Laps of Love!

Hey All of Kim's Fabulous Fans out there! I've got the results from last Saturday's Laps of Love! I'm sorry it's taken me a while to get them up here, but here is our info:

These are the names and number of laps from everyone who came out to the fun run (Our Superstars!) Just so you know, the Logan High track has four laps for every mile.

Cameron Reeve- 34
Desirae Eastmond- 18
Heather Hicken- 13
Thomas Hicken, Melody, Tobias & Felicity- 4/2/2&5
David Phippen- 20
Scott W. Hale- 22
Skyler Higley- 7
Rossy Singh- 8
Kara Skalka- 8
Susana Arredando- 6
Sara Painter- 23
Melissa Fowler- 24
Whitney Bowman- 15
Cassie Johnson- 8
Dianna Maughan- 4
Kodey Meyers- 10
Ellie Edwards
Craig Alder
Luke, Deb, Eliza and Hannah Andrew- 2
Heather Cazier-8
Kris Albretsen- 4
Bethany Olson- 12
Tiffany Samuelsen- 8
Emily Davis- 9
McKenzie Davis- 8
Haylie Meritt- 17
Kim Cluff- 7
Marcus Cluff- 2
Toby Cluff- 6
Randy Cluff- 4
Jeff Tanner- 6
Parker, Hunter & Kaiden Tanner- 8/2/1
Alissa Tanner- 8
Jessica Black- 24
Megan Davis- 20
The Kent Family
Jordan Archuleta- 8
Emily Nelson- no clue how many laps I ended up with... I was all over the place!
Denece Miller- 7
Dauneen Lemerich- 7
Joshua, Phoebe, Mary, Sabrina, Daniel & Jule Albretsen- 4/6/1/1/2/10
Wendy Nye- 8
Henry Olson- 14
Russ Olson- 14
Todd & Carol McDonald
Katie McGough- 1
Scott Winslow- 1
Camna South
Jon Conger
Becca Gee- oo
Pamela Gee- 6
Grandma Mary- <3


SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO:

Cameron Reeve for Most Laps
The Tanners for Furthest Distance Traveled
The Albretsens for Largest Group
Heather Hicken for Organizing the Fun Run
Kim Nelson for Her Amazing Strength in Battling Cancer
Everyone who came to the Fun Run to Support Kim
Every One of YOU who was there in Heart because you care about Kim

THANK YOU ALL!

Goodies from Grandma!

Hi everyone, it's Kim again, the crazy girl from the hopsital :D. Things are going well here. Especially my sanity! The docs gave me two bags of blood yesterday and boy did that feel good. What an energy boost. Hum... BLOOD! I must be turning into a vampire, I think my teeth are more pointy! Hehe just kidding. I was able to work out quite a bit today and yesterday. That's exactly what makes me feel totally awesome. I even dared to eat fish yesterday I was that happy. ;) Mom and I have also played a lot of Rockband the past few days. I'm turning her into a rockstar! It's a great way to pass the time.

Another amazing thing that happened yesterday. I got a halloween package from Grandma Tanner. It was full of healthy snacks and brain-stimulating work searches, word crosses etc. Most excellent. It caused me to make many squeals of joy! Thanks Grandma!

Em is right, I do have a rash again, not as bad as the first one, but still there. Just today it started to feel a lot better and doesn't look nearly as red. The other problem I'm dealing with is my eyes. Yesterday and today they have been really irritated. I got a visit from the eye doctor. He was a very nice guy. And the stuff he put in to numb my eyes was such a relief. I wish they could prescribe that to me.

A few days back I had a funny reaction to one of the chemos I was getting, VP16. It caused my lower lungs to have spasms. I didn't think much of it, hardly noticable, but the nurse practitioner gave me an inhaler. Two puffs later some weird things happened. I got a horrible headache and I was all shaky. Then I started laughing and I couldn't stop. It was a weird laugh, I sounded like an insane hyena! I thought it was pretty funny, scared mom to death and she called the nurse to come in. It was a normal reaction, but they decided it wasn't worth it. I haven't had the spasms again anyway.

On Sunday, Charla and Mel came down. They brought Indian food, tons of candy and a few movies. Mom and Char loved the Indian. It was ok, not too poisonous ;) and better than the squid they made me eat at Olive Garden. BLAH! We then watched "Steel Magnolias." I've never seen it before. It was really funny. Hard to hear over mom and Charla when the room was shaking from their laughter :).

