Translate This Page To: Spanish German French Italian Portuguese Norwegian Brought to you From FreeTranslation.com Give a gift in honor of this child. Malerie You may send your well wishes to Malerie's family at this address: Cindy Fields 1102 E. 54th Odessa, Texas 79762 UPDATE: 8-19-03 Maleries service was so comforting. God told that minister just what to say. This will be long cause I want to tell you about it. He told of funny things Malerie had done in her life that had us laughing and picturing her doing these things. Like when she was fishing although she hated to fish and put two poles out and just fooled around cause she really hated fishing. Got her feet tangled in both lines and caught the biggest two catfish of the day. Another time, she caught a fish and wanted to keep it. Said it was her pet. She made them drive 25 minutes across the lake to get the camera to take her pic with her pet and she gave it mouth to mouth to keep it alive. He told how close Rusty and Malerie were and how they hugged and said I love you each morning when they woke. How she looked up to her sister Keesha. He used her Bible to give the message. Read things she had written in her Bible. Told of when she gave her heart to the Lord the first day of camp last year. He also tried to reach the lost with his message. I told him that he just gave such a magnificent message. I was so impressed with him. Now I want to write out the poems they had written on her what do you call it? Eulogy? That little pamplet that the family makes up for the ones at the funeral. I want to encourage you that the family is doing as well as can be expected. I believe God has truly given them peace. I really do. As I said the coming months are going to be so very hard but I believe with my heart that God is helping Cindy and Barbara especially make it through this and with accepting this loss. Franni God Saw You God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be So he put his arms around you and whispered "Come to me. "With tearful eyes we watched you and saw you pass away. And though we love you dearly, we could not make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands were put to rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best. Author unknown If You Could See Where I Have Gone If you could see where I have gone, the beauty of this place, and how it feels to know you're home, to see the Savior's face. To wake in peace and know no fear, just joy beyond compare. While still on earth, you miss me yet, you wouldn't want me there. If you could see where I have gone, had made the trip with me, you'd know I didn't go alone. The Savior came with me. When I woke, He was by my side and reached out his hand, Said "Hurry child you're coming home to a grand and glorious land. Don't worry over those you love for I'm not just with you, and don't you know, with you at home, they'll long to be here too." If you could see where I have gone and see what I have been shown, you'd never know another tear or ever feel alone. You'd marvel at the care of God His hand on every life and realize he really cares and bears with us each strife. And that he weeps when one is lost. His heart is filled with pain, but oh the joy when one comes home, a child is home again. If you could see where I have gone, could stay awhile with me, could share the things that God has made to grace eternity. But no, you could never leave once Heaven's joy you'd known, You couldn't bear to walk earths paths once Heaven was your home. If you could see where I have gone you'd know we will meet someday and though I'm parted from you now, that I am just away. So thank you family, thank you friends for living for the Lord. For teaching me to love him, to trust Him and His word. And now that I'm at home with him secure in every way, I'm waiting here at Heaven's door to greet you some sweet day. Author Unknown GOD BLESS YOU EVERYONE! UPDATE: 8-16-03 They are hoping for the funeral to be at 10am Tues morning at Emanuel Baptist Church in Odessa, Tx but can't go to make arrangements till tomorrow. Hubbard-Kelly funeral home 601 N. Alleghaney Av Odessa, Tx 79761 This is where she will be. The family is doing as well as can be expected. Thank you for all you are doing and have done. I prayed again today for God to bless all of you so special, Franni UPDATE: 8-15-03 Malerie went home to be with the Lord at 8:45 8/14/03. Barbara called me at work and I couldn't talk long so thats all I know. Its too late to call when I get home from work. I'll let you know the arrangements later. May God bless you for every prayer for Mal and her family. I hope and pray that you know how much we have appreciated all you have done for them. I have prayed so often for the Lord to bless all of you for all your wonderful kindness and love and caring ways. I can see Jesus in all of you, Franni UPDATE: 8-14-03 Aunt Pattie just called and said she thinks the time has come for Malerie to go on home to be with the Lord. Shes gasping for breath. But Mal has done this before and come out of it. I thought I'd let you know so you could say an extra prayer for Mal and the family in case this is God's time. I'm still praying for a miracle but God's will be done, Franni UPDATE: 8-13-03 I don't have much time but just got the word from Barbara that Malerie had a rough night last night. Doctor gave her a new pain med thats better