Dear friends and family, several of you have asked how I am doing now and I realized that it has been a while since I�ve posted these notes. About the third week of August I returned to the Bone Marrow and Transplant Ward at Northside Hospital for my routine 3 to 4 month Bone Marrow tap and extensive blood tests. The results are very good, there is no sign of leukemia cells in my bone marrow, nor blood stream. The DNA and genetic tests also showed no sign of damage, nor irregularity!!!! I am feeling pretty much like my old self. I have been walking up to 2 miles, 3 to 4 days a week on my treadmill and adding 70 plus sit-up/crunches on our ab flex and have of course, been sticking to my �anti-cancer� diet. My Dr. and nurses have been �stunned� at how well, so soon I am doin� and a few of them have asked me what I am doing to have recovered this quickly!!! I have asked David to update my picture on our web-site, as many of you have asked and have never seen me with short hair�it�s all natural, un trimmed, thick and curly!!!!�. I would be an ungrateful servant indeed, if I did not thank our Father in Heaven and Our Savior Jesus Christ. I want you all to know, that there was not a second, when I did not feel the Spirit�s presence strong and very tangible, close by my side, during my illness. He also held my sweet David up, during the difficulty of working to sustain us, caring for me and our home. Once again, thank you for all the continuing prayers�I would not be here without them. And please still keep us in your prayers, as AML has a nasty record of coming back strong within the next 2 1/2 years!!! Luvs and Hugs to All !!! Kathy Roberts Oliver 9-10-2005
Dear friends and family... I went yesterday(Nov 10th) for my 9 mos. blood work testing. I am still in total remission, my blood work came back very good again with no signs of leukemia!!! My doctor told me to be careful this winter about being around people with colds, flu, etc...and David has to get a flu shot to make sure he doesn't bring it home to me ( yep, he has to get stuck for me...what a GUY!!! tee hee hee) and drum roll please...Dr. says I can play in the dirt in my garden now !!!! yeah...look out collard greens and kale here I come!!! He's more worried about "people germs" than soil microbes at this point. Dr. says I'm doing so well, he brought in a doc trainee to meet me, 'cause he wanted her to see one of the "few" success stories they get to see !!!???!!!! For those of you who didn't know...David and I decided to continue our dream to start our own Spa Repair Company, here in the Atlanta area ( it's Advanced Spa Repair )and it too, has been going well.... Since several of you have asked......My Dad's health continues to slowly decline, but he is still able to stay in his home and putter around with lots of help from my sister and her family that recently moved from Florida to Pikeville, just one town over from Dad's..... I once again, I want to thank you all for your continuing prayers....I would not be here were it not for your love, faith, and continuing support. I do not have to go back to the Dr. again till February and that will be the one year milestone, a bone marrow tap, at that time...just 2 more years and I'll be out of the danger zone!!!! Thank you all again and I love each and everyone of you!!! You and your families are in my prayers, too!
Luvs and hugs,
Kathy Oliver March 16, 2006:Dear Family and Friends....last week I went in for my one year bone marrow tap and blood work. Yesterday afternoon, I went in to consult with my Doctors yesterday afternoon. I have all good news, very good news!!! My Dr. explained that the type of Leukemia (AML) that I have, is mainly caused by defects in your genetic codes. If there less than 5% cancer cells in your blood, (normal healthy people can have up to 20% leukemia at any given time!!!!) then you are considered in remission...which I have been, since my first 2 rounds of chemo therapy. However, in August, I still had one set out of 20 genetic markers that showed irregular (most people with this type of cancer, usually have at least 5 or many more that would be present), which again is common in even healthy persons, as your immune system and body usually just naturally makes these small repairs as they occur....so I have remained in total remission and my Dr. told me he wasn't really concerned about it in November, as that's pretty much normal. However, yesterday, Dr. Solomon explained that there are NO leukemic genetic markers anywhere in my blood nor bone marrow that show ANY abnormalities anywhere!!! He was actually grinning and kinda giggling ...I said, so I'm still in remission??? He said , Well NO...actually, medically speaking ...with this type of Leukemia...since you don't EVEN have the "normally acceptable markers"....I have no choice but to say, that at this point, from the medical standard, you are CURED!!!! He went on to tell me that it could re-occur, but that it was only at about a 5 to 10% increase over the general public's normal risk. They do want to continue to do blood tests and an occasional bone tap the next two years, just to monitor me. After 2 years, my odds of a re-occurrence drops below general population averages. Since my original odds of even walking out of the hospital were only around 14%, they said whatever I was doin' I should absolutely continue....my Doctors, and a few of my nurses have encouraged me to write a book on the 100's of hours of cancer research I've done and the fairly strict nutritional and lifestyle changes I've made, that have "surely affected my rare recovery". They agreed with me on several things and we discussed how "ethically" they knew a lot of things seemed to work or are just plain good for you, but "ethically" they could not tell their patients about some things, because they are not considered "standard treatment"....and I just may write a book , yet!!! Anyway, I can never Thank You enough for the prayers and support you alll have given me during this critical and difficult time!!! And First (not last) of all ....thank and give praises to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and Our Heavenly Father for allowing me to "hang around here" with you all a while longer!!!!
Big Huge Hugs and Luvs!!!!
Kathy Roberts Oliver
(26 May 2007) We are blessed to report that Kathy's Bone marrow test last month confimed that she is still living cancer free. Feb 25, 2008: