp tomorrow.  She went last year and had an absolute blast.  Some of her close buds are going and she is also looking forward to meeting people who come from all over the world.  Joe continues to work 6 days a week but is still able to sneak in some beach time and lots of friend time.  Along with Jim the kids and I have had a blast watching and tearing apart Americas Got Talent (not to mention the Republican National Convention :)

Health Update The last few months have been particularly challenging.  But as I constantly remind myself every day is a gift.  Here is a quick synopsis...

Disease Status  My leukemia recurred again a couple months ago. Since then I've been really struggling.  Two months ago the % of leukemia in my white blood cells was as high as 70%.  Yesterday's labs revealed there is currently no leukemia in my blood.  Now this lack of leukemia in my blood stream is a moment in time and could change at any time.  However for me to have 0% leukemia in my blood is nothing short of a miracle.  

Infections/Bacteria.  Over the last couple months I've had two pretty bad infections that required hospitalization. Fortunately the infections have been successfully treated with antibiotics and at this point are no longer active. If the infections come back I could be in big trouble.  Every couple of days cultures are taken of my blood to see if the bacteria grows into an infection in a petri dish - since starting the antibiotics the bacteria has not grown back into infections.   

Physical Strength  Currently my heart is not functioning at full tilt (due to the chemo), I am dehydrated and weak from deconditioning.  My heart races when I stand/walk resulting in my being able to walk short distances around the hospital or home (wherever I happen to be).  I am only going to the clinic in terms of outings and using a wheelchair to get around.  Fortunately I am literally getting better every day - for example today I am walking about double the distance as yesterday without needing to sit down. Also my  appetite is much improved

Prognosis and Next Steps:  I will most likely be getting chemo again next week to try and keep the leukemia out of my bloodstream.  Once we see how I am doing we will determine if I continue to get chemo every 6 weeks or so, enter a clinical trial, look at another transplant or something else.  All of these treatment options have pros/cons and, at Dr Avigan's suggestion, we are waiting until after the chemo treatment to see what our best course of treatment is and have a deeper discussion of the pros and cons of each option.  

One day at a time and today/yesterday is a very good day!

Thanks for checking in

Love Maureen

July 20

So sorry for the delay in posting.  Basically been in the hospital more than out these last 6 weeks.  Very weak right now and trying to get back to some degree of strength - even walking around the house wipes me out and I am currently using a wheelchair for clinic visits

God bless all of you who continue to take me to the clinic, bring me meals, send your prayers and love and continue to think of me.

We are hoping for continued improvement and for some more options in the treatment of this GD persistant leukemia

Love
Maureen

Weekend Update Sunday June 26th

Fun Stuff:  It was kind of a quiet week for the kids.  Joseph worked and was very helpful driving Emma to her last week of rowing.  Saturday was spectacularly beautiful here and the kids and Jim went on the boat. Some of Joseph's friends joined and had a great time tubing.  In the afternoon my family headed to some of our close friends for an HS graduation celebration.  What a perfect day to be outside.  Here at Beth Israel my good friend Colleen kept me company for awhile Saturday which was awesome.  Sunday  Emma Joseph and Jim came to see me at Beth Israel.  Julie our wonderful nurse took us to Mass. We then had a nice little lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the way back to the hospital.

Medical Update. No treatments until I am past this infection  They want me to be as strong as possible.  Plus an infection could compromise any likelihood of success with the treatment. Will post something as treatment decisions evolve.

Thanks for checking in

Love Maureen

Weekend Update June 24

Fun Stuff:  EiYiYi - I cannot believe it has been two weeks since an update!  thanks for hanging in there and remember you can register your email to get a reminder when the blog is updated (See the top of any page).  John and my Mom arrived Friday June 17 (just after Jim's B-day!!) in time for a family celebration with four families we have been close with since the kids were in preschool.  In fact the kids had their St Michael first communion party together and we thought it only fitting we have their St Michael graduation party together.  John, Jim and some of our friends went out on the boat Saturday leaving Mom, Emma and I to do the last minute touches on the house for the party.  Thank goodness John and my Mom were both there - great company and great help.  The brunch on Sunday was fun and lively with way too much food (never a bad thing).  All the families were exceptionally generous with bringing food and drink helping with every aspect of the party,  They probably would have folded my laundry if I asked.  How am I so blessed with the family and friends God put in my life.

John took me to the clinic Monday and we again talked through my treatment options with Avigan.  My dear friend Karen was with me earlier last week and both John and Karen kept me grounded as I was trying to wrap my head around what lies ahead. 

We all continue to enjoy the summer and I think Jim would love to have all the back to back beautiful days as boat days!!  We've been lucky to get out a few times this year.