than morphine. So right now shes feeling better. Her white cells are up to 100% cancer now. Let us keep praying and thank you and I love you all,Franni UPDATE: 8-12-03 Today when Jimmy called, Mal was sleeping and Cindy was doing a bit better. Better than the days she has to watch Mal suffering so much. I love you and pray for God to bless you and all of your team. Elizabeth, will you please tell everyone that I appreciate each and every prayer and all they have done for Mal? So many have sent packages as you have. So many have stayed up nights and prayed for her. So many have sent cards. I'm making a prayer booklet for Cindy to have someday in the future no matter what happens but I cannot get to all the email now. I do what I can but its never enough to get to all the emails. I feel so badly about it. I would just love to write back instantly to all who are doing so much for Mal but I can't. I have one day off this week. So just please let them know I pray for God to bless each and every one of your team richly, Franni UPDATE: 8-12-03 Mal has suffered horribly today. As of 4am yesterday, her white cells were 98% cancerous. I pray God's will be done. I'm just so grateful to all of you for praying. Barbara told me tonight that they couldn't have made it through this time of over 5 months without our prayers holding them up,Franni UPDATE: 8-10-03 I have just gotten off the phone with Franni. She says that Malerie is alert and awake. She is in massive pain and they are giving her pain meds beyond the normal limit. Her parents are planning to ask the doctors if they can take her home. Please focus your prayers on Malerie's healing, her strength in will that she will not lose hope, for her parents strength and encouragement that they will not lose hope, and the binding of Satan and any attacks against them in the physical, mental, or spiritual. Pray for God's will to prevail. If we give up now, we will never know if our continued prayers would have been the difference in her healing or not. Faith doesn't stop fighting until God has made His final decision. Until then there is always hope. These are the times when our faith is truly put to the test. Let us not fail. May God forgive our weaknesses and be strong. My great thanks and prayers for blessings for each of you....Elizabeth UPDATE: 8-09-03 AM I called Evelyn first this morning and Barbara had called her last night. Said Malerie's breath was getting shorter. So I called Cindy's friend Debbie on her cell phone cause she said I could. She said the doctor told Malerie last night that she wasn't going to make it. After everyone left for the night, Malerie told Cindy and Brent that she is going to fight it. Shes not ready to go . UPDATE: 8-08-03 Dearest Sweet Friends, I just received the news that the doctor doesn't think Malerie will last much longer. They think she will go on to be with the Lord by tonight. Or they said it could be withing the hour. All the family and Cindy's best friend have left to go to be with them. I know you will be praying for all of them and I thank you, Franni UPDATE: 8-07-03 Today is Thursday and I am finally feeling much better. PRAISE GOD! I hate not being able to be with Mal. I felt better yesterday but not still not normal, so Patty told me to stay here. I was getting ready to go to bed, had been outside talking to Sandy here at the RM House and came in call and check on Mal. When I came in the phone was blinking with a message. There were 4 of them and all from Mal, she was just crying so hard that it scared me. I only listened to one of them and called her. She was crying so hard that I couldn't even talk to her. I just hung up the phone and went straight over. When I got there she was screaming with her legs and back. Made me think of when she had the viral meningitis. The nurse had heat packs and she hit the morphine button about 4 times. I just sat there and rubbed her back and legs with bengay. She would get comfortable and then just start screaming again. The nurse called the doctor and upped her morphine doses and gave hers a shot of steroids to stop the inflammation. It finally eased up and Patty came back. She walked in and felt awful. She said that she thought everything was going to be OK and she went down for a break. She started talking to somebody that didn't have any money and was no place to stay and hungry...... you know the rest. It is so sad. Anyway I told her that I wasn't going to leave and that she should, then the nurse told me that I had to leave because it hadn't been 24 hrs free of symptoms. I didn't want to but...... This morning Patty called and told me that Mal had a restless night and she rubbed her legs and back for quite a while. When they called this morning, Patty was so excited, Mal's white count was 600 this morning. I am so happy. I haven't talked to the doctor's yet, but I don't think they expected her white count to come up this quick. I can't wait to talk to the doctor. I am going to go back to the hospital sometime today. I can't stand not being over there. Well, I will write again later. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 8-06-03 Today is Wednesday Day +7 and everything is just about the same with Mal. She has had real bad back pain and didn't sleep well last night. She also got more platelets again today. They also had to change something in her TPN because her sugar level was too high. Hopefully it is going to be just a temporary thing. We are still just waiting! I haven't seen Mal for the last 2 days, as I wrote the the last email my Aunt came down to help me out. Thank God she did, becuase yesterday I went up to the hospital after spending the night at the RM House not feeling just right. It took everything out of me to just lift one foot in front of the other. I made it to the hospital to releave Pat long enough to come change clothes and when she left I felt so bad I just laid down and went to sleep. I was freezing, when the nurse came in she told me I looked bad and took my temperature. Yes, I had fever so I had to leave. I went and got medicine and went straight to bed. Every four hours I woke up feeling uchy unti I took more medicines. I felt pretty good when I woke up today but after up a little while I felt the same, all except for the fever. I just feel like I have no energy. I am so Thankful that I have Pat here or Mal would be by herself. I just feel so out of place over here and not with her. Well, I really don't feel like being on this thing so I will close and try to get over this. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 8-04-03 Today is Sunday, Day +5 and God has really Blessed Us. I was trying to find the last email I wrote, but couldn't find it, to see when I wrote last. So if I repeat myself, forgive me. Last night was the first night that Mal didn't cry when she woke up with her throat. I know that they have increased her morphine drip, but I also know that God has heard all the prayers. She talked for the first time in a few days. It hurt so bad that she couldn't even talk and she would just write it down. She would get very upset with me when I couldn't read her mind. She hasn't been very happy with me either, because I have been making her take a bath and walk the floors back here in the bone marrow unit everyday. I know that she would much rather just lay in the bed, but I also know that she needs to get up and use the muscles in her body, from past experiences. Plus the doctors tell her that the more she forces herself to get up and about, the faster recovery will be. She really tries hard too. She has been making herself drink, even if it is just a swallow here and there. The nurses told her that whatever she can do is great, she has another patient that is at Day+14 and she is just now starting to drink so I know we are better off. We walk around the unit at least twice and three times if she can. I can tell a difference in her since yesterday. Maybe her Dad (Brent of course) and Rusty coming had a lot to do with it also. She is always so glad to see Dad and she has really missed Rusty. This is the first time she has seen him in a month. She begged him to stay this week so he told her he would because he wouldn't be able to stay after that, with school starting. I guess he will stay until Brent comes back down next week. She sat up in the bed and watched a movie with him today and then she went back to sleep. My Aunt Patty also came down to stay with us for a while. She lives in San Antonio and doesn't work so she came down to help me out and give me some relief. I know Mal won't mind as long as she is feeling pretty good. She just wants somebody here in case she wakes up, for whatever reason. I won't feel so guilty leaving and going to do laundry or run an errand. Before when I had to go do laundry if I were gone for more than an hour Mal was calling me wanting to know how much longer I would be. I think she would just watch the clock until I got back. It always made me feel so guilty for leaving. Besides she is good company. Rusty may drive her crazy this week, though. LOL. One of the care partners here has brought Mal the things she needs to do scrapbooking. Her name is Margaret and she is so caring and has such a sweet spirit. She came on her day off and stayed late working on pages and giving Mal ideas until late. Mal has finished 5 or 6 pages front and back. She absolutely loves it. I had to go buy some drawers on wheels to put all the stuff in so it could be kept together. I guess I can start making my own scrap book now. I also had Brent bring pictures from home to do some more pages. It is something we can do together and Mal is so creative. There is really nothing else to say, the doctors are watching her very closely and changing her medicines when they need to. She had to have platelets again today and that will continue until her counts start coming back up on their own. The doctors say that her counts will come up anywhere from 14 to 21 days out, so we are just counting our blessing and praying everyday. I just want to thank everyone for the all the prayers and email that we have gotten. PRAYER REALLY WORKS! GOD BLESS ALL Cindy UPDATE: 7-30-03 Malerie is through with the transplant. Shes not feeling very good of course. They won't know for 2-3 weeks if her body will accept the transplant. And the doctors told Cindy that Malerie will have some very rough days of being sick and running a high fever. Thank you for praying her through the surgery. We are all just so very grateful to you,Franni UPDATE: 7-29-03 PM They have just started the transplant. It is 3:30p.m. and it will run over 2 hours. It is just like a blood transfusion. Today she isn't feeling to good. She has been sick ever since she woke up. It would go away for a little while but come back. They keep giving her medicines and they will work for a little bit. One of the nurses came up last night and gave her all the essentials to start a scrapbook and stayed until 1:00a.m. this morning working on pages. She got up this morning and started working on more pages inbetween throwing up. At least it got her up so I guess I will be printing up all kinds of pictures and helping her put them together. Yesterday and the day before she didn't feel to well either. The (horse syrum) ATG that she got kicked her butt. It has made her so sick. It is to hep her body accept the new bone marrow. She finished taking it yesterday but she is just feeling rotten because all her bone marrow, red and white blood cells are being destroyed. They gave her two bags of blood and a bag of platelets yesterday. She was just completely drained. She cried when physical therphy came in and made her walk. She just looked at me like, make them go away, believe me I wanted to. It is so hard but I know it is for her own good. She got an autograph pictures of Vin Diesel yesterday at Debbie's house. She was so excited when I told her. Debbie mailed it today and she can hardly wait. I have printed a copy of it already and put it up in her window at the hospital. She is so proud of it. I'm gonna go for now so I can sit beside her. I think she is a little nervous becuase her blood pressure is up a little. I will update later. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 7-29-03AM Precious Friends, I wanted to remind you to pray for Malerie while she has her bone marrow transplant today at 1:30pm central time. And oh how grateful we are to you for praying and all you have done for Malerie, Franni UPDATE: 7-27-03 Just a quick update to let you know how things are going. It can only be a short one because Mal is not feeling well at all. We have made it through the radiation and started on the chemo and something called ATG which is kind of like chemo. We had a hard time with the radiation. It really made her sick. I think they gave her everything to make it easier, and by the night, around 8 or so she started feeling better. On Friday she was so sick that she didn't keep anything down. She is feeling really rotten today also. She has to have the ATG over 10 hrs, today, tomorrow and Monday. Bless her heart she asked me what was making her so sick and I told her. She said Man, this is the first day and it is already kicking my butt, wonder how I will be feeling when I get the transplant. lol. I am just praying that it will have some effect but not bad. Brent is here today and she wants him to lay beside her. She says that it makes her feel better. Well, gotta go for now, I will keep you posted. God Bless Cindy Mccook3008@aol.com Remember the bone marrow transplant is Tues so let us keep praying for her. UPDATE: 7-23-03 Malerie had total body radiation yesterday and is having it again today.Then chemo for the next few days. They are preparing her fast for the bone marrow transplant next Tues. She a sick little girl. Throwing up continually so they keep her sedated mostly. Lets pray Cindy and Malerie through this. They got the results of the last spinal test yesterday. This test was taken on the 9th. It showed 50% cancer cells. Lets pray and oh how grateful I and this family is for your prayers. Franni UPDATE: 7-22-03 It sure does get lonesome here and what made it even worse yesterday was a little boy that passed away. It just tore my heart out. I have really had a hard time yesterday afternoon and today. Just can't seem to get it out of my mind. I know it hurt Mal also, but I hope she isn't dwelling on it. The surgery went well, she is still asleep and came out of surgery and back up the room at 3:30. We start total body radiation tomorrow at 8:00a.m. and again at 2:00p.m. Just keep praying. God Bless You. Cindy The surgery was to put the stints in, Franni UPDATE: 7-16-03 Malerie had radiation today and is set up for the bone marrow transplant next Tues. Now they change things almost as soon as I send an update out so if they change the date again, I'll let you know. This family really needs our prayers and I thank you that I can come to you and ask you to pray,Franni UPDATE: 7-18-03 Today is Friday, 18th of July. I know it has been 8 days since I have written but things have not turned out the way that Mal and I have expected. I am sure that by now you have heard the news about going to transplant. Believe me, it was quite a shock. As I wrote late, we were waiting for results back from the bone marrow and spinal fluid. I never expected to hear what was to happen next. When they didn't come in to tell me the results of the bone marrow, I just assumed that "no news is good news," boy was I in for a surprise. On Thursday, can't remember what time it was, Mal was asleep and the doctor came in. I could just tell by the look in his eyes. He smiled and asked if he could talk to me outside. My heart just sank. He took me in a consultation room and began to tell me that the bone marrow and spinal fluid looked good, no signs of blast cells. The bump on her head was nothing but leukemia cells! The tears just came and I couldn't seem to control them. He told me that this sometimes happens, and it would be considered a relapse even though it wasn't in her blood. There would be no other option but to go to transplant ASAP. I