Finished With Chemo, but no full Match

Wendy is a fighter! This week she survived an ordeal with getting an infection in her Hickman line, which required her to be in the hospital again almost all day long everyday, and not getting much sleep. She was able to have her LAST ROUND OF CHEMO!! She is still going to be up there under observation for a little while, then she is going to be sent home.

There is a slim chance that she will not relapse, and that this will also give us time to find a donor match for Wendy. If Wendy does relapse, the doctor said that in some hospitals they are seeing good results from doing partial matches, and some of Wendy's siblings could possibly be half-matches, so there are still options out there in case Wendy relapses.

March 17th, Still No Matches for Wendy, Host a Donor Drive!

The still have not been able to find a bone marrow donor for Wendy. They even checked blood cord banks, she would need 3 matches for it to work and as luck would have it they couldn't even find one match. Starting with the first round this Friday, they are going to Max Wendy out on the strongest Chemo treatments they have for her for 2 rounds. If they still haven't found a match after that, then they will have to just send her home and take blood tests every two weeks. If her white blood cell counts get too high again, then she will have to start the whole process over again, until they find a donor for her. They will continue to check the donor list indefinitely.

Anyone who feels up to it HOST A DONOR DRIVE! It can be big or small. You can hold it anywhere from at your home, to a church building, a mall, a popular spot in town, a park, etc. I contacted them to try and set up something in Albany, Oregon, and they make it really easy for you. They come set up the booth, provide training, materials, flyers, links for you to share online. Basically, what you have to do is reserve a location, then provide 3-5 volunteers for the entire time the event is running. You are also responsible for bringing the flyers around town, and, if you can, asking for any business sponsors or support, but whatever you can do. If you want to run one out of your home, like you would any sort of sales party, then just talk to them about getting enough supplies and informational flyers, etc.

It only takes a cheek swab to be listed on the donor registry.

Let's all rally together for Wendy and see how many drives we can host. If we all work together and pray, then I know we can find a donor for Wendy in time for her to go to Alex's wedding.

Back to the Hospital Everyday

Lots of news today! Alex got engaged! Congratulations! She's busy planning her wedding right now. Wendy's Mom is up there visiting!

The bad news is that Wendy suddenly got a stuffy nose and started coughing up stuff. They took her to the hospital and the doctor immediately  put her into isolation. They did a swab and figured out that it is a true influenza. Her flu is bad enough that the nurses are surprised that she's not bruising, but we are all grateful for all of the prayers being said on her behalf that she's doing so well and still looks so good. They currently go to the hospital every morning while Wendy is sick, but they are able to go home at night.

Urgent Need For Donor Coming Up, Check What We Are Looking For

Feb 19th from Randy "Yesterday, Suzanna donated blood. I'm sure they used a fire hose. I went to sit with her and just like that, she was done. She did have a spell of light-headedness and that brought nurses running. It didn't take her long to recover and that was good! Wendy had a doctor's appointment today. Her doctor is very nice and Wendy is doing well with the chemo. That's really not news but it's good to start with a positive. The doctor reaffirmed that Wendy would not get better without a transplant, which we also knew. We didn't know how difficult it would be to find a match. They've looked through world wide donors registry and after having gone through it once, the next step is to check it weekly. We were told numerous times that there would be little or no point in testing family and friends. I imagine it's because the current list is millions upon millions. it may take that long to find one. Preferred donors are male and the age range is 17 to 35. The next best donor would be a woman who has had no children [or where the](this part got cut off in the message) baby is born. It will take more than one sample to get enough cells to do the job. We're still hoping for an adult donor"


I know that they said friends and family may not be able to help, but still if you know anyone between the ages of 17-35, who would be willing to sign up to be a donor, then that would increase Wendy's chances and chances for more people like Wendy looking for help that they can only get from another who is willing to sacrifice of themselves. 

The Donor Websites again are:

In Canada:
www.onematch.ca

In the US:
www.bethematch.org

Chemo Round 3!

Wendy made it through round 3 of the chemo! She's still feeling pretty good and they got all moved into their new apartment. If you need the new address, then feel free to send a message using the form at the bottom of the blog, and I'll email it to you.