On Tuesday, Heather and Tom Hicken, my fabulous cousins, came to see me. They showed me pictures of the Laps of Love, who ran in it and gave me a shirt that had the Gotta Run club's logo on it. I just have to say thanks so much. I never thought people would come together like that for just one person, for me. It brought tears to my eyes when it sank in how many people loved me. I feel enormously loved. It lifted my soul. I can't thank you enough. Your love and support means so much to me and my family. I love you all so very much. Thanks again!

Quick Update

Hey All, so sorry I haven't posted recently! Things have been very crazy around here, and Kim has been pretty worn out with this round of chemo, and hasn't got to it herself.

I just want to do a quick thank-you now to all of you who came out to Kim's Laps of Love fun run! It was so amazing to see you there... I can't tell you how much it means to us! I am going to do a special post for you as soon as I get the roster back from Heather, who is so wonderful for coordinating everything! (That way I can post your laps- we had some pretty impressive numbers!)

Kim is through with her chemo treatments for this hospital stay, but as you know if you've been reading the blog, this means that a lot of the side effects don't start to hit until now. She's been having trouble with a rash again, slightly different than the first one. They have her on benadryl a lot, so she's usually tired. Aside from that, things are looking okay. (Everything looks okay now that we know it seems to be working!)

I know she's feeling a little down about being stuck in the hospital for Halloween, but I'm planning to spend this weekend with her, so hopefully we'll have a fun little party of our own. And, I was thinking- if anyone wants to do a little, reverse-and-technology-based-trick-or-treating we could bombard her with fun texts and emails that day. You know, "Trick-or-Treat! I love you, Kim!" or maybe, "Trick-or-Treat! Why wouldn't the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have any guts! LOL" ... You get the idea (as the semester progresses, I start to lose my mind earlier and earlier in the night- sorry!)

Anyway, look forward to more coming soon. Thank you, everyone!

Back for Round Three- But, BIG NEWS!!!

We're nearly getting to be old hats at this business! Kim went back to Primary Children's for round three of her treatment today. We're hoping that her stay will be even shorter this time... (her first stay was 34 days, second was 24...) but with it being flu season, it's hard to say what her doctors will have her do.

As for the Big News... We got the results from Monday's Bone Marrow Test. The doctors could find NO DETECTABLE LEUKEMIA CELLS in her marrow at all! That gives her a through and through zero percent cancer rate, and an OFFICIAL REMISSION!!! Now, she still has to have a few more months/rounds of chemo treatment, or the leukemia would be very likely to come back, but this is exactly where she needed to be at this point in her treatment. I know things have been going so well for her because of her amazing spirit, and the thoughts and prayers from all of you. Thank you so much! Let's keep it up and get her through the rest of this!

This round, Kim is going to have just five days of treatment, in more intense doses than she used to get. So, it's going to be a rough first week, but knowing that it's all Working is really going to help! Her official visitation rules look like they are going to be stricter than they used to be, but not impossible. They're asking that no more than two people be in the room with her at a time, and visits be kept short. And of course, the usual- wash hands, no flowers or laytex balloons etc, and no sick visitors. But of course, emails, letters, texts and anything else to drive away the boredom and keep her spirits up are more than welcome! Thanks everyone!

Pics from Kim at Home

Kim with one of the Home Healthcare nurses (not Carol- sorry we didn't get a pic of you!)

Getting Kim ready for her Halloween Party- can you guess who she's going to be?

Melissa (who really does look like Bellatrix in this picture! but was supposed to be a Zombie) and ... She Who Must Not Be Named! ;) I think she made a Great Voldemort!

Kim on the IV she had to have four times a day (6am, noon, 6pm, midnight)

Kim and Kyle on her last night at home

SUPPORT KIM in LAPS OF LOVE!!!

(This is taken directy from a flier which I will find a way to post very soon- This is an event my cousin Heather has arranged in honor of Kim. I hope you will all be able to participate in some way! Please spread the word!)

LAPS OF LOVE

Come Support Kim Nelson: 2009 Logan High Graduate and Track Runner Battling Leukemia!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th, 2009 10:00 AM
LOGAN HIGH TRACK

Bring your family and friends and see how many laps you can walk/run to show your love and support to Kim and her family!

