Help Amy Fight Cancer!
Amy truly needs any help you may be able to provide for her. She is having to have a bone marrow transplant and cannot work again this school year. She and Noah are trying to run on his pay only, which is making life extra difficult. Fighting her Philadelphia Chromosome CML is hard enough for her, without having to stress over financial issues! We love everyone so much for their continued prayers, love, and support!❤ Her update...
Big update time *takes deep breath*
When I was diagnosed with CML in October, I was told there are 5 oral chemotherapies (TKIs) I could try that would be long term treatment, just take a pill a day for the rest of my life, eventually landing myself in remission. Since being told this, I have tried them all, and my body has a resistance to all of them giving some yucky side effects. Monday I went to Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (also mad no one told me that Sarah Cannon was Minnie Pearl, like c'mon Tennessee education). I was told that I will be moving forward with getting a bone marrow transplant and it can take place as soon as this October. Leading up to it, I will undergo 2 weeks of outpatient chemotherapy (taking all hat and wig recommendations, and how to make fake eye brows because I'm gonna miss those the most, lol). After that, I will have the transplant done. I have many donors in the general/world-wide pool that are a match for me. After transplant, I will have to be in the hospital for 3 weeks to rebuild my entire immune system. One cool about this is that when it is all said and done, I will have two sets of DNA in my body. Lastly, after transplant + the 3 weeks, Noah and I will have to live within 30 minutes of Nashville for 3 months in case my body rejects the transplant. Therefore, I will not be getting to teach this upcoming fall. There is a 90% success rate, and my youth further enhances my chances.
All in all, we have one hell of a few months ahead of us. I haven't even processed all of this information yet and am replaying everything in my head, hoping that there is another way. I keep waking up hoping it is all a dream, then spending the day doing nonstop overthinking. Noah and I are trying our best to be optimistic and hopeful, it is in our nature. But it is also in our nature to be scared out of our minds, and even angry. We are trusting God to work through my doctors, science, and my body to help me put up one heck of a fight.
At this time any encouraging words, love, and prayer for both Noah and I are appreciated. If anyone has family, friends, etc. who has had a bone marrow transplant, or even just underwent chemo, I would love any connections that can help me through this. Heck, the frontman from Blink-182 is going through the same thing with cancer and doing a BMT, and even his tweets help. We will repost the GoFundMe, as well as our Venmo, for any donations anyone would like to contribute. We are working with insurance to see what we can have covered, but either way this is a HUGE hit to us financially. We appreciate everyone's love and support we have received since my diagnosis in October. One thing I can be thankful for right now is that I am not alone in this. I have the most generous, loving, strong, and caring husband I could have ever been given. We have such amazing friends and family who make this suck just a little less. So thank you all.
I will continue to keep updating throughout this time. I love you all so much!!!❤