Randy wanted to send out his heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been helping and supporting them at this time. For a while there things could have gone either way and everyone's support has really helped tip the edge and made things go well for them. There really are no words for friends and family who are really there when the chips are down and when you are in desperate need of help. You have truly been the hands of Christ in doing for another what they could not do for themselves and doing it out of pure love and genuine caring. It's been amazing to see and feel a whole community pull around the Wallaces right now and especially the outpouring for Wendy in all of this. So, I hope you all know how much is really trying to be said with the two words of thank you.

Wendy's Getting Out of The Hospital!!!

Hello Everyone! Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the posting, I'd explain, but let's get to talking about Wendy!

She's been gearing up for the last dew weeks. She's overcome an additional illness, and she's been able to graduate from walking laps to doing stairs!!! Wendy and Randy even got to go on a date to the First floor and Wendy got to walk outside and breathe some free fresh air!

It's been kind of a mad dash the last few days. The occupational therapists and people came to check out the apartment that Randy and the girls have been living in and decided that it would be too difficult for Wendy to maneuver, so their social worker found them actually a nicer place, which they will be moving into tomorrow with Wendy and a large load of equipment that Randy has to become proficient in using very quickly. I bet he's wishing his degree was in nursing about now, but there have been a steady stream of awesome visitors up there to help, you guys are amazing!!

Wendy's not going to have any of her own things there, so I thought it would be nice if any of you who have pictures or little sayings, or anything that might remind Wendy of home that they could keep in their apartment, then it would be a good time to send those up. If you have pictures on your computer, then you can even upload them to a service like shutterfly.com and just have them mailed directly. I'm sure that their apartment isn't very large, so small items would be best. You could also talk to the family and see if anyone is going up to send something with them to help their apartment feel more like home.

Tiffany also told me that Now would be the time if any of you have been considering getting tested to see if you are a match to donate bone marrow to Wendy. The family has been tested, and they have found some initial matches, but we want to be sure that anyone eligible is available when the time comes.

If you are in the US, then click here to go to the site to learn how to be listed as a Bone Marrow Donor

If you are in Canada, then click this link to learn how to be a listed as a Bone Marrow Donor (note: it may not look like you're in the right place at first, just scroll down a little)

As always, thank you for all of your Well Wishes for Wendy!!

Jan 18, 20, & 21st - Second Round Down, and Fighting Like A Champion

Jan 18th from Randy "I should take an opportunity to recognize a few special people who have spent a lot of their time making sure Wendy has been pampered and taken care of in general. Alex, Suzanna and Jackie have been working tirelessly cooking meal after meal to replace the unpalatable sludge that arrives 3 times a day. Combined with visits from her good friends, it really has been a nice few days. Alex, Todd, Jackie, Trish and Ashley all made it safely back to Oregon."

January 19th I don't have an update for, but it seems things where pretty quiet for a couple of days, which is great. I think the old adage 'No News Is Good News' applies to the 19th.

Jan 20th from Randy "Timing. Sometimes I wonder about the concept of timing. It's so important in almost everything we do, and so often out of our control. Being sick right now is the worst of bad timing. I haven't seen Wendy in 3 days while her white blood cell count drops. Unfortunately I've been sick again and have less to report than normal. Although Wendy's second round of chemo treatment is over and she is at her most vulnerable, she is still getting stronger. Today she did her laps on her own the only one with her was Suzanna. Wendy had a shower and enjoyed the practical jokes of her nurse. I'm hoping to get back up there tomorrow"

Jan 21st from Randy "Wendy started the day with a hearty breakfast and steadfast determination. Of course yesterday's blood transfusion made a big difference for her energy level. She isn't able to stand on her own without a walker yet, but once she gets going, she's going. The highlight of the day was her exercise. She started at 11 this morning with her 3 laps. Then after lunch, at 2, the physiotherapist came in to show Wendy some exercises. She did all kinds of leg lifts and when that was over and her legs were like jelly, she did another 3 laps. The rest of the afternoon has been quiet and relaxing."

Jan 15th - 17th - New Presents and Visits

Jan 15th from Randy - "It's been a good day today. The shingles test came back negativ. They still made us keep the gear on until noon, which no one could explain except to say there's a 48 hour policy once the threat has been identified. It seems to me a better policy would be to end the isolation when the threat has been eliminated, but hey, that's just me. Being out of isolation means Wendy can go for walks around the ward - three laps today plus out of the bed several times. Yeehaa! Alex made a light weight robe for her first project on her sewing machine. It fit Wendy really well, so she didn't have to use the double hospital gown method, which is just a lot of barely functioning material draped over the shoulders. I'd say it's been a good day and Wendy agrees.

