The latest

Hi all you wonderful friends, ward members and family,

It has been a long 9 months, but I am finally able to build back up my strength without knocking it down again. I have completed two bone marrow transplants and all the chemo that goes with it. There is one more round of chemo, called consolidation, that they want me to do, but I have decided that I have had enough. I am moving into maintenance, which is Dexamethesone (a steroid) and Velcade (a chemo drug) every 4 out of 14 days for the next year.

This week has been a week of tests. Monday I had another bone marrow aspiration and I still squirm to find a spot to sit that doesn't hurt! (They remove 5 tablespoons of marrow and a piece of bone.) I also had an MRI and lab work. Today is a PET scan, and an echo cardiogram. The purpose of these tests are to see how well the 2nd transplant did. My appointment with my doctor is next Tuesday, so by then I should have all the information we need.

Every day I am feeling stronger and healthier! It is thanks to your prayers that I have made it this far. I am trying not to be too impatient. With my first transplant, it took me 4 months before I didn’t feel like passing out every 10 steps. It has only been 7 weeks since my second transplant, so I know I have at least 2 more months. The best news is I am finally getting a little hair. It’s taking its sweet time, but if I use a magnifying glass I can see it!!! I also have a healthier immune system, so if you are not sick or haven’t been exposed to swine flu, come see me!!!

Love, Becki

Park City

While everyone was healthy and in town, Becki planned a quick overnight getaway to Park City. There happened to be a firework show over Jordanelle the night we were up there, so we went to that, played in the pool, slept in, and had lots of yummy food and fun.

Waiting for the firework show to start. Nathan made sure everyone was equipped with a glow stick... wouldn't want to lose anyone now would we.

We also celebrated Shellie's birthday while we were there. All she wanted was money so we got creative with a bunch of $1 bills

We had a great weekend and are looking forward to Moab next month. Becki has already researched a special little contraption to keep her pick line from getting wet. Nothing is keeping her out of the pool this time!!

Scalp art

Becki got the okay to be around her grandkids last week, so she and Emily stopped by Brett and Jess' house on the way home from her doctor's appointment and surprised the kids with a visit!  It was a beautiful day, so we pulled out a blanket and sat in the shade in the front yard.  Someone came up with the crazy idea of decorating Grandma Becki's head, so after verifying several times that Becki was sure this was okay with her, we gave Nate and Ty some washable markers and let them go at it!  What a cool grandma!  How many kids do you know get to color all over their grandma's head?  

Ty has a turn

Nate is taking his job seriously

The final product!  Seems to have some Aztec undertones.

Ty gave Grandma Becki lots of hugs

She really missed those!

She's home!

Becki came home yesterday afternoon and is SO excited to be home and in her own bed.
They weren't going to let her come home quite yet, but after Emily had a very large and persuasive tempertantrum with the doctor, they let her go. She is doing great. She even walked all the way out to the car! There will still be daily trips up to the clinic for labs, IVs and such, but over all she is doing excellent. Just today while up at the clinic, a doctor mentioned how well she was doing. Becki's response was, "Great, can I go to Moab yet?" He just laughed and told her she at least needs to be able to swallow food. We are so thrilled at how well she is doing. Keep up the good fight Mom. We love you!

The past week...

Becki still isn't feeling great, but she is doing excellent considering. Her cells have started to engraft and she is now creating white blood cells. Yahoo! She is still unable to eat because the sores in her throat haven't gone down yet and continually mentions how much she would love a to guzzle a huge glass of water or a kids meal. She is definitely hungry, just can't swallow. During the last transplant, her blood pressure is what put her into septic shock. This time around her blood pressure hasn't gone below 100. We are stoked at how well her body is doing so far. Here are a few pics from the last week....

Brooke made this for Becki


Her room @ Huntman

The BMT (bone marrow transplant) clinic was full at the UofU Hospital so the first 4 days Becki stayed at Huntsman. There rooms are like 4 star hotels and the view was incredible.

The view from her window at Huntman

Then a room opened up on Thursday down in the BMT clinic and as one of the nurses in the clinic says, "it is like moving from Olympus Cove to West Valley" They are much more trained for what she is going through though, so we are happy with them taking care of her!

Quite the different view, huh?

Well the last couple of days her hair has really started to fall out alot, so the nurse got Emily a shaver to shave her head. Lets just say we now know why Emily didn't go through cosmetology school...

Good Job, Em!

She did redeem herself though... (the next day)

Much better

On Friday they finally put her on TPN which is to supplement her not being able to eat. She was SO excited! She kept saying how much it looked like milk and how she already felt a little better knowing she was finally going to get a little nutrition. As you can see in the picture above, she kept sniffing it as if it were the yummiest thing in the world.

Brooke and Emily snuggling up with Mom

Hanging out with her hubby

We are hoping she will get to go home soon. She curses that hospital bed and all the lovely noises her room makes. There is always an IV beeping or the bed filling up with more air which sounds like an airplane about to take off. We assume they won't let her leave until she can at least eat a little, so she is working really hard on trying to get some food down. Yesterday she ate 3 cheerios... baby steps, right?

