Marcia's News for March 10th

Hello Everyone:

Well, the good news first. The most recent diagnostic scopes seem to indicate that the Graft-Versus-Host Disease(GVHD) is GONE! There is a bit of margin for error in this as the scopes go only so far "up" and "down" from either direction and there is a bit of digestive tract between these that they don't reach, however as far as they can tell, again, IT'S GONE! This of course is huge because this is one of the most lethal transplant "side-effects" - although it doesn't seem enough to call it that because it is a gigantic challenge all in itself.

The not quite so good news is that the Cytomegalo virus (CMV) is back. She also has a "bit" of another fairly common virus too. They have begun treatment for these... the most dangerous one being the CMV. These are virus's that are common in our bodies and our environment, however as we've said many times before, when you have almost no immune system and a compromised digestive tract you are vulnerable to everything! The other challenge with treating all of this is that some treatments for some of these things are directly opposite - one "fights" and negates the other. So they successfully treat one thing only to open the door to the other and back and forth and back and forth. The goal of course is to make sufficient progress with the treatments that they become less and less each time and while Marcia gains strength to also fight them off with her own system immunity too.

And yes she is getting stronger. It is very, very slow progress and most days she cannot notice it which of course is very discouraging. But the progress is there. Where she could not lift her legs as all she now can raise one leg and cross it over the other. This may not seem like much, but trust us it is huge. And she can sit up a bit for a little while again. She continues to work very, very hard at this. She has an absolutely indomitable will to survive this and we are all impressed and amazed on a daily basis. But please know that the road ahead will continue to be a long and excruciatingly difficult one for Marcia and for her family - God bless Pat and Tina and Shawna for all they have done and continue to do - and will not be much if any easier anytime soon. Your continued prayers and attention for all of them are very much needed and wanted, perhaps now more than ever.

Thanks for everything and please please keep her and all of us in your thoughts and prayers.
Marcia's family