Jan 16th from Randy - "Today was a very busy day for Wendy. She knew she had to have a lumbar puncture at 1:00, so that put a lot of pressure to fit everything in before then. She began the morning with chemo. After that, the nurse came in to fix one of her lines from her Hickman. Following that, the nurse changed her dressing. Wendy knew that after the lumbar puncture, she would have to stay laying flat for a couple of hours so she went on a long walk. When she got back to the room she sat on the edge of her bed for awhile and then the transporter came 15 minutes before her appointment. She was down there right on time, we didn't get back to the room until almost 5:00. Now it's 8:00 and Wendy is just now daring to move. They warned her about headaches following the procedure so she's been very careful. Tomorrow they scheduled her for an MRI, so she won't be able to eat between 5 AM until after her appointment at three. If that goes like today, that could mean not having anything to eat until supper. We'll hope they're on time, but either way Wendy will take it like a trooper."

Jan 17th from Randy - "I should start with a retraction. Yesterday I had the times wrong. Instead of going to her MRI today at 3:00, she was scheduled for 1:00. The funny thing about that is, the person scheduling Wendy's transport wrote down 4:00 instead of 14:00. No one came to get Wendy until someone checked, realized the mistake and got someone to Wendy's room around 3:00. She got back to her room around 5 after having not eaten all day long. So I was right after all. Todd surprised everyone by showing up yesterday evening, after I sent my update. This morning Trish and Ashley arrived, so it's been a day of visiting. I think Wendy is good and tired."

Jan 14th and 15th - Into Isolation

Jan 14th from Randy - "No good deed goes unpunished! That's the lesson of the day. 2 days ago, Wendy noticed a rash on her leg. She didn't want to say anything, but paranoid me insisted on not taking chances. Although it doesn't look like shingles and doesn't feel like shingles AND the rash is already pretty much gone, they are treating it as if it is. What does this mean for us? ISOLATION! For the next 48 hours we must wear isolation gowns, masks, gloves and goggles. I guess I'm sleeping in this getup for the next 2 nights - until the test comes back negative. Wendy did her nerve conduction test this morning. I've been through it, so I know first hand how terribly painful it is. It was bad. And that's all I have to say about that."

Jan 15th from Randy - "The day started with an echocardiogram. I knew Wendy had big heart, but now I've seen it for myself. Well, she has a normal sized heart, but it's jam packed full of all the best stuff. It only looked bigger because it was magnified. From my perspective, it looked pretty darn good. The valves opened and closed, the muscle went beat beat beat. She had spikes in the right places and dips as well. The rest of the day has been quite. There's nothing like isolation to keep the nurses away. Wendy can get them to come, but sometimes they just peek into the room. Wendy doesn't need a lot right now, so it works out just fine. The only real trouble is this outfit. Hopefully she'll get a negative on the shingles test and we'll be able to lose the goggles and masks. I 'm just whining. Wendy doesn't have to wear any special gear. It's just us visitors. (last part said in childish whiny voice :-))"

Jan 11 and 12 - Building up to start treatment again

Jan 11th from Randy "It was another red letter day in the penthouse suite. Wendy added another lap and got another shower. Todd has been spoiling us with homemade meals everyday. Tonight it was chicken and mashed potatoes. Alex arrived this afternoon, so the whole family is together again. Jackie did her best to spoil her daughter and make Suzanna's life easier by doing a ton of cleaning at the apartment. All this helped me in the most important way. I've never had to leave. I'm going to have to leave tomorrow, though. I've been marinating for a couple of days now. Wendy's been feeling more lively and energetic. Rising up. Back on the top. Did my time. Took my chances. Went the distance now I'm not gonna stop. Just a woman and her will to survive..... (Sticking with the Rocky theme if you didn't recognize the lyrics. Wendy is my new heroine.)

Jan 12th from Randy "Wendy is thankful it's been a quiet day. She walked her marathon and that's about it. Perhaps the most important job she had was working on a mindset for the day to come. Tomorrow, Wendy starts her second round of chemo. The doctor says she'll spend less time receiving the drugs, but they're more potent than the last round. If everything goes as predicted, Wendy will have about a week to continue to build strength before she starts to bottom out again. It's hard to think about, knowing how far she's come since her first day in the ICU. Tomorrow she'll also have a nerve conduction test and an MRI. Somewhere in there she'll do her walk and her breathing exercises. Her days of leisure have come to an end."

