Hi Everyone,
Erica's alma mater, Occidental College will be hosting an event in Erica's honor on Friday, January 30th at Occidental College. This event is open to all of Erica's friends and family, regardless if they have any connection to Oxy. Please see the letter of invitation below for more details. If you would like to attend, please either respond via e-mail at alumni@oxy.edu or call the Alumni Office at 323-259-2601.
Hope to see many of you there!
Jamie
Dear Alumni and Friends of Erica,
As many of you know, the Oxy family suffered a huge loss on December 4, 2008 when Erica Murray '01, former assistant director of alumni relations, passed away in Menlo Park. Because Erica's passing has touched so many in the Oxy community, and because there is so much to celebrate about her wonderful life, the Alumni Association will host a special Celebration of Life program for her. Please join us when we will come together to celebrate Erica's life and to give thanks for the many gifts that she was able to share with so many members of the Oxy family. Whether you knew Erica personally and counted her as a friend (and was there anyone she ever met who did not immediately consider her a friend?!) or only knew Erica through her blog (http://ericamurray.blogspot.com/) or from the story in the alumni magazine, we hope that you can join us on Friday, January 30 in Keck Theater. We'll begin with a reception at 4:00 p.m. in the lobby and then, at 5:00 p.m., we'll move into the theater for a short program when we will celebrate Erica's life, share some happy memories and give thanks for the amazing life that she led. We have also made arrangements for the Oxy flag to be flown at half-mast on Friday in Erica's honor. So that we can plan properly, we'd be very grateful if you could please let us know by Tuesday, January 27 whether or not you plan to attend. Simply reply to this email message or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 323.259.2601. We'd also be grateful if you could please forward this email on to other people that would like to attend so that as many people as possible will know about it. We look forward to the possibility of seeing you on Friday, January 30 at Keck Theater.
With best wishes.
Jim
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Fundraising for Erica's Documentary
Many people have asked me how they can help during this difficult time. Although I'm not sure there's much anyone can do in the way of easing the sadness, I will admit that everyone's support and love makes me so proud that even after Erica's death, she still manages to touch so many lives.
There is a family that lives in Sacramento, CA that was touched by Erica story without ever personally meeting her. They have decided to host the aforementioned fundraiser that will directly benefit the documentary that Naomi and Erica worked on together. Now, Naomi will continue the project to its fruition, but is asking for help from anyone who is able to donate to the cause.
Please click on the picture above to enlarge the text.
If you would like to donate, please visit: http://www.globalnarratives.org/donate.html
Feel free to explore their blog at: http://www.wucrew3.blogspot.com/
With so much love,
Jaci
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Eulogy by Jamie Murphy
"Hi Everyone,
When Jaci first talked to me about doing this, my biggest fear was standing up here before you and not being able to get these words out. But after Erica passed, my fear changed. I wasn’t nervous anymore about standing here and crying, I was nervous about finding the right words. It’s enough pressure for anyone to eulogize their friend, but to do it for a woman who always had the right words – whose eloquence, creativity and wit were evident to everyone she came in contact with – is a truly daunting task. Whenever I was at a loss for words, whenever I needed help with grammar and punctuation, whenever I needed a Scrabble triple-word-score worthy word, I always turned to Erica. And here I am now, left to my own devices, so E . . . let’s hope you taught me well. Here it goes.
Erica, E, EJ, Murray 1, Reekie, Beek and always her favorite . . . Erica…names for an extraordinary woman who I have always been, and will forever be, so honored to call my best friend. [Note from Jamie: The former “Erica” is pronounced the way Erica pronounced her name (with the emphasis on the 2nd syllable), while the ladder “Erica” is pronounced the traditional way (with the emphasis on the 1st syllable). Clearly, the joke loses something when reduced to writing!] I could stand here before you today and talk about Erica’s compassion, her intelligence, her sense of humor, her smile, her sparkling eyes, her incredible love for her family and friends. But these are things you all already know. So my job now is to tell you a few things about Erica you may not know.
Like how Erica’s closest friends throughout her life were just the right combination of alike and different. Erica was one of those very rare and special people who enjoyed the company and friendship of people who didn’t always share her views or who said things she would never say herself. For instance she often times left it to me to make an inappropriate, politically incorrect joke while she laughed and shook her head at me all at the same time.
Or how, before her days of hob-knobbing with other over-achieving, international do-gooders at Fletcher, Erica was a rugby-playing English major at Oxy. And before that, she graced the halls of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Santa Maria where she swam, was homecoming princess, and worked at Hot Dog on a Stick . . . oh that’s right . . . Hot Dog on a Stick . . . sorry E.
Or how she’s a canuck! That’s right, she was born in Canada. Her Mom Judy lovingly described Erica’s birth on the blog that Erica kept as a way of sharing her journey over the past few years. In the post written on Erica’s 29th birthday, Judy wrote of her baby girl:
“At precisely 7:47, 29 years ago, the sweetest most beautiful baby girl arrived in West Vancouver British Columbia. She was the cutest little baby weighing in at 6lbs 10 oz with the most engaging smile ever. Today, this same lovely little baby has metamorphosized into a wonderfully strong, intelligent, inspiring and beautiful young woman.”
Another thing you may have not known about Erica is that her favorite city in the world was Paris. Up until about a year ago, she always said that she didn’t have a favorite city, but sometime recently (and I think I know why), that changed, and she said she knew that she would always feel at home there. So, the next time you are in Paris, please think of Erica. Visit a museum for her. Sit at an outdoor café, sip espresso, and people watch for her. Try speaking French at the risk of being laughed at . . . and when that happens, laugh too because you know Erica would have been proud of you.
Erica once said to me that she felt like she was a jack of all trades but a master of none. She knew she was talented and creative but didn’t feel like she excelled at any one thing. But I beg to differ. Erica was truly a master of human relationships. She had the most amazing ability to make everyone she came in contact with feel like her best friend. And she made friends to the very end. She was naturally the most welcoming and friendly person I have ever known, and she brought together people from around the world as her friends. Very shortly after Erica was first diagnosed she created a top ten list of the best things about having cancer . . . leave it to Erica to find the bright side of having cancer ;) The number one thing on her list was bringing her loved ones together. She said: “I love it when people from different segments of my life have the opportunity to meet and get to know one another. Jamie called it my ‘elf on the wall’ trick (the joke sort of deriving from me being the obvious elephant in the room, but trying to be like a fly on the wall), but many hours of each day were spent in a semi-snooze listening to my Mom get to know my friends, or my sister get to know my graduate school colleagues, or a friend from Japan getting to know a friend from high school. I loved just listening to their precious voices and knowing they were there.” And Erica has accomplished this more than she will ever know. I realized yesterday that while I may have lost my best friend, I have gained another mother and another sister in Judy and Jaci.
To my Chinese mother Judy, thank you from everyone else who loved Erica for not only caring for her, but for us too. You shared your little girl with so many people, and we will forever be thankful to you for that gift.
And to Jaci…I know Erica told you constantly just how she felt about you, and I could go on and on about her love for you, which was clear to anyone who ever saw the two of you together. But I’m not going to, because it was SO evident to everyone in this room and because, honestly, I don’t think either of us could handle it. So all I am going to say, one last time for Erica, is “big wing.”
A few days before Erica passed, an anonymous Oxy staff member wrote one of the most beautiful posts I have read so far. The part that touched me the most was about Erica’s smile. The post read: “Her ability to take us along on the tragic and cruelly unfair journey she has been on these past few years, with grace, dignity, intelligence and humor is truly amazing. It speaks volumes about her strength, and her inner beauty that is matched so completely by that radiant smile she so often beams. I think it is her smile, immediately engaging, immediately inviting and immediately warm that radiates and gives you a sense of comfort in her presence. In Oxy staff meetings I would often look across the table and see that smile, matched equally by her intelligence and enthusiasm, and I would think to myself - wow, she is something.” I don't think I have ever known a more beautiful smile. I hope that none of us will ever forget that smile…I know I never will.
A week before Erica went into the hospital for the last time she asked me what I thought would happen to her after she passed away. At the time I gave a basic and reassuring answer in an effort to calm her and ease her fears. But when I think about it now, I like to think that Erica is now forever enjoying what would have been her ideal day here on Earth. She is with her Mom, Dad, Jaci, and Linda. She is surrounded by her aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends. Her days consist of a rotating schedule of crossword puzzles, card games, group reads, yoga, political debates and dim sum. Barak Obama is President for eternity, and not recycling is a crime punishable at law.
It was clear to me from very early in our friendship that Erica had a special combination of compassion, integrity, sense of humor, strength, morality, and world consciousness that very few people have. She made an immediate and lasting impact on whomever she met and encouraged those around her to strive to live life to the fullest.
Erica taught us all many things over the past few years. One of the things that I am most thankful to her for is teaching me the true meaning of the word “selfless”. I saw it everyday that I was with Erica. She was by far the most selfless person I have every known. She would do things for other people no matter how badly she didn’t want to just because she knew it would make them feel better.
One last thing that I want to mention was her sense of humor. The girl knew how to tell a joke, was always quick with a great come-back, and could find humor in just about anything in life. This was evident in most of Erica’s blog posts. The blog was created to give Erica’s loved ones updates on her health and treatment but quickly took on a life of it’s own. Some of her more creative and humorous posts over the past two years were her December 2007 “12 Days of Cancer” post and, my own personal favorite, her October 2008 missing I-phone post. My favorite part of that post being: “The search for the missing iPhone has been conducted in a professional and thorough manner. Amber alerts have been issued on the 101 and 280 freeways. Digital Voicemail-sniffing dogs scoured the patient units, the 3rd floor VIP room, the cafeteria, and the radiology ward, places EJ's Mobile's owner has frequented lately. As each hour passes, the owner has less hope that the mobile device will be found intact. ‘I have had it for about a year and half,’ the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. ‘I'm not sure how I will be able to fill the hole its absence has left in my purse.” The girl was funny!
Over the past few days I have been looking over old blog posts, e-mails, and letters from Erica, searching for some of her words. As you can imagine, I had an endless supply of poetic passages from Erica that I could have shared with you. But the words that I have chosen aren’t necessarily the most poetic, but the most poignant. In an e-mail from her to some of her closest friends on January 13th of this year (two weeks before she relapsed) she said:
“The first year of treatment was awful, the only specks of sunlight being the love you all showered on me. 2007 was a year marked by growing strength, growing hair, growing happiness. While undergoing treatment, I completed one year of my master's degree and managed, despite my family's and doctor's worries, to still do some of things I love, like traveling. Still, I'm not sure I can remember what it's like to be 100% pain free, to not be anticipating the next invasive needle, to not know which of the cocktail of drugs I'm on is causing today's particular pain. My optimism for 2008 is severely hedged by cautious anticipation of lingering side effects and, of course, relapse concern, but I still think that getting this far is worth a bit of a celebration.”
So that is what we will do for you today, my dear. We will celebrate your life, our love for you, and your love for us. We will laugh and smile and cry in your honor, and we will do it knowing how much fun you are having watching us. We love you, we miss you, and we will forever be better because of you. I love you E!"
When Jaci first talked to me about doing this, my biggest fear was standing up here before you and not being able to get these words out. But after Erica passed, my fear changed. I wasn’t nervous anymore about standing here and crying, I was nervous about finding the right words. It’s enough pressure for anyone to eulogize their friend, but to do it for a woman who always had the right words – whose eloquence, creativity and wit were evident to everyone she came in contact with – is a truly daunting task. Whenever I was at a loss for words, whenever I needed help with grammar and punctuation, whenever I needed a Scrabble triple-word-score worthy word, I always turned to Erica. And here I am now, left to my own devices, so E . . . let’s hope you taught me well. Here it goes.
Erica, E, EJ, Murray 1, Reekie, Beek and always her favorite . . . Erica…names for an extraordinary woman who I have always been, and will forever be, so honored to call my best friend. [Note from Jamie: The former “Erica” is pronounced the way Erica pronounced her name (with the emphasis on the 2nd syllable), while the ladder “Erica” is pronounced the traditional way (with the emphasis on the 1st syllable). Clearly, the joke loses something when reduced to writing!] I could stand here before you today and talk about Erica’s compassion, her intelligence, her sense of humor, her smile, her sparkling eyes, her incredible love for her family and friends. But these are things you all already know. So my job now is to tell you a few things about Erica you may not know.
Like how Erica’s closest friends throughout her life were just the right combination of alike and different. Erica was one of those very rare and special people who enjoyed the company and friendship of people who didn’t always share her views or who said things she would never say herself. For instance she often times left it to me to make an inappropriate, politically incorrect joke while she laughed and shook her head at me all at the same time.
Or how, before her days of hob-knobbing with other over-achieving, international do-gooders at Fletcher, Erica was a rugby-playing English major at Oxy. And before that, she graced the halls of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Santa Maria where she swam, was homecoming princess, and worked at Hot Dog on a Stick . . . oh that’s right . . . Hot Dog on a Stick . . . sorry E.
Or how she’s a canuck! That’s right, she was born in Canada. Her Mom Judy lovingly described Erica’s birth on the blog that Erica kept as a way of sharing her journey over the past few years. In the post written on Erica’s 29th birthday, Judy wrote of her baby girl:
“At precisely 7:47, 29 years ago, the sweetest most beautiful baby girl arrived in West Vancouver British Columbia. She was the cutest little baby weighing in at 6lbs 10 oz with the most engaging smile ever. Today, this same lovely little baby has metamorphosized into a wonderfully strong, intelligent, inspiring and beautiful young woman.”
Another thing you may have not known about Erica is that her favorite city in the world was Paris. Up until about a year ago, she always said that she didn’t have a favorite city, but sometime recently (and I think I know why), that changed, and she said she knew that she would always feel at home there. So, the next time you are in Paris, please think of Erica. Visit a museum for her. Sit at an outdoor café, sip espresso, and people watch for her. Try speaking French at the risk of being laughed at . . . and when that happens, laugh too because you know Erica would have been proud of you.
Erica once said to me that she felt like she was a jack of all trades but a master of none. She knew she was talented and creative but didn’t feel like she excelled at any one thing. But I beg to differ. Erica was truly a master of human relationships. She had the most amazing ability to make everyone she came in contact with feel like her best friend. And she made friends to the very end. She was naturally the most welcoming and friendly person I have ever known, and she brought together people from around the world as her friends. Very shortly after Erica was first diagnosed she created a top ten list of the best things about having cancer . . . leave it to Erica to find the bright side of having cancer ;) The number one thing on her list was bringing her loved ones together. She said: “I love it when people from different segments of my life have the opportunity to meet and get to know one another. Jamie called it my ‘elf on the wall’ trick (the joke sort of deriving from me being the obvious elephant in the room, but trying to be like a fly on the wall), but many hours of each day were spent in a semi-snooze listening to my Mom get to know my friends, or my sister get to know my graduate school colleagues, or a friend from Japan getting to know a friend from high school. I loved just listening to their precious voices and knowing they were there.” And Erica has accomplished this more than she will ever know. I realized yesterday that while I may have lost my best friend, I have gained another mother and another sister in Judy and Jaci.
To my Chinese mother Judy, thank you from everyone else who loved Erica for not only caring for her, but for us too. You shared your little girl with so many people, and we will forever be thankful to you for that gift.
And to Jaci…I know Erica told you constantly just how she felt about you, and I could go on and on about her love for you, which was clear to anyone who ever saw the two of you together. But I’m not going to, because it was SO evident to everyone in this room and because, honestly, I don’t think either of us could handle it. So all I am going to say, one last time for Erica, is “big wing.”
A few days before Erica passed, an anonymous Oxy staff member wrote one of the most beautiful posts I have read so far. The part that touched me the most was about Erica’s smile. The post read: “Her ability to take us along on the tragic and cruelly unfair journey she has been on these past few years, with grace, dignity, intelligence and humor is truly amazing. It speaks volumes about her strength, and her inner beauty that is matched so completely by that radiant smile she so often beams. I think it is her smile, immediately engaging, immediately inviting and immediately warm that radiates and gives you a sense of comfort in her presence. In Oxy staff meetings I would often look across the table and see that smile, matched equally by her intelligence and enthusiasm, and I would think to myself - wow, she is something.” I don't think I have ever known a more beautiful smile. I hope that none of us will ever forget that smile…I know I never will.
A week before Erica went into the hospital for the last time she asked me what I thought would happen to her after she passed away. At the time I gave a basic and reassuring answer in an effort to calm her and ease her fears. But when I think about it now, I like to think that Erica is now forever enjoying what would have been her ideal day here on Earth. She is with her Mom, Dad, Jaci, and Linda. She is surrounded by her aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends. Her days consist of a rotating schedule of crossword puzzles, card games, group reads, yoga, political debates and dim sum. Barak Obama is President for eternity, and not recycling is a crime punishable at law.
It was clear to me from very early in our friendship that Erica had a special combination of compassion, integrity, sense of humor, strength, morality, and world consciousness that very few people have. She made an immediate and lasting impact on whomever she met and encouraged those around her to strive to live life to the fullest.
Erica taught us all many things over the past few years. One of the things that I am most thankful to her for is teaching me the true meaning of the word “selfless”. I saw it everyday that I was with Erica. She was by far the most selfless person I have every known. She would do things for other people no matter how badly she didn’t want to just because she knew it would make them feel better.
One last thing that I want to mention was her sense of humor. The girl knew how to tell a joke, was always quick with a great come-back, and could find humor in just about anything in life. This was evident in most of Erica’s blog posts. The blog was created to give Erica’s loved ones updates on her health and treatment but quickly took on a life of it’s own. Some of her more creative and humorous posts over the past two years were her December 2007 “12 Days of Cancer” post and, my own personal favorite, her October 2008 missing I-phone post. My favorite part of that post being: “The search for the missing iPhone has been conducted in a professional and thorough manner. Amber alerts have been issued on the 101 and 280 freeways. Digital Voicemail-sniffing dogs scoured the patient units, the 3rd floor VIP room, the cafeteria, and the radiology ward, places EJ's Mobile's owner has frequented lately. As each hour passes, the owner has less hope that the mobile device will be found intact. ‘I have had it for about a year and half,’ the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. ‘I'm not sure how I will be able to fill the hole its absence has left in my purse.” The girl was funny!
Over the past few days I have been looking over old blog posts, e-mails, and letters from Erica, searching for some of her words. As you can imagine, I had an endless supply of poetic passages from Erica that I could have shared with you. But the words that I have chosen aren’t necessarily the most poetic, but the most poignant. In an e-mail from her to some of her closest friends on January 13th of this year (two weeks before she relapsed) she said:
“The first year of treatment was awful, the only specks of sunlight being the love you all showered on me. 2007 was a year marked by growing strength, growing hair, growing happiness. While undergoing treatment, I completed one year of my master's degree and managed, despite my family's and doctor's worries, to still do some of things I love, like traveling. Still, I'm not sure I can remember what it's like to be 100% pain free, to not be anticipating the next invasive needle, to not know which of the cocktail of drugs I'm on is causing today's particular pain. My optimism for 2008 is severely hedged by cautious anticipation of lingering side effects and, of course, relapse concern, but I still think that getting this far is worth a bit of a celebration.”
So that is what we will do for you today, my dear. We will celebrate your life, our love for you, and your love for us. We will laugh and smile and cry in your honor, and we will do it knowing how much fun you are having watching us. We love you, we miss you, and we will forever be better because of you. I love you E!"
Friday, December 05, 2008
I will miss you, Beek.
Last night, December 4th, 2008, at 11:35pm, Erica Jean Murray passed away. It was a calm and peaceful moment... she simply took a few deep breaths and fell asleep. We held her hands, stroked her face, whispered our love and hope for her to find peace...
The last week has been a beautiful and natural progression of tears and laughter, memories and hope... I am confident that her spirit will never leave us.
There is one moment in particular I would like to share... Yesterday afternoon, we were able to wheel Erica's entire bed outside into the garden to enjoy the sun and perfect California weather. We sat with her for nearly two hours and I'm certain she enjoyed this.
The funeral will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 10:00am at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (400 Fullton Street, Redwood City, CA). After the service, we will have a Celebration of Life at our dear friends' home, The Wang's (214 Olive Hill Lane, Woodside, CA). The Celebration will follow after the church service until 4pm. Due to the number of people who love Erica, we are prepared to accommodate everyone with valet services at the Wang's home. Additionally, we ask that in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Erica's name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Personally, my heart hurts. I am grateful for her release of pain, but so selfishly want her near me, to grow old with me, and fulfill all the dreams we had together. I acknowledge that I may never fully heal from this experience--and that's ok. I don't want to forget this raw ache because I believe it will be my guide to live a life she would be proud of... I will miss her smile, her kisses, and her unwavering support... oh, the list of things I will miss can go on forever... my soulmate...
The last three years has shown me what it is to feel truly thankful. I am thankful for time with Erica to tell her daily that I love her... I am forever grateful to the support team that has built up around me and my family. Words don't begin to scratch the surface of my gratitude and I know that I will try my hardest to repay these kindnesses.
I hope you all can find a sense of peace too....
The last week has been a beautiful and natural progression of tears and laughter, memories and hope... I am confident that her spirit will never leave us.
There is one moment in particular I would like to share... Yesterday afternoon, we were able to wheel Erica's entire bed outside into the garden to enjoy the sun and perfect California weather. We sat with her for nearly two hours and I'm certain she enjoyed this.
The funeral will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 10:00am at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (400 Fullton Street, Redwood City, CA). After the service, we will have a Celebration of Life at our dear friends' home, The Wang's (214 Olive Hill Lane, Woodside, CA). The Celebration will follow after the church service until 4pm. Due to the number of people who love Erica, we are prepared to accommodate everyone with valet services at the Wang's home. Additionally, we ask that in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Erica's name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Personally, my heart hurts. I am grateful for her release of pain, but so selfishly want her near me, to grow old with me, and fulfill all the dreams we had together. I acknowledge that I may never fully heal from this experience--and that's ok. I don't want to forget this raw ache because I believe it will be my guide to live a life she would be proud of... I will miss her smile, her kisses, and her unwavering support... oh, the list of things I will miss can go on forever... my soulmate...
The last three years has shown me what it is to feel truly thankful. I am thankful for time with Erica to tell her daily that I love her... I am forever grateful to the support team that has built up around me and my family. Words don't begin to scratch the surface of my gratitude and I know that I will try my hardest to repay these kindnesses.
I hope you all can find a sense of peace too....
Monday, December 01, 2008
Calm and natural...
Due to the lack of ability to treat her widespread leukemia and the increasing number of side effects of the disease, the treatment of Erica’s disease has been stopped. At 9:35 this morning, she was taken off blood and platelet transfusions, anti-biotics and IV. She will be made comfortable with pain medication and whatever other means that the palliative care team here at Stanford suggest. At this moment, she is sleeping easily, very much at peace.
This is an extremely sad moment for us all. What Erica wanted most was to make this time “calm and natural”. Music will be played in the background, stories will be told, tears will be shed, laughs will be had.
At this point, for yourselves, do what is “calm and natural” as well. If that means hugging your closest loved one, going out and celebrating Erica’s life, commenting on the blog or whatever makes you comfortable, please do so. If that means flying to San Francisco, then that is what you should do. If you choose to do this, it is uncertain whether you will be able to see her or not, as family need to be with her, but being close to a group of Erica supporters may help the mourning process and commemorate the absolutely wonderful life she has lived.
We will keep updating the blog with any new information or changes that occur.
To lessen the burden on the family, please contact Jamie (805.501.1972) or myself (719.650.3258) with any questions.
With much love and sadness
This is an extremely sad moment for us all. What Erica wanted most was to make this time “calm and natural”. Music will be played in the background, stories will be told, tears will be shed, laughs will be had.
At this point, for yourselves, do what is “calm and natural” as well. If that means hugging your closest loved one, going out and celebrating Erica’s life, commenting on the blog or whatever makes you comfortable, please do so. If that means flying to San Francisco, then that is what you should do. If you choose to do this, it is uncertain whether you will be able to see her or not, as family need to be with her, but being close to a group of Erica supporters may help the mourning process and commemorate the absolutely wonderful life she has lived.
We will keep updating the blog with any new information or changes that occur.
To lessen the burden on the family, please contact Jamie (805.501.1972) or myself (719.650.3258) with any questions.
With much love and sadness
Sunday, November 30, 2008
stable
I am sitting with Erica in her room with a little sun streaming in... she is peaceful and calm. Our family is here in the waiting area and there are a few at a time with her. We talk to her and tell stories and memories... Occasionally she stirs, but mostly she rests.
I think that perhaps the details aren't as important right now, so I choose to skip the medical play by play.
I do tell her about the posts of encouragement and love... it's important that she, and everyone else, know that there is so much love in this little room. I will post again when there is a change or anything new...
I think that perhaps the details aren't as important right now, so I choose to skip the medical play by play.