Medical Update:  In the never a dull moment department...I am back in the hospital with a gram-negative-rod bacteria (impressive huh?-there is another name but damned if I can think of it).  It may have started from the inside in my gut or from the outside in a puncture in my lower leg (no clue how I got that).  The puncture looks like an insect bite and when dermatology did the skin biopsy at the site they removed a small black something which was suspicious of a bug.  Pathology is biopsing that to see if  it is a tick (hard to tell as a deer tick would be so small and engourged).  They also biopsied actual skin to determine I have that Gram Rod bacteria. 

I am being treated for both the bacteria and the lime disease and am feeling remarkably better since arriving back at Beth Israel Tuesday.  I came in via the emergency room on Tuesday night with high fevers and some GI troubles (we'll leave it at that).  Poor Jim and the kids were trying to keep themselves awake until midnight when we were finally moved to a room.  I was so out of it, Emma told me it took me 20 minutes to think of the word 'purse' - then I could not remember why I needed it.  Both kids were highly amused so even in the emergency room we find some fun.

Hopefully will get definitive results today re: whether I had a tick bite and have lime disease.  Tested negative initially for lime but one can get false negatives in the first two weeks of having lime disease so we'll watch closely.

Mine is a revolving door between the primary team, Infectious Diseases and dermatology.  Plus there is this weird guy who wants me to breath into a mouth piece that leads into a tuperware container of salt water which will apparently motivate my lungs to produce "ka ka" I cough up and the medical team can analyze.  Has not worked so far and when he asked me to repeat the test at midnight I said "um....no".  Moe is temporarily down but she is NOT out.

Truly Amazing that I feel and look pretty good.  I am getting lots of fluids and taking 3 (previously 4) antibiotics to get myself back to fighting shape.  My appetite is not great but I  am now able to keep food and drink down which is great after feeling so disastrously crummy on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Still looking at treatment options for the leukemia.  Dr Avigan submitted my name and some blood tests to those that decide who gets in an immune therepy clinical trial.  I should find out next week.  In the not to distant future is also a transplant from my Saint On Earth Donor.  Will go into more detail in next update. 

Please join me in prayers for the Demeter Family and their dear Mom Muncie who passed away this week and the age of 91.  The Demeters and Redmonds lived at each other's homes swimming in the summer and sledding in the winter and raising happy hell year round.  The best childhood imaginable.  What a legacy Muncie left in her 5 amazing kids (I mean they have it all- charm, intelligence, humor, beauty) and the whole  package of spectacularness made it to the next generation of grandkids.  God bless all of you.

Okay that is it.  I promise to not let so much time pass before the next update.

Thanks for checking in - Love Maureen

Weekend Update Sunday June 12

Family Update:  This was all graduation celebration all  the time week at the Staudt house.  Emma graduated 8th grade along with 51 students from St Michael school in North Andover, MA this past Thursday June 9th.  In addition to the social outings, this past week included an awards day, spirit show and graduation dinner.  At the graduation dinner each student read a letter to their parents.  The letters were beautiful, touching  and quite funny.  Emma's letter was very clever and heart warming.  I only cried once (or twice).  the kids left with a sweatshirt designed by one of the Moms, a Memory Book that was beautifully put together and a DVD with hundreds (thousands?) of photos of the kids and their families.  Every event and gift was lovingly put together and reminds me how lucky we were for Emma's 11 years with St Mikes and the lasting friendships that came from those years.  Jim's sister Mary Anne (husband Pat), brother Tom (wife Susan) and niece Siobhan (husband Nick) joined us over the weekend for a family celebration.  We had a GREAT time and thank them all so  much for making the trip.  What a great way to top off the two weeks of celebration.  Emma was also busy with friends throughout the weekend.  Oh and many of the older siblings of Emma's classmates were in Joseph's class so he had a lot of fun catching up with old St Mike's pals.  We are all appropriately exhausted today.  Except, of course, Joseph who has headed to a friends home at Rye Beach.  Poor kid had his wisdom teeth out admist all this but luckily there were no complications and he recovered pretty quickly.

Medical Updates:  Well one benefit of being zonked out from low blood and platelets these last several weeks is that I get to spend time with my friends and family who have been driving me to/from Beth Israel.  Thanks to all of you - especially those on deck during these busy weeks (Annie, Anne Marie, Bob, Lorainne, Joseph, Jim, Robert...)  If I haven't shamelessly tapped you for a ride and you are local look out for a call.

I continue to get stronger physically and build my stamina.  I stopped taking an antibiotic a couple weeks ago which is the likely culprit for my low blood counts and subsequent fatigue.  Sooo hopefully I won't be as tired in the upcoming weeks and will be able to dial back on the clinic visits.

Jim and I will see Dr. Avigan this week and hopefully get a sense of next steps in my treatment (as well as the timing).  My disease is under control but not eradicated so some type of treatment is in my near future.  Luckily I am going into it with better energy and a little meat on my bones.  Will keep you posted on next steps in my journey.