There is such power in Kindness

Emily is a very eloquent and beautiful writer and she sent this email out to our family last night. It made us all laugh, cry, and want to be better people. Thanks Emily for your endless service to Mom, your beautiful thoughts and inspiring words. We love you!

"You know, some things are just down right crappy--and there really isn't much you can do about it except hope that somewhere down the line there will be a glimmer of sunlit hope that perhaps, somehow, the future could be different. Sometimes that hope is quite a ways off, but then, sometimes for the smallest increment there are those tender mercies that for a single moment open the cloud cover and mercifully allows in the sun. I witnessed one of those moments this evening.It had been a long day rife with hallucinations, poor pain management and looks and facial contortions which could shatter your heart. As the late afternoon progressed, the tension inside our usually happy and luxurious hospital room was ever climbing. I wanted to knock the blessed pain management correspondence out cold and then expressed exactly how I felt to the poor not-so-very-little-and-definitely-balding medical student (that Mom kept repeatedly mentioning did NOT have a ring on his finger--blghhh). Nobody seemed to be listening, Mom was near tears, the not-really-English-speaking nurse was exceptionally stubborn and refused to attempt to understand our demands (or leave). The rising pressure ended with a digestive explosion which true to form brought 2 doctors knocking at the door (their timing is impeccable, really). I slipped out and told them as the patient's advocate I would negotiate but that she was done seeing the medical community for a few moments. They were reasonable and readily understood the concern and dismissed the situation and the deaf and dumb pain management ladies orders immediately. I slipped back in and after getting things and Mom cleaned up finally got her settled back in bed....only to bring another knock at the door. In exasperation, I sighed. In walked the flower delivery lady all cheerful and excited....Mom and I simultaneously said "but she/I can't be around flowers"...."fortunately", the cute flower girl said with a great big smile, "they are fake". Mom's face lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Would you like to read the card?" the girl asked....Excitedly Mom took the card and opened it as we placed the flowers in a visible place and the girl slipped out. Its a beautiful basket with greenery and three bright and incredibly hopeful flowers. The brim of my heart attempted to flow out my eyes as I in awe contemplated what an incredible gesture it was to send a basket of artificial flowers....but who could they be from? By this time, the card was opened and Mom handed it to me and asked me to read it. Through scrawled letters I read the touching message and in near tears said, "of course....it's from Jim and Sarah". These are the words of the card:

On the front: Sending you Hope
Inside: Strength, love and Support (this part was written in by hand) and Prayer

His message said: There are wonderful advances in cancer research and thousands of very smart people who have dedicated their lives and especially their hearts to find the cures and the causes. They wish you well.
Your faith will sustain, your courage will inspire others and your hopes will be realized.
God bless.Love, Jim and Sarah

Its the second time Mom had burst into a smile today. The first was when, completely unexpectedly (he lives in Maryland after all), Jim was standing in our doorway. Mom looked up, saw him, and instantaneously looked like she felt better. Completely serendipitously Dad had ran into him in the lobby (on a floor Dad was not even planning to get off on) and within minutes Jim stopped by our door just to say hello, wish Mom a brief well and continue off with the dignitaries he was with. Mom went on for awhile explaining what a wonderful person he was to the nurse and aide that attended her in the following minutes. Having lived so far away to miss most, if not all, family reunions during the course of my life, I had not met Jim but had heard of him and within moments, I felt this good looking stranger was family and must be of the illusive Maryland branch of Olsons. I was touched by how quickly he was here to visit (especially considering Dad called to tell me he had ran into him after he had already arrived and left). But even more so was I touched by the tender act of sending artificial flowers to brighten a day which had rather fleeting hope.
It was just a small thing, this act, but it seemed so representative of such a big thing. There is such power in kindness. There is such power in simple words said and gestures made. And sometimes, especially on the "cloudiest" of days there comes the one thing that can brighten and lift the lowest of hearts. Last August it was asked of President Monson what he would like for a birthday gift from members of the church and he said that he would ask each of us to find someone in need and do something to help them.
During the last months and year there have been an abundance of generous acts, countless meals, sweet hearts that have gone out of their way to be of some form of help, cards sent, calls made, emails, notes on the blog and innumerable prayers on our family's and Mom's behalf. These have been inspiring, and yet with so very many prayers sent I have wondered, if the pit of my heart could be as low as it is, how awful could it have been with no prayers? I'm glad I don't have the contrast for comparison, I suppose. I don't know why, today, a simple basket of fake flowers was so moving, but it was. Sincerity is an incredible thing. And for all of the thunderstorms that seem to inundate our world, it sure means the world when a simple sincere act is able to break through the clouds."

Becki with Jim and Sarah- they came by and visited again on Friday night one last time before heading back home to Maryland.

Its back to the hospital

Becki was admitted to the hospital after midnight last night because she is starting to run a fever. As much as she and all of the rest of us don't want her to be there, it is almost comforting to know that she is having knowledgable people keep a close eye on her throughout the hardest times. The sores in her mouth and throat are back and came back strong. She can barely even swallow water. Her digestive system doesn't know quite how to handle all the drugs and changes and has made her miserable. And now that she has a fever, it means that she has some kind of infection. Overall, she feels horrible but is remaining hopeful that this will all be over soon!
Thanks for all your love and concern.