I do tell her about the posts of encouragement and love... it's important that she, and everyone else, know that there is so much love in this little room. I will post again when there is a change or anything new...
seizures
last night, erica suffered two seizures. after each one, she was non responsive... slowly she began to respond to the doctors poking and jabbing... but she couldn't identify anyone. She sort of looks right past you, never at you. She seems soothed by Josh's voice--this comes in handy now as she seems so infantile in her movements of eye rubbing and scratching and attempts to remove tubes... she doesn't speak but has mumbled once or twice. although we talk to her and try to communicate, we are quite certain that she is not her right now.
the tears don't seem to stop flowing, even as i type this... we are at a loss. the largest loss since this all began because we dont have her strength to guide us now. i can't and will never describe what it was to see my sister endure a seizure... two seizures... i don't wish that on anyone.
i don't know what will happen today but the plan thus far is to keep her comfortable and calm until we know the results of the MRI and go from there. The head CT post-seizure #1 didn't show any bleeds and we are told that she looks similar to pre-seizure.
we will take today as it comes. please please pray....
the tears don't seem to stop flowing, even as i type this... we are at a loss. the largest loss since this all began because we dont have her strength to guide us now. i can't and will never describe what it was to see my sister endure a seizure... two seizures... i don't wish that on anyone.
i don't know what will happen today but the plan thus far is to keep her comfortable and calm until we know the results of the MRI and go from there. The head CT post-seizure #1 didn't show any bleeds and we are told that she looks similar to pre-seizure.
we will take today as it comes. please please pray....
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Re-admission
Family and friends,
Many of you have already heard the news: after a wonderful evening of dancing at Jill and Gary's holiday party yesterday, Erica had a very rough night. She spiked a fever of 102* F and then starting to throw up blood. Luckily, Josh was with her and rushed her to the hospital. We've been here all day, but she has been sleeping thanks to the OBSCENE amount of pain meds given this morning.
This morning, Erica was complaining of an extremely painful headache. They gave her a LOT of pain medication to help alleviate it. Now, nearly six hours later, she is still sedated by the medication and rather non-responsive. When she does seem to stir a bit, she mumbles incoherently and goes back to sleep. They gave her naloxone to try to counter the effects of the opioids in an effort to interact with her. It only caused her to become very scared and agitated. This lasted for a few minutes, but she's calm again now.
As of right now, her temperature is holding strong at 103.8* F. She has a nasal tube for oxygen and a steady flow of antibiotics and fluids.
Everyone should just hold tight for now--don't book a flight or rush over to the hospital. She is in a sleep induced state now that prohibits her acknowledgment of anyone in the room with her. I am here with my mom and Josh, so she is never alone.
As things are in a state of limbo now, I will *try* to post regularly. We don't know what the results of the CT and chest x-ray are yet and we are still waiting to take her down for an MRI.
Until then... peace.
Jaci
Many of you have already heard the news: after a wonderful evening of dancing at Jill and Gary's holiday party yesterday, Erica had a very rough night. She spiked a fever of 102* F and then starting to throw up blood. Luckily, Josh was with her and rushed her to the hospital. We've been here all day, but she has been sleeping thanks to the OBSCENE amount of pain meds given this morning.
This morning, Erica was complaining of an extremely painful headache. They gave her a LOT of pain medication to help alleviate it. Now, nearly six hours later, she is still sedated by the medication and rather non-responsive. When she does seem to stir a bit, she mumbles incoherently and goes back to sleep. They gave her naloxone to try to counter the effects of the opioids in an effort to interact with her. It only caused her to become very scared and agitated. This lasted for a few minutes, but she's calm again now.
As of right now, her temperature is holding strong at 103.8* F. She has a nasal tube for oxygen and a steady flow of antibiotics and fluids.
Everyone should just hold tight for now--don't book a flight or rush over to the hospital. She is in a sleep induced state now that prohibits her acknowledgment of anyone in the room with her. I am here with my mom and Josh, so she is never alone.
As things are in a state of limbo now, I will *try* to post regularly. We don't know what the results of the CT and chest x-ray are yet and we are still waiting to take her down for an MRI.
Until then... peace.
Jaci
Sunday, November 23, 2008
102.4
Is it the fluorescent luminescence that draws me back time and time again? The bone-grinding procedures, the hilarity of my bodily functioning being table talk, or maybe those dang-good-spirited nurses smocks perhaps? No, it is is none of these things that find me here again, in yet another room at Stanford Medical Center.I'm here because I woke up with a high fever on Thursday, 11/18, and fevers are a good sign that there's some kind of infection in the body. Because my white blood cell count is so low, other indicators may not present themselves (such as pus, swelling, etc), we and the docs are left wondering at the source.
Meanwhile, the results from Wednesday's bone marrow results were not happy. One's bone marrow should be filled with white blood cells (as one is as a newborn); I apparently only have about 10% total up in there (what a 90-yr-old might have) and of those, 80% are leukemic.
It's Sunday now and I've been without fever for 24 hours. Another 24 and they will assume that one of their IV antibiotics did the trick and I can go home.
Whether here or there, the same questions loom about the big picture. The "how do we keep this girl alive as long as possible game?". I can see the doctors all white-coats-aside throwing darts at a board with the following in various rings:
should she do another round of vidaza/myletarg?
should she can another infusion of cells from her original donor?
should we just send her home and let hospice take it from there?
should we try XXX brand of chemo next?
So if anyone asks you, How's Erica? you can say that neither she nor her doctors have any idea.
For me, my emotions are all over the place. So much sadness. sadness. sadness. a bit of anger and fear.
Friends and visitors and all that the tokens they send remind me why life's worth fighting for.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Seeking eastern medicine for poor chi. Will travel.
Erica asked me this past weekend, “Is it weird talking to a person who may be dead in year?” As I was completely taken off guard by this, I fumbled through a chastising list of reasons she shouldn’t talk like this, shrinking in my seat. But a day later, I brought it back up and honestly answered that “yes, it’s weird and it sucks… but it’s sort of a gift too”. I love that she understood what I meant.We are enjoying each day for what it is and have sort of jumped the gun too by putting up a Christmas tree a wee bit early this year. Every other day, Erica still must go back to ITA to have her blood drawn and has consistently needed platelets. Some days she has more energy than others, but has taken to napping each day and sleeping 10+ hours a night. She has a pretty decent appetite, and with all the amazing dishes being sent over, it’s hard to object! Her spirits are always the highest when she’s with family and friends. So it’s good to see that some things never change!