"Keep Running Kim" wristbands $3

Suggested Donation: $5 per person or $20 per family

Sponsored by:
Gotta Run
Wome's Running Club of Cache Valley
cachevalleywrc@gmail.com

Last few days at home- PLEASE DON'T GET HER SICK!

Kim, despite all that is against her, (cancer, an over-protective big sister, rough things like that) has been having quite a bit of fun these last few days. I don't have pictures now, but I'll have to get some on soon- it's been pretty exciting.

Last night she had an early Halloween party with some friends, as she'll be stuck in the hospital on the real day. It was great helping her get all dressed up for it... you're going to love the costume she went with!

Today we had a "hat lunch" at Olive Garden (they gave us a more secluded side room so that Kim didn't have to worry about taking her mask off.)

Throw in some shopping, lots of visits from friends, late night movie watching with me, motorcycle rides (I tell you, the woman is insane!) and you can see what I mean. If I weren't going to miss her SO much, I'd be wishing her back in the hospital just as much as she's wishing she could stay home forever. But I'm so glad she's been able to have a fun time. This business really doesn't get any easier.

With just a couple more days at home, I just want to mention now that the doctors may be limiting her "visitation rights" this time, due to the increasing threat of swine flu. They may only be allowing our parents to be with her, or at the very least, no children under 14. We'll let you know for sure. I just wanted to let you know that these last couple of days might be your last to see her before she's officially quarantined again. :D And now, of course I have to throw in another over-protective big sister comment about please not getting her sick- her immune system is Still technically in the "danger zone".

Her next room decor theme is going to be Halloween- so if any of you have some cute decorations (preferably that can withstand some bleach) that you'd like to give her, I know she would like that.

More coming soon about an AWESOME Fun Run that my cousin has arranged for Kim- Next Saturday!!! Everyone in the area, Please Come!

Loving having Kim at home!

This is Emily again- sorry I haven't been posting much. It's so great having Kim home for a while. I know many of you haven't had a chance to see her here, and so you still love reading the blog. I'll get better about it once she goes back- and I don't get to see her so much. :(

We found out that she'll be going for her next bone marrow test on Monday- to see how she did in Round Two. The doctors say she should, ideally, have zero leukemia cells in her marrow at this point. So- let's pray that's where she's at!

Even though we don't have those results yet, the doctors want her back for Round Three on Wednesday, the 21st. So she has about one more week at home. Her counts have gotten higher, but she still can't go anywhere near even the smallest of sniffles. (Big Sister Protection Mode: Stay Back you Germ-Infested Villains!)

We'll let you know how things go! Thanks everyone for your love, as always~

Emily

I'm BACK!

It's true! The cancer fighting chica is back in town! It's freezing here by the way, last time I was outside it was nice and warm. What happened? I haven't been gone that long ;) Being back is nice though, kind of surprising, they let me go with my ANC still at zero. I have no immunity, zip, nada. Kind of crazy, but I'm not complaining! They must also have to consider my mental health, so they let me out. It was for the greater good. Everyone and their dog seems to be sick though. Fingers crossed I don't catch something, I have no way to fight it off. Oh man, I have this new antibiotic that hangs on a pole like the hospital. Darn... I thought I escaped those evil poles, at least this one doesn't beep at me all the time. :D

Day 22... still here... going crazy!

Hi everyone, it's me Kim. How are you all doing? Everything is going fine after 22 days of being in the hospital. My blood is finally starting to rebuild, slowly, but it's starting! Yay! So I might be able to come home soon, I'm crossing my fingers for next week. As fun as this place is, I love being home :) Guess what! This is a really REALLY small world. For the past two days, this student has been shadowing different doctors of mine. He's come in with them to see how I'm doing both yesterday and today. Well today, he was looking at my pictures on my bulletin board. He saw the picture of Mike and the other elders in his area and he recognized them! Turns out he actually served there in that same area as Mike for like a month. Crazy! Even more crazy is he came back later to talk to me! And we talked for like an hour! YAY! :D He's really nice and funny. He gave me his e-mail address so I can find him on facebook.

Oh my nurse just came in, she said I might be discharged this weekend if I don't get any fevers and such. But she said that's just rumor going around. I'll know I'm going home when the discharge nurse comes in.

So to explain the pictures.... I had a little fun with my room's decorations yesterday and mom took pictures of my crazy silliniess. The drum I'm beating was brought by musical therapy. I believe they said it was a type of African drum and they're teaching me how to use it. Pretty fun.