JanAndBill
Well-known member
Not sure this is the right section, if not hopefully the moderators will move it to the appropriate section. Some of our closer Heartland friends were aware that the better half of the JanAndBill duo (Janet) was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (an incurable cancer of the blood) in 2009. Though small in stature she is one of the hardest most determined fighters you'll ever meet. Through multiple Chemo treatments and ever more aggressive protocols she's been able to keep it suppressed to a level that was bearable. Unfortunately the conventional treatments couldn't keep up. Since December of 2015 she has been in preparation for a Stem Cell transplant to up the game in the fight. Though still not a cure the hope is that it will drive the cancer back into submission again. In 2011 she went through a difficult stem cell harvest. Those cells have been frozen since then as an insurance policy. On July 5th we started the month long process at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. Emory has one of the top doctors in the country for this particular cancer. This past Sunday she was given the "Death Star" chemo that essentially kills everything in the blood good and bad. It's a short acting drug though so by Tuesday it had cleared her system and the we're able to reinfuse her thawed out stem cells. The stem cells are the seed that will rebuild all the good cells in the blood. Without them to reseed she would never have survived the Chemo. Though it sounds simple it's a delicate dance as the cells she needs in the blood to live continue to die, while the stem cells work to regenerate new. During the next few days she will descend to a very dangerous place for infections, side effects and stress on her organs, before coming out the other side. To the many Heartland members we've met out there, your prayers for her during this difficult time will be greatly appreciated.
