Day 78----Hooray!

April 16th, 2012

Abdi continues to do exceedingly well and today was discharged from clinic by Dr. Bashir!!!! We now only go to the doctor once per week and we no longer require IV supplementation. Amazing to say the least. Miraculous! We are scheduled for a survivorship class this week which will inform us further of additional restrictions such as foods, environmental precautions, immunizations, etc. We are hopeful to be released to Knoxville at the 100th day post transplant! Thank you for all of your love and support to Abdi and our family.

Day 65

April 5th, 2012

Tears of joy are flowing since we received the results of the bone marrow.....no leukemia cells remaining in the blood or bone marrow and he is completely donor cells. Miraculous and beyond words.

Day 67

April 5th, 2012

abdi continues to do very, very well. we have been told we only  need to do our outpatient clinic visits two days per week now and the other days we do his iv fluids at home ourselves. today to celebrate this new beginning for abdi we went to pick up traditional persian food from a   favorie iranian restaurant here. the flowers are in bloom and goregous and a fantastic way to begin our new year. thank you so much for all the love and support you have shown abdi.

Day 61

March 26th, 2012

abdi is continuing to do very well since being discharged from the hospital. while we have many restrictions to adhere to these are only minor inconvienences. abdi had a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration on last friday. results will take approximately one week. dr. bashir is hoping that all leukemia cells are gone and that all of the cells are only from the donor. abdi is now only required to come to the outpatient clinic three days per week and then we do his iv fluids on the off days at our apartment. once again we would like to thank you for all of the support, kindness and love as we have traveled onthis unbeleiveble journey. just a few more miles to walk.

Day 51

March 18th, 2012

doing great and continuing to get plumper with every day. you can now see his beautiful dimples when he smiles. as noruz or the beginning of spring is upon us we celebrate and are forever thankful for this new rebirth.

Day 48

March 12th, 2012

giving thanks to god for again in clinic our lab values continued to climb and some areas actually are now in the normal range. miraculous.....whoever does not believe...........

Day 45

March 12th, 2012

home in the apartment, persian food from our favorite restaurant in houston, and with a very good new friend....our favorite nurse of all time.....miss loni.

Day 46

March 10th, 2012

We are now discharged and receiving outpatient services daily. Yesterday at clinic Abdi's white blood cell count was 11 !!!!! Now we are needing to taper off of the steroids little by little, but thank god we are forever blessed with our miracle.

day 44

March 8th, 2012

we were finally able to be discharged yesterday and today we started daily appointments as an outpatient. it felt great. we are forever blessed by this new beginning. we know that this part of the journey may too have hurdles to overcome but we are living proof that with faith anything is possible.

day 42

March 6th, 2012

we have just been given the news of the gvhd infection is all gone, the cells in abdi are all the donor cells, he has been disconnected from all ivs and is taking everything orally. nausea is far, far better and anticipating discharge tomorrow morning to outpatient services. it is miraculous to say the least. while the journey continues to be a long path, we have passed the critical miles and praying to rally the remainder of the way. god has forever blessed us by sparing abdi and we are humbled by his gift. we also would like to thank everyone again for their continued prayers, support and love.

Day 41

March 5th, 2012

We are absolutely elated with the miraculous healing we have witnessed for Abdi June. God has truly blessed AJ and our family! Today Abdi's white blood cell count was 4.7 and normal range begins at 4.0. Miraculous!

We still have an incredibly long journey before total healing, and the path may be filled with many "bumps" along the way, but today we are forever blessed.

working hard

March 2nd, 2012

my hero working hard, truly an inspiration to me.