Thanks for checking in!  Love - Maureen

Weekend Update Sunday June 5

Fun Update:  Somehow Memorial Day flew past with no update from me!  Well we had a lovely weekend going out on the boat (I basically sat in one place) one of the days and enjoying a barbeque with friends another.  Last week Emma had several eight grade end of year activities including a cruise in Boston and a trip to Canobie Lake Amusement Park.  This coming week is graduation week with a dinner on Tuesday and the ceremony on Thursday night.  Emma is wrapping up her Spring rowing.  She had a regatta this past Saturday and it was simply a beautiful day.  Joe starts work later this month and Jim has been keeping him busy with projects around the house/yard.  This past weekend however was all fun as Jim, Joe and several of Joe's friends went out on the boat.  Today (Sunday 6/5) is a gloomy, rainy day and I have high hopes of getting the house straighted up.

Medical Update:  It has been a little over a month since my return from the last hospitalization.  Over the last year and a half I've had a pattern of the disease being very active => aggressive chemo treatment => recovery => disease recurring at a low level that is manageable => some type of immune acceleration therapy or outpatient maintenance chemo => disease initially responds but begins to grow again => aggressive/toxic chemo.  Right now I am in the recovery phase which has taken a bit longer since I added 2 1/2 months to my hospital stay with a blood infection. 

The treatments have not completely eradicated the disease.  However I continue to show signs of recovery both physically and with the disease being at  relatively low level.  I feel so much better physically and will find out what the next round of treatments will entail probably this week.

Thanks for checking in

Love Maureen

Weekend Update 5/20

Request for local friends:  Until I get my stamina back, I will need help getting to clinic visits.  If you can help with an occasional ride please email me at maureen.staudt@gmail.com.  Thanks to those who've already volunteered.  I am going into the clinic 2 to 3 days a week and will email the group when I know day(s) I will need rides (will try to give plenty of notice).  Thank you!!

Fun Update:  Emma has her first rowing regatta of the Spring this Saturday.  The day promises to be beautiful and she is very excited.  Joseph is done with finals and will be home on Monday.

Medical Update:  Overall a good week as I continue to build both strength and stamina.  I am very grateful my strength (measured by how much easier it is to get up the stairs) is gradually returning after the long stay in the hospital.  Physical therapy has been extremely helpful with this.  My high heart rate and low blood pressure continue.  This does make it hard to walk any distance without getting light headed but after a short rest my heart slows down.  It gets a little frustrating and a little scary.  Fortunately I am seeing an amazing cardiologist and have my second appointment and an echocardiogram next week.  Still heading to the clinic every 3 days or so for platelets / blood infusions both of which are depleted from the bone marrow suppression from the last round of chemo and an antibiotic I am currently taking.  As always, glad to managing it all from home!

Thanks for checking in!

Love, Maureen

Monday May 16

Request for local friends:  Until I get my stamina back I will need help getting to clinic visits.  For those of you who are local could you let me know if you would be free to take me into Beth Israel?  I've been reaching out to a small group of friends who have been wonderful about getting me in and out of the clinic.  If you can help with the occasional ride, please email me at maureen.staudt@gmail.com.  I'll email the group on the weekend to see what day(s) people might be available to drive me.  Hopefully this will only be for the next couple weeks.  Thanks so much.

Fun Update:  Another lovely weekend.  Emma had her last middle school dance on Friday and they seemed to have a great time - sadly no details for Mom however.  Will have to catch up with some of the other Moms whose daughters are more chatty.  Sunday she spent a good part of the day with her long time and close friend Caitlin.  Sadly Emma cut the day short to study for finals.  Well I guess that is a good thing. Thanks Caitlin and Marie for thinking of Emma.   Joseph comes home a week from Monday.  Woo Hoo!  Jim spent the weekend doing lots of yard work (complementing all Kate had done during her visit).  He replanted several some overgrowing ivy and some hosta that were getting choked by our daylillies.

Medical Update:  Back to getting platelets every couple days - the antibiotic I am taking has a side effect of suppressing marrow production.  Thus I have been heading into the hospital every couple days for infusions of platelets.  Not sure if this will last for the duration of the antibiotic - hopefully not.  This has been an interesting time at home after over two months in the hospital.(with a week home breaking up the hospital time).  I have been home just over a week and still tire very easily.  My heart rate is consistently very high and my blood pressure consistently low.  I'll be seeing the cardiologist again but we are hoping this is all tied to fatigue from such a long hospital stay (combined with Spring Allergies!).  Okay enough whining...I am home and thrilled to be here.  In other good news...I started Home Personal Training last week and am getting much stronger.  Also I don't always feel exhausted so am able to enjoy much of the day with Emma and Jim - have even been able to get together with friends for lunch here as Casa de Staudt.   As time passes I am sure I'll  get my stamina back.

