Her Daughter's Wedding

"A couple of weeks ago, Margaret enjoyed seeing her daughter Jessica married. The informal outdoor ceremony was held at our home, followed by a gathering of extended family & friends. The newlywed couple is shown above left. The photo above right shows (L to R) Margaret's son Dylan, daughter Erin, son-in-law Andres, daughter Jessica, Margaret, and me (husband Ken). I think every parent wants to be there when a daughter is married, and because of the excellent medical care Margaret received in her battles against cancer and leukemia, she was able to experience this wonderful moment in Jessica's life."

-Ken

Half a Year (And More) After Transplant

Posts to this blog are few anymore, because Margaret's recovery continues to go well. Not much negative news to note regarding her post-transplant recovery from leukemia, thank God.

She continues to see the bone marrow transplant medical team every three weeks on an outpatient basis, and they monitor her blood chemistry and lab work. She appears to be fully recovered to the casual observor, but of course, she still has more recovery milestones to reach. She does have some continuing host-versus-graft transplant issues that are being dealt with, but they are minor at this point. Her immune system is becoming more robust but she still has to have a full set of immunizations once her physician considers her able to handle the downside effects of immunizations. A facemask is still appropriate for some situations, but not nearly as often as it was back in October.

She requested an evaluation on whether she could return to work for the 2008-2009 school year beginning in July, and her doctor said that she should not return to the classroom environment environment for several more months, perhaps another year. The Cartwright school board approved the extension to her medical leave of absence, so they are hoping she does return, perhaps the following school year.

Still, she is doing fine and enjoying life. She takes nothing for granted. Thought you might want to have an occasional update.

Autumn Aspens in the Arizona Highcountry

"On Wednesday, Margaret enjoyed a visit to see the fall colors of the aspen groves at the 8,000 foot elevation of the forests near Flagstaff, Arizona. It has been a long, sometimes frightening road from the intensive care unit to this point in her recovery from leukemia. There are still challenges for her: host v. graft issues, susceptability to infection, and physical weakness that prevents her from doing many everyday activities. But she is growing stronger and recovering well. This trip literally took her to a higher place, with much spiritual and emotional renewal. She said that she wanted to just RUN up the trail shown here. That shows how much energy she can muster in such wonderful surroundings." -Ken

Montezuma Castle National Monument

"The ancient ruins of a cliff dwelling called Montezuma Castle provide a backdrop of this photo of Margaret and her bone marrow donor (her brother Raymond). The pre-Colombian Sinagua people lived in this canyon until about 600 years ago, farming and nourishing themselves on crops grown along the stream below. Several times, when walking up to the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center to visit Margaret during her long in-patient treatment, I had the impression that the hospital was a cliff dwelling like this, a high secure place where people could be protected from approaching threats. If you look at the hospital images shown on earlier posts on this blog, you may see what I mean." -Ken

Oak Creek Canyon

Margaret's reward for her patience while undergoing treatment during the past several months was a short visit to Oak Creek Canyon, near Sedona, Arizona. A peaceful, healing place to relax and listen to water, feel the fresh breeze, and enjoy the redrock vistas...

A Visit to Sedona

The photo at left shows Margaret with her brother Raymond and his wife Sally. The location is Tlaquepaque, in Sedona, Arizona.

Outdoors in the Coconino National Forest

On Wednesday, Margaret made her first road trip since her leukemia diagnosis and hospitalization. She explored the highlands of northern Arizona about 20 miles from the City of Flagstaff. During the 1970s, she had attended Northern Arizona University there, so her fondness for the cool pine forests on the slopes of the San Francisco peaks led her to return for a brief period this week.