Day 38

March 2nd, 2012

 The biopsy results came back yesterday and showed an infection called graft Versus Host Disease, gvhd. While this is very common in allogenic transplants our risk of using 2 unrelated cord blood donors was much higher.  This infection can  also run rampid throughout the body and be indicative of losing the transplant. Once again we have been blessed because for us the infection was contained to Abdi's gut (upper gi tract) and had not moved down through the bowel, on his skin, in his eyes or to his brain! He was started on high doses of iv and oral steroids and so far has done well tolerating these medications. He has gained 1.5 pounds back and when one of our favorite nurses came by to visit with him yesterday,  she teased with him that he is plumping back up and is becomming a little fatty, he laughed:).  Music to my ears!

day 35

February 28th, 2012

the procedure was delayed due to scheduling so is to be done today as soon as they are able to get enough platelets transfused to meet the threshold for safety since biopsies will be taken. we had the medicines changed back to primarily iv, so yesterday the nausea and vomiting was far better controlled. the new doctor that came on inpatient rotation yesterday was actually the doctor that did our harvesting of the bone marrow and she is wonderful. additionally another member of the team is a physician that we started with in the very beginning of this journey. god definitely has placed these people in our path because after making a few changes to the plan for abdi he is beginning to feel a little better. in fact he gained one pound and for someone that lost twenty six pounds in two weeks, well, this is miraculous.

day 33

February 26th, 2012

in anticpation of discharge the doctors had switched most of his medications over from iv to oral. however abdi still is suffering from extreme nausea and vomiting and the oral nausea medications do not work and even the iv anti nausea medicines are losing their effect. consequently abdi will be having an endoscopy tomorrow to rule out any other involvments such as graft versus host disea, gvhd.  please keep this family close in your hearts.

Day 28

February 21st, 2012

it is official.....abdi has engrafted after his transplant.  his lab values  are still very low which means he is at serious risk for other types of infections . we are still struggling with extreme nausea and vomiting inspite of the medications he is receiving, but the pain is lessening a little.  thank you all for liifting us up in prayer.

day 23

February 16th, 2012

today the white blood cells haven risen a little higher again from yesterday which is very encouraging. the pain in the throat is still immense but swallowing of soft bland foods is virtually fine................faith can give us the courage to face the uncertainties of the future.

day 21

February 15th, 2012

what a wonderful valentine gift..........abdi drank three sips of water today without any coughing or problems swallowing. little by little the white blood count is rising also.

day 19

February 12th, 2012

these past few days have been very challenging for abdi, but as always , he keeps pushing himself a little more every day. therese said that he is needing to be supplemented with blood products regularly because his blood levels are critically low. he has been batteling high fevers, swelling of his eyes and hands, and extreme pain still in his mouth and throat.  abdi has had great difficulty with swallowing and eating and drinking has been impossible. once again this couple rallies. therese began researching herself different strategies to try that would help abdi with eating. well as of today he is now eating soft foods without coughing or hiccuping and the amount of food he has been eating has also increased dramatically. he is now also feeling terrible pain in all of the major bones in his body.  abdi said it feels like all of his bones are being squeezed. when discussing this with their nuse today, thhey learned that this type of pain we want because it could be an indicator that engraftment is trying to establish. please continue to keep this wonderful couple in your hearts.  thank you,  elham ansari

day 15 update-continued

February 8th, 2012

inspite of it all, abdi and therese continue with their exercise routines. struggling with dysphagia on top of everything else has been challenging, however therese and abdi have two very good friends that are speech pathologists/oral motor feeding specialists so they have been providing resource information for thickening foods, size of bolus, rate of feeding etc. and therese said they are making a tiny bit of progress.

day 15

February 8th, 2012

aj is now day fifteen after transplant and his pain is still immense, but as you know , this gentleman never complains. the blood levels continue to fluctuate and blood product supplementation is necessary, but they have been assurred by their doctor that all of these things that aj and therese are struggling with now are normal for where they are in the transpplant cycle. they still have another week at least before signs of engraftment will occur. cord blood stem cell transplants take much longer for engrafting because the cells are so pure, but the trade off of other side effects like infection are far less. please continue to keep aj in your hearts and lift him up  for continued strength.  thank you, elham ansari

day 9

February 2nd, 2012

abdi continues to be extremely burdened with painful lesions all throughout his mouth, throat, g. i. track etc. while feeding and swallowing has become less than enjoyable due to this pain, abdi continues to try. the white blood cell count is at o.o still and so monitoring for infection is critical. fortunately, abdi and therese continue to be blessed .......no infections, no feversno reactions, and able to exercise.  every day therese and abdi are diligent with exercising and when they do  their laps on the floor they get one of these stickers  for being moving and motivated.  second week in a row, abdi was champion.  thank you for supporting our friends. elham ansari

Ecoli infection is gone!

