Delay in Bethesda

Savannah made it to Bethesda with no problems on Sunday. After many delays, Carla and I miraculously arrived in DC within minutes of each other on Monday.

We were going to have to wait an hour and a half for the shuttle so I thought it was a great idea to just hop on the Metro and get there sooner. Yea, right! A couple hours later we still had not reached our destination, we were exhausted from hauling big suitcases (that would not roll correctly) on and off the train, up and down escalators and elevators. Anyone watching us would have likened it to an episode of I LOVE LUCY where Lucy and Ethel had gotten into some comical mess. I've decided people out here just don't see the humor in things like we do! :)

They did Savannah's tests on Monday and Tuesday and were going to start treatment on Wednesday. There's one test they didn't get the results for and they can't start the treatment without it....so.....she has to go in for a little while tomorrow and get her pick-line put in. After that she'll be free again til Sunday night when she has to check back in to the hospital for treatment on Monday.

She's a little bummed that this glitch has added another 5 or 6 days to her stay. She was really wanting to get in - get it done - and get OUT! In the grand scheme of things 5 or 6 more days will not matter that much, even though I understand how she feels.

Carla and I visited Union Station today. I think she was impressed! It's an awesome place to see, eat, shop and just people watch! After riding the Metro back we're just chillin' with Savannah in the Children's Inn until Tuesday when I move to the Safra Lodge...(my favorite place).

Savannah isn't feeling her best so please pray for minor ailments as well as total healing for her.

Thanks for those concerns and prayers! Love to All!

Ready, Set....Goinggggg!

Wow! It seems like it has become a habit with me but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. There's just always so much to do before you leave town for weeks on end. I guess I won't worry about the house, the laundry, the grocery shopping etc...Danny and Shelby will just have to live with it or do it themselves. :) Hopefully, I'll get some projects painted, upholstered, tagged and to the flea market before I leave. Business has picked up and our booth is looking a little empty but.....that's a good thing!!!
Anyway.....
Savannah's flight will leave Sunday morning at 10:30am for Bethesda. To save more than a couple hundred dollars, I will fly out the next morning at 8am...ughhhhh!!!....that means I'll have to be at the airport by 6:30am... :(
My cousin, Carla, is taking a week or more out of her busy life to come with me. She is flying a different airline and will meet me at the airport. If all goes as planned, we will arrive within about 30 minutes of each other. She will return home on the 3rd and I will stay the rest of the time by myself. I feel bad for Danny, I know he would like to be there for Savannah.
It looks like we will be in a hotel for a few days until a room at the Safra house opens up. It will be a bit inconvenient since the closest hotel is several blocks away, not to mention $200 or more a night!....it's ridiculous! On the other hand, the Safra house is right across the street from the hospital and we can get there within 5 minutes on foot if needed. But....whatever!...I guess it'll all work out like it's suppose to....it'll only be a few days!
Savannah's IL15 treatment will hopefully start on the 27th. That is, if she gets all her tests and scans done on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We're really praying that this treatment is not so hard on her as the last two were...AND....that it works!

So, quick story for those of you not on FB. Saturday morning, I was sitting here just trying to catch up on some computer stuff when my phone rings. It's my cousin, Sheri. She wants to know WHAT'S GOING ON? I told her what I was doing and she said her family was freaking out because they had heard that I'd had a stoke and they were taking me to Little Rock. It was such a strange feeling knowing a rumor like that was flying around about me with no thread of truth to it. We were cracking up how fast word of mouth gets around....even without emailing, fb or texting. Apparently, someone had heard it at church. They called my cousins, Heath & Vicki in West Fork who they were friends with. They called their sister (Sheri) who called me and didn't get an answer so she called my other cousin (Carla) in Fayetteville who called Danny in Lowell. In the meantime Sheri called me again and I answered...thus....finding out - I was fine. It was very amusing.....for a while!
Once we back tracked and got to the bottom of things.....we discovered that it had all been true....they had just gotten the wrong Patti. It was Patty Underhill that had a stroke and was on her way to Little Rock.
That took the humor out of it. So, I haven't heard any updates but hopefully y'all will join us in lifting her up in prayer.
Exciting times in Greenland and West Fork!
Thanks for the prayers and support!

A Definite Plan

NIH contacted Savannah and told her that we need to be in Bethesda on Sunday, July 24th. On Monday they will start running the scans etc... and hopefully start the treatment on the 26th or 27th. We don't really know what to expect but it shouldn't be as bad as the last 2 treatments....(we hope), and 2 to 3 weeks instead of 3 to 4 weeks.

This week has been a crazy one.......
At the end of last week, Savannah's right arm started swelling and got some red spots on it. Some swelling is normal since they took out her lymph nodes when they removed the tumor under her arm but this was excessive swelling. It moved into her hand and fingers. Then, she started having bad pain in her middle finger and down her wrist and up her arm. By Saturday she was having to use only her left hand for everything and was in a lot of pain. Then the red spots started puffing up.
Between calls to NIH and everywhere else, we debated whether to go to the ER and wait 6 or 7 hours or just wait til Monday morning and see our PCP. We decided to wait. SO......Monday morning I called and got her an appointment. I also got Shelby and appointment because she has had some kind of coughing, stuffy head, thing going on for a couple of weeks. Turns out their appointments were pretty much back to back. Then, this morning, Bo called and said he needed to be taken to the doctor because his eyes were swollen shut and oozing gross stuff! So after a bunch of calls, a bunch of money, and a bunch of trips to the drug store.....all three kids are on the road to recovery and I'm pretty sure the doctors office has told their receptionist to screen all calls from "that psyco Dutton lady" that keeps calling!!!! The diagnosis?......Savannah - they don't know for sure (they're treating her for an infection of some kind)
Shelby - upper respiratory infection
Bo - eye infection
Well, enough about our boring ailments.
We need you prayer warriors out there to start or continue to pray for us.
Specifically for Savannah's healing, our health and strength, finances, safe travel and I could go on and on....... :)
It's so comforting to know that there are so many good people out there sending prayers up for us. We love you! Thanks!

IL15 in the near future

After a few weeks of intense waiting, NIH called and said that Savannah has qualified for a new protocol. The first time, she had the Il2, then the IL12 in February of this year and now it will be the IL15 treatment. They have only used this on 6 other people, so really, they're still researching the benefits of the treatment. We don't have a start date yet but it will be as soon as they can get her scheduled.
One good thing about this treatment is that it doesn't require chemo. It won't make her so sick and therefore, shorten her hospital stay to 12 - 15 days. That's still longer than she'd like to be there. :( WE always try to look on the bright side though - If she has to go back to Bethesda for treatment, that must be a sign from God that she needs to revisit HOME GOODS and purchase a few more home decor items......right? :)
I will be going with her while Danny stays here to work.
Please be in prayer that this treatment will dissolve the tumors!
Thanks! LOVE to ALL!