To All My Dear Friends

(This is a copy of a card Jody posted at her domicile... She wanted her friends to know why she was not working... In case they had not heard.)

I am sorry I never had the chance to say good-bye to you. I miss all of you very much.

On February 17th, I was diagnosed with a blood cancer named Myelofibrosis. Then on February 20th, while getting ready for a 4 day trip, I developed a severe stomach pain. My husband, Tom, said “You are not going to work”. I was rushed to the hospital with an obstructed bowel, which required emergency surgery. Between February 24th, when I got out of the hospital for the first time, and the first of June I was admitted two more times. Both times were for blood clots and pneumonia caused by my oral chemo drugs, which I was taking for my disease.

I am feeling a lot better now, but I am in need of a Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant as soon as possible, before my disease progresses to Acute Leukemia. Fortunately, an international donor was found and I am scheduled to enter the hospital on July the 22nd, at which time I will start high dose chemo in preparation for the stem cell transplant. The transplant will be on the 28th or 29th of July if all goes well.

I will be admitted into Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in downtown Denver and will probably be there until the first of September. When I can come home, my husband will be my caregiver for the next one-hundred days, while I rebuild my immune system. I can receive visitors as long as they are healthy and take certain precautions. My husband must be with me 24/7 and can only leave me for forty-five minutes at a time.

Hopefully, after the first one-hundred days my immune system will start to improve. I will still have to remain out of public places for up to one-year except for weekly doctor appointments.

I’d love to see all of you and look forward to hearing from you soon!! One year is going to be a long time to be away from my friends and colleagues!!
________________________________________


Contact information:
Home: (303) 862-9373
Cell: (973) 698-7794


5838 Biscay Street
Denver, Colorado 80249


Presbyterian/St Luke Hospital
1719 E. 19th Ave.
Denver, CO 80218
Please no flowers… I am in a sterile environment…