January 31st, 2012

the doctor said that the ecoli infection is gone, however she will contiue to draw blood cultures for a few days to make sure all is clear before a new central line will be inserted. thank you again for all the support you have given our two best friends, elham ansari.

sweet dreams!

January 31st, 2012

after a busy morning of walking and walking, and exercisinf and working on feeding, abby is resting comfortably and taking a much needed nap.  he is not dreaming of sugar plums dancing in his head but kabobs instead.

one of the many Angels on our floor

January 31st, 2012

here is miss patience......one of the many angels of mercy working with abby on the floor.

update for day seven

January 31st, 2012

while we still have a long road to walk before we are able to get home to our friends and our family, today is the last day for this active website for abby. we will be able to keep posting updates on him through this site, however it will show closed.  we want to thank everyone so very much for all the love, concern, prayers, friendship, devotion, etc. while we are still in an uphill climb, we are forever blessed with the help from heaven above..........all our love, abby and therese

one of the best nurses ever

January 29th, 2012

this nurse is one of a kind.....every day, even if not assigned to abdi and therese, she takes time out of her day to check on them. 

fighting back

January 29th, 2012

aj fighting back inspite of the pain. here we go doing our laps around the nurses station. once an overachiever, always an overachiever.

day five after transplant

January 29th, 2012

the pain pump seems to be working better for aj  and he was able to get  a few sound hours of sleep . he lost his beautiful hair last night, but as therese said....he is still goregous. dr. b. came to see them this morning and told them that the final clood culture and sensitivity results came back, and aj had ecoli growing in his previous central line. fortunately, aj has been on five different antibiotics since that time, and no other infection seems to be growing.  he has been fever free for three days, and does not require any blood product supplemenation today. aj and therese remain diligent in their walking, exercies and breathing routines and dr. b. is very pleased with the progress aj is making to date. today aj was able to swallow and in fact ate a few spoonfuls of yogurt without excruciating pain.  monday aj is expected to have his new subclavian central line inserted, although this time they are not sure if it will be done under anesthesia or simply in his room.  we are praying for continued comfort, healing, and strength for aj.

brief update

January 27th, 2012

i just spoke with therese and learned that abdi is now receiving a strong pain medication every four hours to try and relieve the horrific pain he is due to his mouth and throat ulcers. abdi didnt want to take it previously because it makes him sleep but at least he is able to sleep a little now.  the other thing now is this pain medication can also cause nausea/vomiting so they may need to add additional anti nausea medications for him.  he cannot talk, swallow, or needless to say eat at this point.  through it all he remains the beautiful abdi we have had the pleasure of knowing.......therese taught him some of the signs she uses with her children when she was working, and she told me that abdi is forever telling her thank you.  the strenght this man has and the love that the two of them share is so incredibly rare.......it is inspirational to our family. please continue to keep abdi in your thoughts to help him get through this phase of the cycle quickly.  thank you, elham ansari.

approaching day three after transplant

January 26th, 2012

the doctor determined that the source of infection for abdi was his subclavian central line. therefore the iv team pulled that line and placed two additionals in his arms to allow him to receive his medications and blood transfusions.  he is still in significant pain in his mouth and throat from all of the ulcerations, and is having a very difficult time swallowing. they hooked up an oral suction machine for him to help get rid of the excess secretions since swallowing bothers him so much. he still is sweet abdi and therese said he is forever thanking people as they help him, standing up as the doctors come in the room and worrying about therese, getting rest, etc. the good news is that they found the source of his infection and fevers and now they can start anew, and they are approaching day three of the cycle.  thank you, elham ansari

second day after transplant

January 26th, 2012

last nite was very rough for abdi and he ended up being placed in an ice bed to bring down his extremely high fever and chills. however when i spoke with them this morning, they both said, it is over and today is a new day. lab values again have hit the bottom threshold and so abdi will be receiving both blood and platelet transfusions today. the cultures that were sent off last night will not have any preliminary results until after several hours today, however his chest xray came back clear and no pneumonia. they have already been doing theiir exercises, etc. for the day and they are pushing forward.  they are so fortunate to have such a wonderful and empathetic physician such as dr. bashir.  please continue to keep abdi in your thoughts and prayers during this journey.  thank you, elham ansari

first day after transplant

January 25th, 2012

today is the first day after our cord blood stem cell transplant. the side effects have hit abdi very hard to say the least. lab values came back today even lower than yesterday so he has absolutely no ability to fight infection and his platelets are so low he is now at risk for internal bleeding. he has ulcerations all through his mouth and down his throat and the pain is immense. determined to win, abdi and therese  got up and walked all around the floor, and then came back to the room for a nap.  please continue to keep abdi in your prayers for strength and healing. thank you so much, elham ansari.

the transplant is completed

January 24th, 2012

transplant is completed.  now we wait for the new cells to take over. come on baby cells....grow...grow...grow

the transplant in progress

January 24th, 2012

the liquid gold infusion

the beginning of the transplant

January 24th, 2012

here is the physician that was sent by god to  heal aj.......dr. bashir.   there were two cord blood stem cell bags used today for the transplant. aj did very well tolerating the infusions without any reactions. now we wait for the baby cells to take over. before the transplant abdi and therese took part in a blessing of the cells ceremony with the chaplain, and prayed that the families of these two  donated cord blood units would also receive blessings of good health throughout their lives.  we would like to thank everyone for all of their prayers, love, and support for abdi during this journey. 

finished total body radiation

January 23rd, 2012

today was a scarey day undergoing the total body radiation. well, it is over and we are thankful. so far the medication for the side effects seems to be working, so we are feeling fairly well.  we were prescribed some new medicines to counteract the painful mouth ulcers we have developing. lab values are very low now and so we are receiving blood supplementation today. tomorrow is the day of the transplant so we ask for everyone to please keep abdi in your prayers that he is able to tolerate the transplant well tomorrow without any dangerous reactions during this process.  thank you all so much.

day -3

January 21st, 2012

today is day -3 of the journey.  today the doctor started the anti-rejection medications for abdi. monday is the day of total body radiation and tuesday, aj's new birthday, will be the day of the cord stem cell infusion!  as you can only imagine, aj and therese are anxious to say the least, but to coin their words, 'the alternative to the transplant is not appealing'.  aj received an award yesterday from the head nurse,  for being the patient that walked the most during the week. once an overachiever, always an overachiever l:)   please continue to keep aj in your heart  on monday and tuesday during these procedures. thank you so much, elham ansari

only five days till transplant and new birthday

January 19th, 2012

only five more days until the transplant.  things are much improved since my last notation.  the doctor changed  the medication frequency and now the nausea and vomiting has been far better controlled. abdi and therese have been completing their pt and ot exercise class and daily requirements of breathing exercises, etc.  therese has started to decorate their room with pictures and photographs of family and friends, to keep everyone close in their hearts.  if you have a photograph and would like to send it to them you can send it to their email address     zaltash@tds.net.  i am sure they would love to add you to their wall.  monday is total body  radiation and tuesday is the transplant so if you would please keep our dear friends in your hearts.  thank you, elham ansari

pushing forward

January 16th, 2012

abdi has done very well with the treatments thus far, but the biggest challenge is the nausea and vomiting.  his positive attitude remains strong and he tries to do all of his myriad of exercises throughout each day.

last day of chemo

January 14th, 2012

today is the last day for chemo. this series of drugs was quite challenging for abdi but still he triumphed.  what an inspiration to us all. i know the next time i feel like complaining, i will remember the strength this couple has and the love that they share.  thank you, elham ansari

second day of chemo for transplant

January 12th, 2012

today is the second day of the chemo in preparation for transplant. the morning was very rough to say the least, but thank heaven, the doctors were able to find a combination that worked for aj and he is now feeling better.  we walked so far on the floor this morning that we got lost. as an engineer and over achiever , he has developed a plan  of order for his exercises, etc. and he is determined to meet those goals or even exceed the targeted goals.  inspirational to say the least.

to be admitted tomorrow

January 9th, 2012

abdi will be admitted tomorrow to begin the intensive chemo therapy, later total body radiation and then the transplant. every day will be a critical day so please keep our best friends close to your heart. we will update as we hear news from therese. thank you, elham ansari

inspirational

January 5th, 2012

pushing forward....counting down the days till admission for transplant.

test driving chemo protocal drugs

January 5th, 2012

today abdi is completing a study that will determine if he can tolerate the chemo medications. thwill be drawing blood levels  every hour to watch the fluidity of the drug throughout his body.  they need to determine the maximum dose he can tolerate without becoming toxic or having a seizure. the strength this gentleman has is inspirational and the love they share is a gift. thank you for supporting this couple. 

visiting with old friends

January 3rd, 2012

we were delighted to visit with serge and marjan last week and it was wonderful to sit around, tell jokes and see abdi june laughing.

harvesting of bone marrow

January 3rd, 2012

i just spoke with therese and she sent me this picture of  of abdi preparing for the bone marrow harvesting being done this morning. this is only being done as a precautiion plan should the cord blood transplant not engraft. while meeting with the anesthesiologist and chatting about heritage, etc. the doctor mentioned that her husband is also iranian.  long story short, after visiting with abdi and therese, the physician asked for their cell number and then gave therese her own cell phone number so they could call and get together.  amazing. this is a very special couple and i just ask that you continue to keep them in your hearts as they walk this journey. 

one week closer to cord transplant

January 1st, 2012

come on baby cords......do your stuff. this is another very busy week for abdi and therese.  they  are putting all of the finishing touches in place for the clinical trial and have a few more procedures to endure and harvesting of the bone marrow is one of them. the doctor explained it to them as being similar to the bone marrow aspirate, except for the harvesting, the doctor will do approximately one hundred aspirations....wow.  consequently this is being done under anesthesia on tuesday.  please continue to keep these two in your hearts.  thank you so much, elham ansari

moving forward

December 29th, 2011

today abdi had his picc iv line removed and had his subclavian iv put in.  we are moving forward and getting closer for the transplant.  he is in quite a bit of pain from the procedure, but was able to drift off to sleep.  one step at a time..............  please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.

cutting his beautiful hair

December 28th, 2011

here is the after picture for aj.........no more curls but, still goregous

cutting hair

December 28th, 2011

in preparation for transplant here is aj before with his curls........

preparing for harvesting of bone marrow from aj

December 25th, 2011

the week has been one filled wiith test after test in preparation for the upcoming stem cell transplant.  the target date is the tenth of january if all goes well. abdi underwent another bone marrow biopsy this week to determine if he is still in remission. he also underwent a full body ct scan and checking for lymphoma. additionally the treatment plan for his transplant changed and now is including a higher dose of chemotherapy and total body irradication radiation. while they are both frightened, therese reminded me today of a song that was sung to here by a little fellow she used to serve........faith, faith, faith, have a little faith.

game on

December 20th, 2011

we will be hitting the ground running beginning this morning.  we have appointments for aj almost every thirty minutes to an hour for the next two weeks between anestheisia, harvesting his own bone marrow cells, changing the placement of his central line, etc.   we are so blessed to have this option for abdi june and while we are in the toughest fight of our life, we know if anyone can accomplish this feat it will be abdi june.  he is the most determined man and has the sweetest soul to boot......the most perfect combination.  please keep him in your prayers and thank you for the love you provide to our family.

transplant update

December 19th, 2011

i just spoke with therese and she said that the transplant for abdi is a go.  this week abdi is scheduled to undergo many many tests every every day and on top of this they may need to change apartments again......as you can imagine they are very frightened and as therese said they are storming heaven at warp speed.  in talking with their coordinator for transplant they heard more specific detailed information about length and stregth of chemo drugs and once the process is initiated there is no turning back because with pursuing the transplant the existing bone marrow of abdi has to be completely destroyed.......therese and abdi wanted me to express their deepest gratitude to everyone first and foremost for all of the prayers and friendship and generous financial gifts.  as i hear more information i will pass it along to everyone.  i also would like to personally thank everyone for all of your kindness to our best friends.  thank you again, elham ansari

transplant approval

December 14th, 2011

it is official....today abdi received word from the case manager for cigna that the cord blood transplant, the particular clinical trial that was petitioned and the corresponding treatment plan have all been approved.  hoping to get the process started within the next two weeks.

christmas @mdacc

December 7th, 2011

things are moving along in houston for our christmas miracle......a stem cell transplant.  we are blessed that our transplant team has found two cord blood units of good volume for abdi june.  pending insurance approval, we should be proceeding with the transplant in approximately four weeks. the first step is intensive chemotherapy to destroy all of our existing bone marrow. then the transfusion of stem cells, and then pray, watch, and wait for the new cells to latch on.  we will be inwill be inpatient for a minimum of thirty days, and then be in houston for one hundred days,checking blood work every day, etc. please keep aj in your prayers..

second round of chemo started

November 29th, 2011

blood values took a little longer to rally this cycle, but today abdi was able to get his second round of chemo started.  they received word from the transplant team that the two cord blood units have finished with the hla typing requirements and pending additional insurance approval, the transplant should proceed in approximately four to six weeks.  now we need to storm heaven for this next bunch of hurdles.

happy thanksgiving

November 26th, 2011

still waiting on the blood to return to the necessary level so that the second round of consolidation chemo can be done...............the doctor feels that the underlying myelodysplastic syndrome, mds, is the reason the blood is taking longer to recover. still this was the best thanksgiving holiday to date because abdi was out of the hospital, in the apartment with therese, and in remission.

reaquainting with an old friend

November 16th, 2011

since our lab values were still low, our second consolidation chemotherapy was delayed. we are hoping to be admitted next monday for chemo.  we had the pleasure of learning that a dear old friend and classmate lives in houston, so we had a wonderful evening relaxing and laughing

aj working

November 14th, 2011

here is aj returning work related voice mails, while waiting to have our follow up appointment with dr. ravandi.  if the blood work is high enough we might get admitted today for the second round of consolidation chemo, while the transplant preparation is underway.  please continue to storm heaven for his continued remission and cure from his leukemia.

free at last

November 13th, 2011

here is a picture of abdi, while he was still in his isolation room in september.  notice anything different..........he is free from mrs. iv.

friends

November 13th, 2011

therese and abdi received a great gift ......two wonderful friends came to visit,  and truley lifted their spirits while abdi was still in his isolation room in september.

lab results slow to recover

November 10th, 2011

lab results are still being very slow to recover so they have given aj three booster shots to see if the blood levels can come up to safe enough levles for the second round of chemo. the stem cell transplant preparation has been initiated and praying we can get the transplant done within a month.  we must continue to be in remission before the transplant can be performed. we are storming heaven.

AJ and Miss Angel

November 10th, 2011

this is a favorite nurse of ours.....miss angel.  her smile and eyes are always so bright. she has fifty six angels that she wears on her labcoat.

at the beginning of the journey @ mdacc

November 8th, 2011

here we go............

gearing up for next round

November 8th, 2011

getting ready to be readmitted for second round.......counts too low so need to wait a little longer

getting reaquainted

November 8th, 2011

spending more time with mrs iv

AJ and his friend

November 8th, 2011

while alone in isolation, aj became very friendly with mrs iv

another friend @ mdacc

November 8th, 2011

this patient advocate has been another gift to us while undergoing treatment

first stop........persian restaurant

November 8th, 2011

soltani @ the apartment....mahmahn

dress up day @ mdacc

November 8th, 2011

here is our transplant coordinator on dress up day for halloween.

visiting with old friends

November 8th, 2011

good times with serge and arsalan

AJ's Transplant Coordinator, Miss Kate

November 8th, 2011

we met with miss kate and dr bashir today and made a decision to move forward with the stem cell transplant.  pending insurance paperwork requirements, et. ol., the process should be started within the next month or two, so we ask for a storming of heaven please.