One new development is the inclusion of eastern medicine to Erica’s continued western treatment. She still receives her low-dose chemotherapy monthly and takes all the meds prescribed by her physician at Stanford Medical Center. In addition, we went to meet a woman who is a Chinese herbalist and has been treating patients with a variety of ailments with treatments/herbs utilized for thousands of years. She spoke to Erica through our Mom (aka “translator”), asked about the meds she’s currently taking, felt her pulse, and examined her tongue. After a minute or so of “aaaahhhhhhhh”-ing, she came to the conclusion that a specific blend of dried herbs boiled for a couple of hours will fix Erica’s chi. In short, Erica’s immunity needs help, and her chi sucks. We quickly found that the final product of this boiling is something like a stinky brown sludge. Our Mom now boils this in an electric pot/kettle out on the balcony so we don’t have to smell it in the house, but poor Erica still has to drink two bowls a day! After cheerleading it down her throat, I stepped up to show her that it’s just not that bad… I found out that it’s far worse than Erica ever let on! One sip had me coughing and gagging, and she drinks bowls of sludge! So after this experience, I admit that most of my skepticism regarding eastern medicine was put to rest knowing that Erica believes in its healing properties enough to endure its flavor. I am not extremely educated in eastern philosophies and medical ideologies, but I certainly respect it.
In case we don’t post again before Thanksgiving, from our family to yours, gobble gobble all the goodness this year! It’s hard to imagine a family more thankful than ours: to know Erica, to love her, and to have the privilege of each day with her as a gift.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Home
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the long delay in posting. Erica was released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and went home to her Mom's place. Last week Erica received a low-dose chemotherapy and another treatment in an attempt to keep her counts in check, meaning keeping the leukemia from rapidly reproducing. These two treatments called Vidaza and Mylotarg were chosen by Erica and her family because they had the best chance of prolonging her life without making her horribly sick, and so far, it seems to be working. Right now her main complaint is oppressive fatigue which could be a result of few different things. The plan is to be checked at Stanford 3 times a week and monitor her counts.
She asked that I send her thanks for all of the displays of love and support. The cards, the gifts, the blog postings, the e-mails, and all the wonderful meals made her time in the hospital a little more bearable.
Jamie
P.S. Good news, Erica is the proud owner of a new iPhone (same phone number)! For those of you who she is in touch with, please text her your phone numbers (don't forget to include your name).
Sorry for the long delay in posting. Erica was released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and went home to her Mom's place. Last week Erica received a low-dose chemotherapy and another treatment in an attempt to keep her counts in check, meaning keeping the leukemia from rapidly reproducing. These two treatments called Vidaza and Mylotarg were chosen by Erica and her family because they had the best chance of prolonging her life without making her horribly sick, and so far, it seems to be working. Right now her main complaint is oppressive fatigue which could be a result of few different things. The plan is to be checked at Stanford 3 times a week and monitor her counts.
She asked that I send her thanks for all of the displays of love and support. The cards, the gifts, the blog postings, the e-mails, and all the wonderful meals made her time in the hospital a little more bearable.
Jamie
P.S. Good news, Erica is the proud owner of a new iPhone (same phone number)! For those of you who she is in touch with, please text her your phone numbers (don't forget to include your name).
Thursday, October 30, 2008
it's an icky, rainy day outside.
It is with heavy hearts that we write the blog this afternoon. Yesterday Erica received the devastating news from her doctors that the chemotherapy did not work. There are 40% blasts in her peripheral blood which indicates that the leukemia is still in her body. Therefore, there is no need to do the bone marrow biopsy as planned.
And it gets worse. The docs have offered her two choices: (1) another round of chemotherapy if she would like to try but aren’t very hopeful that it will work. As always, the numbers aren’t in her favor: less than 10% chance it will work and greater than 90% chance it will mean that she dies in the hospital due to complications and/or infections.
(2) Her other option is to leave Stanford and go home. Home to wait, to figure things out, to try and deal with what lies ahead. One doctor said that she may have 3-4 weeks… another speculates it could be months… we understand that it is really the progression of the disease and we are at its mercy.
Needless to say, she is numb and sad. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers and respect her desire for privacy at this horribly difficult time.
All our love,
Judy, Jaci, & Jamie
And it gets worse. The docs have offered her two choices: (1) another round of chemotherapy if she would like to try but aren’t very hopeful that it will work. As always, the numbers aren’t in her favor: less than 10% chance it will work and greater than 90% chance it will mean that she dies in the hospital due to complications and/or infections.
(2) Her other option is to leave Stanford and go home. Home to wait, to figure things out, to try and deal with what lies ahead. One doctor said that she may have 3-4 weeks… another speculates it could be months… we understand that it is really the progression of the disease and we are at its mercy.
Needless to say, she is numb and sad. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers and respect her desire for privacy at this horribly difficult time.
All our love,
Judy, Jaci, & Jamie
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Note from the editor:
Dear Readers,
For those of you who thought to yourselves after reading Erica's blog from last night "Hmmmm, I wonder if Erica was on mass amounts of morphine when she wrote that blog?" The answer is YES! Her comment to me was "I am going to write a quick blog saying that I lost my iPhone," and the blog below is what she came up with. I would just like to point out that this blog was written after a long, hard day filled with serious pain and numerous tests. Will fill you in about that later. For now she is in very good spirits and taking it easy.
Your loyal blog editor,
Jamie
For those of you who thought to yourselves after reading Erica's blog from last night "Hmmmm, I wonder if Erica was on mass amounts of morphine when she wrote that blog?" The answer is YES! Her comment to me was "I am going to write a quick blog saying that I lost my iPhone," and the blog below is what she came up with. I would just like to point out that this blog was written after a long, hard day filled with serious pain and numerous tests. Will fill you in about that later. For now she is in very good spirits and taking it easy.
Your loyal blog editor,
Jamie
Breaking News
iPhone Appears to Escape Vampires' Den
BY Erik Hurray
Palo Alto, CA. According to initial reports just leaked from unnamed sources within Stanford University Medical Center, an iPhone known as EJ's Mobile has gone missing. It was last seen Thursday, October 23 by private citizen Jamie Murphy, in the hands of a young medium-built female trying to pass off as a civilian. She wore street clothes but her Medusa-like tangles of intravenous tubage clearly signaled in-patient status. Her mendacity at not wearing the traditional patient gown immediately made your correspondent raise his eyebrows.