Thanks so much for checking in.

Weekend Update Sunday May 8

Happy Mother's Day!!  Pleased to tell you all I am celebrating Mother's  Day at home!  We started out the day with Mass and enjoyed a visit from my Aunt Debbie, cousin Joe, his wife Jane and their daughter Carolyn.  Great conversation and nice to be in my living room vs. a hospital room.  I was discharged from the hospital Thursday.  Emma just returned from a Girl Scout weekend at the Rocking Horse Ranch in New York.  She had an absolute blast and many thanks to the GS leaders for taking on the girls for the weekend.  Joseph finishes class next week followed by finals.  He finished his track season this past weekend and will be glad for the extra time to focus on his upcoming tests.  Kate was here in North Andover this past week.  We hung out in the clinic everyday until coming home Thursday.  It was great to spend time with her and soooo  helpful to have her here.

Medical Update:  This past hospitalization was due to a blood infection.  After almost two weeks in the hospital on IV antibiotics, I came home on a pill antibiotic.  During my hospitalization I also worked with physical therapy on getting up and down stairs as well as general strength exercises.  This transition home has been a bit easier as a result (also helps to be that much further away from the last week-long chemo).  Guinness continues to be accepting of my disappearing acts over the last couple months.  Jim and Emma are pretty sick of it (as am I).  Thanks for your continued prayers, meals and good wishes.  I draw great strength from all of you.

Weekend Update Sunday May 1

Emma's week ended with the school play on both Saturday and Sunday.  A valiant effort was made by the staff here to get me a day pass to attend.  In the end it would have compromised my care (missing doses of antibiotics) and been a bit too exhausting so we went to plan B where my dear friend Zolton hooked me up via skype and I watched from the comfort of my room.  The kids were adorable and there are some amazing singers among our 8th graders.  So glad I could see the play and thanks Zolton and Debbie!!  The weekend was busy with friends Glen and Kirsten here on Saturday.  Jim was here Sunday and we went to church with my nurse Julie followed by bertuccis pizza.  Pretty close to a date.  Joseph is set for housing for next year - for those  of you with College kids you know this can be a nightmare starting sophomore year so I am glad he's nailed down housing (not to mention selected his classes for next year!!)

Medical Update:  Well Friday marked a full week in the hospital - they've identified the bacteria as Enterococcus.  Most likely source is the pic we were using for blood draws and antibiotic infusions. Every day they draw cultures to see if the bacteria is growing.  As long as the bacteria is growing/present I need to stay in the hospital.  Some good news...the cultures have shown no bacteria growth for the last 4 days.  To make sure the bacteria is totally eradicated the antibiotic needs to run for a total of 6 weeks.  Luckily I can do the remaining course of the antibiotics at home and I am hoping to head home early this week.  Kate comes in tomorrow and it would be so wonderful if our first night together is at my home!  One other big event...this week I had another donor lymphocyte infusion. This is an infusion of the donor's healthy T cells designed to fight any remaining leukemia.  I had an infusion back in November and half the cells were frozen for a future infusion which I had this week.  There are no side effects from this treatment and it will hopefully help get me to a durable remission.

Thanks for checking in

Love Maureen

Weekend Update April 23

What a week!  This was school vacation week for Emma and she had a great time with friends.  This past Monday she watched the Boston Marathon.  What a quintessential way to see Boston at its finest - the weather cooperated as well.  Joseph continues to have a good semester at Bowdoin.  He is having a strong outdoor track season setting personal bests in both high jump and hurdles over the last couple weeks.  However he is REALLY missed in North Andover and it will be great when he gets home in late May.

Medical Update:    This week has set a new record for roller coaster events.  I was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday (yeah!!) only to be readmitted Friday (crap).  In a clinic visit on Thursday they took blood cultures and found I had bacteria in my blood.  We were hopeful it was a contaminated sample but  it turned out to be accurate.  So I am back in the hospital beginning another course of antibiotics.  The plan is for me to get the initial course of antibiotics here for several days (?? on the number) and then transition home where I will continue giving myself IV antibiotics.  I believe I will be on the medications for a total of 6 weeks.  Needless to say this was a pretty big blow.  After being in the hospital for a month (plus the 3 weeks or so just before that month) and then home for only 2 1/2 days only to go back into the hospital was incredibly discouraging.  Yet I've been in worse places during this journey.  And I have the support and council of Jim, my Mom, Kate, John, all of you - reminding me we've gotten through worse and reminding me of what I can do to get stronger.  Tomorrow Jim, Emma and I will go to mass which has become our habit for the last several Sundays.  I get all bundled up in a wheelchair and we parade to the part of Beth Israel Deaconess where there is a lovely chapel where Father Chris offers Mass each Sunday at noon.

Will try and be more diligent with my updates.

Thank for checking in - Love, Maureen