Settled in Roanoke

(The following is an update from Jan)

Donna reported she had a speedy but uneventful trip yesterday, arriving in Roanoke at about 2:00. Monica was waiting in her room for her, and reports a real busy day getting checked into RMH (Roanoke Mem. Hosp)! The docs and nurses will be taking some time this week to get their hands around all that has happened with Donna, assess her current needs and build a plan to get her on her feet. I can tell you this, on Sunday and especially Monday as we were getting ready for the transfer, Donna had a glow about her that she has not had for a very long time. She was going "home", maybe not to her house, but definitely to her town--and it showed big.

Donna had a biopsy at Duke last Thursday and we are told her transplant is at 98% -- she is engrafted and 98% of the cells she produces are donor cells. That is a huge victory. The DAH and TTP are "well controlled". Her platelet recovery has been slower than hoped, but is on the rise. The medications she needed to get through the DAH and TTP have taken a toll on her muscles and joints so she has a long road ahead to rebuild that strength. She's been holding for awhile now on 15% of the steroid dose, which will probably be continued for some time to keep the DAH in check and help prevent GVHD.

Donna's not quite ready to pick up the blog herself yet and has asked Bev to keep it going for her awhile longer. Donna's new journey is expected to be one of slow but steady progress, so the updates will probably reflect that -- will probably be weekly unless of course something big happens and we'll be sure to pass that along. Although many of you who have visited know that Donna doesn't fire up the computer and read herself, we do read your posts and pass them along to her, so please keep visiting and posting as much as you want. And as Bev passed along yesterday she is ready and excited about receiving visitors at RMH.

We have not forgotten the many blessings the Lord has given us that got Donna to this day--the strength, the miracles, the people willing to lend a hand and of course ALL of the prayers. Thanks to all of you and of course the GLORY to GOD for the hope and rejoicing we have today.

~~~~~~~~~

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!