just looked at him like he was crazy, this couldn't be happening! We just had three more days left and recovery time and then we were going home. It took me a few minutes to realize that it really was happening but the tears just kept coming. He told me that he had already talked to the bone marrow transplant Dr's and since we had thought previously we were going to transplant all the details had been worked out, Mal already had a cord blood match, 5 out of 6, and the ball was already rolling. They had seen this before and usually there would be more than one place that would pop up. He was right, Mal now has one on her left thigh, not very big yet. The bone marrow doctors would be early the next day and discuss everything with me. I just sat there after he left and kept telling myself that God was in control and everything would be alright. We could have gone through the next round and got home, then come back!!!!! It still didn't change the way I felt though. All I could think of was having to go through all the hurt and feeling bad with Mal again and how it was going to break her heart, we wouldn't be coming home when she thought. After about 3 hrs of crying, and a nerve pill, I calmed down. I decided that I needed to tell Mal (the really hard part)! When I told her she just sat there, state of shock like myself. She cried, I cried, and I just kept telling her that God was still watching over us and it would be alright. We had to be stong , but we would make it. I think the thing that most upset her was the fact that I told her dad, Keesha and Rusty before I told her!!!! How dare me! Now we are getting passes everyday, because she is feeling really well and when we go back to the bone marrow unit, Sunday I believe, that will be the end of freedom for 6 to 7 weeks. Only a total of 5 people will be allowed to see Mal the entire time we will be back in the bone marrow unit. She will be able to have visitors, but they cannot come in the room. Dr Eames has told her that she could have a pass everyday until this weekend, to go do whatever she wanted to do because she wouldn't feel like it for a while and eat whatever she wanted because her diet would be limited on some things for quite some time. She will not be allowed shell fish for months so we have been eating alot of shrimp since last weekend. And going to the movies. Since we have found out there have been test of some kind run every day, EKG, MRI, x-rays, sonograms of her chest and stomach, echo, pulmonary, they want to make sure everything is good and no infections are hiding before the actual transplant. We have started radiation also. Been two days already for cranial radiation and next week total body radiation, Tuesday through Friday. Monday she has to go in for surgery to have another central line put in on the right side, they need three ports for access until she gets out of bone marrow, and they will do another spinal and bone marrow then to see if everything is still clear. They expect to find some blast cells this time because of the bumps. Then after radiation on Friday, she will have massive doses of chemo all day Saturday and Sunday. Rest on Monday and then the transplant on July 29th. Dr. Eames told us there would be side effects, but nothing that she hasn't already had. I am just praying that her body will not reject the bone marrow to much and wait for her counts to come back up. My sister, mother and cousin are coming up this weekend to see Mal and visit. They should be here shortly and I think we are going out to eat seafood again tonight and probably tomorrow! lol. It will be nice to have them here for a visit. I am going to close now so I can finally get this mail off. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 7-12-03 Dearest Prayer Partner, I'm not able to be on the computer very long so am going to write one update and send to everyone. I'm not even going to be sending prayers to Cindy and Malerie cause they won't be online. I love you all and am so grateful for each and everyone of you. For all you do for me and Malerie and her family, thank you from my heart and may God bless you, Franni They are going to be giving Malerie a pass to go out to eat, go to a movie or anything she wants to do until the 21st. Then she won't be allowed out of the hospital and will have the bone marrow using a baby's umbilical cord on the 29th. God is answering our prayers and Cindy is in better spirits. She told Malerie last night about the new leukemia and she cried for a while but got okay. So God is taking care of them. Thank you,Franni UPDATE: 2:07 AM 7-11-03 Please pray hard for Malerie. They got the results of the biopsy back and she has another kind of leukemia also. This one will take her fast. They will give her the chemo/radiation no matter how bad she is. They have to do this and then get her a bone marrow transplant within two weeks. Doctors say this is her only hope. Lets all pray in faith and believe together for Malerie cause we know God can perform a miracle for Mal. Brent and Karen (Cindys sister) will go there tomorrow so I got back in the car and took the two cards I had for Mal to Barbara. I prayed twice with them before I came home. We are all heartbroken but believing in faith that God will touch her body with his healing hand, UPDATE: 7-10-03 Well here we are nearly the middle of the month already. Sure don't know where the