Jan 9th and Jan 10th - Gonna Fly! (The Song from Rocky)

Jan 9th - Wendy continued her walking. Her red blood count was low, so she had to get a blood transfusion. Randy said it's like going to Oil Can Henry's for your body, now she's good for another 5,000 miles. Jackie, Shawn, and Todd all showed up for a visit! Also, Wendy was able to get rid of her oxygen tube!

Jan 10th - Wendy got to take her first real shower, and feels really clean for the first time in a month! That always lifts your spirits! Wendy also completed two full laps around the ward without resting! Randy said she was tired, but proud. He said she's like Rocky preparing for her next battle.

Jan 8th - On the Way to a Marathon

Today was Gym and Spa day. Wendy completed a full 2 laps around the ward, which is the equivalent of a marathon for Wendy compared to how far she has been going! She was treated to a lovely bath, which was her spa treatment. If you've ever had to be in the hospital and had to go a while without being able to shower, then you know how good it feels when you finally get to be cleaned up. They were going to do an echo cardiogram today, but it ended up being canceled, which was nice since yesterday was such a busy day. In Randy's words "There's nothing like holidays in the hospital. That's a good thing, otherwise no one would want to take vacation time."

Jan 7th - What a Busy Day!

From Randy "The day started early. Wendy was scheduled to leave her room at 7:30. The cafeteria opened at 7:00, so I grabbed her a quick breakfast before her transport came. 2 1/2 hours later she was back in her room in time for physio to get there for her morning walk. When that was over it was time for lunch. An added complication arose yesterday when Wendy realized she couldn't lift her left foot. A neurologist came to do an evaluation and then later returned with a crew of 3 to repeat the whole thing. Jon and Lindsey came by for a visit and stayed until 7:15 this evening when another transport team came again to take her to a CT scan. I'm writing this waiting for her to get an IV so they can give her some dye before the scan. If that goes well it shouldn't be too much longer. Wendy has had a long day and Suzanna is bringing a pizza as soon as we head back up. I think Wendy's a bit tired, and for good reason"

Jan 6th - REMISSION!!!!!!!!

From Randy "Wendy had quite a morning. She napped waiting for physical therapy to arrive and when they did she broke another personal record. [She was still sitting up in a chair when Randy sent the update]. The doctor came with some very good news! The chemo has done what it's supposed to do and Wendy's cancer is in remission!!! They will give her a week off to continue to get stronger and then she'll get another round of chemo. That will lead to another bone marrow biopsy and more decisions. She can breathe a bit easier knowing she's whipping these nasty cells into submission!"

Jan 5th - Testing and Snacks

Randy Says " Wendy slept well last night. This morning they came to do the bone marrow biopsy and at one they took her away for an ultrasound. We got back to discover that Jon and Lindsay Larsen had come for a visit. They brought grapes and blueberry muffins, which were perfect since she hadn't eaten anything since early. After they left, Wendy took a nap, and I snuck one in too."

Jan 3rd and 4th - Up and Walking a Bit!

Jan 3rd from Randy "Wendy had a really good day. She walked 4 times farther than she has before and sat in her chair for almost 2 hours. On the downside, she got the chills and spiked a fever. They wrapped her in blankets and gave her tylenol to break it. They took blood samples and put her on antibiotics as a precaution. Her white blood cell count is up quite a bit, so I hope her body will be able to fight whatever it is."

Jan 4th "Another record breaking day! Wendy walked farther still then yesterday and stood up from a chair 5 times. Bill Saunders drove up and made Wendy's day with a nice visit. Wendy is exhausted and back in bed."

Jan 2nd - Bone Marrow Test Coming

From Randy "Wendy is improving steadily. The white is back in her eyes and the color is back in her cheeks. The doctor has scheduled a bone marrow biopsy for Monday, which will tell us what will happen next. Wendy is still not getting out of bed on her own, but she is working hard to change that. Today we are strength building.

Bone Marrow Donor information:
In Canada go to
www.onematch.ca

In the states
www.bethematch.org"