The mysterious woman, too bald to own the alias Medusa has been dubbed "Twilight" after the runaway vampire book series and because of the red streak of crimson at her mouth (which she claims is from Jill's spaghetti that night, but your correspondent remains unconvinced). Murphy says that she noticed Twilight had to be moved FIVE times around the F, E, and D units and nurses confirm that finding staff that were willing to draw blood 3-4 times per day from Twilight, whose translucent skin seemed to glow in a spooky way that allowed easy access to good viens but whose icy temperatures forced phlebotemists to wear multiple pairs of latex gloves when examining the alleged patient. Before we could conduct further questioning, Twilight seems to have vanished, leaving neither a drop in her hemoglobin transfusion bag nor any clue as to where she's headed. (Her insurance, HMJPG Hockey Mom & Joe the Plumber Group, is apparently a total fraud and covers no one, so finding the likely culprit through a paper trail has dead ended.)
The search for the missing iPhone has been conducted in a professional and thorough manner. Amber alerts have been issued on the 101 and 280 freeways. Digital Voicemail-sniffing dogs scoured the patient units, the 3rd floor VIP room, the cafeteria, and
the radiology ward, places EJ's Mobile's owner has frequented lately. As each hour passes, the owner has less hope that the mobile device will be found intact. "I have had it for about a year and half," the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. "I'm not sure how I will be able to fill the hole its absence has left in my purse."
iTunes stores have offered songs for $0.89 for anyone with any information about the whereabouts of Twilight or EJ's Mobile. Please study the artist's rendition of the missing machine pictured here. Now immediately going to voice mail, experts agree that its battery has long ago burnt out. Still, EJ's Mobile's owner remains hopeful and the search goes on for Santa Clara County's #1 vampire fugitive.
If you have any information, any information at all, please call Room FG30 at (650) 498-3067 instead of EJ's Mobile.
BY Erik Hurray
Palo Alto, CA. According to initial reports just leaked from unnamed sources within Stanford University Medical Center, an iPhone known as EJ's Mobile has gone missing. It was last seen Thursday, October 23 by private citizen Jamie Murphy, in the hands of a young medium-built female trying to pass off as a civilian. She wore street clothes but her Medusa-like tangles of intravenous tubage clearly signaled in-patient status. Her mendacity at not wearing the traditional patient gown immediately made your correspondent raise his eyebrows.
The mysterious woman, too bald to own the alias Medusa has been dubbed "Twilight" after the runaway vampire book series and because of the red streak of crimson at her mouth (which she claims is from Jill's spaghetti that night, but your correspondent remains unconvinced). Murphy says that she noticed Twilight had to be moved FIVE times around the F, E, and D units and nurses confirm that finding staff that were willing to draw blood 3-4 times per day from Twilight, whose translucent skin seemed to glow in a spooky way that allowed easy access to good viens but whose icy temperatures forced phlebotemists to wear multiple pairs of latex gloves when examining the alleged patient. Before we could conduct further questioning, Twilight seems to have vanished, leaving neither a drop in her hemoglobin transfusion bag nor any clue as to where she's headed. (Her insurance, HMJPG Hockey Mom & Joe the Plumber Group, is apparently a total fraud and covers no one, so finding the likely culprit through a paper trail has dead ended.)
The search for the missing iPhone has been conducted in a professional and thorough manner. Amber alerts have been issued on the 101 and 280 freeways. Digital Voicemail-sniffing dogs scoured the patient units, the 3rd floor VIP room, the cafeteria, and
the radiology ward, places EJ's Mobile's owner has frequented lately. As each hour passes, the owner has less hope that the mobile device will be found intact. "I have had it for about a year and half," the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. "I'm not sure how I will be able to fill the hole its absence has left in my purse."iTunes stores have offered songs for $0.89 for anyone with any information about the whereabouts of Twilight or EJ's Mobile. Please study the artist's rendition of the missing machine pictured here. Now immediately going to voice mail, experts agree that its battery has long ago burnt out. Still, EJ's Mobile's owner remains hopeful and the search goes on for Santa Clara County's #1 vampire fugitive.
If you have any information, any information at all, please call Room FG30 at (650) 498-3067 instead of EJ's Mobile.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Another Day, Another Room
Greetings from Room F30- Erica's latest (and hopefully LAST) hospital room here at Stanford Medical Center. Things are settling down a little bit as we are getting situated in the new digs, Erica's feng shui-influenced supervision guiding us in our attempt at peace, order and tranquility. Obviously, Erica's immune system is still almost non-existent, and she tires more quickly than usual as a result of this and her medication, but I have to see say- homegirl is looking good! Josh was able to change his schedule and flew in yesterday from Sydney so I am sure this surprise visit lightened her mood substantially, and we spent the day catching up, eating Halloween candy and playing Taboo with Linda and Judy. We are hoping today will be a non-eventful one: no procedures are scheduled and no new infections or aches have developed (knock on wood!) As Jamie said, we are pretty much playing the waiting game at this point. Unfortunately, yesterday the doctors decided it was a good idea to put Erica back on her low-microbial diet, which means right now she's eyeballing the congealed barley "soup" they just brought in for her lunch with justified skepticism. (On a side note, I've been told she's totally OK with me soliciting home-made cookies or treats on this blog. Basically anything made from scratch is doctor-approved and welcome!) Unfortunately, she's still under pretty tight lockdown as far as visitors are concerned due to her weakened immunity, but all the cards, packages, prayers and positive thoughts are so appreciated. Please keep them coming!!! Again, Erica's new address is as follows:
Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Attn: Erica Murray- F Ground 30
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Attn: Erica Murray- F Ground 30
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"A tough spot."
"A tough spot." This is how one of Erica's doctors explained her situation, and she is indeed in a tough spot. There are so many variables, so many uncertainties, so much waiting. Waiting for her white blood cell count to drop. Waiting for her white blood cell count to come back up, then waiting for the results of the bone marrow biopsy to see if this course of chemo worked and put her into remission. Nothing has been decided beyond that. There has been talk of what to do if and when she achieves remission but no firm plans made.
Erica finished a 5-day course of chemotherapy on Sunday night. We won't know for another 15-20 days whether or not this chemo worked. In the meantime we do as we have done before, try to keep her infection free, and so far, it isn't going so well. Since she is neutropenic (meaning she has no immune system) she has developed a fever and infection and the doctors are currently trying to get a handle on it and figure out how to treat it. In addition to this new infection, she is starting to feel the other effects of the chemo: weakness, nausea, soreness, and just all around crappy.