time goes. I was going to let everyone know how things went yesterday on the biopsy, when the doctor came, but I only say the surgeon. I guess the doctor got tied up or he just didn't have anything to say until he talked to the other doctors this morning. They usually have pow wow's on pretty much everything. Which is OK by me, I think 2 heads are always better than one? They came down and got her yesterday at 1:00 and took her down. I did talk to the surgeon after he removed the bump on her head. He said that everything went well, he had to make a bigger incision than he originally thought to get it all. He didn't know what it was but it should be back with the results in a couple of days. The stitches are on the inside and I really can't tell much because of the bandage on it. Mal will have to leave the bandage on for a week or so. He said that they decided to leave the lump on her left cheek because they thought it was some kind of infection in her glands, but they were going to watch it for now. I guess when the results come back from the one on her head they will make a decision to leave it or to remove it also. The doctors are watching it real close and think it is going down, but didn't want to do anything just yet, because of where it is. That is pretty sensitive area and they want to leave it alone, if possible. After I talked to him, he said that the other doctor is doing her spinal and bone marrow and it should be a little while longer. She got back to the room at 4:00. I never did the that doctor. I keep thinking he would be back in to talk to me. Haven't seen him this morning yet, either. Sometimes they don't come in until 10:00 and then sometimes it is at 8:00. Mal was feeling pretty well after it all, she said that her back didn't hurt at all, but her head did. She had pain medicine ordered if she needed it. She did ask for some after a while but did well. I went to sleep and she stayed up till around 2:00a.m. I woke up at 7:30 to the sound of whispers. They were drawing blood cultures this morning because Mal had 102 fever. She was crying with her back hurting. I guess she had so much med's yesterday that she didn't feel it. Anyway, she is back asleep and her fever has gone back down for now. I am just sitting here waiting for the doctor to come in and let me know abut the spinal. As soon as I find out something I will write back. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 7-08-03 I am not sure when I talked to you last, but we finally got out of the hospital on Monday, last week. We were back in on Tuesday afternoon. Mal was running a fever. She wasn't real sick, but she didn;t feel well at all; sick at her tummy. She got sick one time and her fever got up to 102. The doctor started her on antibioctics through her IV, two different ones besides the ones she was taking when we got out. Anyway we are still here. She hasn't had fever since the 4th and planned on getting her spinal and bone marrow aspirate today, but....... She has a bump, looks like a pimple on her head and she said it hurts to touch, then yesterday she found another bump on her left side of her face right next to her ear that is also sore. The doctor today looked at it and said that he thought it might be an infection of some kind and wanted to do a biopsy on it to make sure before we started on chemo. It wouldn't be good if she had an infection and then we do the chemo and it kill all her white blood cells so her body couldn't fight the infection. And since they would have her in surgery for the biopsy, then they might as well do the spinal and bone marrow at the same time. Mal could have kissed the doctor then. She hates the spinal and bone marrow aspirate sooooooo bad. She stresses for days before it gets here. So anyway, the surgeon came down and said that he wanted to do a sonagram to see if they could tell anything and see if they were both the same. He would make a decision on whether to do the biopsy on both bumps or just one. They will have to do a small incision right above it to check it out. Hopefully they will only have to check one of the bumps instead of both of them. They will take extra spinal fluid and determine if the inmature cells are still there and what they look like, and send some to St Judes' also. I guess at that time we will know more, so we will just pray and wait. What we do best. lol. The surgeon said they are booked up all day tomorrow so we will have to wait until Wednesday . In the mean time we will just hang out here. I will write again after Wednesday. God Bless Cindy Abbey from England is here in the states on a tour to raise money for ? I can't remember the name of the organization! Its for the blind. She was scheduled to be at Cooks Childrens hospital and she wanted to get to meet Cindy and Malerie and visit with them. She did get to today. She sent two pics of her, Cindy and Malerie. But I'm just sending one to you. Remember the bumps Cindy told about in her update? This one bump is very visible in this pic. She needs our prayers so much. Abbey from England brought a ray of sunshine into their day today though. They were all so blessed to get to meet. Our Lord is so good to us,Franni UPDATE: 7-03-03 Everyone, Today is Cindy's birthday and I thought it would be so nice if the Lord removed Malerie's fever and raised her blood counts. She hasn't had any fever since 4:30 this morning