Art for Healing

@marvinjsturing
Hi Marvin
Just wondering how your sister is doing. I hope she is managing the chemo treatments without too much difficulty.

@hopeful33250 She just finished her 3rd round of chemo on Monday. She had to arrive at 7:30 AM for blood tests. By the time everything was complete, she didn't get home until 3:30 AM on Tuesday morning. Three more chemo treatments to go. She was told on Monday that under the standard protocol for her cancer, once the chemo is done, she should have a stem cell transplant which would require a one month stay in the hospital. She can also decide to participate in a clinical trial. If she does that she may or may not get the stem cell transplant depending on which group she is placed in. It has been very hard on her husband - lots of scheduled and unscheduled trips to the doctor and the hospital. She needs frequent platelet and blood transfusions and they have to keep removing fluids to keep her lungs from collapsing

@marvinjsturing Thank you for letting us know. It has to be stressful on so many. How are you doing in all this, Marvin, given your own health concerns?
Ginger

@marvinjsturing She is certainly going through a lot right now. Fighting cancer is never easy, but this sounds especially difficult. I appreciate the update.

How are you feeling, Marvin? Any news on the transplant front?

@ihtak46 Kathy, I am humbled and recognize the courage it took for you to reach out to me. If you were here, I would hug you and we could go out and and paint together. I came to Connect because of what I learned about myself and thought it might help other people if I shared my experience. A person never really knows how far a story can go to reach out to others, and I am glad that I was able to help you find a direction. I am doing well. Thanks for asking. I am painting a lot right now so I can have a lot of new smaller work ready for a show at the end of next month. My first painting after my surgery was the portrait for my surgeon and at that time, it was tiring to do it so I took breaks and even had to lay on the floor to rest at times. I was very inspired and all I could think about was painting the man who had just given me back the gift I had lost. That was part of my emotional healing, and it gave me a way to say the things from my heart to the surgeon I admired, and created a place for my story to live in the image that celebrated him and my journey in overcoming my fears. I did this for both of us; to express my gratitude to him and to challenge myself to get back to a level of professional excellence that I expected of myself. The reception the painting has received energizes me with a sense of accomplishment. Honestly, I miss it, but I planned it as a gift. I had it hanging in my staircase and passed it several times a day and seeing my surgeon smiling back at me every day let me know I was doing OK in my recovery.

I read your posts and I looked at your photos, and they told me so much about your daughter and the goodness within her. That came from you, the mother who raised her and taught her how to love, care and nurture, and she was inspired to become a teacher and send that good energy out into the world. After reading your posts, I cried. I read Kirsten's posts too and saw how many times she shared photos of cats and dogs at shelters who were looking for adoptive homes. I thought back to my father's lasts days where I was caring for him at home knowing that his life would soon end. Every night I lay awake grieving the loss that was coming, and when I got back to my home for a few days, we visited a store knowing that a shelter would have cats there. There was one black tuxedo cat that I held on my lap that day, and I couldn't get him out of my mind, and a couple weeks later, we adopted him. I took him with me when I stayed with my parents. Having a silly cat helped me to laugh on the hardest of days when the sadness was unbearable. He also curled up with me when I was recovering from my surgery, and I felt like he needed some kitty friends too, so at 3 months post op while I was still in my neck brace, we adopted 2 kittens. Animals are very healing and in rescuing them, they rescue us. Animal shelters always need volunteers to help socialize pets before adoption and that might be a way for you to honor Kirsten. (that is when you are not painting)

This is hard, and you are not alone. We are here for you. God bless.

Jennifer,
Thank you so much for your beautiful letter. Im so happy that you are doing well now. Youve overcome so much. Bless you.
Im just a kind of beginner in art but I love it. Both my brothers are artists and like you are incredible.
Im keeping this short but if I may, Id like to write you again.
Did you go on FB to see the pictures and posts?
I will check to see if I can find you on FB.
Jennifer, chat soon,
Thank you.
Kathi

@ihtak46 Kathi, that would be fine. It's wonderful that you have artists in your family and can learn from them. I learn things from everywhere, other artists websites and museum shows, etc.

@gingerw @hopeful33250 Everything is holding steady for me. Although I was not placed on the active list until this summer, I was listed on UNOS last September so l have just about one year in on the transplant list. I have appointments with my local oncologist in September and my local nephrologist in October. I am thinking about getting in touch with Nebraska Medical. I contacted them a year ago. They wouldn't talk to me until I was cancer free for 5 years. I am there now. Mayo's wait time is 3 to 7 years. At Nebraska Medical, it is 1 to 5 years.

@marvinjsturing I am sorry your sister is having to go through all the treatments. I wish her well. I think it would be a great idea to put your name on every list you can. Nebraska sounds promising. You can't be on too many. I am glad you are doing well and getting stronger as you wait for the call. It would be a blessed joy if you got your transplant for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I continue to pray that everything will come together for you.
Carol

@marvinjsturing Your poor daughter, what a lot to go through, and what a lot for you too, given your own health problems.
I know about stem cell treatments for cancer, but a month in the hospital? That would be difficult for anyone but you do what you have to do.

If you haven’t checked other transplant hospitals it could be worth some more checking. At the time I was on the liver transplant list my home hospital was generally transplanting at MELDs in the low 30s but Mayo was fairly certain I would get transplanted at around 28. I was at 28 and about to get listed at Mayo, but my transplant came through at MGH. I know the wait for kidneys is longer, my niece’s husband has been waiting and on dialysis for about 5 years (not sure if he was on dialysis that whole time) and is pretty close to the top of the list at his chosen hospital now so hopefully I will get a call very soon that he’s been transplanted.
Is there for those waiting for kidneys comparable to MELD.

Prayers for your daughter and for you.
JK