A note to visitors: please, please, please do not come by unless you are 100% healthy and have not been around anyone who has been ill recently. Also, please make sure to schedule a visit, don't just show up. We need to make sure we don't have too many visitors in the room at once. As Erica is currently fighting this still unknown infection, it is probably best to hold off on visiting for now until we know what is going on.
One other small update, Erica's room number has changed. She is now in room D41. The full address is below.
Jamie
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Attn: Erica Murray, D Ground 41
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Erica finished a 5-day course of chemotherapy on Sunday night. We won't know for another 15-20 days whether or not this chemo worked. In the meantime we do as we have done before, try to keep her infection free, and so far, it isn't going so well. Since she is neutropenic (meaning she has no immune system) she has developed a fever and infection and the doctors are currently trying to get a handle on it and figure out how to treat it. In addition to this new infection, she is starting to feel the other effects of the chemo: weakness, nausea, soreness, and just all around crappy.
A note to visitors: please, please, please do not come by unless you are 100% healthy and have not been around anyone who has been ill recently. Also, please make sure to schedule a visit, don't just show up. We need to make sure we don't have too many visitors in the room at once. As Erica is currently fighting this still unknown infection, it is probably best to hold off on visiting for now until we know what is going on.
One other small update, Erica's room number has changed. She is now in room D41. The full address is below.
Jamie
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Attn: Erica Murray, D Ground 41
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Friday, October 17, 2008
Oct. 17, 2008
"SURPRISE!"
Yes, the look of complete shock on Erica's face was well worth the hassle of booking an impromptu flight for the following morning. Andres and I showed up at Stanford Hospital yesterday while Erica, Mom, and Jamie were enjoying lunch outside. Erica's whole face froze, Mom started crying, and Jamie screamed--twice. It was so perfect!!
We spent the afternoon catching up, but even yesterday, Erica began to show signs of treatment effects. She was tired and needed to nap for two hours to make it through the day. By 9:30pm, the nurse came in to administer the third bout of chemotherapy. This involves giving one chemo, waiting three hours, and then giving another. Overall, it starts at 9:30pm and ends around 4am. Can anyone guess why she's tired???
Today, Erica needed a CT for a persistant cough and a bag of platelets, too. Otherwise, the only treatment she received thus far has been at night. As the days progress, she will need other infusions and medications to manage the side effects from the chemotherapy.
Personally, it's lovely to see her... she is positive, laughing, and surrounded by lots of support and love. She is still able to check email occassionally and we read blog posts to her, so she knows all the kind comments that are left here.
I think it's important to mention that Erica has told us that she values time alone. In past hospital admissions, she wanted people to be around her all the time--and I'm talking about as many as can fit in the room! But this time around, she seems content and pleased for moments of introspection
and restful quietude... Don't get me wrong: she still loves visitors! But please be aware for those living locally, to perhaps keep visits shorter than has been in the past. And for out of town visitors, please don't expect to sit in the room all day and night as we used to. That said, feel free to still coordinate visits, but know that you need to take long breaks away...All in all, she's still fighting, brave, and humble. She doesn't ask for anything and she's more concerned with our well-being and state of mind. She has spent some restful time painting, reading, and journaling. She even still lets me climb into bed and spoon with her...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Update
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I didn't post last night. There was nothing new to report. Erica spent most of the day yesterday just waiting around for answers and nothing ever came. Today has brought a few more answers but there are still some uncertainties. Erica's team of docs came in around 9:00 this morning and told us that her preliminary lab results are showing that she relapsed with leukemia, but not precisely which type. The short-term plan is to treat her with chemo in an attempt to get her into remission. If remission is achieved, her docs will have to figure out what her best option is afterwards. It is not as simple as doing another transplant, which at this point does not seem to be an option. There is talk about clinical trials or mini-transplants but nothing has been decided on for now.
Erica will most likely begin chemo tomorrow. She will be given a course of chemo that will last anywhere between 4 to 7 days. After that, the waiting game begins for her counts to drop and then to recover. Unlike the last 2 times that Erica has gone through this process, she now has the added obstacle of fighting graft versus host disease caused by the bone marrow transplant. Erica will most likely get very sick over the next couple weeks and will need your love and support more than ever. This next month will be incredibly challenging for her so I beg of you to send all of your love, energy, and courage her way. Below is her mailing address here at Stanford, she would love to hear from you.
Love, Jamie
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
E1 BMT
Attn: Erica Murray, E124
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Sorry I didn't post last night. There was nothing new to report. Erica spent most of the day yesterday just waiting around for answers and nothing ever came. Today has brought a few more answers but there are still some uncertainties. Erica's team of docs came in around 9:00 this morning and told us that her preliminary lab results are showing that she relapsed with leukemia, but not precisely which type. The short-term plan is to treat her with chemo in an attempt to get her into remission. If remission is achieved, her docs will have to figure out what her best option is afterwards. It is not as simple as doing another transplant, which at this point does not seem to be an option. There is talk about clinical trials or mini-transplants but nothing has been decided on for now.
Erica will most likely begin chemo tomorrow. She will be given a course of chemo that will last anywhere between 4 to 7 days. After that, the waiting game begins for her counts to drop and then to recover. Unlike the last 2 times that Erica has gone through this process, she now has the added obstacle of fighting graft versus host disease caused by the bone marrow transplant. Erica will most likely get very sick over the next couple weeks and will need your love and support more than ever. This next month will be incredibly challenging for her so I beg of you to send all of your love, energy, and courage her way. Below is her mailing address here at Stanford, she would love to hear from you.
Love, Jamie
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
E1 BMT
Attn: Erica Murray, E124
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Sunday, October 12, 2008
What we know
Well turns out we don't know much more than what Jaci posted on Friday. Erica went to the hospital on Saturday expecting to be admitted but it turns out they just drew some blood and sent her home. They told her to come back Monday morning for admittance. They still haven't been able to tell her what type of Leukemia it is (ALL or AML) or what the treatment plan is. Hopefully we will know more come tomorrow and I will post again.
Jamie
Jamie
Friday, October 10, 2008
strike 3
It's Jaci... short until we know more information and what's going to happen: Erica relapsed again.
Just pray, meditate, send love, do whatever you do.
I promise to write a longer more explanatory post tomorrow...
Just pray, meditate, send love, do whatever you do.
I promise to write a longer more explanatory post tomorrow...
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