and her blood counts are coming up. Praise God for hearing and answering prayer and thank all of you wonderful sweet caring people for praying,Franni UPDATE: 7-02-03 Please pray for our little Malerie. They had let her out of the hospital Mon afternoon cause they given her all the blood and platelets and were just having to wait for her blood count to come back up. Her blood count just doesn't want to come back up this time. Anyway they got to go to Ronald McDonald house Mon afternoon. Yesterday (Tues) Malerie started running fever and had to go back in the hospital about 5pm. Please pray for her fever to go down and for her blood count to come up. And we thank you for every prayer you pray. Franni UPDATE: 6-19-03 Just a quick update on things. I have been on the computer for quite a while looking up things and thought I could just let everyone know that things are still about the same. Mal is still feeling good, still waiting for counts to go up. I will be two weeks tomorrow since her last treatment and still nothing. The Doctor said that the more chemo they give the longer it takes for the bone marrow to reproduce. It is killing her platelets still. They had to give her platelets again this morning. She didn't have to take any high blood pressure medicine yesterday, so I guess her body is adjusting, to what I don't know. We are getting pretty bored in this room, but al least she is feeling well. We stayed up till 2:00 a.m. watching movies last night and she is still sleeping. God is watching over her and we are counting the days until counts come back up. God Bless Cindy UPDATE: 6-18-03 Today is Tuesday, June 17th and it has been quite a while since I have written anything to anybody. All I can say is I am sorry. I guess I better start with the beginning with the last round. It started on May 28th and Mal had 2 days of chemo, then a shot in the leg. She was so stressed about the shot because of Kristen (the little girl that has the same thing as Mal and is about a month ahead of us in the protocol). She kept telling Mal how bad they hurt and they left knots in her leg, so of course she wasn't excited about it. When she did get it, it didn't really bother her at all. We left the hospital on Friday at about 6:30 p.m. and went to the Rm House. We got up Saturday and went to the movies to see Fining Nemo. The movies were very crowded and I was so scared for Mal to go because of all the people there. Her counts were still up so luckily she didn't get sick. After the movies we headed back home and she started feeling bad before we made it, but took medicine and we went made it back she just went to sleep. After she woke up she felt good and continued to feel good until we had to go back in the hospital on the following Wednesday for the second half of this round. By then her counts were starting to drop, but she still felt good. She would sleep 13 or 14 hrs and then stay up the rest of the day. She was eating so she felt good. On Wednesday when we had to go back to the hospital, they called us around 9:30a.m. and told us we could come in around 1 or so. Well, Mal got up and started playing with some girls at the RM House and didn't want to go so I called and they said ok they would be expecting us around 5. Well, we finally made it just before shift change at 7:00. The nurses said they were going to send out a search party. lol They moved us into the Bone Marrow unit. It is different from the other rooms, there are more restrictions on visitors and the air in all the rooms back here is filtered. I don't know if they moved us back here because there were no more regular rooms on this floor or because they wanted to try something different. The other two kids that have AML and are on the same protocol as Mal that have gone before us have gotten pneumonia on this round. Kristen's mom said that they put us back here to see if the air will make any difference in getting sick. Don't know if that's it of what, but Thank God she hasn't gotten pneumonia. She has really felt good, just waiting for her counts to come back up again. They have put her on high blood pressure medicine for now because her pressure will not stay down. It is not outrageous, but the doc said he wanted to put her on it for a while. Her platelets were pretty good a couple of days ago and then they just bottomed out. She had blood in her urine and got blood blisters in her mouth. They checked her CBC and she only had 150, that's really low. Normal people have between 150 thousand and 450 thousand. They gave her platelets this morning, and she has been really tired today. I almost forgot about her B-Day. The beginning of last week they gave her platelets and then the Doc told her that she could have a pass to get out of the hospital for a party at the RM House. So on Saturday they gave her 2 bags of blood and let her out of the hospital for a 6 HR pass. I went to the Rm House and made her and Rusty a cake and decorated for them. They really had a good time. By the way, Rusty's birthday was 14th and Mal's was the 15th. Mal finally came back Saturday night at 11:50p.m. She was exhausted, but had fun. I will send some pic. Well, that is all I know for now, just waiting and taking it day by day. Love Ya Cindy 1st pic is Malerie with presents 2nd pic is Malerie and her mom 3rd pic is Malerie with others in hospital PREVIOUS UPDATES Current Updates Page 2 Page 1